Everything .40 Cal. Muzzleloader

[1BadDart]

I finished my first build a couple months ago, a .40 caliber Virginia rifle with a 42", 7/8" Rice barrel. This rifle was built for 25 yard off hand matches. It shoots well, but the monkey that drives it needs work!

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/slow-progress-on-my-40-build.146578/

 

[Ninering62]

The 450 -400 at 2150 ft sec was always the best rifle for India and Africa. You won’t get more than 1900 ft sec with BP but with a 400 g bullet it will stop anything on the planet. I have one in unmentionables Not by me but the previous owner was shooting Cape buff not 6 months before his death and I bought it at Bonhams auction. 2013 Yours looks fantastic , beautiful even. I love the small bore in the heavy octagonal barrel. Also a great target rifle however for round ball I would prefer a .510 just building a gibbs 1860 LH flint one now. Of course they are all inert wall hangers in uk without a police certificate such is Shooting life in this green and pleasant land

Beautiful rifles, thanks for your post

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Thanks for your post, great write up & info. The pics of your beautiful flinters is impressive.
Heres a little food for thought on your first rifle you discussed & are considering sending it to Bob Hoyt. If you want to keep it in .40 he can over bore & sleeve that barrel & nothing on the outside changes, just a better shooting gun on the inside. I seriously need to get my TC HPS .40 re barrel project off to Bob, I'm excited about that project. Life & procrastination have interceded long enough.
I missed a .40 Tingle pistol on auction last yr. I'd love to have one, or even the CVA copy of it in .40 fast twist.

I was at the Encampment Rendezvous in Wyoming on Saturday

…a guy was selling a .45 calibre Tingle Hawken styled rifle. Nice gun, it felt real nice against the shoulder…I never asked how much….I should’ve taken a picture of it.

 

[Ninering62]

I was at the Encampment Rendezvous on Saturday…a guy was selling a .45 calibre Tingle Hawken styled rifle. Nice gun, it felt real nice against the shoulder…I never asked how much….I should’ve taken a picture of it.

Thats cool! I love the Tingles & ya don't run across them very often. The .40 Tingle pistol I had to back out on last yr was the first one I'd ever seen or heard of in .40. I had only heard of them & the CVA copy of them in .44 or .45. I think about that .40 from time to time & I have to refrain from kickin myself in the hind parts ( with my good leg ) for not biting the bullet & spending whatever it took to win the auction but I just didn't have the funds to get where it went. I'm enjoying my ROA instead. I think it would be awesome to have a cpl cylinders machined to .40 & have a fast twist barrel made for it.

 

[nit wit]

I shot a deer here in Maine with my .40 cal flintlock. I bought another today!
Nit Wit

 

[nhmoose]

I shot a couple with my .40 flinter here in NH also. My nephew has done that with his too. None in ML season but in the regular season. ML are allowed then too.

Dmn my speel check changes stuff on me getting aravating.

 

[user 53891]

Unfortunately here in Commierado you have to use .50 cal. if shooting RB. Colorado Parks & Wildlife aren't the brightest bulb in the package...far from it!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Unfortunately here in Commierado you have to use .50 cal. if shooting RB. Colorado Parks & Wildlife aren't the brightest bulb in the package...far from it!

I thought we could use .40 calibre with a conical bullet for deer sized game?

 

[user 53891]

I thought we could use .40 calibre with a conical bullet for deer sized game?

You can use .40 cal. conical. I was talking about RB, you have to use .50 cal.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

You can use .40 cal. conical. I was talking about RB, you have to use .50 cal

Did they change the laws on the .45 calibre?

.45 calibre PRB for deer sized game, too small for elk.

.50 calibre must use conical for elk, can use PRB for deer sized game

.54 calibre and above can use PRB for any big game.

Right?

 

[BigAl52]

50 caliber roundball on deer size game but elk and moose you need a 54 if you are shooting round ball. I gave up BP big game hunting in Colorado because the season is lumped together with the spear chuckers. The rules in Colorado stink

 

[Rock Home Isle]

50 caliber roundball on deer size game but elk and moose you need a 54 if you are shooting round ball. I gave up BP big game hunting in Colorado because the season is lumped together with the spear chuckers. The rules in Colorado stink

Absolutely agree…

 

[user 53891]

Did they change the laws on the .45 calibre?

.45 calibre PRB for deer sized game, too small for elk.

.50 calibre must use conical for elk, can use PRB for deer sized game

.54 calibre and above can use PRB for any big game.

Right?

If you use a PRB for deer it has to be a .50 cal muzzleloader. If you use a .45 cal., you have to use a conical.

 

[user 53891]

50 caliber roundball on deer size game but elk and moose you need a 54 if you are shooting round ball. I gave up BP big game hunting in Colorado because the season is lumped together with the spear chuckers. The rules in Colorado stink

If by spear chuckers, you are referring to bow hunters, I don't see the problem. Far and few between in our area.

 

[BigAl52]

If by spear chuckers, you are referring to bow hunters, I don't see the problem. Far and few between in our area.

Thats correct on the bow hunters. They start before muzzleloading season by a week or two. They arent required to wear the blaze orange like the muzzleloaders are. Im hunting in the North Park area. There are quite a few in that area. To me what difference does it make if you are carrying a bow or a rifle if you are mixing the 2 seasons together. Both should be required to wear the same attire. Otherwise separate the seasons like should be done in the first place. Enough said on that because we are taking this thread off of its original track of the 40 caliber muzzie

 

[Ninering62]

Absolutely agree…

Then start changing who you let make & enforce those rules & have them all repealed.

 

[Rod Man]

Arkansas is good for the 40 on deer. I have not taken one wit the 40 as yet. That is the plan. Prolly keep the range around fifty till I ge a feel for it’s capabilities.

RM

 

[oldwood]

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

 

[smoothshooter]

My first 40 was an Iron Mounted Pennsylvania Flintlock rifle. I believe the unknown builder rifled the bore himself as there are “chatter marks” in the barrel so it fouls terribly. I don’t know whether to try and polish it out or send it to Hoyt and have it made into a 45. The barrel is 42” and a little front-heavy. I’m not sure what the twist is. I don’t think I’ve measured it yet. Rather than cut dovetails for the sights, he made these gawdy bases. He also over-sanded the side plates. I call her “Ugly Betty” (photo 1)!

Last year, I purchased a Chambers Issac Haines 40 from one of our members. It has a 38” swamped barrel (photo 2). The twist is 1-48”. I’ve shot it out to 100 yards. The accuracy is phenomenal! I’m just having a hard time getting used to the full stock. I’ve shot half-stocks with Crescent butt-plates for 35 years. I use it mainly for target shooting. Although, 40 is legal for deer in my state. I’ve played around with powder charges. I usually shoot 40 grains, .395 patched round ball with Bumbling Bear Grease lube (Bear grease and Bee’s wax) from October Country on a .018 Pillow Ticking patch (photo 3). I’ve tried 50 with not-so-good results. 60 grains has the same Point of Impact as 40 but with more foot-pounds of energy (photo 4). Shots 1-3 were 40, 4-6 were 50, and 7-9 were 60.

I also have a 40-caliber English Flintlock pistol made by Hollie Wessel of Lake Shasta, CA, for target work (photo 5). My load is a .395 RB, .018 pre-lubed Pillow Ticking, and 20 grains of 3F BP.

I’m wanting to buy a Neil Fields 40-caliber Vincent Cap-lock rifle (photo 6). This one is basically the same dimensions as a Traditions Crockett. I’m not sure of the twist but most small bores come with 1-48”. Pecatonica River has a kit with a 36” barrel, and a Golcher Percussion lock. I don’t see many Flintlock Vincents. They seem to be like hen’s teeth.

One thing I’ve loved about the 40 besides accuracy is the economy of shooting one; approximately 76 balls and 175 shots to the pound of lead and powder! Plus, Flints locally are $2.50 each. I can get between 80 and 100 shots with a good lock.

Hoyt may be able to clean up the rifling enough for you to leave it in .40.
If not, he can bore it out and reline it back to .40 with whatever rifling and twist you want.

 

[smoothshooter]

50 caliber roundball on deer size game but elk and moose you need a 54 if you are shooting round ball. I gave up BP big game hunting in Colorado because the season is lumped together with the spear chuckers. The rules in Colorado stink

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.