Everything .40 Cal. Muzzleloader

[Ninering62]

Why cant folks stick to the topic? We have other areas to discuss everything else.

Lets get back to the .40!

Thank you so much for that post. I have been following the way " off topic " convo goin - on & on, wondering where the heck the admins are in here. I was intending to address that myself when I just logged in, but I see that you've kindly & respectfully pointed things out. I'd feel a lil hypocritical ( something I abhor ) in saying anything to anyone for takin a lil detour off topic here n there, I'm bigtime guilty of it myself. But theres posting something off topic that the topic relates to someone or something & wanting to express & share that. But I'm kinda use to hearin an admin step in to say, back on topic, PM each other to continue your convo. And even when thats directed right at me, its still " fair & the right thing to do " being respectful & considerate of the OP

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Why cant folks stick to the topic? We have other areas to discuss everything else.

Lets get back to the .40!

Mulebrain we all get testy at times it’s all interesting , well sometimes. So I humbly apologise going off the straight and narrow but we have an Indian immigrant wanting to be PM. He’s a bright boy but I don’t trust him who knows????? Indians everywhere , I came back from Nigeria and this Indian customs man said “welcome to England”
me white Anglo Saxon , God help us

I have a .4 percussion carbine ( actually 10.4mm ) and an unmentionable .400 /450


Yes have this 450-400 for making 70 - 9 years ago still surviving cancer the bullets steel dangerous game bullets 400g at 2125 ft sec it’s downed a good few cape buff by the previous owner

now can you get near that with a muzzle loader. Love to hunt bear mmmmmm


thanks to the USA we have 450- 400 brass But. It has to remain a wall hanger in the Uk

my preference is .5 but make do , another wall hanger,

also a .523 cape rifle, a Reilly percussion double 1853

My .350 percussion double is nice. I’ll say no more. Other to wish you well don’t get testy , be happy and have a good life I think gunny stuff and ticks out hunting could be a good topic

Take care mulebrain love from London.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

This seems to be developing nicely

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/40-caliber-whats-the-point.150031/

 

[woodsnwater]

Well, y’all, the mould came in today’s mail, and I couldn’t resist putting it through its paces. I just need to add a front sight. You can see where the old one was. It was originally made with a bone blade sight, according to the builder’s son. Clearly, it didn’t last. I figure I’ll try cutting one and gluing it down, and then if it seems to work, I’ll make a point of carrying a spare. If not, I guess I’ll switch to brass. What’s a good height to start with for a front sight?
Jay View attachment 152855

View attachment 152852

You get a chance to shoot that beauty yet?

 

[Jay Templin]

You get a chance to shoot that beauty yet?

Still haven’t finished the new sight. Going out to do some trail work on a friend’s property tomorrow, so if I work hard this evening…
Jay

 

[Jay Templin]

Hey, Woodsnwater- tomorrow is the day!
Bone is leftover from an old knife scale project. Laboriously hand-cut and shaped with a knife, a rasp, and a file.
Can’t wait to see how she does!
Jay

 

[1:66 twisted]

I have an old J.Fordney 36 cal barrel, I would like to have Mr Hoyt reline it to a 40 smoothbore. It’s 31 1/2 inches. Find a stock, lock and trigger for it.

 

[oldwood]

Have a copy of an old rifle burnt in a shed fire , along the Cheat River ,Preston Co.. W.Va. . Replacement local walnut stock , original cast iron tg. , and butt plate , sheet copper thimbles , no end cap. The new 38 " barrel is a light 3/4 " oct. .40 cal. , w/ flint lock , and it likes most any load you put in the muzzle , light for small critters , and heavy for bigger stuff , and target range. .She weighs in at barley six lbs. , love it , , and has become my favorite rifle to woods run at camp, , the range , and small game. First thing I killed with it , was a Rough Grouse , head shot at 15 yds.. ...........oldwood

 

[Jay Templin]

You know what might have made sighting in the .40 go a mite easier? If I had picked up the rotten, motherless box of .40 roundballs before jumping in the van and heading 2 hours west to meet Jimmy.
Accuracy results using double-patched double-ought buckshot were… inconclusive, but man, is she fun to shoot! Tomorrow I’ll sneak out in the backyard after work and give he a proper shakedown. I feel like the front site is a touch tall.
Jay

 

[Dale Lilly]

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!

Oh man. I hate what you guys are suffering in Colorado. I started deer hunting in Colorado in 1945. Everything was really simple then. Buy a license, hunt where you wished, check out through a check station. Mount your trophy. No blaze orange, no zones, not a lot of hunters up around Walden or down on the Uncompaugre [sp] plateau. Use almost any gun you wish ... gone forever. My last Colorado hunt was in 1948. Yikes... I really am old. Polecat P.S. I really am thinking about a 36 or 40 for my wife.

 

[user 53891]

Oh man. I hate what you guys are suffering in Colorado. I started deer hunting in Colorado in 1945. Everything was really simple then. Buy a license, hunt where you wished, check out through a check station. Mount your trophy. No blaze orange, no zones, not a lot of hunters up around Walden or down on the Uncompaugre [sp] plateau. Use almost any gun you wish ... gone forever. My last Colorado hunt was in 1948. Yikes... I really am old. Polecat P.S. I really am thinking about a 36 or 40 for my wife.

I thought you meant a 36 or 40 for a wife...LOL!
BTW: I was born in '48.
Yup: very stupid rule and regulations to discourage hunters.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Oh man. I hate what you guys are suffering in Colorado. I started deer hunting in Colorado in 1945. Everything was really simple then. Buy a license, hunt where you wished, check out through a check station. Mount your trophy. No blaze orange, no zones, not a lot of hunters up around Walden or down on the Uncompaugre [sp] plateau. Use almost any gun you wish ... gone forever. My last Colorado hunt was in 1948. Yikes... I really am old. Polecat P.S. I really am thinking about a 36 or 40 for my wife.

Bloody hell man I was 2 in 1945 seems the years have been kind to you. I grew up with no rules on shotguns or hunting uk just a 7/6pence licence from post office no cops involved. Now the cops pounce on you for no reason and take your guns away if you do your sums right I am 79’God bless you dear boy.

Ps. All this chatter on .400 balls I decided a .600 ball ain’t that big and it fits 5 of my flintlocks For a .400 I’ll use my 450-400 double unmentionable.

 

[woodsnwater]

You know what might have made sighting in the .40 go a mite easier? If I had picked up the rotten, motherless box of .40 roundballs before jumping in the van and heading 2 hours west to meet Jimmy.
Accuracy results using double-patched double-ought buckshot were… inconclusive, but man, is she fun to shoot! Tomorrow I’ll sneak out in the backyard after work and give he a proper shakedown. I feel like the front site is a touch tall.
Jay
View attachment 155632

Too tall is better than too short.
I've done a lot of shooting using a honda as a rest. That really is a fine looking rifle.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I’ve used a make-shift rest across the hood of my truck, using a sleeping bag and a heavy canvas tarp

 

[user 53891]

Too tall is better than too short.
I've done a lot of shooting using a honda as a rest. That really is a fine looking rifle.

The Honda might also be a good taregt

 

[woodsnwater]

I’ve used a make-shift rest across the hood of my truck, using a sleeping bag and a heavy canvas tarp

I knew a guy who had those tall see through scope mounts, he shot through his truck hood doing that.

 

[user 53891]

I knew a guy who had those tall see through scope mounts, he shot through his truck hood doing that.

Awwww, he may have just wanted more air flow to that thar engine!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I’ve finished my Kibler SMR…so here is my current stable of .40 calibres. This post might sound disconnected at times, I spent the day taking a dead Locust tree out of the front yard…and I’m a bit woosie from it…still. So please accept my apologies for anything that might be worded in a unique fashion…I’ll edit this probably a couple times.

Yesterday was a very busy day, working on my Kibler Kit. I had problems with the ramrod not aligning into the stock, at the entry thimble; it was binding up. It took awhile, but in the end, I was able to get the ramrod functioning smoothly, and the sights are now installed, as well.

Above are my current .40 calibres, the bottom rifle is a TVM Natchez PoorBoy, the upper is my Kibler Southern Mountain Rifle.

My .54 calibre hunting rifles seem to be all sighted in and ready to go hunting…so now I can begin to shift my attentions to my chosen guns that only sip powder and shoot nice little pills of lead (my little .32 calibre Pedersoli is among these as well, but hey, this is a .40 calibre thread). These .40 calibre rifles will be the firearms that I’ll be shooting, and will have my attention for the coming weeks, as we end summer, and dip into fall. I love the .40 calibre, I love that these guns have the reputation for accuracy, while using very little lead, with only a dash of powder.

My TVM Natchez is essentially sighted in and shooting fine, with .390 RB, Pillow Ticking Patch, Moise Milk Lube, & 40 grains of fffg.

The Kibler is only just completed, and needs to be sighted in and its accuracy potential uncovered. If you’ve ever picked up a Kibler SMR, I t’s such a light gun, I have my concerns, but we’ll just have to wait and see what develops.

For these .40’s, I’m looking to develop 3 types of loads: standard target load, undersized RB squirrel loads, and conical bullet loads.

The target loads loads for .390 or .395 RoundBalls, whichever projectile is most accurate for each gun. The .390 and .395 RBs will be my standard loads for the guns. My day to day…”let’s go shooting“ loads.

I also want to be shooting undersized RBs, squirrel rifle loads using .380 or .375 RBs…again whichever is more accurate. These loads are usually 25 to 30 grain charge, and the undersized balls are wrapped in heavy patching of denim or canvas. One of the virtues of this calibre is the versatility of the .40 calibre. The .40 is perfectly positioned to take advantage of shooting undersized balls, while using low to medium powder charges; taking my .40 down to say a fat .36 calibre…

And finally, I’m going to see if I can develop a good solidly accurate conical bullet load for each of these guns…opening the door to using them as light big game here in Colorado…Conicals for the .40 calibre are not easy to come by, usually you need to go the custom route. I’m going to try some .40 S&W bullets…see how they fair out of these guns…My thinking is that I order to get the conical to upset into the rifling, I might need a powder charge around 50 grains or even 60 grains of fffg. The .40 is a squirrel rifle that can be used to harvest deer sized big game, and conicals really make that happen.

So yeah, lots of Range Time coming…I’m very stoked to have these load development projects to look forward too. And the high point is that they are .40 calibre.

 

[woodsnwater]

Dang Rock, I think that is the prettiest Kibler stock I've seen. How'd you do that?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Dang Rock, I think that is the prettiest Kibler stock I've seen. How'd you do that?

I believe that is an example of Kibler’s extra curly maple stock…I was stunned.