.36 rifle accuracy at distance

[Roughneck]

I have never hunted with either caliber but shot them a ton for off hand competition out to 100 yards and they were as accurate as any other caliber even in the wind if you took the time to develop an accurate load. Heck my fiancé shot a .32 caliber for 2 years and won a lot of matches with it plus was We actually shot at 100 yards during a hurricane just to see and it was crazy cross winds very little affect on left to right in heavy wind but like I said we had loads down for these for 100 yards.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I have an original .37 perc rifle with a 26" barrel. With 30gr of 3f, a .360 ball with .015 spit patch, the little rifle consistently hits the 8" plate at 80 yards. Those shots are standing, rested against a porch post. The wind conditions haven't ever been wild though, prolly 5-7ish mph

An SMR, with that 44" barrel, will give you more MV than my Napoleon gun. I would think that once you got it dialed in, a bit more of a powder charge will have no problem giving MOT or MOC accuracy at 100yards, granted you aren't shooting during a cyclone.


Shorty McStubberston

 

[oldwood]

Have the .32 , and ,36 do what hey do best , close range 30 yd. shooting. Don't try to stretch their capabilities beyond what they actually will do. Thats how game is wasted , and not killed. Instead , jump up to a .40 with about a 95 gr. ball. .40's a Little better in the wind , accuracy to a fault , and will still kill small animals w/o blasting them appart. This is another opinion from an old guy that's tryed different calibers.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I love you talk on the .410 and .360 mine can only hang on the wall here in uk, I have an unmentionable 400- 450 double for africa. And a late .36 1880 ??? 1920 ??? Percussion double Unknown maybe Midland gun co!?? Mint condition I thought it a bit small for lead balls , me favouring a Sierra pistol bullet 180g

Just won £900 a Swiss Ferdastutzer ml, .410 or 10.4. Two photos , see utube , lost 2 , outbid but got third , needs some work , photo, private purchase I guess .I got two other martini Swiss in 7.5-53 very nice That’s why I went for it. I like Swiss guns

So why balls when the guns are made for bullets. I always thought .625 was perfect for balls. Got a couple of flint ones

Just cleaning up bore on my won . 577 percussion smoothbore , yes that’s me with it photo with it Perfect for balls .

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

With a .36 or 7mm Magnum or howitzer it is all the same two factors after powder and load.......... Adjust for Wind and trajectory ! Practice, practice, practice...no way to get around it, period!

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

I don't know if the ball diameter has an effect on wind drift. Maybe someone on here can chime in. All I know is that it's pretty amazing how much the wind will drift my 45 or 54 at 100 yds. A 3" group at 50 yds opens up horizontally to 10 or 12 inches at 100 yds with a 10 or 15 mph cross wind.

It's the nature of the Roundball. It has the largest resistance footprint per volume. With conicals the resistance footprint is slightly larger, but the ball, having twice or more the volume will bleed velocity much slower, thus shooting flatter over range. The lighter projectile is also more susceptible to crosswind.
However, a barrel with a 1:60-ish ROT is slow enough to stabilize the small bearing surface of RB, it is too slow for heavier (conical) balls. Most production guns up to .50 will have a 1:48 ROT which theoretically stabes both RB and conicals.
I haven't played with .36 over 50 yds, but I had a .45 Ped Kentucky that stacked the yeasteryear Great Plains (280gr-ish) balls inside a 3" mark at 100yds with a 60gr charge of 777. Times it by 15% for a rough BP equivalent load. Never found a RB load that matched it, so I suspect the ROT might be a little too aggressive.

My opinion. Same price as Bud Light, but infinitely more valuable.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

With conicals the resistance footprint is slightly larger, but the ball, having twice or more the volume will bleed velocity much slower, thus shooting flatter over range.

I don't quite understand this statement.

 

[okawbow]

Wind drift is tied to the ballistic co-efficient of a projectile. surface area compared to weight. The large the diameter, the higher the weight to the volume/ surface area, and the less effect the wind will have on the ball in the same time of flight. So, at the same velocity, the larger caliber will drift less in the wind.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

Wind drift is tied to the ballistic co-efficient of a projectile. surface area x weight. The large the diameter, the higher the weight to the volume/ surface area, and the less effect the wind will have on the ball in the same time of flight. So, at the same velocity, the larger caliber will drift less in the wind.

Yes. However, the projectiles do not maintain the same velocity. RB bleeds much faster than conical. I'm certain you'll find a .36 will outrange a .50 with a 175gr conical vs 175gr RB, velocities being equal. Time of flight, I think you'll find to be different. Enough difference to make a difference? I think so.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

I don't quite understand this statement.

A ball has virtually identical the resistance ("drag") as a conical. I do not believe it's possible to launch a .50 175gr roundball and have it reach 500 yds. It loses velocity too fast, and even Howitzering a RB at max elevation, I doubt it can reach 500yds.

I do know that it's possible to land a 610 gr bullet on a 20" steel at 1200yds. Three times in a row.
You want the video link?

 

[okawbow]

Apples and oranges…can’t compare a round ball to an elongated bullet.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

Apples and oranges…can’t compare a round ball to an elongated bullet.

Mebbe so.
Mebbe not.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I know that a conical will out distance a ball and that a ball sheds velocity fast. How will a ball that loses velocity faster than a conical shoot flatter over range? I think you must have meant that the conical that has more volume will shoot flatter over range so it's probably just a typo.
And there aint' no doubt about it, comparing balls to conical is apples and elephants.

 

[Kmcmichael]

Round ball shooting heavily involves voodoo. If one studies the behavior as it passes transonic, satanic intervention is the only logical answer.

 

[brazosland]

Round ball shooting heavily involves voodoo. If one studies the behavior as it passes transonic, satanic intervention is the only logical answer.

I have a technical background in external ballistics and this is a factually correct statement.

 

[bigstick6017555]

I have a .36 T/C Seneca shooting a patched round ball with 32 grains ( measured with a black powder volume measure ) of Triple 7 and a steady 10 to 12 mph side wind will move that ball 3 inches + at 50 yds. I do not try to shoot it at 100 yds unless the wind is absolutely dead calm. Some claim they can shoot these in very high winds with no drift, which I have no idea how they are accomplishing this.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Some folks are very gifted writers of fiction.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I'm pretty sure I can't hit sh!t at 100 with my .36 so I don't even try.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

Some folks are very gifted writers of fiction.

 

[Kmcmichael]

I have a technical background in external ballistics and this is a factually correct statement.

What is your theory? Does the wind catch the invisible forked tail that obviously exists at that velocity?