Considering a .40 caliber

[Togo]

I have a Kibler mountain rifle in 40 and only use it for competition but it is stupid accurate with a .395 ball, .018 patch and 35gr of Goex 3F at 25 yards, I use the same 35gr for my 50yrd targets. 100yrd targets I have to bump my powder charge up to 60gr. I'm sure this rifle would do well with squirrel and whitetail hunting.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Thompson Center introduced the "Cleland" Match Hawken rifle as a precision grade .40 caliber cap lock rifle intended for serious target shooter.

Of course Thompson Center traditional type muzzleloaders have not been made for several years now and I'm not certain how many Clelands were produced. However it does beg the question, why T/C picked .40 for the Cleland. They must have considered the accuracy potential of .40 caliber, I'd think.

I've picked up a few .40s over the years. I have an Ozark Muskrat .40 finished from one of their kits. I shot it very little until recently. The way powder prices have soared and we've experienced shortages I have been moving from my .45 and above bores to the smaller, .32 to .40.

My pushing 70 year old fingers make handling, when loading, .32 and .36 caliber components a lot tougher than my .40s. I'm really coming onto this .40 caliber thing. Accuracy has been outstanding, mostly 25 yard shooting. I've done limited shooting at 50 yards however I've seen the potential as I'm confident it will shoot well at that distance.

The Ozark Muskrat is not my only .40, I have a couple by the late Ted Fellowes. In my Muskrat I shoot a .395 ball with a pillow ticking patch. Mr. Fellowes used Green Mountain barrel in his guns and for those I run ball up to .400 out of an old Green Mountain mold.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Thompson Center introduced the "Cleland" Match Hawken rifle as a precision grade .40 caliber cap lock rifle intended for serious target shooter.

Of course Thompson Center traditional type muzzleloaders have not been made for several years now and I'm not certain how many Clelands were produced. However it does beg the question, why T/C picked .40 for the Cleland. They must have considered the accuracy potential of .40 caliber, I'd think.

I've picked up a few .40s over the years. I have an Ozark Muskrat .40 finished from one of their kits. I shot it very little until recently. The way powder prices have soared and we've experienced shortages I have been moving from my .45 and above bores to the smaller, .32 to .40.

My pushing 70 year old fingers make handling, when loading, .32 and .36 caliber components a lot tougher than my .40s. I'm really coming onto this .40 caliber thing. Accuracy has been outstanding, mostly 25 yard shooting. I've done limited shooting at 50 yards however I've seen the potential as I'm confident it will shoot well at that distance.

The Ozark Muskrat is not my only .40, I have a couple by the late Ted Fellowes. In my Muskrat I shoot a .395 ball with a pillow ticking patch. Mr. Fellowes used Green Mountain barrel in his guns and for those I run ball up to .400 out of an old Green Mountain mold.

I've never seen nor heard of an Ozark Muskrat. I'd bet that is a pretty neat rifle.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I've never seen nor heard of an Ozark Muskrat. I'd bet that is a pretty neat rifle.

Ozark Mountain Arms once known for their Hawken rifles also produced the Muskrat, a halfstock .32 to .40 gun.

 

[ETipp]

I have a Kibler mountain rifle in 40 and only use it for competition but it is stupid accurate with a .395 ball, .018 patch and 35gr of Goex 3F at 25 yards, I use the same 35gr for my 50yrd targets. 100yrd targets I have to bump my powder charge up to 60gr. I'm sure this rifle would do well with squirrel and whitetail hunting.

That's good information. Thank you.

What is your average size 50 yard group?

 

[Gtrubicon]

Ozark Mountain Arms once known for their Hawken rifles also produced the Muskrat, a halfstock .32 to .40 gun.

I’d love to see a picture of that rifle when you have time to do so.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I’d love to see a picture of that rifle when you have time to do so.

No the best but it should give you an idea.

 

[Gtrubicon]

No the best but it should give you an idea.

Beautiful!

 

[Hermit Tim]

No the best but it should give you an idea.

Absolutely fantastic.

 

[smokepolehall]

I find the .40 to be an outstanding rifle caliber in ML;s. The one i shot the most is my Southern Poor Boy Jack Gardner built me in 79. Cockran percussion lock/XX Douglas bbl. 42" long double set triggers. I used 30-35 gr under a prb. .015 patch .395 dia ball. Tree rats/Masked Bandits & such. Deer & Bobcats/Hogs i used same ball & patch & 60 gr of powder

 

[springfield art]

Seeking information on a .40 caliber. I have zero experience with one and if I get one, it will be for squirrel hunting. My thoughts are if it is downloaded a bit, it might not tear up a squirrel too much. I've heard that a .40 caliber is suppose to be pretty darn accurate, which is a must. I'm looking for good accuracy out to 30 yards, maybe more. Good accuracy as in 1" groups or better.

It will not be used for big game and it must not be a flintlock.

Powder charge?

Round ball availability?

Thank you

It's very popular for that use.

 

[Rudyard]

I find the .40 to be an outstanding rifle caliber in ML;s. The one i shot the most is my Southern Poor Boy Jack Gardner built me in 79. Cockran percussion lock/XX Douglas bbl. 42" long double set triggers. I used 30-35 gr under a prb. .015 patch .395 dia ball. Tree rats/Masked Bandits & such. Deer & Bobcats/Hogs i used same ball & patch & 60 gr of powder

The 40 cal does seem to deliver good shooting. Chuck Bender swore by them he was a noted Ohio based shot & locally in NZ ' Bucks County' shoots a 40 cal Bedford with consistent place winning against a range of MLs includeing 451s. My first ML rifle was a 40 cal flint but since UK ranges where mostly 100 yards minimum It was not so good with ball but a linen patched picket bullet the mould from Less Mcquire went well out to 200 yards . It being a 1 in 48 Delcur buttoned barrel all Kit Ravenshear had in stock in his Framlingham shop .I lugged it every where 1" oct heavy brute , Now its floating round in Queensland somewhere a victim of Political perfidy .Where a once free of gun laws State decided they needed to catch up with the other anti gun states of Australia . You can trust politico's in proportion to how far you can throw the Taj Mahal.
Rudyard's findings

 

[Bucks Co]

Agree with the comments I have 2 40's - the Bedford that Rudyard mentioned (Douglas Premium Barrel) and a Flint Bucks County with a Getz barrel - both are superb shooters - my usual load is 60gr Goex FFFg (or NZ Holy Smoke) and a 395 ball cast or swaged with pillow ticking - Ox Yoke or spit patched-I find the load helps beat the wind on the Marlborough range - dropping the charge would be a good idea for small game. For bigger game I go for a bigger calibre; 50 or 58 (my son has 'appropriated' my 54 Pedersoli Tryon) but 45 will work if the placement is good.

 

[Togo]

That's good information. Thank you.

What is your average size 50 yard grou

That's good information. Thank you.

What is your average size 50 yard group?

All of my shooting is offhand, my 50 yard groups are around 2". Some days can be worse when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

 

[BigAl52]

Ive got a Hawken squirrel rifle in 40 caliber that I love. I dont shoot squirrels with it but it sure does a great job shooting steel with a 395 round ball and an .018 patch power by some 3fg.

 

[yellowhammer]

Ive got a Hawken squirrel rifle in 40 caliber that I love....

Cool weapon, BigAl52. Is that a 13/16 barrel? What is the weight of the gun?

 

[BigAl52]

Cool weapon, BigAl52. Is that a 13/16 barrel? What is the weight of the gun?

Yes close to that. The gun weighs about 7 an 3/4 lbs. Ive never weighed it But I have a 50 cal Woodsrunner and its not quite that heavy.

 

[Arrow139]

Seeking information on a .40 caliber. I have zero experience with one and if I get one, it will be for squirrel hunting. My thoughts are if it is downloaded a bit, it might not tear up a squirrel too much. I've heard that a .40 caliber is suppose to be pretty darn accurate, which is a must. I'm looking for good accuracy out to 30 yards, maybe more. Good accuracy as in 1" groups or better.

It will not be used for big game and it must not be a flintlock.

Powder charge?

Round ball availability?

Thank you

Hello ETipp,
Have had two .40 rifles, one an old Dixie flintlock, my first rifle. The other I built with a custom Bauska barrel. The rate of twist is important, as slower rates of 1/60 or 1/66 will be most accurate with about 70 grains of powder, which will deliver close to 2000 fps. Faster twists of 1/48 will be better for smaller powder charges more suitable for small game, below 1600 fps. The .40 rb is minimum for deer hunting in many states because it is very effective within its limits.

 

[ETipp]

Hello ETipp,
Have had two .40 rifles, one an old Dixie flintlock, my first rifle. The other I built with a custom Bauska barrel. The rate of twist is important, as slower rates of 1/60 or 1/66 will be most accurate with about 70 grains of powder, which will deliver close to 2000 fps. Faster twists of 1/48 will be better for smaller powder charges more suitable for small game, below 1600 fps. The .40 rb is minimum for deer hunting in many states because it is very effective within its limits.

Thank you. Indeed, I have considered such.

 

[Kmcmichael]

I have on occasion shot some 5 shot groups less than 3” at 110 yards with 27 grains of 3F with my Kibler. I think the .40 is better for longer distance than the smaller calibers.