approx powder charge for 36 cal?

[Bigmon]

Planning on fine tuning my 36 cal percussion ahead of fall seasons.  It's a 42" GM percussion.  I have been using .350 balls and .015 - .018 patches.
Seems to shoot decent with 30Gr Goex FFFG.  But that sure seems light, and sounds light.
I should probably go with that, but just looking for opinions???
Thanks

[smylee grouch]

Why not experiment with different combos?

[foresterdj]

For my Kibler SMR in .36, I tried loads of 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 (all FFFg), with patches of .015, .018 and .020 (all with Hoppes lube). For this gun my best is 40 gr a .350 RB and .020 patch. Gets me just over an inch group at 35 yards, if I have a steady rest. (All bets are off shooting off hand.)

[alacran]

I had a .36 GMT swamped barrel that shot very well with all sorts of powder charges. I could hit the NRA pistol silhouette sized rams at 100 yards offhand with 45 and 50 grains 3f Goex, but it took 60 grains to knock them down. Shot very well with 40 grains 3f Goex and that worked very well on squirrels.

[Brokennock]

Planning on fine tuning my 36 cal percussion ahead of fall seasons.  It's a 42" GM percussion.  I have been using .350 balls and .015 - .018 patches.
Seems to shoot decent with 30Gr Goex FFFG.  But that sure seems light, and sounds light.
I should probably go with that, but just looking for opinions???
Thanks

What is your intended target? Squirrels? Coyotes? Paper/steel?

[Bigmon]

My intended targets are squirrel, but if a turkey blunders by I want to be able to hit it hard enough.
I did all this with this gun a couple years back but my feeble mind just can't remember anything anymore.
I feel that all my rifles use a little more powder than their caliber. Such as my 54 uses 75gr, my 50 uses 62 gr. So I think a 36 should be a little over that, say 40 gr.  Thats what I'm going out to try today.
My real problem is my right eye has gone bad on me.  I have a retina issue that will not let me focus very well on sights, or anything else for that matter.
So when I am zeroing in a rifle I don't know if it's my eye, or the gun???
Getting old is not for sissys!!

[Daryl]

I am only shooting 40gr. 3F in my .36 Rice bl. Because I haven't targeted (papered) 45gr. or more yet.
I suspect for ranges further than 50 yards  more will be needed, but I have hit the "bunny in the hole" on our trail quite a few times with it, using only 40gr.
I suspect it will be more accurate with 45gr.

[AZshot]

I used to shoot 40 gr of FFF in my .36.  Once I put a small swinging ram steel target up.  Though made for 22s, I figured with BP and just a little bigger, it would be a good target.  Wrong, it spun the shilohette around about 20 times, and put a big crater in the steel, almost penetrating.  I decided 40 gr was powerful enough.

[skwerl-eater 1]

I used to hunt a lot of squirrels with a pedersoli blue ridge in 36 cal. 40 grains of 3F would shoot about a one inch group of the bench at 50 yards. I never lost a squirrel hit with that gun. Plenty of power, probably for something even a little bigger, but all I shot was squirrels. Try 40 grains.

[Bigmon]

It's shooting about the same with either 33gr (just the size of an antler measure I have) and a measured 40 gr.  Both FFFG Goex.  Truth is, I just cannot see well enough anymore.  The powder charge is not the biggest variable.  It is my right eye.  I just cannot focus well enough anymore.
Especially with bright sunlite.
Still, with some luck and the right light I will probably do ok.
Thanks for all the advice and remarks.

[Longknife]

In a .36 caliber barrel start with 36 grains of powder, 40 cal. 40 grains, 45 caliber 45 grains,,,,ect....work up your load from there.

[Daryl]

One other thing, trying for the best load when only shooting 25 yards is useless as about ANY load should shoot a tiny one hole group at that range.
Accuracy testing starts at 50yards. Even 40 yards would be better than 25uds.
My .32 would put 5 shots into a .40 calibre hole at 25 yards with 20gr. of powder. That load shot 2 1/2" at 50 yards and I had to go to 30gr. to get that down to an inch.
I settled at 35gr. as that still shot an inch at 50, but much better at 100yds.
My .36 needs 40gr. to do that same at 100, but is a more accurate barrel, thus likely needs somewhere in the 45 to 50gr. range. MORE testing needs to be done - on paper.

[Bigmon]

My problem is that to shoot farther I need to make a mark to shoot at too big.  I just cannot see well enough anymore.  So I make a 6" circle at 50 yards, it's just too big.  I too used to see and hit quarter size marks at 50 yds.  Now aboyt 15 yds.
But I do have a friend I sometimes get to shoot my rifles in.  Then once that's done it's just up to me.
I just don't shoot far anymore.  Seems to work out ok.

[Mike payne]

I have an old 36 cal rifle with 42” Douglas barrel on it. When my eyes were still good at 50 yds off of a rest that rifle would shoot a 3 shot group you could cover with a half dollar coin. That was a 40 gr charge and pillow ticking.

[Robby]

I use an empty AK47 cartridge, the necked down end of it fits nicely in the .36 bore, no spillage. I think its around 40gr., I know its accurate. While not a real powerful load it gives just enough notification that you have pulled the trigger on something, which I like.

Robby

[Hungry Horse]

 Rate of twist in the rifling can make all the difference in the world. Slow twists require more powder to stabilize the ball. The reverse is true with a fast twist.

Hungry Horse

[mushka]

I have a .36 cal Seneca and shoot a 30 grn 3f  or a 20 grn 3f load in it for for shooting paper to 25 yards.  Shoots both loads to the same poi. Both will put a hole in  paper or a squirrel or rabbit with a pbr.  More is not needed.

[J.D.]

<<<My real problem is my right eye has gone bad on me.  I have a retina issue that will not let me focus very well on sights, or anything else for that matter.
So when I am zeroing in a rifle I don't know if it's my eye, or the gun???>>>

I have found 40 Gr 3F Swiss to be a good load, in my 36.
I have also found, at the ripe old age of 75, I cannot see the front sight if the rear sight is a deep slot. I can see the front sight much better if the rear sight is a shallow, V notch. I also bought a rear sight with an aperture I plan to try. 

<<<Getting old is not for sissys!!>>>

I hear ya, there. I'm in relatively good health, but I certainly can feel the effects of the years of wear and tear on my body.  My wife recently commented that I am a tough old bird, 'cause I do my best to keep "the old man" at bay. LOL

John

[Bigmon]

WOW JD,  that's my issue.  I retina problem.  Soon as I try and focus on anything it just seems to smear over.  Just no good any more.  They tell me there is nothing they can do, just hope it doesn't get worse?

[P.W.Berkuta]

To me and from what you are saying it's not the amount of powder you are using but your eyesight that's the issue. So - my advice to you is do the best you can and not worry about the powder charge - it will not help you. We all have failing eyesight as we age - it's a part of life - get used to it and do the best you can, or you could just sit on your chair and ask more questions here or on other forums and complain about your failing eyesight. Straight talk no sugar coating.

[Bigmon]

Well, its a little more than just failing eyesight.  My left eye is worse with age.  But it doesn't have the small cyst dead center in my retina of the right eye.
Thanks for understanding.  I hope you never have any problems.

[Hungry Horse]

 J.D., I had my normally excellent vision damaged by a stroke that damaged the nerves in my left eye. I was delighted because I’m a right hand shooter, but my vision doctor informed me that sight clarity to some degree involves both eyes, and sometime centering objects like the bead on your front sight, in the aperture rear sight could be problematic. Boy was he right. I found the sight that works best for me is what Theodore Roosevelt recommended for weak eyes. His recommendation was a gradual “V” rear sight with a round bottomed notch, that is perfectly filled by the front sights bead. The rear sight has to be where you can see it best. I found that spot by attaching a magnet to the bottom of a rear sight and then moving it up and down the barrel until I could see it, and the front sight. Good Luck.

Hungry Horse

[hanshi]

In a litte .32 I used to hunt with I found 30 grns of 3F to be about as good as it gets.  When I got my .36 I went with the same 30 grn load.  That load worked so well in both rifles I went no further.

But some years back I started loading up 20 grns of 3F in my .36 just to conserve powder.  In shooting at plastic liter bottles, at 80 yards, with the 20 grn load it was apparent that as long as I had the elevation right all shots would land very close together.

Powder brands can be a bit of a problem.  My .32 flintlock SMR did some fine shooting with 20  grains of Swiss 3F; Goex required a bit more to equal the Swiss accuracy.

[J.D.]

  my vision doctor informed me that sight clarity to some degree involves both eyes, and sometime centering objects like the bead on your front sight, in the aperture rear sight could be problematic. Boy was he right. I found the sight that works best for me is what Theodore Roosevelt recommended for weak eyes. His recommendation was a gradual “V” rear sight with a round bottomed notch, that is perfectly filled by the front sights bead. The rear sight has to be where you can see it best. I found that spot by attaching a magnet to the bottom of a rear sight and then moving it up and down the barrel until I could see it, and the front sight.
Hungry Horse

I recently had a visit with an optometrist, who is a shooter. He explained how the magnification of one's glasses affects vision at normal front sight distances, which for me averages about 4 feet from my eye. He recommended a 1.25 correction for MY shooting glasses, which is no where close to my "regular" prescription, to clearly see the front sight for long barreled ML rifles. With the V notch sight, and the correct correction, that front sight is now clear as a bell.

I did make a "try sight" using a thin piece of scrap metal bent into a makeshift rear sight stuck to the barrel with double stick tape, to attempt to locate the best position of the rear sight. As it worked out, the current location of the rear sight was very, very close to the best view of the test sight, which with the current combination of the v notch sight, and spectacles seems to work very well...for now. 

[Daryl]

I have found that with .5 and .75 diopter glasses, I can see both sights with perfect clarity on every rifle I have, no matter if 24" bl. Or 44" bl. I just keep forgetting to use them.
Without these glasses, both of my rifle's sights are indistinct,   fuzzy with multiple levels.
These glasses are called "Computer" or "Reading" glasses.