Everything .40 Cal. Muzzleloader

[user 53891]

Scratch built myself a .40 cal. flint mountain long rifle , copy of an old W.Va. gun from the Cheat River Valley. It's my favorite rifle , local walnut stock , light wt. with a 3/4" by 39" oct . barrel. Pittsburgh style trigger guard and butt , are rusty iron salvaged from a shed fire. Shoots most any load put down the bore. It can be throttled back for squirrels , and stoked up for turkeys ,coyotes , etc.. Even though I'm 75 , the rifle still feels good to carry at 6 lb. soakin' wet. Last thing I shot with it , couple years ago , was a stationary grouse w/ a head shot............oldwood

Let's see a pic of that muzzleloader. Sounds interesting.

 

[user 53891]

I hunted (as an out-of-stater) a few times years ago.
Got more and more irritated with the increasing complexity of the regs.
Realized the State was not shy about asking me to pay lots of money for tags, but couldn’t have cared less whether any animals were killed or not, or how difficult it was to do in accordance with the labyrinth of management zones, different open seasons in different zones on different days, legal antler lengths, etc.
Have only gone back a couple of times since then for short non-hunting vacations or passing through on the way to WY or MT.

Yes sir, Commierado has more rules and regs on ammo, calibers, antlers, you have to have a mole on your left cheek, your grampa had to live here 100 years, etc. You about got to have a college education, a PHD, and a motorcycle license to figure out what you can hunt!! It's getting pretty disgusting!

 

[rkg1]

Pa requires a minimum 44 cal and I agree. A 40 to me is a little small be like using a 22 hornet. This is my opinion and is up for discussion.

 

[Ninering62]

Let's see a pic of that muzzleloader. Sounds interesting.

Exactly, that’s why this thread was created for everyone that has & shoots the .40 cal’s to show pics, share loads & bullet data & their shooting & hunting experiences with them in as much detail as they want to get into. The more the merrier.

 

[user 53891]

Pa requires a minimum 44 cal and I agree. A 40 to me is a little small be like using a 22 hornet. This is my opinion and is up for discussion.

That's like Commierado's stupidity! They went from .50 to .54 if using a PRB for elk. When a .50 PRB has been used for decades to take elk, bear, etc. Just as a .40 will take down a white tail, or mule deer any day of the week with no problem and has done the job for hundreds of years.

 

[Ninering62]

Pa requires a minimum 44 cal and I agree. A 40 to me is a little small be like using a 22 hornet. This is my opinion and is up for discussion.

FYI- deer, massive hogs, cattle, horses, ALL can be DROPPED in their tracks with a .22.
Even a .40 roundball shot with real BP with a velocity of 1400-1600fps with good shot placement can easily drop a deer inside 100yds. Sooooo that rule is 100% BS
Out to 50yds even a .32 roundball will drop the biggest deer with a head, neck, or high shoulder shot.

 

[user 53891]

FYI- deer, massive hogs, cattle, horses, ALL can be DROPPED in their tracks with a .22.
Even a .40 roundball shot with real BP with a velocity of 1400-1600fps with good shot placement can easily drop a deer inside 100yds. Sooooo that rule is 100% BS
Out to 50yds even a .32 roundball will drop the biggest deer with a head, neck, or high shoulder shot.

That is absolutely correct Ninering62. I dropped an elk in it's tracks at 147 yds. When they start comparing a RB with only .04 difference, which is totally negligible, they are out just screw with hunters!!

 

[Ninering62]

That is absolutely correct Ninering62. I dropped an elk in it's tracks at 147 yds. When they start comparing a RB with only .04 difference, which is totally negligible, they are out just screw with hunters!!

Yessir! It’s just another manipulative BS way to create revenue through excessive unnecessary regulations. I don’t want to get political, but we as muzzleloader hunters need to stop tolerating these kind of ppl making these kind of regs for us & have what’s there now repealed. I don’t care what amazing things I’m missing out on to never tolerate any states politicians to regulate what sights I can use, what powder I can use, what bullets I can use, what type of muzzleloader I can use, what caliber I can use - in my muzzleloaders.

 

[rkg1]

I have 2 40's and like to use them for squirrels and turkey. What's not to like little recoil lots of shooting with a pound of powder and lead and they are accurate as well. Pa changed the laws this year and I can no longer use a rifle in the fall season. That's if I read the book correctly.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Pa requires a minimum 44 cal and I agree. A 40 to me is a little small be like using a 22 hornet. This is my opinion and is up for discussion.

You need to stoke it up to 1900 ft /sec with a 400 g bullet and it will almost kill anything on the planet. Of course 2150ft/sec would be better My 450-400 unmentionable double had killed plenty of Cape buffalo but not by me , mind you a 570g bullet would make me more happy. Choose a paper patched 400g. dangerous game bullet ha ha. And have fun

 

[Ninering62]

I have 2 40's and like to use them for squirrels and turkey. What's not to like little recoil lots of shooting with a pound of powder and lead and they are accurate as well. Pa changed the laws this year and I can no longer use a rifle in the fall season. That's if I read the book correctly.

When you're squirrel huntin with your .40, do you try & head shoot them or " Bark " them? Are you using PRB's or conicals?

 

[Ninering62]

You need to stoke it up to 1900 ft /sec with a 400 g bullet and it will almost kill anything on the planet. Of course 2150ft/sec would be better My 450-400 unmentionable double had killed plenty of Cape buffalo but not by me , mind you a 570g bullet would make me more happy. Choose a paper patched 400g. dangerous game bullet ha ha. And have fun

Thats what I absolutely love about a .40 is, depending on your barrel twist you can send long heavy bullets at very long ranges very accurately, and, shoot light, fast, flat shooting bullets of many types extremely accurately. The .40 is extremely versatile. You can hunt squirrels to elk with it & drive tacks in close range & compete in longrange target. Thats incredibly impressive.

 

[user 53891]

Thats what I absolutely love about a .40 is, depending on your barrel twist you can send long heavy bullets at very long ranges very accurately, and, shoot light, fast, flat shooting bullets of many types extremely accurately. The .40 is extremely versatile. You can hunt squirrels to elk with it & drive tacks in close range & compete in longrange target. Thats incredibly impressive.

Those .40's are getting hard to find. I haven't found on yet. Still looking.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

When you're squirrel huntin with your .40, do you try & head shoot them or " Bark " them? Are you using PRB's or conicals?

Its a big over gunned ,a .400 on squirrels , like a burger made with a steam roller, I guess you are having great fun. I used a .22 pcp bsa Scorpio head shots out to 50 yards , Uk police took away my modern shotguns , well I might shoot intruders at 79 and they won’t let you shoot MLs without a police certificate. Then you cannot hunt in uk with a bow and arrow either , been hunting since I was 10 now the police expect me to sit on a porch with a rocking chair. Might be a green and pleasant land but it’s very anti gun country such is life. Ha ha You don’t know how lucky you are across the pond on the gunny front

 

[jdw276]

Mine...40 cal, 42" straight colrain round bottom groove, left handed siler lock, davis double trigger, percontinica river stock. English walnut stain.

 

[Ninering62]

Its a big over gunned ,a .400 on squirrels , like a burger made with a steam roller, I guess you are having great fun. I used a .22 pcp bsa Scorpio head shots out to 50 yards , Uk police took away my modern shotguns , well I might shoot intruders at 79 and they won’t let you shoot MLs without a police certificate. Then you cannot hunt in uk with a bow and arrow either , been hunting since I was 10 now the police expect me to sit on a porch with a rocking chair. Might be a green and pleasant land but it’s very anti gun country such is life. Ha ha You don’t know how lucky you are across the pond on the gunny front

I loved visiting England & riding Harleys across it, even in June, but I'd never ever want to live there. I'm sorry you have to deal with all that. I appreciate your sense of humor.

 

[smoothshooter]

Its a big over gunned ,a .400 on squirrels , like a burger made with a steam roller, I guess you are having great fun. I used a .22 pcp bsa Scorpio head shots out to 50 yards , Uk police took away my modern shotguns , well I might shoot intruders at 79 and they won’t let you shoot MLs without a police certificate. Then you cannot hunt in uk with a bow and arrow either , been hunting since I was 10 now the police expect me to sit on a porch with a rocking chair. Might be a green and pleasant land but it’s very anti gun country such is life. Ha ha You don’t know how lucky you are across the pond on the gunny front

Have you considered moving to the US?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

When you're squirrel huntin with your .40, do you try & head shoot them or " Bark " them? Are you using PRB's or conicals?

I drop down to a .375 PRB, heavy denim patching and 20 grains of fffg…inside of 35 yrds…very effective.

With a .50 calibre…reduce load to about 40 grains of fffg and head shoot.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Also…Pure cotton canvas patching works great on under sized balls. The course fabric really bites into the soft pure lead, recovered balls always have the weave imprinted into them.

Just takes me a bit to figure out which weight of canvas does the job…I usually ask my wife.

 

[springfield art]

View attachment 151152

Don Stith kit built by John Bergmann. John per request did the pewter nose cap. 40 caliber Hawken Squirrel rifle. Ya I know it should be a flintlock but hey at the time I wanted this one after shooting another one John had also built. Someday when I find some more gun money I will be after another 40 caliber in flintlock but I do really like shooting this gun. I also happen to like 40 cal alot.

I believe the original Hawken shop never made flintlocks; this is a really nice looking gun!