.40 Caliber - What's the Point?

[Urban Coyote]

I get the idea of .32 or .36 guns for smaller game, I get the .45 for targets and deer, the general purpose .50 and the .54 on up big game thing but what is the need for .40 caliber?

By the way, I own a couple.

 

[rchas]

The old National Park Service Popular Study Series monograph "Rifle Making in the Smokey Mountains" notes:

"The calibre of the mountain rifles deserves a word of mention. Strictly speaking, these rifles had no calibre in the ordinary sense of the word. Usually, however, four kinds of rifles were made: one of about .35 calibre (0.35 inch) which was called a squirrel gun; one about .40 calibre (0.40 inch) called a turkey rifle; one about .45 calibre (0.45 inch) called a deer rifle; and one of approximately .50 calibre (0.50 inch) called a bear gun."

It is a bit of an odd caliber--a little too much for small game, and not quite enough for large game unless you are really, really close.

 

[user 34300]

40 is an excellent target rifle caliber. The little ones are fiddley to load. Accuracy suffers because of this. The larger one kick more, inducing a flinch, and use more lead and powder.

 

[Phil Coffins]

A 40 can use a 3/8” ram rod. I built a 40, shot it and sold it.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Its a delightful caliber. Potent, accurate and a lot of fun to shoot. Easy on powder and lead. I made this Tennessee with interchangeable barrels in .40 and .50.

You have to look close and through the smoke, but the white, disappearing target about 60 yards down range is a disposable water bottle.

 

[Rod Man]

I am pretty new to the .40 (lil over a year now) and it clearly out shines the .36 on the far end on targets. We can hunt deer with a 40 here in Arkansas as well. I think for me it is also a "feed back " effect for lack of a better way to explain it, the .36 just does not respond the same way. Now, if I had a real light .36 rifle I might see things differently. I have only shot a .32 twice. To me it was rather anti-climatic. Yep it was accurate enough (we were shooting 40 yards) but there was virtually no feed back.

RM

 

[BigAl52]

Because I wanted one.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I get the idea of .32 or .36 guns for smaller game, I get the .45 for targets and deer, the general purpose .50 and the .54 on up big game thing but what is the need for .40 caliber?

By the way, I own a couple.

It’s kind of the same paradox as to why the .50 calibre is such a popular Muzzleloading calibre…the .50 calibre is legal for both deer and elk. It has a dual purpose in the minds of most outdoorsmen. “If I buy this gun, I can hunt my deer, and later if I want to…I can hunt elk with the same gun.”

The .40 calibre is the same kind of bridge calibre, between squirrel rifle / big game gun. I can shoot my .40’s all day for not much powder or lead…and I can load it up and take deer sized big game, if I want too.

In our current wonderful economy, it serves well in conserving resources, and allowing us old timers to still take a deer or 3 each season. Sort of the old adage. “Beware the man that shoots one gun.”

 

[nkbj]

Got two forties these days, one 16" twist and one 48". I'd like to have one in between.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Got two forties these days, one 16" twist and one 48". I'd like to have one in between.

Have you tried conical bullets out of any of them?

 

[nhmoose]

I shoot a .40 won many matches with it, killed small game and deer. They hold wind better than a 32 or 36 and ball is big enough to kill deer. Never got a deer the ball did not exit.

You do have to pick your shot and pass when conditions are not right for a sure kill. Many shooting bigger calibers ought to learn that. IMHO

 

[Urban Coyote]

Interestingly Thompson Center, God rest their traditional muzzleloader soul, made the Cleland Match Rifle in .40 caliber. I've never seen one and I've heard they're kind of rare. I wonder what made T/C select the .40 to offer in a match gun?

 

[nhmoose]

They most likely used GM barrels the best ML barrels made. Most winning barrels at matches.

 

[hanshi]

I had a .40 for years but never hunted with it. Years later the barrel was acdentally ruined so I had it reamed out to .45. It was very, very accurate and served primarily as a target rifle. I wouldn't hunt deer with a .40 if a .45 was around but it can do the deed. That .40 - 38" X "B" wgt GM barrel and weighed just over 8 lbs. At .45 it was some 6 oz lighter. With its swamped barrel it handled beautifully. I think the .40 makes a superior "just woods roaming" rifle.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

@hanshi

Yup, completely agree…

 

[Art Caputo]

My 40 cal is my go-to and sweet spot for my late season hunting quarry which is squirrel, with frequent opportunities for coyote calling in the same outing. Superb accuracy for head shots on squirrels, and, power/range for 50+ yard coyotes.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I get the idea of .32 or .36 guns for smaller game, I get the .45 for targets and deer, the general purpose .50 and the .54 on up big game thing but what is the need for .40 caliber?

By the way, I own a couple.

The .400 was a very popular round specially in double rifles , that’s shooting bullets and cordite 1885 onward and one of the most favoured rifles for Africa. Why .400 and not .450 is just history buyers choice, ,

it’s a tiny .400 ball or a long bullet of say 400g I gues it just used less lead than a .45 or .500 I cannot see the point of such tiny patched balls , but there we are. It was what made our woodsman happy Other than that with a ML no idea

You can say why a .375 for Africa. It was just what the gun company made together with bullets. So perhaps a gunsmith just made .400 ML. To out whit the competition why have I got a .35 percussion double rifle for me just use a .500 for everything ,however my .500” Bp unmentionable used a 440g bullet and 140g BP no doubt costly to shoot and a lot to carry. One’s mind gets twisted around but in truth who knows.

Photo unspeakable 450-400 2125ft sec. And 4200 ft lbs of energy steel
Jacket dangerous game bullets. Sorry no lead balls

 

[Josephg]

I get the idea of .32 or .36 guns for smaller game, I get the .45 for targets and deer, the general purpose .50 and the .54 on up big game thing but what is the need for .40 caliber?

By the way, I own a couple.

40 caliber rifles tend to be cooler than other caliber rifles. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Oh that’s beautiful I could not afford one at auction ( $6k to $8k )
I settled for two Swiss 7.5/53 ( brass available cheap and bullets are .308) £800 each at holts auction

That’s it

 

[Ninering62]

40 caliber rifles tend to be cooler than other caliber rifles. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?View attachment 154765

That is nuthin short of COOL & absolutely beautiful