Are .36 Rifles Fun?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Wanting to buy a TVM flintlock, .36 or .50 caliber.

Are the .36 caliber ones fun to shoot? I know they're cheaper to shoot, but are they as fun as a the big .50s?

Smokey

[little joe]

Depends on what you want to do. Me, I like a 36 very well. Depending on ones skill factor, I have saw some 32-36,s do some fine shooting at 100 yards if there was no wind.

[Old Salt]

I would have to say that a 36 is a lot of fun to shoot. I

[Smokey Plainsman]

Sounds good, gang. Playing $#*! deciding between that and a .40 for my first semi-custom.

[Don Steele]

Ok, I'll throw my 2 cents in, since you asked.
When I had to make that decision, I went with a .40.  I asked around among some serious target shooters and the general consensus was "40" without hesitation. I wasn't looking for a hunting rifle. I already have four 50 caliber options to hunt with.

[Molly]

The fun factor translates into two things for me.  Does it function properly?  Load it, prime it and pull the trigger.  If it goes off it's "fun".  The second aspect of fun is how accurate is it?  That's probably more related to the operator that the rifle but fact is some seem to be more accurate that others.  This aspect of fun can be calculated by a very scientific formula.  Target distance (Z) x 1.5 + number of shots (Y) x 4 divided by the average length in mm's off center for each shot (V) = Fun factor (Q)

I calculate the fun factor for each owned rifle, cal's 32 to 58.  32 and 36 score the highest but only slightly more than the 40's.  One 50 is also very good and another 50 is not so good.  The 58 scores the lowest.  But formula aside, they are all fun.

[Mike Brooks]

Wanting to buy a TVM flintlock, .36 or .50 caliber.

Are the .36 caliber ones fun to shoot? I know they're cheaper to shoot, but are they as fun as a the big .50s?

Smokey

I wouldn't consider a .50 big. I have shot guns from .25 to .775, they are all about the same fun wise. There isn't much difference in the economy of a .36 compared to a .50 either.

[iloco]

I have 50, 54 and a 62 fowler but of all my guns my 32 is my most fun to shoot.  I don't hunt anymore so shooting targets is all I am able to do. 
 Mike as usual is pretty much right in his reply.  They are all fun to shoot.

[Maineshops]

36s are fun but 32s are funner 😉 wife loves hers. Dan

[EC121]

I had a .30 and a .36.  The .36 was easier to load and less aggravating because it was easier to handle the larger balls and patches.  I have several .50s, .54s, and a .62 rifle.  All fun.

[Old Ford2]

Hi,
A fun gun has a few factors to consider, not in any particular order.
(1) recoil, little is better than a lot (2) cost to shoot  .32 is cheap, .58 is not(3) availability of components  (4) ease of loading ( .32 are more difficult in cold weather,  .36 are better, .40 easier again, and so on. (5) bullet back stop .32 doesn't need much, .58 needs a lot. (6)  style of rifle, a slender swamped or octagonal to round .32 or .36 is a true joy to carry ( all day ) , where as a ponderous Hawken style or heavy Jaeger is not a carry all day gun.
I am almost 71 yrs. old and most of my guns are .50 cal. and bigger, no particular reason.
My favourite plinking gun is a .45 oct. to round Bucks county long rifle. ( easier to load with fat fingers, and little recoil )
Does that help?
Fred

[Longknife]

Wanting to buy a TVM flintlock, .36 or .50 caliber.

Are the .36 caliber ones fun to shoot? I know they're cheaper to shoot, but are they as fun as a the big .50s?

Smokey

THEY ARE ALL FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[retired fella]

what Longknife said.  However, if you are going to hunt with it.  A .36 is great for squirrels.  For deer, not so much.

[OldMtnMan]

Depends if you like a pop or a bang.

[Daryl]

The squirrel rifles are a LOT of fun to shoot, but I do not consider .50's to be big - those are middle-of-the-road calibres, imho,

as in - everybody has one.  Having a little guy, like a .32 or .36, along with a .58 or even larger, THAT makes the little ones even

more fun to shoot.

 

[Turtle]

My .32 is my favorite gun to shoot. Little noise, little recoil, cheap to shoot, a liteweight gun, and besides-- hunting squirrels is really fun. I have won woods walks with mine, but the targets don't ring loud and sometimes they have to go look for my tiny mark.

[hanshi]

My first thought as a response was, "does a squirrel eat nuts"!?  I've owned and hunted with both .32s and a .36; I like the .36 the most.  My .36 gets lots more range/woods time than my .32.  Mine is an iron mounted SMR with a 38" tube.   I like all the calibers and love to shoot them but it just seems to be easier to get the dime size groups at 50 yds with that tiny ball than with anything larger.  I'm mostly impervious to recoil, up to a point, but the .36 simply ain't got none!  That little 6lb rifle feels like toting nothing yet shoots like a laser.  By all means get a .36; the tiny ball is a bit easier to handle in the woods than the 46 grain .32. 

[hdsjr]

Not quite as much fun as cleaning out the gutter

[Smokey Plainsman]

Oh, I'm sure you enjoy that don't you?   

[Majorjoel]

The sound that my 32 makes when shot actually allows my old ears to hear that sonic boom that is missed when shooting the larger caliber's.  

I have been playing with a 36 caliber underhammer recently and so far have found it to be one of the most accurate rifles I've ever shouldered!   The peep sights might have something to do with that, but still have a lot more practice to give this one!

[moleeyes36]

Wanting to buy a TVM flintlock, .36 or .50 caliber.

Are the .36 caliber ones fun to shoot? I know they're cheaper to shoot, but are they as fun as a the big .50s?

Smokey

Like others said, a .50 is not really a large caliber but more middle of the pack and is at most a few pennies a shot more expensive to shoot if using patched round balls.  You really need to consider what will be the use of the gun, target or hunting.  A .36 is a nice small game rifle and closer range target shooter.  Having shot a .36 for a few years as a target rifle, I found that the small ball was a distinct disadvantage at 100 yards on even a moderately windy day.  A rifle that is going to be used for target shooting at 100 yards or more, and hunting medium sized game (i.e., white tailed deer or smaller wild hogs), then the .36 isn't going to fit the bill and be illegal in most states for hunting other than small game.  A .50 is a better choice as an "all around" rifle than a .36.  But each to his/her own.

Mole Eyes

[OldMtnMan]

The only disadvantage I can see in shooting a small caliber is it will make the larger calibers seem worse than before having the small caliber. The bigger caliber will seem louder and have more recoil than you remember.

Just our mind playing tricks on us.

[P.W.Berkuta]

For hunting small game and varmints under 50 yds I'd go with the .36, If I was just doing serious target work I'd go with the .40. If I was going hunting for deer and such out to 100 yds I'd go .45 and above. Your best bet is to get two rifles one in small bore and one in large bore .

[SCLoyalist]

Disadvantages to small bores (36 and down):  they are a little more susceptible to wind drift than a larger bore for paper punching out beyond 50 yds ; on woodswalks against hanging steel, it may be difficult to see or hear a hit;  a wood ramrod will be slender and a bit delicate, so you have to keep bore fouling under control to be sure you can get a new load rammed down;  and a smaller ball gives you slightly less margin for error on novelty targets like 'cut the card' or 'split the ball on an axe'.    But, within their limitations, they are fun to shoot.

[HAWKEN]

For hunting small game and varmints under 50 yds I'd go with the .36, If I was just doing serious target work I'd go with the .40. If I was going hunting for deer and such out to 100 yds I'd go .45 and above. Your best bet is to get two rifles one in small bore and one in large bore .

I totally agree, I have rifles in .32, .50 and .54 and a .45 will be next.......robin