David LaPell
32 Cal
After hearing and reading over the years that a .32 muzzleloading rifle really isn't overall that powerful, I decided to do some experiments for myself to see what it would or would not do. Recently I attended a match where the target was set up 200 yards away and it had to be shot offhand with a flintlock rifle, so I decided to see how hard it would be to hit the target with my Pedersoli .32 Kentucky Rifle. At 200 yards with a .311" ball and 25 grains of FFFG Schutzen and a .010" lubed patch (my most accurate load to date) I had to hold over the target I would have to guess between 18 and 24 inches. I don't have any photos of the target but I was happy I was able to hit the target at all.
Another thing I decided to do was to see how hard a .32 roundball hits a target. I've been told more than once that because a lead roundball is soft, if it hits a hard target, like a tree, it would simply flatten and bounce off. So, I again took my .32 Kentucky Rifle and the same .311" load and shot two trees, one a live maple and the other a dead hardwood. I put a tarp under both to catch the ball once the shot was fired and the roundball was deflected.
In the case of the live maple (this tree is on my property by the way so I'm not out shooting someone else's trees) the ball penetrated about 2-3 inches and bounced out and cleared the 4 x 6 foot tarp and went who knows where. I was shoot from about 10-15 yards away. You can clearly see where the ball entered and bounced right back out.
Next I shot a dead hardwood tree, but this one I was able to get better results. Again, the ball penetrated 2-3 inches, but it didn't bounce out and fell out when I turned the tree over. What surprised me was that there was almost no deformation of the ball. I cast these myself from Hornady .570" round balls I didn't have any use for, so they are soft. The only marks on the ball are some striations where it entered the wood and you can see the marks from the wood grain. It's very slightly out of round but that's about it.
Lastly I decided to see what a .32 would do against a real target, say a flesh analog. So, I took a pack of pork spare ribs that had needed to go, and I set them up at a realistic distance, 50 yards. Same load was used, the .311" roundball, 25 grains of FFFG Schutzen and a .010" lubed patch. All three shots went in and penetrated easily, with one shot catching a rib on the way off and chipping it. That's the top slightly ragged hole.
In the end I was pretty impressed with the .32 Kentucky Rifle and how effective it is for such a small caliber. While I wouldn't recommend it on deer, I can see why the .36 and .40 calibers are so popular in the south where you can hunt deer with them, because with something like a .36, a well-placed shot, if need be, could kill a deer and wouldn't be overkill on small game either.
The .32 certainly would have been something to reckon with against a person, especially in the 1700's where any wound could be fatal due to sepsis or infection. One of those .311 balls placed anywhere in the vitals could easily be fatal if not immediately, but if not properly treated or even if it were if infection were to set in.
Another thing I decided to do was to see how hard a .32 roundball hits a target. I've been told more than once that because a lead roundball is soft, if it hits a hard target, like a tree, it would simply flatten and bounce off. So, I again took my .32 Kentucky Rifle and the same .311" load and shot two trees, one a live maple and the other a dead hardwood. I put a tarp under both to catch the ball once the shot was fired and the roundball was deflected.
In the case of the live maple (this tree is on my property by the way so I'm not out shooting someone else's trees) the ball penetrated about 2-3 inches and bounced out and cleared the 4 x 6 foot tarp and went who knows where. I was shoot from about 10-15 yards away. You can clearly see where the ball entered and bounced right back out.
Next I shot a dead hardwood tree, but this one I was able to get better results. Again, the ball penetrated 2-3 inches, but it didn't bounce out and fell out when I turned the tree over. What surprised me was that there was almost no deformation of the ball. I cast these myself from Hornady .570" round balls I didn't have any use for, so they are soft. The only marks on the ball are some striations where it entered the wood and you can see the marks from the wood grain. It's very slightly out of round but that's about it.
Lastly I decided to see what a .32 would do against a real target, say a flesh analog. So, I took a pack of pork spare ribs that had needed to go, and I set them up at a realistic distance, 50 yards. Same load was used, the .311" roundball, 25 grains of FFFG Schutzen and a .010" lubed patch. All three shots went in and penetrated easily, with one shot catching a rib on the way off and chipping it. That's the top slightly ragged hole.
In the end I was pretty impressed with the .32 Kentucky Rifle and how effective it is for such a small caliber. While I wouldn't recommend it on deer, I can see why the .36 and .40 calibers are so popular in the south where you can hunt deer with them, because with something like a .36, a well-placed shot, if need be, could kill a deer and wouldn't be overkill on small game either.
The .32 certainly would have been something to reckon with against a person, especially in the 1700's where any wound could be fatal due to sepsis or infection. One of those .311 balls placed anywhere in the vitals could easily be fatal if not immediately, but if not properly treated or even if it were if infection were to set in.
