caliber choice .32 vs .36

[EC121]

My 3/4" wide .30 flinter is fun to shoot, but I couldn't find the proper size ball.  The commercially available .283s are too little and the .300s are too big.  I finally drilled a .290 hole in a piece of 5/16 metal and drove the oiled .300s through it to make .292s.  I used a radiused piece of 1/4 wooden dowel rod that was hardened with CA glue to prevent flattening the front of the ball.  Worked great.  Ended up with .292s.  I also ended up with a nice flat bearing surface for the patch.  Almost like wadcutters.  Track's mink oil(doesn't evaporate in the block) and a loading block help with handling the small balls in the field.

[Barngunguy]

I to was trying to decide this in Jan.
iwas told barrels could be an issue and ball.
unless you cast your own. I decided on a 36.
got it about a month ago. Very nice size and accurite.
the only thing I dont like is the balance point.
its at the entry thimble for ramrod. It a little frt heavy.
I have another ordered with a swamped barrel. I hope this moves it a little back. But a 36 is an very good shooting gun.

[Standing Bear]

Thanks Hanshi. I just go w what I know and happen to have those 4. The .40 flinter gets the most work now days. Unless the .177 air rifle counts.

TC

[Bob Roller]

Small bore muzzle loading target pistols are widely used in Europe.They are mostly
high quality,expensive caplock types.Helmut Mohr in Mayen/Hausen Germany makes
them and I furnished a number of special locks for them. With 8 grains of 3fg Swiss
or Goex they are economical to shoot and are no real threat to the lead supply.
Has anyone made a .32 flintlock pistol? I have a barrel and am considering the idea.

Bob Roller

[Kopfjaeger]

.32, .40, .50, .58. Covers everything.

Them calibers cover pretty much all one's needs. Throw in a smoothbore and your good to go.

[iloco]

I have a 32 and a 36 but shoot the 32 more than the 36.  Just a fun gun to shoot. If I were having another built it would be a 32.

[Habu]

Has anyone made a .32 flintlock pistol? I have a barrel and am considering the idea.

Bob Roller

I made one years ago.  Only problem was finding a good lock (suspect you won't have trouble with that!).  I used an original pistol lock, SS trigger, MMC sights.  It shot well enough to hold it's own in matches to 25 yards; beyond that, wind threw the ball all over.  Great fun though! 

[Daryl]

If shooting trail walks or needed animal shots at 100yards much of the time, I'd pick a .36 or .40.
My .32 Tenn. rifle easily hits those 'long for calibre targets', but on animals, I'd like a bit more ball weight. If shooting only to 50yards, the .32 rules, for me - but then, why do I shoot the .69 so much - when I was doing a lot of shooting that is. Haven't fired a shot from a ML since last fall. Dang knees.

[PPatch]

I faced this choice late last winter and decided on making two .36 calibers. I upped one to a .45 for my son, "A" weight swamped, 42 inches. The remaining .36 also has an "A" swamped GM barrel, I'm hoping it will be a shooter. The 45 is light overall, points beautifully and the balance point seems perfect at just forward of the sight. I chose the 36 because it will reach out a bit more than what I understand the .32 would. I may be in error on that. Still, I already own a .50 and the .36 seems to fit as a fun rifle to shoot and less expensive than the larger caliber - that is my excuse anyway... hehe

dp  

[Frizzen]

It shot well enough to hold it's own in matches to 25 yards; beyond that, wind threw the ball all over.  Great fun though! 


Don't understand that. Wife has shot her little 32 in some pretty high wind at
Friendship, 15-20 mph. At 50 yards she shot two 87's back to back last year
at 50 yds. Wind doesn't bother her a bit. I shot next to Larry Biard and he was
shooting a .30 caliber. He told me the wind sure doesn't blow it around any at
50 yds. Of course he was using 20 grs. We use 14 in our 32's. The wind will move
your arm around some so one must be careful, but when the front sight is in the
"Black" and you get a clean touchoff  even in wind, the shot will be good. Anyway
that has been our and others experence who shoot 32"s pistol at Friendship.

[hanshi]

I don't worry about wind; but then I don't compete.  My shooting is done in the woods and a 100 yard shot is rare.  At 100 yards I'd be much more concerned about ball drop than any wind.  The .32 is a fine hunting round as is the .36.  With only 20 grains of 3F my .36 is a true shooter up to 88 yards at least; never shot targets farther than that.

[Habu]

It shot well enough to hold it's own in matches to 25 yards; beyond that, wind threw the ball all over.  Great fun though! 

Don't understand that. Wife has shot her little 32 in some pretty high wind at
Friendship, 15-20 mph. At 50 yards she shot two 87's back to back last year
at 50 yds. Wind doesn't bother her a bit. I shot next to Larry Biard and he was
shooting a .30 caliber. He told me the wind sure doesn't blow it around any at
50 yds. Of course he was using 20 grs. We use 14 in our 32's. The wind will move
your arm around some so one must be careful, but when the front sight is in the
"Black" and you get a clean touchoff  even in wind, the shot will be good. Anyway
that has been our and others experence who shoot 32"s pistol at Friendship.

I suspect we just shoot in areas with different levels of average wind speed.  Yesterday was fairly typical here: hourly wind speeds ranged from 15-35 mph, with gusts up to 40mph.   The problem my little .32 had with winds seemed related to the variability of the winds.  Without wind flags, there is just no way of telling what you are dealing with.  You can be in a pocket of calm while the winds are gusting up at 25 yards--and then it changes again. 

My load in the .32 was 20 grains FFFg.  I had a similar .50 cal pistol, usually loaded with 50 gr. FFFg.  My 25 yard averages were similar with the two pistols (around 79-80, I think), but at 50 yards I averaged about 66-67 with the .32, compared to 78 with the .50. 

[willyr]

I got to agree with Frizzen on this. For many years my go to rifle for squirrel hunting and competition was a .32 caliber with a Green Mountain barrel. My load for this rifle was a .323 round ball, .017 "plain Ticking", and 35 grains ffg GOEX. Patch lube was saliva for match shooting and olive oil for hunting. Any round ball is affected by the wind, regardless of caliber, you have to learn how to read the wind on those 100 yd. shots. I won a lot of shooting matches with that rifle and killed a lot of squirrels with it. Before anyone gets all bent out of shape about that .323 round ball, it is not hard to start nor is it hard to load. Fouling is almost nonexistent because you are wiping the previous shot every tine you load.
Be Well,
Bill
     

[HAWKEN]

I don't have a .36, but that will be my next gun, because the .36 is legal to hunt deer with in Tennessee, and it would be nice to hunt squirrels and deer, with the same gun, provided you had a close shot.  I do have a .32, a Traditions Crockett, and it is very accurate with 20 grains of FFFg............Robin

[Kopfjaeger]

My next flintlock will be a .36 caliber southern mountain squirrel rifle. Spec's will be :


Right Handed

Lock:  Chambers Small  Queen Anne ( Flintlock ) ( Browned ) With matching side plate.

Barrel:  .36 caliber ( Swamped Barrel 42" long / A Weight / Round Bottom Rifling.

Stock: Tiger Stripe Maple ( Presentation Grade ) Stained to bring out the grain.

Length Of Pull:  14" inches

Furniture:  Steel ( All Browned )

Trigger:  Single Trigger

Patch Box: Pre-Revolutionary War  1 piece domed patchbox

[SR James]

I have both and like them equally. Here in Oklahoma you can hunt turkey's with a rifle in the Fall but minimum caliber for a  ML is .36. Don't know why because a .32 will kill a turkey just as dead. So you might check your local hunting regs if that matters to you.

[Long John]

I built a 36 caliber rifle a few years ago.  I love it.  I am shooting a .345 ball with an .024 denim patch over 40 gr of FFFg Goex.  If I am hunting squirrels (grays) I have to stick to head shots - a body hit means there are innards all over the place.  But it is great for everything from squirrels to turkeys and coyotes.  If you think you want to use the rifle for winter coyote hunting then I would opt for the 36 over the 32.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[B Staley]

I have 2 40tys and a 32 and another 32 on the way so me and my 12 year old grandson can chase squirrel together this season the 40 and 32 are both deviating on squirrel .

[Virginiarifleman]

My new 40 cal Southern Mountain is on the way, it will cover my needs. had a 40 cal years ago and wish I had held on to it.

[Kopfjaeger]

My new 40 cal Southern Mountain is on the way, it will cover my needs. had a 40 cal years ago and wish I had held on to it.

I know how you feel. I had a .36 caliber flintlock southern mountain rifle and sold it twenty years ago. I still feel like kicking myself in the butt for selling that rifle.

[hanshi]

I understand completely, Kopfjaeger.  The .36 SMR in my stable is likely to stay there.  I've let too many things go in the past to let yet another go.

[B Staley]

Standing Bear you forgot the 54 and 62.....
I like the 32 cal it's a fun gun gun to shoot and devastating on squirrel .

[WadePatton]

To my way of thinkin' (changes when the wind blows), if you have a 40, then you probably don't need a 36, but if you have a 45, then 36 makes sense.  

If you have a 50 or 54 then leave yourself some room if dropping down to 30's so you can has a good excuse for a 40-somthing.

Or like this 3x, 4x, 5x-one of each, then start "splitting the middles" or playing with bigger/teenier bores or smoothies, doubles, swivel-breeches, pistols, canons...  

Pretty sure i need one of everything (and two of the interesting ones___this may take a while).  

[Standing Bear]

Standing Bear you forgot the 54 and 62.....
I like the 32 cal it's a fun gun gun to shoot and devastating on squirrel .

B, I have a .54 but wish I'd gone .58.  Must've bee thinkin that in the earlier post. Next will be a .62/20ga smoothie --- if there's another. @ 67 I'm thinkin I need to use what I've got.

Re the subj of this thread I had a .32 flinter stolen. It was fun and accurate butvdifficult for me to load that small pill w my big paws and 30 yrs later the arthritis would make it more so.   I won't get another.

The Beretta O/U 12 ga may be used in place of a .62/20 ga just wish it were a flinter. Might see if can work a trade O/U for .62/20 flinter as still have an original 14 ga SxS.
TC

[tricorn hat]

I have a .31 flint Kentucky,  but it has a 1-in-76" twist, beautifully accurate but poops it's little pea out at 2200fps! If you shoot your squirrel anywhere but the head, nothing comes down but the tail! It wont hold in a bucket with anything less than 40 g of FFFg. I would  really like a .36 with a fast twist, that would shoot into a minute-of-squirrel's head at 50yd with a pipsqueak load, about 15gr. Taylor,s  Kuntz rifle is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen, and Freddie Gardener showed me an all-iron mounted rifle he made for his son that left me gasping [and drooling] You could have conducted an orchestra with that thing!!