Gauge / Caliber

[GDM]

I know this is probably a simple question for some but it has me stumped.What is the caliber / gauge conversion? I see alot of 12 gauge, 16 gauge even a 10 gauge or 10 bore? Are bore and gauge the same ?
I know 20 gauge is.62 cal because is seems very popular but is there a chart or list of all the rest ?
Thank you kindly,
GDM

 

[Grenadier1758]

@GDM, I will suggest that you go to the General Discussion Forum and bring up the Caliber to Gauge topic. Unfortunately, the table in the topic is not friendly to the viewing screen. If you are persistent, you can find the conversion you seek.

Guage/Caliber - Balls per Pound | The Muzzleloading Forum

I'll attach my cart of gauge to caliber calibrations.

g	d	w
Balls/Lb	Diameter	weight - gr
175​	0.298506​	40.0000​
160​	0.307557​	43.7500​
120​	0.338511​	58.3333​
100​	0.359721​	70.0000​
80​	0.387498​	87.5000​
75​	0.395925​	93.3333​
70​	0.405135​	100.0000​
62​	0.421861​	112.9032​
60​	0.426497​	116.6667​
55​	0.439048​	127.2727​
53​	0.444502​	132.0755​
52​	0.447334​	134.6154​
51​	0.450239​	137.2549​
50​	0.453220​	140.0000​
49​	0.456283​	142.8571​
48​	0.459430​	145.8333​
47​	0.462665​	148.9362​
46​	0.465994​	152.1739​
45​	0.469420​	155.5556​
40​	0.488217​	175.0000​
38​	0.496636​	184.2105​
37​	0.501071​	189.1892​
35​	0.510439​	200.0000​
36​	0.505668​	194.4444​
32​	0.525916​	218.7500​
30​	0.537352​	233.3333​
28​	0.549853​	250.0000​
25.94603955​	0.563996​	269.7907​
25​	0.571022​	280.0000​
24​	0.578845​	291.6667​
22​	0.595880​	318.1818​
21​	0.605192​	333.3333​
20​	0.615115​	350.0000​
18​	0.637102​	388.8889​
17.5​	0.643112​	400.0000​
17​	0.649356​	411.7647​
16​	0.662612​	437.5000​
14.5​	0.684715​	482.7586​
14​	0.692772​	500.0000​
13​	0.710098​	538.4615​
12​	0.729299​	583.3333​
11​	0.750761​	636.3636​
10​	0.774996​	700.0000​
8​	0.834839​	875.0000​
4​	1.051831​	1750.0000​
1​	1.669678​	7000.0000​
1​	1.669678​	7000.0000​
12​	0.729299​	583.3333​
12​	0.729299​	583.3333​
20​	0.615115​	350.0000​
20​	0.615125​	350.0171​
22​	0.595889​	318.1974​
16​	0.662623​	437.5214​

 

[GDM]

@GDM, I will suggest that you go to the General Discussion Forum and bring up the Caliber to Gauge topic. Unfortunately, the table in the topic is not friendly to the viewing screen. If you are persistent, you can find the conversion you seek.

Guage/Caliber - Balls per Pound | The Muzzleloading Forum

Thank you. Yes I went to this chart at first but for some reason on my phone, Nothing shows up except the words Caliber and gauge. I will try again and see if I can dig down further.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@GDM, look at my earlier post. I edited the post to include my gauge to caliber calculations.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Bore was the most common term back home in the UK, GD,

The bore, say 12, means that 12 balls weigh one pound. 10 bore 10 balls to the pound. 20 bore...20 balls.

this was very simple really. Gauge can mean the same, but not nescessarily . we hear of a .410 gauge sometimes, and that's not the same. A .410 bore doesn't work the same as my examples above either! This is just a measurement of the bore, so not under the bore -gauge rules.
In the UK , revolver and pistols were also marked or termed "bore", so a .44 would be termed a 54 bore, (54 balls to the pound)
and so on, 120 bore , etc. etc.

Hope this helps!

 

[GDM]

@Grenadier1758 Thank you I can see your chart now.

@Pukka Bundook hepls very much. I appreciate you sir.

 

[flconch53]

I am glad you posted this chart. It confirmed what I thought I already knew. A true 28 gauge is actually .55 caliber.

 

[Brokennock]

Can any of our computer savvy people convert the handy chart that @Grenadier1758 so generously provided into an image so that it can easily be saved?

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Brokennock,

I cleaned up the table a bit and made a PDF file that you should be able to download.

Let me try to insert a PDF file to be read

Diameter to Gauge (Balls/Pound)
Balls / Pound	Grains	Diameter
1​	7000.00​	1.669705567​
4​	1750.00​	1.051848595​
8​	875.00​	0.834852783​
10​	700.00​	0.775008671​
11​	636.36​	0.750773613​
12​	583.33​	0.729311083​
13​	538.46​	0.710109699​
14​	500.00​	0.692782991​
15​	466.67​	0.677032435​
16​	437.50​	0.662623093​
20​	350.00​	0.61512479​
21​	333.33​	0.605201687​
22​	318.18​	0.595889411​
24​	291.67​	0.57885459​
25​	280.00​	0.571031271​
28​	250.00​	0.549862224​
30​	233.33​	0.537361​
32​	218.75​	0.525924298​
40​	175.00​	0.488224869​
50​	140.00​	0.453227821​
60​	116.67​	0.426503708​
70​	100.00​	0.405141951​
80​	87.50​	0.387504336​
100​	70.00​	0.35972716​
120​	58.33​	0.338516218​
160​	43.75​	0.307562395​
175​	40.00​	0.298511142​

 

[Brokennock]

@Brokennock,

I cleaned up the table a bit and made a PDF file that you should be able to download.

Let me try to insert a PDF file to be read

Diameter to Gauge (Balls/Pound)
Balls / Pound	Grains	Diameter
1​	7000.00​	1.669705567​
4​	1750.00​	1.051848595​
8​	875.00​	0.834852783​
10​	700.00​	0.775008671​
11​	636.36​	0.750773613​
12​	583.33​	0.729311083​
13​	538.46​	0.710109699​
14​	500.00​	0.692782991​
15​	466.67​	0.677032435​
16​	437.50​	0.662623093​
20​	350.00​	0.61512479​
21​	333.33​	0.605201687​
22​	318.18​	0.595889411​
24​	291.67​	0.57885459​
25​	280.00​	0.571031271​
28​	250.00​	0.549862224​
30​	233.33​	0.537361​
32​	218.75​	0.525924298​
40​	175.00​	0.488224869​
50​	140.00​	0.453227821​
60​	116.67​	0.426503708​
70​	100.00​	0.405141951​
80​	87.50​	0.387504336​
100​	70.00​	0.35972716​
120​	58.33​	0.338516218​
160​	43.75​	0.307562395​
175​	40.00​	0.298511142​

Thank you.

 

[Archer 756]

Chart does not give cal/gauge give ball size to number of ball per lbs

 

[flconch53]

Well it does 28 gauge is .5498 in diameter hence .55 cal. Balls to the pound for 28 gauge is 7000 ÷ 250 = 28

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Archer 756,

Balls per pound = gauge

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I have noticed that when it came to the monster rifles made by European gunsmiths for the African hunters, calibers over 75 (.75 or 75/100) seem to switch over to describing them in shot gun bore size. Such as a 4 bore or 2 bore. Or in the case of Sir Samuel Baker, his 3 bore rifle named "baby" also called by his Arab servants, "Jenna-El-Mootfah" (child of a cannon). I remember stories my state game warden dad told of a guy here in PA that had a custom made 19th century rifle that fired 8 gauge shot gun shells with special slugs.

 

[tenngun]

Back in the day several size balls might be used for a gun, so gage was not as percise as 1/100, or 1/1000, or even mm and .mm.
I have noted certain sizes to be popular across time. 12, 24, 48, 96 was common
We call them 12 bore or gage still, but .58 cal, .44 cal and .36 cal.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Few originals and even few modern muzzle loaders are made to standards sizes. If you go to the Circle Fly web site, there is a reference to slightly smaller or larger bores than the official standards. The fellow that taught me a great deal of muzzle loading referred to bore as 12 ga if it was almost dead on size, a "tight 12" if it was slightly smaller but not quite 13 ga. or a "loose 12" if it was larger but not quite 11 ga. Even double barrel shotguns might be a lot difference from one side to the other, despite being both 12 ga.

 

[DuncNZ]

@Archer 756,

Balls per pound = gauge

Gauge = Pure lead balls to the pound .
Fire arm calibers , knitting needles and wire are measured in gauge , the smaller the number the larger the size
Dixie Gun works catalogues have a lot of useful measurements and other stuff including gauge charts in the last few pages .
The British tend to use Bore for shotguns , ie; 12 ga is 12 bore , 410 caliber is 410 bore .
Trade guns came in various gauges with 28 ga being popular with the Indians as it used less lead and powder ,
Original Enfield P53 rifles have 24 stamped on the breach indicating gauge not caliber .

 

[Brokennock]

Chart does not give cal/gauge give ball size to number of ball per lbs

Huh?
It most certainly does.

 

[Youngblood]

 

[Youngblood]

^^^^^
Theres an easy one for ya to copy or take a screen shot of. Dont know why it seems kinda blurry here, its not on my phone. I might need to play with it some.