Which comes back to the old arguments on cartridges. The redcoats using Tower Pattern Muskets, ( or indeed the Green Jackets using rifles) were issued with premeasured ball and black powder made up in Cartidge Paper. The bandolieers with the 12 Apostols were from an earlier era, (inc UK civil war).

The cartridges were greased in animal fat (See the Indian Mutiny)

Diferent ages, different loading techniques.

But I'll go along with Dai - when your musket/pistols were fired the most effective use was as a club !! - hence the issue of very long bayonets to the rifles and known as swords.

You don't have that problem with the long bow but then drill could teach a farmhand how to load and fire a musket by wrote. The bow required years of practice.

BTW the large calibre fire arms used by the British Army were more to do with physically stopping an oncharging Zulu or Pathan (Pushtu) than accuracy - If you want an excellent example of old fashioned infantry drill with the 0.44 single shot Martini Rifle see the film ZULU

Gareth