40 cal flint or 36

[soggybottom]

i have a 50 cal flint an want a smaller cal thinking of a 40 or a 36 any thoughts ? what would be a flater shooting cal i live in sutheast nm so want a flat shooting gun for longer shots thanks in advance

 

[longrifle78]

If your shootin at longer ranges i'd go with the 40. The three 40's iv had shot pretty good at 100-125yds with 60grns of fff.

 

[Captjoel]

Both calibers are subject to wind drift but the heavier 40 would also be my choice for the long range shooting. Of coarse, having one of each is the better option......that is until you find yourself with several of each! There's the southern style group, Pennsylvania group, Virginia group, Hawken, schutzen, Leman, all of each in flintlock and percussion, early and late styles, pretty wood, plain wood, walnut, maple, cherry, oh my gosh! This dreadful addiction! :cursing: I almost forgot New England style.

 

[MSW]

as a general rule, in ML ballistics, bigger is better- retinas velocity and resists crosswind drift.

i have both a 36 and a 40. for versatility there is an advantage to the larger 40 cal, but the 36 has a treasured place in the rack and i won't be giving it up.

i would hazard to guess that, in the fullness of time, you will end up with at least one of each.

just one guy's opinion, and no doubt worth what you paid to get it.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Desert? Mountains? I live in CO and love my .32. Spend most of my time in the mountains, though.
Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Stony]

:hmm: .36 or .40. I went a .36 for several reasons. 1) Uses less lead, more balls to the pound. 2) Able to find more "stuff" like jags, bullet blocks, short starters and other things of interest. 3) Less damage to the meat and pelt of the tree rats if I miss. The .36 vs .40 debate will probably be much like the .50 vs .54 debate. Bigger vs proper shot placement. Which is better? If I NEED something bigger than my .50, say for bear, I want more than just .04 bigger. I'd probably use my .62 or .75 (only because I don't have nor desire to lug a 12 pound cannon around) :rotf: If you want flatter shooting, up the powder till the accuracy is not up to snuff. You have a lot of options but it's really what you want. As someone already suggested, get both. One last thing, a .36 is easier for a girl/woman/child to shoot. (Just in case the occasion should arise) :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

2) Able to find more "stuff" like jags, bullet blocks, short starters and other things of interest.

All ballistic considerations aside, that there is a huge consideration. I'm real proud of my 30 cal flinter, but I can't buy ANYTHING off the shelf for it. Jags, ramrods, balls, short starters, you name it. Then have a good time finding it. :grin:

A 40 shouldn't be so bad because lots of guys use them, but count on ordering from the web rather than ever seeing something you need on a store shelf.

 

[hanshi]

Welcome to the forum, Soggybottom. Well, I have both a .36 and a .40. True, the .40 holds up better at longer range but that's not the only consideration. It also depends on what you plan to shoot. If range is vital to you and you plan to shoot tough jacks, javilina, etc, then it's the .40 hands down. If your focus is on smaller game with occasional tough targets mixed in and 100yds is a stretch, then the .36 is all you need. The .40 covers all bases.

 

[soggybottom]

i do thank all of yall i probbaly will wind up with both i do already have a 36 cap now but when i bought my 50 flint i got bit by the bug hahahha a great one to be bit by