Best caliber for target shooting

[CoyoteJoe]

Well, just to complicate things, you don't have to go to a custom gun to get a custom barrel. I've rebarreled T/C, Lyman, Traditions and Pedersoli rifles with Green Mountain barrels for considerably less than the cost of a "drop-in" replacement barrel and all shot much better after the switch. And one can have different calibers for different uses for a fraction of the cost of a complete new gun.
With a half-stock you can vary the barrel length and with an extra lock even have flint/percussion options all on one stock. Or whatever. ::

 

[Stumpkiller]

Green Mountain are custom barrels?

:crackup:

I don't think you can call a cataloged - like as eight peas in a pod - barrel that you can pull off the shelf of any of nine different supply houses for drop-in fit to a mass produced stock a "custom" barrel.

But, they are nice. Better than OEM. At least you can get the rifling in a slow twist.

Custom assembly, I suppose. Like putting a Chevy body on a Ford frame.

Ain't much wrong with the T/C barrels, really. Some chatter marks for sure but they shoot better than I can hold with the proper loads.

 

[roundball]

Green Mountain are custom barrels?

:crackup:

I don't think you can call a cataloged - like as eight peas in a pod - barrel that you can pull off the shelf of any of nine different supply houses for drop-in fit to a mass produced stock a "custom" barrel.

But, they are nice. Better than OEM. At least you can get the rifling in a slow twist.

Custom assembly, I suppose. Like putting a Chevy body on a Ford frame.

Ain't much wrong with the T/C barrels, really. Some chatter marks for sure but they shoot better than I can hold with the proper loads.

The only Green Mountain barrels I buy are ones that TC doesn't already make...both TC's 1:48" and 1:66" barrels are excellent...I have three 'GM drop-in' Hawken barrels because TC didn't offer them:
.54cal Flint smoothbore
.58cal Flint round ball
.62cal Flint smoothbore

All my TC barrels have a better fit, polish, and bluing than any of the GM barrels...it's almost like the bluing on my GM barrels is sprayed on, instead of soakd in.

For example, I tweak my lock mortises to get a tight metal-to-metal fit between the pan and breech plug on every Flintlock I get...when I finished sighting in the new GM .54cal smoothbore this weekend and lifted the barrel out to clean it, the pan scraped some bluing off the side of the breechplug...did that on the .62cal as well...but it hasn't happened on a single TC barrel yet.

The very bottom and bottom-side flats of the breech plug that are not visible are not finished to mate smoothly with the barrel flats...only the very top and top-side flats are sanded to mate smoothly with the barrel flats that are visible when holding the rifle.

The wedge pin tenon is kind of a large klunky thing that I have to remove and sand down smaller so it rides up higher out of the way of the ramrod when it slides in under/past it;

Had to remove and shorten the under-rib on one of the GM barrels so it would "drop-in" to the Hawken stock and clear the nose cap;

And they come with black thimbles & black ramrod which I have to replace to match the brass Hawken furniture...so in that sense...after I'm all done, I have "custom" GM barrels.
::

But they function fine

 

[Uncle Jed]

I like my 40 cal for target and match shooting because it uses a light load.

We-e-e doggies! I took a shine to the .40 caliber myself thar young feller, those bigger bores are squawking like a two-pound chicken laying a three-pound egg. The .40 and under will allow a mountaineer to shoot all week for'n a few red cents, I can save a few bucks shootin the small bore and the first thing you know old Jed's a millionaire.

 

[walruskid1]

your right rusty musket - and it won't be cheap beer, only the best.

 

[George F.]

I have to agree with the 40 caliper fellows for shooting paper. It's a lighter firearm, easier to hold on target, and since the ball weighs over 60 grains less than a 50 caliper, has alot less recoil. I use to load mine with 25 grains for the 25 and 50 yard targets, it was like shooting a bb gun. Got my best scores with it, unfortunatley I abused and neglected it and its no-more.

 

[ssamac]

How would a .40 or .45 cal do for shooting deer say at 100-150 yards, or is that pushing the limit for that caliber?

sam

 

[MikeChapin]

How would a .40 or .45 cal do for shooting deer say at 100-150 yards, or is that pushing the limit for that caliber?

sam

I have shot deer with a .45 and it will work fine. I have never shot one out to 100 yards so could not tell you how it would do there but within 70 yards or so a well placed shot will drop them in their tracks.

As for a .40 I have never used one but know a lot of people who do (it is legal for big game in Wyoming). I don't know of anyone who would hunt elk with one but they work well for deer and antelope.

 

[shmrck1]

ssamac,
I feel very comfortable hunting and harvesting
deer with my .45 cal inside of 100yds. However in the area
i hunt 35 to 50yds would be the norm. With a .490 PRB with
65grns 3fff goex with lubed patch i have harvested a few
deer. I feel very confident shooting the .45cal and that
might make the difference. Seeing that shot placement is
what its all about i really don't see why a .40cal would
not perform just as well :imo:
Although i dont own a .40 cal from all i've seen
and read they make an outstanding paper killer.
snake-eyes

 

[Rebel]

150 yds is pushing the range for any caliber MLer for an ethical shot. :imo:

 

Target shooting? I went with a .62 because it makes a bigger hole. If I just barely nick a knockdown steel target it goes down with authority. Crosswinds have less of an affect on big caliber balls and you don't need a spotting scope to see the holes you make.