Hi Bill
Its a debate thats been had quite a lot I recall. One observation I recently read was that the British rifle was actually heavy and slow to load which was a disadvantage vs the French light weight musket when it came to skirmishing. I think that was in Alessandro Barbero's excellent book 'the battle'.
It may be important to distinguish between sharpshooting and skirmishing when you research this as on the other side in 'Waterloo new perspectives' the Baker rifle is spoken of very highly for its long range accuracy. But this is when the British rifles were in a good defensive position firing off shots at the advancing legions of France.
So in summary I am not sure if they had a longer range perhaps a longer accurate range is a better description. But on the downside they were heavy and slow to load.
Why not go to http://www.1st95thrifles.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=788 and ask the guys who fire em.
Helga red bull here for Bill please. He has a game to finish.
General de Brigade Knox
Baron de l'Empire
2e Regiment Gardes d'Honneur (the regaled pheasants)
La Jeune Garde
CO. 1er Brigade, III Division Cavalerie Legere, III Corps Armee du Nord
http://www.aspire.co.nz/colinknoxnwc.htm