Small Caliber Rifle

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I am beginning to plan a small caliber flint lock rife. I was thinking about a Southern Mountain Rifle with an 38" A profile barrel in .36 cal.

I've never shot a caliber this small let alone built one.  I was originally considering a .32 but I couldn't find ball moulds for that cal. What would be a proper ramrod size for a .36 caliber? I was planning a Rice barrel with bound bottom rifling.  Are there any pitfalls or problems I should be aware of?

[Joe Schell]

Im getin ready to start on a 36 myself, in my opinion the 38'' barrel profile has way too much taper & flair for a mountain rifle but it would make a good handlin gun. the ramrod for a 36 is 5/16

[dbraw]

I built a .32 Tennessee style rifle for myself twenty five years ago. It has a 38" Getz swamped barrel and shoots a .310 ball. Great shooter and light to carry. Have won many shooting events with it. The local squirrels hate it.
Dan

[B.Habermehl]

The"A" weight barrel will make a nice handling rifle. I prefir .36 cal myself. Things get too small and fiddly below that. 5/16 dia is perfect for the ramrod for a .36 cal rifle. My .36 works well on squirrels to the limits of my eyesight and shooting skills. Stick to head shots as any of the small cal muzzleloaders will cause about as much meat damage as a .22 mag.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Thanks Guys.

Something else I was wondering about, is there any advantage to getting square bottom grooved barrel. Rice barrels has a square bottom barrel that is special order. My concern is with the deep round bottom grooves and that tiny ball thick patch combination. Or is the round bottom grooves an advantage?

[Joe Schell]

I had a rice 42'' 36 with round grooves and it shot very well with a .350 ball and a .015 patch with 30grns of fff.

[Don Tripp]

Go with the round bottom rifling, it is easier to clean by a great margin. I have a .36 cal Ed Rayl barrel 7/8" X 45 1/2" with square bottom rifling that I wish was round bottom. I am using it on an iron mounted rifle. I have a .36 Ohio half stock with a 28" barrel. I use 000 buck shot as my ball, they are cheap, round and soft lead. With a longer barrel like yours and my Rayl barrel, getting a patch to hold enough lube so that it doesn't get too dry before leaving the barrel will be the thing to contend with so a thicker than usual patch, well lubed would be the way to go.

[Long John]

I built me a 36 caliber Bucks County rifle inspired by RCA 65.  I used a large Siler lock and a 42" swamped "A" profile Colerain barrel.



It shoots OOO buck shot with a .020 patch and 40 grains of FFFg GOEX real fine.  Keep the shots to the head for gray squirrels - otherwise you won't have to gut them.  It is great on turkey and coyotes.

I like the .36!  My friend has a .32 and it seems more trouble to keep shooting when at a match.  Lot's of wiping between shots, etc.  My .36 doesn't need all that fuss.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Dennis Glazener]

I've never shot a caliber this small let alone built one.  I was originally considering a .32 but I couldn't find ball moulds for that cal. What would be a proper ramrod size for a .36 caliber? I was planning a Rice barrel with bound bottom rifling.  Are there any pitfalls or problems I should be aware of?

I have owned a .29 cal, .32 cal, .36 cal and a 40. Currently have a 32 with a 44 inch Rice barrel and I love shooting it and it shoots one hole groups at 25 yds from a rest. But I believe I prefer a 38 inch A profile 36 to all the others. The 29 and 32, in my opinion are harder to load with a tight patch, harder to clean, have to use such a small ram rod. Plus Rice only makes the 32 in the Premium barrel and charges extra on top of that. 36 can be used with 000 buckshot and that to me is better than molding my own.

To each his own but I like those little 36 caliber squirrel guns.
Dennis

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Thank you Gentlemen

I like what I'm hearing.

Long John That Bucks rifle is beautiful, I might have to consider one of those. What does it weight in at?

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks Guys.

Something else I was wondering about, is there any advantage to getting square bottom grooved barrel. Rice barrels has a square bottom barrel that is special order. My concern is with the deep round bottom grooves and that tiny ball thick patch combination. Or is the round bottom grooves an advantage?

Never knew square bottom rifling was special order with Rice! I almost always order the gumaker special barrel which is flat bottom rifling, never had one that didn't shoot well and all have been easy to clean. I currently own a 32 and a 54 with radius rifling (round bottom) and both shoot good and I can tell no difference in cleaning them. Had always heard they were easier to clean but I can not tell any difference in those and the flat bottomed ones. Had about same experience with Getz barrels but have not shot them as much as the Rice (harder to get).
Dennis

[Long Ears]

I have a .36 I purchased from Dennis and it is a great little Rifle and is extremely accurate it has a 42" A weight Rice with square bottom rifling. I am with Dennis and cannot tell any difference in cleaning the round versus the square rifling. I have a few of each in most of the common calibers. I would like to build a .40 some day to try it out but I have 3 ahead of it. Next winter maybe? Good luck, Bob

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I am not concerned about the cleaning aspects of the radius rifling, I have owned square bottom grooves in the past and I think they clean about the same as well. I was more concerned if there was any problem squeezing a thick patch into a small bore with a tiny ball. I was wondering if a square groove would allow a thinner patch and still perform as well.  Maybe I'm making mountains out of molehillls.

About 1974 I bought a Dixie Gunworks Rifle, Made in Belgium. My introduction to ML. Aside from lock problems as it aged, it was always very accurate. It had square bottom groves, and never had a problem cleaning it and never had a problem with rust in the bore. Shot it with relatively thin patches (never actually measured thickness, but I guess around .010) and could thumb start every round. TC uses square grooves, I don't own one but they seem to shoot very accurately. Was radius rifling created to produce a more historically accurate rifle barrel or was it done to facilitate cleaning, or are they supposed to be more accurate, don't know. I'm getting a little off topic.

[pathfinder]

I built a Southern gun last year using a customers 44", "A" weight Colrain barrel in .32 and loved it SOOO much that I bought a few barrels at Friendship in .32,.36 and 40! As soon as the Pear and Mulberry is dried,lookin' forward to making the gun's and shooting these long slim barrel's!

[Long John]

Micah,

I weighed my 36 caliber Bucks County rifle and it is a little over 8 pounds.  The barrel is swamped so the balance point is just aft of the entry pipe.

Mine has radius grooved rifling.  I find it easy to load although I do use a short starter for those little balls.  But I have shot 40 to 50 rounds without the need to wipe.  I used it for the Boy Scout Adventure Day at our range 2 months ago and shot all day without the need to wipe.  I did have to replace the flint.  I am using a .020 patch lubed with bees wax / bear grease mixture and 000 buckshot over 40 grains of GOEX 3Fg powder.

I did brown the barrel and lock.  That shiney metal was no good for accurate shooting!

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Daryl]

I built me a 36 caliber Bucks County rifle inspired by RCA 65.  I used a large Siler lock and a 42" swamped "A" profile Colerain barrel.



It shoots OOO buck shot with a .020 patch and 40 grains of FFFg GOEX real fine.  Keep the shots to the head for gray squirrels - otherwise you won't have to gut them.  It is great on turkey and coyotes.

I like the .36!  My friend has a .32 and it seems more trouble to keep shooting when at a match.  Lot's of wiping between shots, etc.  My .36 doesn't need all that fuss.
Best Regards,

John Cholin

Really??  I am shocked!   

Having to wipe between shots or during shooting due to fouling buildup is the sign of poor loading combinations/techniques or a VERY rough pitted bore. There are no other causes for having to wipe that I've seen in 40 years of shooting round balls from ML's.

[Vomitus]

  Daryls,
  What did I tell you yesterday? Hmm?

[Daryl]

 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

So Daryl, Your .32 is as fouling free as your .58's when using the tight ball and patch combination???

[Dennis Glazener]

I know I don't shoot my 32 anywhere near as much as some of you but fouling has never been a problem. Just the tight patches coupled with the skinny 44 inch rod Just a pain to load unless I use my steel range rod. Even with that its harder to load than I think it should be. I think I will try some smaller balls and see if it shoots as well with them.
Dennis
ps I use Goex 3F

[Stophel]

First gun I built many years ago was .36.  Killed some squirrels with it.  But things just get kinda small for me at that size.  I wouldn't personally consider a .32.  Just too small.  I have myself a .40 caliber barrel that I'll eventually stock for myself for a new squirrel gun.  A lot easier for my big fingers to handle .40 balls.  

[Daryl]

So Daryl, Your .32 is as fouling free as your .58's when using the tight ball and patch combination???

That's correct, Tim. I see no difference in any of the calibres I shoot from .32, to the 14 bore rifle.