The "little" .32 and .36 rifles produce a LOT of velocity with very little powder.
The lightest powder loads my Lyman "BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL", 2nd ed shows is a 30 grain, 3Fg powder load for both calibers.
That 30 grain powder load produces a velocity of around 1940 fps for the .32 and 1684 fps for the .36.
Comparing these velocities with a .22 rimfire, the .32 is 69 percent faster and the .36 is 47 percent faster than a 40 grain standard velocity .22's 1145 fps.
The .32 is 51 percent faster and the .36 is 32 percent faster than the 40 grain solid bullet "high speed" .22's 1285 fps.
Even the 36 grain high speed hollow point with its 1315 fps looses out to the .32 and .36 in the velocity department.
Like I said, the Lyman book only goes down to a 30 grain powder load but I did some extrapolating with my handy-dandy HP calculator and found that by using 11 grains in the .36 will drop the velocity to around 1200 fps but 11 grains of powder will still be pushing the little .32's to over 1500 fps.
I mention all of this because as many of you know, you can shoot a old fashioned (read, before paper thin aluminum) full pop can with a standard velocity .22 and it bulges the can as it passes thru. A high velocity solid will split the can and a high speed hollow point will blow it apart.
Same goes for squirrels. Lower velocity equals the squirrel is just as dead but it is not "instant cleaned".
Just something to think about if you want to try something besides head shots.
