Most of us don't have access to ranges that go beyond 100 yards out east, but they can be found, or the farmer who will let you use a field (make sure of the backstop eh?)
The long rifles will give you a better sight plane, the farther apart the front and rear sights, and the more precise those sights, the easier it will be for you to shoot accurate. (The Sharps rifles didn't come with really long barrels and peep sights on the tangs 'cause they wanted to make 'em heavy.)
I have fired my .54 flintlock out to 200 yards, using a patched round ball and 70 gr 3Fg. This wasn't a hunting test, but to see if I could engage a man sized target (wooden plank 2' wide x 6' tall). I don't know what the velocity was. I found aligning the base of the front sight with the top of the rear sight, and using a point of aim at the top of the target, generally put the ball somewhere in the middle.
I recall the British riflemen of the Napoleonic Wars were to use a .600 ball with 90 -100 gr of 2Fg in a 30" barrel with open sights, and had to hit the above referenced target (2' x 6') 5 out of 6 times, two days in a row, from a supported position, at 300 yards, to be rated "expert".
In the 19th century long range shooting became popular in the US and Europe especially Germany, and they made very heavy barreled guns to take large charges to compete. I have seen one demonstrated at a 1000 yard range..., and the guy could hit with it. I don't think it was comfortable to shoot, but he could hit the target.
LD
