(The rest of the time they threaten only birds)In arsenal tests. buck and ball muzzle velocity is 1600 fps and rifle nuskets sling out minnes at 980 fps. nuskets are held level and the ball hits the ground at 280 yards for its first bounce (bucks take first bounce at 170 yards). The danger zone extends the whole distance. Rifle muskets are aimed slightly upward so they have a danger zone thats a few yards in front of the muzzle and a fe yards at the end of the rainbow. Buck and ball come out super sonic (thats flash, splat, bang) Rifle nuskets fire sub sonic rounds (flash, bang, splat — you DO hear it co ming)
If you level a R-M range, (which you should do at point blank - 170 yds, or less the ball will hit the eartu (first bounce) at 170 yds. the danger zne is at least the whole 170 yards.
The French, a few years after wide-spread issuance of rifle-muskets saw their ability to wound and kill drop lik a stone. Sooooo they ripped the rear sights off the weapoms in eight out of 10 companies and larfely went back to leveling and sw enemy casualty rates rise up to smoothbore rates.