"I never saw such skirmishers as the 95th [....] They could do the work much better, and with infinitely less loss than any other of our best light troops. They possessed an individual boldness, a mutual understanding, and a quickness of eye, in taking advantage of the ground, which taken together, I never saw equalled." - Capt. John Blakiston
@@britishmuzzleloaders It was the start of the WW2 watchword, The Quick and the Dead. It's actually from the Bible, meaning the Living and the Dead, but delivers the message that speed is of the essence. So is timing, so he complaint in reply is Hurry Up and Wait. Ultimately, it's Musashi's concept of the Empty Hand attack, so blisteringly speedy the enemy has no choice but to surrender.
It should be remembered that the Battle of Cacabelos was essentially a draw, in an otherwise disastrous campaign for Britain. The British were so keen to continue their hasty retreat to A Coruña that they made little use of their strong defensive positions during the battle. It goes without saying that Plunkett's action, inglorious though it was, helped the British to divert attention from the outcome of the campaign.
Rob is back! And he provides us all with his beloved mix of information, entertainment and beautiful canadian scenery.... ahhh what a gleeful spot of colour and joy in this dull and crazy world 😄😄 Many thanks and nice hat you've got here Rob... 🙃
The last words of Brigadier General Colbert were: "I am still very young to die [31 years old]; but at least my death is that of a soldier of the great army, because, exhaling, I see flee the last and eternal enemies of my country!"
Rob - With the passing this last week of an Icon in the Firearms community (Paul Harrell), I commend you even more with your attentions to detail in the quality of your production in these fine videos you produce, quality video that is enjoyable, educational, narrated with thoughtful comment's by you in order to navigate separation of historical myth and historical fact. (You make the viewer think) and that is above being just told something. anyway, I really enjoyed your series on the Lee Rifles. the research was outstanding and I see this same process carried out in the Baker content. Thank you Rob. - Dave
I don't think any series of novels has ever become so quickly regarded as classics. Great reading and I love Cornwell's habit of including a supplementary section at the end of the book to explain how he's altered th history of the events to allow Sharpe and Harper to play their part.
Marvelous! Shooting is so different in full kit and when you have to run before shooting, so this was an excellent practice and very instructive. I do think you missed a good opportunity, however--those plumes would be great for reading the wind at the target! ;-)
Nice video. Thanks. What we do forget is that no rifle at the time was uniform in manufacture. So, Plunkett's may have been a 'Unicorn' and somewhat more accurate than the average. Plunkett also had far more experience with his rifle than most shooters today. He would have known what the rifle was capable of. This may be why he had the confidence to run forward and try his luck.
How can you not adore this guy ❤ Thank you so much for all the awesome content you give to us. I’m a huge fan of Sharpe - I read all the books in chronological order in about 3 months when I was working away a few years ago ❤
@@britishmuzzleloaders You really do, informative and entertaining. The sort of programming you used to get on the Beeb, not so much now. I could imagine this on BBC Four a few years back, before it became a ‘repeats’ channel.
Oh Lovely, THIS IS most appropriate being that I was just very recently at the range with good Mr. Baker.. Do must add that horse and officer target to be most VERY well done indeed, give regaurds to the builder/ artist, BRAVO..!! And a VERY good work you have done again Mr. Rob..
Outstanding work, really exceptional, thank you for your accuracy (in both senses!), the clarity of your exposition, your passion for living history, and your humour. I've learned so much from your channel and been entertained while learning. .
Bravissimo Rob. So far it shows that Plunkett could have made the necessary hits. Not always but two in succession is feasible and we do not know for certain where Colbert or his aide were hit so head or body are both possible. What you do show is that a supine position was not feasible with a pack etc. Plunkett was an experienced soldier so, given permission to abandon the pack etc, I would expect him to choose to retain the greatcoat so that he was never separated from his protection. He would need something to cook any food he might find. The mess tin would suffice and might have gone in the snap sack which he could have left with his comrades before doubling forwards out of line. However far forwards he did go it was short enough to allow him to run back to his line before cavalry could catch him. Under the circumstances I would hazard a maximum of 200 yards. As an excellent marksman and if the wind were all but still he could have stood a good chance of firing with man size effective accuracy out to 300 yards with a known holdover. All in all my guess is that he fired at Colbert when Colbert was no more than 500 yards from the regiment’s line and 300 yards from Plunkett. This would place Colbert at about the point where the road makes it’s kink and would be a sensible place for him to then observe the ground and British dispositions safe from being surprised by British cavalry. Close enough to the bridge to be able to retire quickly were he to find himself in danger. Also just beyond what he would expect to be rifle range and he would not expect artillery to be wasted upon a small reconnaisance force of less than Troop size. It all adds up to everything being within the bounds of possibility without exceeding known abilities of man or weapon. One might note that success was not inevitable. There were assorted tolerances of man and rifle which had to coincide to get both men in just two shots and we should note that the feat was considered notable by his peers so could easily have been two near misses or a wounded horse. What sticks out to me is that Plunkett saw the need to advance alone before his own lines to reach a range at which he could expect himself to hit a man size target and that he was bold enough to do so despite the very real risk of being cut off by cavalry. The French must have been so surprised that they did not identify his location of the first shot for him to have had the time and coolness to reload without being subject to a cavalry attack. Not that a (presumed) small troop of cavalry would want to advance within normal rifle range of a significant body of alert riflemen. We should also remember that Plunkett did it at an estimated, not known, range in the snow after countless privations of cold, hunger and probable sleep deprivation. Plunkett saw the enemy beyond his effective range, advanced unsupported alone to get within range knowing they were mounted and he was on foot. His marksmanship was one of the least things we must respect him for.
And it brings out the point that in individual action Plunkett need not have taken with him anything he would not have needed to achieve his objective of engaging his target and returning safely to his lines. The prospect before him was, if things went well, to run out, take up a firing position, shoot a handful of times, and run back; or, if they did not go well, to be killed or taken by French cavalry. He clearly knew his weapon's limitations, and had a keen eye for ground and range. I love the way Rob adheres to what is documented, but documentation reflects only the formalised elements of life, whereas events often attest to the improvised ones... and this incident is surely defined by improvisation.
Always a pleasure to get one of your productions. Well done, with all the typical attention to detail examining the various aspects of your subject. Thanks!
I have shot supine and found that practice and discovery (trying different holds) yielded that placing the butt along the side chest, not the arm pit and the offhand griping the butt plate not the stock comb as seen at the 12:07 mark was far more stable and easier to adjust my aim.
Thanks Rob! It’s a shitty, rainy afternoon here in N.B. This video was just what I needed 👍🏻. You know what would be interesting 🤔. Some material on the rebellions of upper and lower Canada in the 1830s, or better yet! The Riel rebellions. I’m stoked for part two!
Good evening from the south Okanagan, thanks for the excellent and as always informative video. It's cool to see some of the legends and written stories put to the test. All the best.
Your feed came up again on my phone after some months absence.. I have always loved your stuff and this was excellent I believe I may have seen it once before but it was worth watching again thank you so much
Rob, seriously impressed with the sheer amount of effort you put into these to make them both so entertaining and informative. Its a huge amount of work. Very impressive full sized Colbert and horse. Well done, Sir!
Superb kit turnout and a nice bit of shooting after the context discussion. Nicely done video with a huge General Colbert standing in for Private Snuffy!
Thank you for making such interesting and funny videos, while doing them from a different perspective than most history channels would. Oh, and a disappointed as you may be with yourself, I am shocked to hear you could even come close to a body sized target at 200yds…and you sure.y didn’t practice as much as they would have. I often wonder, given that these rifles were basically made by hand, and would surely have varied from rifle to rifle, and if some were much more accurate than others, and perhaps that’s a part of some of these stories. Thanks!
Richard Moore! My father and myself occasionally took Richard to some Napoleonic Association reenactments, he was a very quiet spoken chap with a great love of the outdoors and he would be in his 95th uniform as often as he could. He was the military specialist for the Sharpe series and gets namechecked a few times as Rifleman Moore, you will spot him in several episodes. Thanks for rekindling this memory and for your study on the subject of the great Baker rifle and Plunketts shot.
Excellent presentation. I think it would have been hard but doable for a veteran like Plunkett. The more miraculous thing seems to be that he was able to escape to the cavalry
Rob, thanks for an awesome episode/ I love it best when your episodes are all about British muzzle loaders. Let's not forget that: “Dieu n’est pas pour les gros bataillons, mais pour ceux qui tirent le mieux” (“God is on the side not of the heavy battalions, but of the best shots”) I bet Plunkett was not at all happy as to the fate of some of his comrades and was determined to seek retribution, god willing, and with little immediate regard for his own safety.
Great stuff Rob - any sort of cross breeze makes long range shooting with the Baker challenging. Plunkett’s day had to a still or head/tail. And thanks for the shout out to the 2/95th Australia. Will let the team know😀
Good demonstration. I have shot at long ranges with pistol. Salmon Idaho dump back in 1975 with two younger friends. With S-W model 1917 revolver shooting handloads in 45 Auto rim cartridges bullet weight 255 grs heavy charge of unique powder range 600 yards target an old cast Iron stove half buried into a mound of debris. Once elevation was established we got consistent hits with the pistol. Trick is kept the front sight centered on the target and lower the rear as needed. As to black powder rifles ball and patch in separate compartments with premeasured powder in tubes plastic or wood with an easy to remove plug is fast and keeps most of the possible errors to a minimum.
Excellent. On the march most troops run hot even in winter, so the coat or jacket comes off. If rear guard then the backpack might well have been in a forward waggon. I suspect Plunkett got himself well forward, as the 95th had been trained in skirmish and urban warfare; they were after all "elite" light infantry. They were all fighting fit too. Troops were deployed using the terrain and usually hidden until the last minute. Only fully committed when they had a good chance to win. Maybe the French hadn't seen anyone until the first of Plunkett's shots rang out??? Looks like I'm going to have to read up on this action again. As for the marksmanship and rifle, then a natural shot familiar with his rifle might well reach to 300m. 200m isn't so much a test. Just like today some were into their marksmanship and guns, and unlike today many knew and were well versed in their sword drills too. They were after all professional soldiers. The British tended to only fire their first volley from their muskets at ridiculously close range. Aimed shots too, which made them so absolutely lethal. Unlike less well trained and disciplined troops who would fire earlier, 150m, and hit little. Whatever range Plunkett did shoot at it was a lot further than any normal British troops would try. Must had seemed a heck of a long way. It's a great subject.
I would add, that being so far forward and knowing there was a chance they could ride out to attack there is no way his reloads were in the magazine pouch requiring him to roll over each time. He would have had 3 or 4 in a forward pocket or tucked in his belt to be able to load quicker.
There were no wagons generally for men's kit.... ever... as mentioned, that's why the knapsack, if still in possession of it, would have been worn. Rather than postulating about general details, those found gleaned from the period and anecdotal sources are much more valuable and paint a better picture of what actually happened.
This may seem to be a long video, but it is worth it. It has a ton of well researched history and re-creation in it. FYI the calibre of the Baker is also 15.7mm. I'm an older Brit, but think in mm exclusively nowadays.
I thought thar was quite decent shooting considering the conditions. Very entertaining and all the faffing about on the shooting line brought back memories of Army qualification shooting in less than ideal conditions, sideways rain for instance. In full gear and in the field shooting rilfes is seldom cinematic. Well done here! Can't wait for part two.
Excellent attention to detail. Well acted, edited, filmed, and narrated. I don't think however, that the British army was quite so well fed. I acknowledge that this detail is difficult to overcome.
I love both the topic and the beautiful landscape! Well done Rob!
Thank you!
Excellent.
"I never saw such skirmishers as the 95th [....] They could do the work much better, and with infinitely less loss than any other of our best light troops. They possessed an individual boldness, a mutual understanding, and a quickness of eye, in taking advantage of the ground, which taken together, I never saw equalled." - Capt. John Blakiston
How the hell did you messige this 5 days ago
Well known quote, yes!
@@britishmuzzleloaders It was the start of the WW2 watchword, The Quick and the Dead. It's actually from the Bible, meaning the Living and the Dead, but delivers the message that speed is of the essence. So is timing, so he complaint in reply is Hurry Up and Wait. Ultimately, it's Musashi's concept of the Empty Hand attack, so blisteringly speedy the enemy has no choice but to surrender.
It should be remembered that the Battle of Cacabelos was essentially a draw, in an otherwise disastrous campaign for Britain. The British were so keen to continue their hasty retreat to A Coruña that they made little use of their strong defensive positions during the battle.
It goes without saying that Plunkett's action, inglorious though it was, helped the British to divert attention from the outcome of the campaign.
Rob is back!
And he provides us all with his beloved mix of information, entertainment and beautiful canadian scenery.... ahhh what a gleeful spot of colour and joy in this dull and crazy world 😄😄
Many thanks and nice hat you've got here Rob... 🙃
Very kind of you to say.
The Colbert target was outstanding! Another wonderfully researched, produced and narrated video.
Cheers!
The last words of Brigadier General Colbert were: "I am still very young to die [31 years old]; but at least my death is that of a soldier of the great army, because, exhaling, I see flee the last and eternal enemies of my country!"
Rob - With the passing this last week of an Icon in the Firearms community (Paul Harrell), I commend you even more with your attentions to detail in the quality of your production in these fine videos you produce, quality video that is enjoyable, educational, narrated with thoughtful comment's by you in order to navigate separation of historical myth and historical fact. (You make the viewer think) and that is above being just told something. anyway, I really enjoyed your series on the Lee Rifles. the research was outstanding and I see this same process carried out in the Baker content. Thank you Rob. - Dave
That is very kind of you to do so. Many thanks, and Paul's passing is such a loss to the community.
my husband got me into Sharpe’s Rifles show and i love studying the culture and history of firearms
I don't think any series of novels has ever become so quickly regarded as classics. Great reading and I love Cornwell's habit of including a supplementary section at the end of the book to explain how he's altered th history of the events to allow Sharpe and Harper to play their part.
Just don't think that the Sharpe TV show is in any way realistic or historical. Its just light entertainment.
@@JohnyG29 i know that! it’s more entertaining than that Shogun i know the difference between entertainment and history
I joined the Rifles over that show lol
@@ifv2089 that’s cool!
"Fed by Internet buffoonery" is something I'm going to use often going forward.
Something of which there is an overabundance.
Nice!
Embuggerance.
How GLORIOUSLY British a term!
LOVE IT!
Cheers!
Famously, it was the way Terry Pratchett referred to his Alzheimer's.
Marvelous! Shooting is so different in full kit and when you have to run before shooting, so this was an excellent practice and very instructive. I do think you missed a good opportunity, however--those plumes would be great for reading the wind at the target! ;-)
Yes it is! Lot's more to come in Part 2!
Nice video. Thanks.
What we do forget is that no rifle at the time was uniform in manufacture. So, Plunkett's may have been a 'Unicorn' and somewhat more accurate than the average. Plunkett also had far more experience with his rifle than most shooters today. He would have known what the rifle was capable of.
This may be why he had the confidence to run forward and try his luck.
Lot's of what if's, for sure.
Fantastic video as always. Also, that cavalry target is epic!
Probably the most magnificent target I've ever seen 😲
Cheers!
Muzzleloader is the best muzzleloader on Utube.
Cheers!
I'm usually a WW2 history buff, but your channel has awakened in me a random interest in Baker Rifles recently.
Cheers!
Babe wake up
Britishmuzzleloaders
Made another rifles video ❤
I wish people would stop doing that. It's infantile.
Haha!
How can you not adore this guy ❤ Thank you so much for all the awesome content you give to us. I’m a huge fan of Sharpe - I read all the books in chronological order in about 3 months when I was working away a few years ago ❤
Great reads....!
This channel deserves 100k
Trying!
@@britishmuzzleloaders You really do, informative and entertaining. The sort of programming you used to get on the Beeb, not so much now. I could imagine this on BBC Four a few years back, before it became a ‘repeats’ channel.
Oh Lovely, THIS IS most appropriate being that I was just very recently at the range with good Mr. Baker..
Do must add that horse and officer target to be most VERY well done indeed, give regaurds to the builder/ artist, BRAVO..!!
And a VERY good work you have done again Mr. Rob..
THank you! All done by the 'Arts and Crafts Department' of the Channel... (me)
Full marks for dedication to authenticity and empirical testing. REALLY look forward to Part Two!
I just subbed in the 95th honor, Sharpe would be proud!
Who?
Good morning brother and everyone else thank you for sharing your outstanding video
Cheers!
@@britishmuzzleloaders Hi my friend
Fun and informative as usual! Thank you.
Most welcome!
Outstanding work, really exceptional, thank you for your accuracy (in both senses!), the clarity of your exposition, your passion for living history, and your humour. I've learned so much from your channel and been entertained while learning. .
Glad to hear! Cheers!
Bravissimo Rob. So far it shows that Plunkett could have made the necessary hits. Not always but two in succession is feasible and we do not know for certain where Colbert or his aide were hit so head or body are both possible. What you do show is that a supine position was not feasible with a pack etc. Plunkett was an experienced soldier so, given permission to abandon the pack etc, I would expect him to choose to retain the greatcoat so that he was never separated from his protection. He would need something to cook any food he might find. The mess tin would suffice and might have gone in the snap sack which he could have left with his comrades before doubling forwards out of line. However far forwards he did go it was short enough to allow him to run back to his line before cavalry could catch him. Under the circumstances I would hazard a maximum of 200 yards. As an excellent marksman and if the wind were all but still he could have stood a good chance of firing with man size effective accuracy out to 300 yards with a known holdover. All in all my guess is that he fired at Colbert when Colbert was no more than 500 yards from the regiment’s line and 300 yards from Plunkett. This would place Colbert at about the point where the road makes it’s kink and would be a sensible place for him to then observe the ground and British dispositions safe from being surprised by British cavalry. Close enough to the bridge to be able to retire quickly were he to find himself in danger. Also just beyond what he would expect to be rifle range and he would not expect artillery to be wasted upon a small reconnaisance force of less than Troop size. It all adds up to everything being within the bounds of possibility without exceeding known abilities of man or weapon. One might note that success was not inevitable. There were assorted tolerances of man and rifle which had to coincide to get both men in just two shots and we should note that the feat was considered notable by his peers so could easily have been two near misses or a wounded horse. What sticks out to me is that Plunkett saw the need to advance alone before his own lines to reach a range at which he could expect himself to hit a man size target and that he was bold enough to do so despite the very real risk of being cut off by cavalry. The French must have been so surprised that they did not identify his location of the first shot for him to have had the time and coolness to reload without being subject to a cavalry attack. Not that a (presumed) small troop of cavalry would want to advance within normal rifle range of a significant body of alert riflemen. We should also remember that Plunkett did it at an estimated, not known, range in the snow after countless privations of cold, hunger and probable sleep deprivation.
Plunkett saw the enemy beyond his effective range, advanced unsupported alone to get within range knowing they were mounted and he was on foot. His marksmanship was one of the least things we must respect him for.
And it brings out the point that in individual action Plunkett need not have taken with him anything he would not have needed to achieve his objective of engaging his target and returning safely to his lines. The prospect before him was, if things went well, to run out, take up a firing position, shoot a handful of times, and run back; or, if they did not go well, to be killed or taken by French cavalry. He clearly knew his weapon's limitations, and had a keen eye for ground and range. I love the way Rob adheres to what is documented, but documentation reflects only the formalised elements of life, whereas events often attest to the improvised ones... and this incident is surely defined by improvisation.
Lot's of things to consider for sure John!
You make my day, sir.
He made my day as well..
Cheers!
Impressive display both in the shooting and presentation.
I do hope that target makes future appearances.
Yay! Very good! Love these deep dives. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks, Rob!
Always a pleasure to get one of your productions. Well done, with all the typical attention to detail examining the various aspects of your subject. Thanks!
Very kind!
Informative and entertaining as always! Thank you.
Cheers!
Rob, outstanding content, thought, and some great humor! Thank you good sir!
Cheers!
Love this video, awesome Rob
Thanks V!
This is awesome! The target alone is incredible. Fantastic job.
Cheers!
Thank you for the sheer hard work you must put in to your videos Bravo sir.
Thank you!
Another fantastic video Rob, thanks so much.
Most welcome!
I have shot supine and found that practice and discovery (trying different holds) yielded that placing the butt along the side chest, not the arm pit and the offhand griping the butt plate not the stock comb as seen at the 12:07 mark was far more stable and easier to adjust my aim.
So many variations,......
Thank you for your work. Always informative,fun and just plainly awesome. Thank you.
Most welcome!
Fascinating and most enjoyable.
Thank you!
Thanks Rob! It’s a shitty, rainy afternoon here in N.B. This video was just what I needed 👍🏻. You know what would be interesting 🤔. Some material on the rebellions of upper and lower Canada in the 1830s, or better yet! The Riel rebellions. I’m stoked for part two!
The NW Rebellion is something that will eventually be covered.
Hazzar Hazzar
Excellent kit by the way
Shots (it is what it is )
and the dive in to the history is top as usual
Bravo 👏👏👌
Thank you!
Great video and very impressive target! Thank you
Looking forward to the next episode
Cheers!
Good evening from the south Okanagan, thanks for the excellent and as always informative video. It's cool to see some of the legends and written stories put to the test. All the best.
Your feed came up again on my phone after some months absence.. I have always loved your stuff and this was excellent I believe I may have seen it once before but it was worth watching again thank you so much
It's the newest video on the Channel at the moment... Glad you enjoyed it!
That's one impressive target! Can't wait for part 2!
Cheers!
Rob for Oscar! Very watchable humourous style. You are a National treasure! Baker rifles Rock! Sv
Thank you! Part two coming soon!
What a superb presentation. Well done Sir!
There's Part Two as well! Cheers
What a great surprise to see this in my subscription feed!🙂 Wonderful stuff as always Rob. Much appreciated.
Cheers!
I look forward to part 2 following this excellent video
Great stuff as usual.thanks.
Cheers!
Another fantastic and informative video. Top hole!
Cheers!
This is outstanding living history…subbed!
Thank you kindly!
Rob, seriously impressed with the sheer amount of effort you put into these to make them both so entertaining and informative. Its a huge amount of work. Very impressive full sized Colbert and horse. Well done, Sir!
Thank you kindly! Glad you enjoyed it!
Loved everything about this vid. Bravo!
Thank you!
Superb kit turnout and a nice bit of shooting after the context discussion. Nicely done video with a huge General Colbert standing in for Private Snuffy!
More to come in part 2!
@@britishmuzzleloaders Grand, looking forwards to subsequent parts.
After many days I saw the new video. I got to know about the new history🎉🎉🎉🎉
Nice!
Thank you for making such interesting and funny videos, while doing them from a different perspective than most history channels would.
Oh, and a disappointed as you may be with yourself, I am shocked to hear you could even come close to a body sized target at 200yds…and you sure.y didn’t practice as much as they would have.
I often wonder, given that these rifles were basically made by hand, and would surely have varied from rifle to rifle, and if some were much more accurate than others, and perhaps that’s a part of some of these stories.
Thanks!
Given the historical supply of ammunition afforded for practice, one might be surprised at how little they shot.
@@britishmuzzleloaders that’s interesting
Another fine vid BM. Great stuff when you are in full period kit.
Thank you!
Excellent video.
Thank you!
"One colossal embuggerance"! Hilarious!
Great video! I admire your knowledge and commitment!
Part two as well!
Will look forward to pt2
Cheers!
Magnificent work as ever Rob. Ah the beauty of infantry work: Stress position - GO!
Cheers! Only in this case it was more "turtle on its back"..... Haha!
Richard Moore! My father and myself occasionally took Richard to some Napoleonic Association reenactments, he was a very quiet spoken chap with a great love of the outdoors and he would be in his 95th uniform as often as he could. He was the military specialist for the Sharpe series and gets namechecked a few times as Rifleman Moore, you will spot him in several episodes. Thanks for rekindling this memory and for your study on the subject of the great Baker rifle and Plunketts shot.
Yes indeed! Thank you for sharing!
Rob, this is just awesome! (and timely as yesterday I started watching Sharpe's)
Well done!
You really do beat yourself up, stop it😂
Thank you!
Excellent presentation. I think it would have been hard but doable for a veteran like Plunkett.
The more miraculous thing seems to be that he was able to escape to the cavalry
Conclusions to follow in Part 2!
Rob, thanks for an awesome episode/
I love it best when your episodes are all about British muzzle loaders.
Let's not forget that:
“Dieu n’est pas pour les gros bataillons, mais pour ceux qui tirent le mieux” (“God is on the side not of the heavy battalions, but of the best shots”)
I bet Plunkett was not at all happy as to the fate of some of his comrades and was determined to seek retribution, god willing, and with little immediate regard for his own safety.
Lot's of factors to consider, yes.
Always enjoy your videos. Fantastic work
Thank you!
Welcome back
Hey-ho!
The effort into your videos is outstanding and appreciated! From the building of the life sized target to the editing! Hats off to you!
Thank you!
Great stuff MacKenzie! Brilliant you're going back to the Baker and 'embuggerance' is a brilliant word
Cheers!
Great stuff Rob - any sort of cross breeze makes long range shooting with the Baker challenging. Plunkett’s day had to a still or head/tail. And thanks for the shout out to the 2/95th Australia. Will let the team know😀
Thank you kindly, for the footage! It was a fine demonstration. Well done the 2/95th!
Good demonstration. I have shot at long ranges with pistol. Salmon Idaho dump back in 1975 with two younger friends. With S-W model 1917 revolver shooting handloads in 45 Auto rim cartridges bullet weight 255 grs heavy charge of unique powder range 600 yards target an old cast Iron stove half buried into a mound of debris. Once elevation was established we got consistent hits with the pistol. Trick is kept the front sight centered on the target and lower the rear as needed. As to black powder rifles ball and patch in separate compartments with premeasured powder in tubes plastic or wood with an easy to remove plug is fast and keeps most of the possible errors to a minimum.
Nice!
What an engrossing presentation full of facts and pithy observations.
Thank you!
Truly excellent Rob.
Cheers!
Rob, you are a legend for even trying this mate! Good work... love it.
Most kind. Cheers!
Excellent video as always. Informative, humour and backing up what you say with evidence and testing.
More to follow on in Part 2!
Wonderful Rob. Absolutely embuggerigly wonderful!
Haha! Cheers!
Upon seeing a britishmuzzleloaders video on the Baker I naturally clicked immediately, that’s my style sir
now thats soldiering!
Thank you!
Fantastic video!!, and holy crap that Colbert target haha that is huge!
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video man
Thank you!
your landscaping of the area to more closely resemble what it looked like in 1809 is truly excellent
Cheers!
Absolutely fascinating. Thank you.
Most welcome!
Plunkett actually came from the exact same town as me!
You have made an amazing video about him here and definitely earned a new subscription from me!
Thamk you kindly!
mmm more 95th Rifles content, very much welcomed.
Cheers!
Well done . Great commitment 😊👍
Thank you!
Nice bit of video from Taminick, Victoria. of the 95th.
Cheers!
Beautifully done well done ❤
Cheers!
Superb content
Thank you.
your videos are great
Thank you!
awesome effort.
Thank you!
Informative and fun thanks for the video
Cheers!
another good one
Cheers!
One of your best yet!
Cheers!
Excellent.
On the march most troops run hot even in winter, so the coat or jacket comes off. If rear guard then the backpack might well have been in a forward waggon. I suspect Plunkett got himself well forward, as the 95th had been trained in skirmish and urban warfare; they were after all "elite" light infantry. They were all fighting fit too. Troops were deployed using the terrain and usually hidden until the last minute. Only fully committed when they had a good chance to win. Maybe the French hadn't seen anyone until the first of Plunkett's shots rang out??? Looks like I'm going to have to read up on this action again.
As for the marksmanship and rifle, then a natural shot familiar with his rifle might well reach to 300m. 200m isn't so much a test. Just like today some were into their marksmanship and guns, and unlike today many knew and were well versed in their sword drills too. They were after all professional soldiers. The British tended to only fire their first volley from their muskets at ridiculously close range. Aimed shots too, which made them so absolutely lethal. Unlike less well trained and disciplined troops who would fire earlier, 150m, and hit little. Whatever range Plunkett did shoot at it was a lot further than any normal British troops would try. Must had seemed a heck of a long way.
It's a great subject.
I would add, that being so far forward and knowing there was a chance they could ride out to attack there is no way his reloads were in the magazine pouch requiring him to roll over each time. He would have had 3 or 4 in a forward pocket or tucked in his belt to be able to load quicker.
There were no wagons generally for men's kit.... ever... as mentioned, that's why the knapsack, if still in possession of it, would have been worn. Rather than postulating about general details, those found gleaned from the period and anecdotal sources are much more valuable and paint a better picture of what actually happened.
You always get me wanting to take my muskets out Rob lol looking forward to part 2
Great! 😀
Thumbs up for being out there in what I presume is August in full wool kit. Good god man, I'd surly perish!
It was warm in places, yes.
Good video sir.
Thank you!
What an awesome target!
Haha!
This may seem to be a long video, but it is worth it. It has a ton of well researched history and re-creation in it. FYI the calibre of the Baker is also 15.7mm. I'm an older Brit, but think in mm exclusively nowadays.
Cheers!
Thank you for covering this incident 😊
Cheers!
Fantastic video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
There's a PART TWO if you are interested!
I thought thar was quite decent shooting considering the conditions. Very entertaining and all the faffing about on the shooting line brought back memories of Army qualification shooting in less than ideal conditions, sideways rain for instance. In full gear and in the field shooting rilfes is seldom cinematic. Well done here! Can't wait for part two.
Cheers!
Excellent attention to detail. Well acted, edited, filmed, and narrated. I don't think however, that the British army was quite so well fed. I acknowledge that this detail is difficult to overcome.
Cheers.