I had the same problem, had my eyes fixed cataracts removed with lens implants, problem solved.
Considering a .40 caliber
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I have a Thompson Center Hawken with a Green Mountain .40 cal barrel that I added to it. Funny thing is I have never shot it. I also have an <AMR> stock that I found a .40 cal barrel which is 16 1/2 inches long. For a Buggy Rifle (carbine) it is very accurate.
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I love that little one...
I found all the parts for it on eBay long before they banned any firearm related items.
Well it certainly is cool. I like long rifles but, for hunting and general goofing off in the woods I really like a short barrel. Very nice.
I like the shorter barreled ML's under 36" barrels & no more than a 7/8" . For my purpose they work very well
My old .40 caliber percussion has a Douglas barrel that likes 55 grains of FFFg behind a patched .390 round ball. I cast my own round ball with a Lee RB mold. At 25 yards that load groups in one ragged hole roughly 5/8-inch across. At 50 yards she opens up to between 3/4 and 1 inch. I've hunted squirrel and rabbits with it, mostly head shots.
@Tanglefoot , Can you post a pic of your caplock rifle? I'm sorta trying to decide what to build next.
hanshi
Cannon
I ordered a .40 late Lancaster flintlock longrifle around 20 years ago and loved it (still love it). But due to stupid carelessness the bore was damaged ruining the pristine accuracy. I didn't use it for hunting although I did develop three loads for different size game in case my mind changed. For deer I loaded 60 grains of 3F for 100 yard shots and it was a real shooter! My all around load used 40 grns of 3F and would have been great for varmints and up. I later chronographed the 60 grain load and got a sizzling 2145 fps.
It was a joy to shoot and recoil was...well, wasn't. It was .40 X 38" X "B" wgt barrel for 8 lbs. I sent the damaged barrel to Bobby Hoyt and had him bore it out to .45, which removed the bore damage. The rifle went from 8 lbs to 7 lbs 11 oz and still balanced perfectly with it's swamped barrel. It's still a tack driver.
There's little difference between a .40 and a .45 as far as recoil is concerned. Most of my deer hunting was with .45s and the .45 is superior to the .40 for distance and power. I see no difference in accuracy. With judicious loading the .40 can make a fine squirrel rifle, but head shots should be the rule. Where legal many hunters report it takes deer with no trouble.
It was a joy to shoot and recoil was...well, wasn't. It was .40 X 38" X "B" wgt barrel for 8 lbs. I sent the damaged barrel to Bobby Hoyt and had him bore it out to .45, which removed the bore damage. The rifle went from 8 lbs to 7 lbs 11 oz and still balanced perfectly with it's swamped barrel. It's still a tack driver.
There's little difference between a .40 and a .45 as far as recoil is concerned. Most of my deer hunting was with .45s and the .45 is superior to the .40 for distance and power. I see no difference in accuracy. With judicious loading the .40 can make a fine squirrel rifle, but head shots should be the rule. Where legal many hunters report it takes deer with no trouble.
flatcreek
40 Cal
I have a .40 Tenn Mt. Great gun to shoot, very accurate, easy on powder, with little recoil. I thought of it as a mide caliber like a .243. Unfortunately her it NJ it's to small for dear (I don't think that, it's the law) and to large for small game (law again). Fortunately I have a farm so I can sometimes make my own rules. If you can use it I would get one.
Here ye go, Yellowhammer.
Real cool, Tanglefoot. I like the Ohio/Vincent vibe...
My go to target rifle.is a Ohio Vincent style.
From 10 to 125 yards it's one smoking accurate deal.
From 10 to 125 yards it's one smoking accurate deal.
Picture, PLEASE. Gotta see that, #blackpowderbill!
Here’s my recent monthly target. 40 cal. 3 of 5 tight group.
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I thank everyone for their input on this. I’ve decided that as accurate as most 40’s are, I will most likely not be purchasing one. Being a hunter first and foremost (mostly for squirrels) a .40 is not to my better interest. I wouldn’t mind having one some day, but for all practical purposes, they are an in between caliber that I wouldn’t use much for hunting. My .32’s, 50’s and .54 covers all I need.
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I have used a loaded down .40 for small game for perhaps 10 yrs. w/ great success. When I built the rifle , the criteria was make a longrifle 38" -.40 cal. , 3/4" Oct. barrel , and flint lock. Have used the ultra light rifle for a good while and love it. Now I have to put a modified Johnson tang peep sight on it due to old eye problems , and can't see the sights. Not a big deal as my other two rifles have the same peep sight with great success. At 77 yrs. old , Johnson Peep sight has put me back in the game.
westrayer
40 Cal
Way back when.... I had a .36 T/C. Fun gun but even at .36 cal it was brutal on squirrels. If I was to do it again, I would look for a .32 cal.
Agree. I really like a .32 for squirrel hunting. At only 20 grains of powder and small .310 round ball, it’s very economical. With its 32” barrel, my Crockett Squirrel rifle is fairly quiet on the shot (which is a biggie for me) as well as less damage done to squirrels on body shots. Use of a loading block eliminates trouble handling the smaller .310 round ball out in the woods.
Works for me.
My rational for perhaps getting a .40 was for longer shots. However, I’m doubting my vision would be up to the task now.
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