40 cal for small game?

[White Oak]

Have my 54s & 58 for big game. That's not to say that I couldn't use more. :wink: I've been looking for a small caliber for small game. Hopefully a flinter. A 40 may have come up. It seems like a big piece of lead for rabbits or squirrels. I am thinking I would be happier with a 36 or 38.
Thoughts ?
Thanks,
Ed

 

[Heelerau]

Mate,
I have found my .40 Lancaster style flintlock long rifle fine for rabbits.

cheers

Heelerau

 

[galamb]

I use my 40 for Deer :grin:

And just got an email from Charlie Burton telling me my 38 cal barrel is shipping - woooo hoooo.

Look out Bambi, new rifle coming after you next season.

And yes, I'm serious, I WILL use a 38 cal for Deer. It's more than enough for my style of hunting.

So while others consider a 40 "pretty small", I consider it a little "big" for small game (unless Eastern Ontario Whitetails are considered small game).

But that's what makes our sport/hobby great.

For Bunnies, I would lean more towards a 36 cal or a 38 if you want to be a little "different" (at least round balls for the 38 are easy to source - Hornady makes .375's for 36 cal cap/ball revolvers - will fit a 38 cal rifle barrel "perfectly").

 

[Tinker2]

I have muzzleloaders from .22 to .75 and most things in-between

I like .36 the best for most of my shooting.
I shoot from 7 to 70 grains
I like 15 grains of 3F and a .33 round ball, that’s 00 buckshot, cheap to shoot.


I have and sometimes used a .343 a .340 a .350 in them, now I mostly use 00 buckshot .33

I also shoot .314 patched Hornady SWC
All of the above shoot at least well, some shoot great.




William Alexander

 

[wvbuckbuster]

How good of a shot are you? Will you be head shooting only? Head shots are just that and I have done it in my younger days with my .50 taking the heads off squirrels while deer hunting. (slow day for deer :rotf: ) Point is they all make a mess if shot is further back of the head than planned. So if a .40 is what you want (have one and they are nice) then by all means go for it. :thumbsup: Dan.

 

[Curt]

White Oak If a 40 is whats available and its a nice rifle I wouldnt hesiatate as a 40 is fine for small game as long as you shoot for the head cause they will tear up the body and make them hard to clean.

You can use a bigger ram rod also which is a big plus too.But a 32 ,36 ,38 ,or 40 will work for small game.and use big bores for big game. JMHO Curt

 

[azmntman]

A .32 will also wreck yer meat with anything but a head shot on small game :shocked2:

 

[hanshi]

I have a .32, .36 and a .40 and have no problem using the three for small game. I consider the .40 a shade large for that purpose but you can load it down.

I've had good results with the .32 and .36 and prefer the .32 which has taken the most squirrels. I'd say either the .32 or .36 is a better choice for a dedicated small game rifle.

 

[George]

I'd say either the .32 or .36 is a better choice for a dedicated small game rifle.

Maybe if you are going after moose. A .30 is the very best small game rifle”¦. 'cause that's what I use. :haha:

Spence

 

[Curt]

I think all the calibers that have been mentioned are all just fine 30 to 40 cal.and the noggin is a good sized target anyway .JMHO Curt

 

[ike]

Its not the size of the ball, its where you can hit with it. We all have our favorites. I have taken squirrels with 36 to 54 cal. If you do not hit the head some of the meat will be damaged. I have taken 5 squirrels this year. All but one were head shots.

I must say that is possible to bark a squirrel. One shot this year hit the bark under the squirrels neck. The squirrel came out of the tree just like I hit him in the head. The only thing missing was a front foot but under the neck was a huge blood pocket. I guess when we here that Daniel Boone barked a squirrel that it is possible.

I wait till they are close. The shots that were longer were body hits. I am using a 40 cal FL with a Bill Large barrel. If I can hold it with a tree to support me they come down. Have only missed twice. This weekend we will be out of the deep freeze here in MN. The squirrels will be in trouble when I can get into the woods.

My point is, you can use what you have or want to use. If you can be accurate the squirrels loose their heads. Good shooting.
Ike

 

[nchawkeye]

I've used a .40 since the early '80s...Just drop down to 25-30 grains of powder and take head shots...

 

[Britsmoothy]

Couple of weeks ago.

45, 20grns.

B.

 

[satx78247]

My first cousin uses NOTHING but a LH TN-style Pore Boy flinter in .40 caliber for small/medium game & I find that his head/ribs shot squirrels or bunnies have LITTLE lost edible meat. = I'd bet that his combined take is numbered in THOUSANDS over the last 4 decades.
(Randy ordered his rifle in .40 caliber, as he likes hunting our quite small but very numerous WT during the season too.)

I have a Pore Boy in LH in .34 caliber that I bought because I'm a cheapskate & like being able to use 000 buckshot (bought by the 10# bag) for small game and it uses LITTLE powder per shot. - 000 buckshot does a perfectly acceptable job even on our big TX jackrabbits, coons, foxes & coyotes.

just my OPINION, satx

 

[stuartg]

I use a .40 for the small stuff and a .54 for deer and up. As far as rifles go, I don't think you'd need much more than that. Now, with a smoothbore a .62 will do it all :thumbsup:

 

[Billnpatti]

In my humble opinion, a .40 would be the upper limit for a rifle that I would use to hunt small game that I plan to eat. It is pretty rough on small game like a squirrels and a poor shot can result in not much left to eat but it's not too bad on rabbits. If I were standing at a rack of various caliber rifles and was going to pick a caliber for hunting small game to eat, I'd be looking at either a .32 or a .36. But, if it comes to a nice condition .40 at a good price in a "take it or leave it" deal, I'd take it and work on developing as light of a load as it would shoot accurately.

 

[FishDFly]

Again, sage advice.

 

[Snowshoe]

I have a .40 and a .32, both will break a squirrel in two if you hit em wrong. I have also killed wood chucks and a fox with the .32 and gophers to deer with the .40. All fun

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I switched from 36 to 40 cal a few years ago.
I can use a wooden field rod and 40cal is less effected by wind drift you just have to head shoot everything.
Here is a blueridge I put a 40 cal Greenmtnbarrel on.
It's a tack driver.

 

[robinsroost]

Couple of weeks ago.

45, 20grns.

B.

Wow! Some nice fat bunnys. 20 grains of powder in a .45 did not tear them up much at all. Can you say "hossenpefer"?(sp) Robin :wink: