40 caliber good?

[Rifleman1776]

Well, I really wanted to go try double ball loads in the .40 today (but just couldn't get past the small bore paper patch try outs). I shoot .40's a lot with paper patch and some with patched round ball.
And I've got this theory that two .39 caliber round balls at high velocity could be pretty darn formidable.

That is a scary post. :shocked2: You are considering, based on a THEORY that a double ball load is good for....uh :hmm: ....whatever you have in mind.
Add to that, you want to make it a high velocity charge. :shocked2: :shocked2: Now, there are, at least, two ways to load with more than one ball. Only one way is relatively safe. Then to get your "high velocity" you will need to jack up the powder charge quite a bit. Meaning, you have, at least, increased breech/barrel pressures into new and unexplored regions. :shocked2: :shocked2: Plus, if the balls are loaded wrong you have another, very dangerous factor involved.
If you try it, have your widow send us the details of exactly what happened.

 

[Dphar]

I have been thinking a while now about getting a 40 cal flintlock. does any one have any recommendations for something to look for or to avoid? It will be used mainly for hunting applications but some target practice. I have had a flintlock before and really enjoyed them but never had one that i truly enjoy 100% to shoot. Any halp would be great.. Thank You Thomp Shooter

Hunting what?
40 is a small game caliber, marginal for deer.
If you want a deer rifle 50 is better. 54 is OK too but there is little difference in effectiveness on deer sized game.
For bigger critters, elk and larger, 50 will work but 54 is better and 62 to 69 better still. The smaller the bore, 50-54, the more careful one must be to avoid heavy bones in the front leg and shoulder.

You need to decide what use it will be put to and what caliber you need.
If you live in the east and hunt from tree stands and shoot at bow or pistol ranges the 40 will kill deer OK. But for hunting larger is always better, to a point. Calibers over .54-58 can be abusive in the recoil department. This is the problem with by 16 bore rifle. It kicks. Its not painful but its does push one around enough to effect practical accuracy. It is very difficult to get a Kentucky in a caliber over 54 that does not have recoil issues unless the original the rifle is modeled on is carefully chosen. The later rifles are particularly bad in this even the J&S and S. Hawken rifles.

Dan

 

[David W.]

I agree with what others said about a .40 being marginal for deer. Excellent shot placement would be a must!
Better check your local hunting regulations, and see if it is even legal there.

 

[Dphar]

out of curiosity what would be reaslistic range for a .40 cal on whitetail deer? i was thinking in the 75yd and under range ...is practical thinking ?

How far can the hunter place the shot properly?
A perfectly placed 32 will kill a deer at 75 yards. But if the ball hits a larger bone in the leg or shoulder penetration may be compromised.
At 60 yards a 50 caliber will smash the shoulder bones on a Mule Deer and still exit.

A 45 probably will not. Smaller bore? Even worse.
Round balls are very effective hunting projectiles. However, they must be properly sized for the game being hunted. If we double the size of a 32 caliber ball, a .315 perhaps to .63 we gain 330 grains in weight. 47 to 377. From 40 to 50 the ball weight doubles.
Deer are notoriously easy to kill with decent shot placement. But decent shot placement under field conditions is not always a given. Shooting on a range is not like shooting in the field with uneven ground and less than ideal shooting stance perhaps improvised rests. This alone can move the bullet impact several inches (maybe 5-6) at 75 yards.
If we are going to shoot critters we have a certain obligation to use a caliber that will reduce the chances of its escaping to die later or be lost due to poor blood trail etc etc. Bigger calibers 50-54 for deer produce larger wounds and better blood trails. Deer can be very tough and can take heavy hits and still travel several hundred yards before collapse.
Using a double ball is a band-aid approach. If a person wants to hunt with a small bore then get close and use headshots. But be damned sure the brain can be hit. I had a hunter shoot a lower jaw completely off a WT doe once trying a head shot with a 30-06 when I told him not too. I finally killed the deer, running, after some roundabout stalking.
So use enough gun and PRACTICE in field conditions to see just how well shots can be placed when everything in not perfect. Does it shoot to the same point of impact offhand as from a rest. Does WHERE on the forend its rested change the point of impact or accuracy? It usually does.

Dan

 

[Dave K]

Exactly, I have taken quite a few squirrels and groundhogs with a 40cal. and a 38 and a 36 and a 32,because I can. Great satisfaction is one of the reasons I do it, along with a humane kill. I only head shoot them and the skulls are destroyed. I have not taken a deer with anything smaller than a 50cal. as that is what I own. But seeing what a 40 can do to the skull of a g-hog or squirrel, if it placed in the boiler room, it will take a deer. ALL shots must be placed where they count, not just hitting the animal.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Frankly IMO, other than the hind quarters, there isn't enough meat on the front 2/3rds of a squirrel to worry about damaging anyway.

I assume you're not a member of the "Squirrel Brain Am Good Group"??!! :haha:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Wes/Tex,
The .40 would be a short range proposition even for our Texas briefcase deer.

That's one I hadn't heard before and hugely entertaining! I usually describe our whitetails as German Shepherds with long legs! :thumbsup:

 

[David W.]

If the muzzle velocity of a 40 caliber round ball is 1,800 fps, it will have 676 ft/lb energy. Not to bad at the muzzle. However, round balls lose speed very quickly. Lighter balls lose velocity more quickly than heavier balls. Any cross wind at all can, and will easily deflect the flight path of a ball that weighs only 94 gr. My 2¢

 

[roundball]

Frankly IMO, other than the hind quarters, there isn't enough meat on the front 2/3rds of a squirrel to worry about damaging anyway.

I assume you're not a member of the "Squirrel Brain Am Good Group"??!! :haha:

You got that right !
:grin:

 

[Heelerau]

Mate, I have shot kangaroos out to 80 odd yards with my .40 Lancaster long rifle and found it most effective, pretty hot on rabbits to, though you need to place the bullet well so as not to spoil the meat. As others have said, bullet placement is allways crucial, as my old man uesed to say get as close as you can and then get 10 yards closer. With Kangas I sneak up and feel between their legs to make sure it is a buck and then sneak of to a presentable range for my shot. The war ministry does not like me shooting a doe with joey in it pouch !!

Cheers

\heelerau :stir: :stir:

 

[David W.]

Roo meat! I had some when I was down under,but that was many moons ago.

 

[TrevorAaron]

thank you for all the helpful posts from the people who actually helped answer my question vs fighting about stuff that is not related to my questions. The .40 would be mostly used for coons, squirrels, groundhogs and various other target shooting applications. I agree that shot placement is better than the size of lead its self. I was just hoping to see if there was any major problems you run into with a .40 functioning wise such as (use these flints or use 2f instead of 3f and information about what guns would be a good gun to fit my need-want. What is the point in fighting when all i wanted was some information about a gun im going to buy in the next couple months. Thomp Shooter

 

[David W.]

A .40 will work just fine with 2Fg, but I think 3Fg is better.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I don't hunt deer with a 40 cal but thats my choice but my hunting partner here in Kansas does with a lancaster styled 40 cal flinter he runs 80 grains of 3f through it and has never had a problem killing deer with it at all. I have helped him drag 2 kansas bucks out of the woods and none has gone more then maybe 50 yards after the shot. Both were shot around 30-40 yards on a draw leading to a fence row. While I am not about to put down any of my larger calibers to try it I would be afraid to. But then again I don't mind the extra weight of the heavier rifles he's 70 and likes his light weight 40 with a 3/4 inch barrel..

 

[David W.]

I have no problem with what anyone chooses to take their game with. In some states though, 40's aren't legal. That's the case in Arkansas.

 

[jdkerstetter]

...I was just hoping to see if there was any major problems you run into...such as (use these flints or use 2f instead of 3f and information about what guns would be a good gun to fit my need-want....

If you'd have put that way in the first place there'd likely been less fighting. :wink:

Information about what guns? Are you looking at anything in particular? Style of gun is more an individual thing, more about taste then application util you get into specific uses like off-hand shooting matches, etc.

Custom guns, from reputable builders, using quality parts are going to give less trouble "out of the box" than production guns, usually.

I recommend 3f in a .40 and only real black powder in a flintlock. As to flints? Hand knapped English gray are fine.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[roundball]

I have not taken a deer with anything smaller than a 50cal. as that is what I own. But seeing what a 40 can do to the skull of a g-hog or squirrel, if it placed in the boiler room, it will take a deer.

Can't disagree with that...the concerns I have with the tiny .40cal ball is the high odds lack of a blood trail.
One benefit of the larger balls is the larger hole and/or double holes from a pass through leaving a good blood trail.

By contrast I've heart shot a couple deer with .45cal PRBs in thick woods right at black dark and the poor / sparse blood trail made them very difficult to find in the dark...single hole, occasional drip here and there, etc. A tiny .40cal ball would have to be even worse.

I'm sure tracking is a no-brainer in snow states where tracks are obvious in the snow...to say nothing of a few drops of red blood on white snow...and tracking/finding them is a non-issue.
But in states where instead of white snow there are colored fall leaves on the ground, many of which are red to begin with, tracking is an issue that always has to be taken into account.

 

[FishDFly]

Years ago I shot in a club which had rifle, pistol and trap (Friendship) national champions in it, your learn more from sitting and keeping your mouth shut while learning from them.

I also went to spend time with one of the better underhammer makers, rifle and pistol. Seven hour trip each way to learn.

He shot 2F from everything and he made rifles and pistols. There is no pat answer on powder and caliber. You gotta shoot them to see what each one likes.

Folks say the 40 Cal is the holy grail of line rifle shooting, this came from Friendship. The person who won a lot was built like a 55 gallon drum with a lot of upper body strength. Send a skinny guy to Brady, TX in the wind and he is going to lose in line matches shooting a .40.

In my opinion,, a 40 is to light for deer, where I hunt, very heavy woods and is very hard to track deer who run off.

Squirrels, a bit over kill, I like a .36, but limited to one rifle I could get by with a .40.
Coons do not have much tenacity in them, but they are mainly nocturnal and do not lend themselves to night hunting with open sights. Put a .40 ball in a coon's shoulders and you are going to be sewing the hide for re-sale.

In calibers, the .40 is kind of too much for some critters and to light for others.

For me when considering a .40 you need to look up or down considering calibers, if it's not paper to put holes in.

 

[Rifleman1776]

The person who won a lot was built like a 55 gallon drum with a lot of upper body strength.

That is often a common denominator with top offhand shooters. At one time a guy named Chuck Blender was the top offhand shooter on the line and he was built of nothing but muscle. At the Hawken range on the primitive side of Friendship the top shooters there came from a similar mould. There are exceptions, of course, but generally the muscular types dominate offhand ml shooting.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

Forty is the least finicky caliber I shoot. My latest is a Bucks County flintlock from Tip Curtis. It has a Colerain barrel and with powder charges of 40 to 60 grains of 3Fg it shot the same tiny little cluster of holes at fifty yards. It upset my expectation of a long load development period. Half a day at the range the rifle was good to go.

Forty caliber is my go to deer rifle. But of course, I only hunt marginal deer :wink: :grin: .