ideas an a new project Please

[J W East]

Small bore rifles have been a favorite of mine for many years. I am thinking about building or purchasing a finish .25 caliber, shooting a ,240 RB in a Bean style rifle. thoughts?

 

[smo]

That would be a pea shooter for sure. I own a .32 & a .36 cal I have a hard time fumbling those small balls into the barrel in cold weather . Both are great shooters at short range never tried them much past 40 yards or so.My guns are not Bean style by any means ones a H &A under hammer and the .32 is a green mountain barrel 32" on a TC frame.

 

[Khufu]

I have no experience with anything smaller than a 32 cal and its pretty dinky! 40 gr, its about as small as I would really ever need, but who knows, I might go mouse hunting some day :wink: . it would likely be expensive, I don't know of any barrel makers who bore that small, so that'll cost ya. its like the guy I met that had a 12 cal cf suppository rifle he paid dear for something so small it really wasn't much use for anything except to say "look what I made".

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Well, a solution needs a problem...

What ya have do far in the heard.

Saving my small bore for a 1830s Era Ohio squirrel gun half stock in Walnut and German silver.

If going that custom of a barrel have a brass one made. They're so nice.

 

[coloradoclyde]

That thing would be just what I need to keep the chipmunk horde at bay...
If you do get it I hope you post photos and target results.... :thumbsup:

Loading would be like trying to thread a needle. :haha:

 

[MattC]

How many chipmunks are in a horde anyway?

 

[BrownBear]

I'm shooting a 30 (.290 ball), so I have a glimpse of "nonstandard" small calibers anyway. The biggest challenge may come when you lose your jag or worm, or perhaps break a ramrod. Ain't gonna find them on a shelf anywhere. If you can build your own, go in peace. Otherwise track down reliable sources before you build the gun to wear them.

On a side note, I'm a 25 caliber nut in centerfire arms, so I've always had a gleam in my eye for a 25 caliber muzzleloader. Keep us posted on your decisions and progress. As well as your sources for dinky jags and worms! :thumbsup:

 

[Vaino]

What will it be used for?.....Fred

 

[Pete G]

Shooting the nuts off a gnat :thumbsup:

 

[Leon/Iowa]

Well it's not a 25, but a 29caliber. The barrel was made by Howard Kelley, of Webertown Rifle Works, Lynchburg, Ohio. I built the squirrel rifle with cherry wood full stock, and german silver hardware. I shoot a .280 rb, over 15 gr of 3F and acurate out at 50 yards. (I havent tried farther.) I had to hand make the ram rod and thimbels. Nobody I could find makes 1/4" ram rods or thimbels. Fun rifle to shoot, and a pound of powder goes a long way. Leon

 

[MSW]

HMMM..

You might want to contact Charles Burton at FCI barrels ... I have never used one of his barrels, but he has an excellent reputation ... you're looking at two to three hundred dollars for something as small as .29 caliber... I don't know if he can go smaller than that.

I'm happy with my .40 cal Southern Mountain rifle. Well, for now, until I get the urge (and the bucks) to build another...

Good luck with your build - remember, we love pictures!

 

[frogwalking]

Ed can make you a barrel.

Ed Rayl, P.O. Box 91, Gassaway WV 26624 304-364-8269 Can make just about anything barrel related.

The vast majority of Tennessee rifles were small caliber. only a few originals known greater than .38. Most were smaller than ,36. I have heard of a number of contemporaty .25 rifles.

 

[coloradoclyde]

How many chipmunks are in a horde anyway?

It varies....I've been attacked by a half dozen at a time before....
If I shoot a dozen or so from the yard that seems to keep the population manageable.... :haha:

 

[EC121]

I had a 3/4"x 42" .30cal. rifle. I got tired of fumbling with the balls and went to using two loading blocks. I could shoot 15 times before having to reload them. Had to turn down a .32 jag and used a 1/4" metal rod for safety. Finally sold it and just finished building a 3/4" x 42".36cal. Much easier to handle the balls. Pics of both of them on my blog. www.bricestultzhisblog.blogspot.com

 

[MSW]

nice looking rifle!

 

[coloradoclyde]

Nice! gun, :thumbsup:

 

[kodiakmarine]

25 caliber was popular in the southern mountains at one time. It really saved on powder and lead when cash was scarce. I agree that a .32 would be a cheaper barrel and easier to shoot, but if practicality is so important, then why are we shooting flintlock muzzloaders? Build what you want. Good luck. - John :hatsoff:

 

[MSW]

we shoot flintlocks because it's fun, and we are cool, that's why!

at least, that's why i shoot a flintlock ... if you want to shoot a flintlock for some other reason, that's entirely your business, and i'll defend to the death your right to shoot a flintlock, even if I think the reason is misplaced, illogical, misguided, or just plain silly.

why do I shave with a straight razor? why do I use a fountain pen which I turned myself? why do I prefer manual transmissions? why did I bother to figure out how to start a fire with steel and flint and tinder? why did I bother to learn how to ride a horse, handle a small sailboat, row a single scull, and do my own carpentry?

because I refuse to be some urbanite drone stuck in a cube farm drowning in conformist misery, whose only ambition is a centrally air conditioned three bedroom two bath single family detached house on three quarters of a manicured acre with an attached two car garage, a walk out basement, a white picket fence, a dog named spot and a cat named mittens, and a "nice" car.


are there any of these folks on this forum? I kinda doubt it, but if there are, they should relax, go make some good smoke, have a home brew, and learn how to cuss in a foreign language.

OK - -sorry 'bout the rant...

 

[kodiakmarine]

Hey MSW. I couldn't agree more. I was simply trying to point out that we are more intersted in having fun and learning skills than in being practical. Btw, that straight razor is the greatest patch cutter ever invented. It's too bad I can't be trusted with sharp objects. Continue having fun. - John atriot:

 

[azmntman]

we shoot flintlocks because it's fun, and we are cool, that's why!

at least, that's why i shoot a flintlock ... if you want to shoot a flintlock for some other reason, that's entirely your business, and i'll defend to the death your right to shoot a flintlock, even if I think the reason is misplaced, illogical, misguided, or just plain silly.

why do I shave with a straight razor? why do I use a fountain pen which I turned myself? why do I prefer manual transmissions? why did I bother to figure out how to start a fire with steel and flint and tinder? why did I bother to learn how to ride a horse, handle a small sailboat, row a single scull, and do my own carpentry?

because I refuse to be some urbanite drone stuck in a cube farm drowning in conformist misery, whose only ambition is a centrally air conditioned three bedroom two bath single family detached house on three quarters of a manicured acre with an attached two car garage, a walk out basement, a white picket fence, a dog named spot and a cat named mittens, and a "nice" car.


are there any of these folks on this forum? I kinda doubt it, but if there are, they should relax, go make some good smoke, have a home brew, and learn how to cuss in a foreign language.

OK - -sorry 'bout the rant...

:metoo: