If you'd had your druthers...

[nkbj]

38, 40, 43, 44, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56...it appears there was once just about every size of rifle a man could stand behind and ol' Lymans (bless their hearts) had ball moulds for most all of them. Nowadays the commonly produced spread is just a few.
I think I'd like to have something light and graceful that sets to my shoulder about like that 22 Grandad entertained prairie dogs with.

If you'd your druthers what would you be packing?

 

[cougarmagnum]

I have a .40, .50, and .54. I'd be a wantin a .58.

 

[Richard A Carroll]

Goodcheer:
If I had my drothers, and knowing I own a .32, 2 40's, 1 .45, 2 .50's, a .54, and a .62 I think I would like to pack the .32 Southern Mountain Flint Lock Rifle by Caywood. I just love the mild crack, and the light ball it takes. Don't even comment on the small horn and bag that goes with it.

 

[nchawkeye]

I rebarreled my .45 for a .40 and also have a .54...That covers my needs...

 

[Dave K]

38, 40, 43, 44, 48, 50, 52, 54, .
I think I'd like to have something light and graceful that sets to my shoulder about like that 22 Grandad entertained prairie dogs with.

I would pick a 38 or 40 for what your Grandad was doing. But,what did your Grandad use?

 

[roundball]

If you'd your druthers what would you be packing?

First question that shoud be answered is this: What do you want to use it for?

Targets? Paper? Steel? Trap? Skeet? Close? Far?

Hunting? Stationary game? Flying / running game?

Rifles? Smoothbores?

Small game? Medium game? Big Game?

Close cover woods shots? Long open cover shots?

 

[Celt5494]

Weeeeelllllll, if I had to choose one for all around everything use it would be a .50 hands down.


:wink:

 

[gordy]

This subject has brrn asked several times on many of the ML sites. :hmm: As Roundball says it would depend on what would be it's intended use? :grin:If it were to be the only gun I could own , :shocked2: I would have to go with a large cal. smoothbore :grin: If it had to be a rifled barrel , I'd choose a poor boy southern mtn. style in a .54cal. :thumbsup: If I could have more than one , :applause: I'd have one of each . :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

If I had just one gun for hunting upland game, varmints and game on up to deer and black bear, I'd choose a 20ga smoothbore. If allowed to add a rifle it would be either a .36 or .40 for smaller game and varmints. Both would be full stock Pennsylvania or Southern styles.

 

[nkbj]

38, 40, 43, 44, 48, 50, 52, 54, .
I think I'd like to have something light and graceful that sets to my shoulder about like that 22 Grandad entertained prairie dogs with.

I would pick a 38 or 40 for what your Grandad was doing. But,what did your Grandad use?

When they first got married he worked the oil fields, drove a team, peddled dry goods in the Colorado mountains out of a hoopie, whatever it took to make a living. When they lived in a tent and chose their location he would sometimes pass the time sniping with an old 22, a Remington bolt.

 

[davy]

I also now have a .45, .50, and .54. I'd be a wantin a .58. for sure

:hmm: :grin:

Same here ... I reckon

 

[longfowler]

I'll take one of each, no, make that 2 of each! and maybe add a few more...like a .32 & a .36, then some big smoothbores, like a 12 & a 10 ga...never understood why someone would want only one gun. you can never own to many guns, and you will NEVER have enough ammo....LOL

 

[Wayne/Al]

If I could only have one it would be the SxS shotgun in 12 or 10 Ga. Load one barrel with ball and the other barrel with shot and you are ready for whatever comes down the trail. :thumbsup:

Wayne/Al

 

[nkbj]

To answer my own question...
This post started out in the flintlock column because it was a flintlock question. So, this is a flintlock answer.
Octagonal barrel rifles are pointlessly, needlessly heavy whether or not they are made to mimic the swamped barrels. So, I'd rather not have the steel where it wasn't performing a useful function. As with so many flinters, my ideal would have the barrel turned to have only the thicknesses needed. The breech region would be flat sided octagonal and beefy. The rest of the barrel would not be.
The full stock would be straight grained for strength in a slender configuration. By comparison a GPR is clunky.
All brown, iron furniture.
The ramrod would be sized to allow a thin bore guide to be used when desired.
The rod pipes would be screwed directly through the forestock to bolsters attached to the tapered barrel.
Double set triggers.
Front sight dovetailed into a small block that is in turn soldered to the barrel. Simple v-notch rear sight, flat topped.
The lock? The caliber? Take your pick.

 

[Zonie]

I realize you started this topic but, that is a strange answer.

The original topic was about calibers, at least the way I read it.

Now we have an answer that deals with everything except caliber?

The nearest thing I can think of in Flintlock that matches your guns description would be a French Fusil, assuming a smoothbore is allowed.
As your description didn't say anything about rifling I'm assuming rifling isn't a requirement.

 

[ozark57]

As far as long guns go, I have a .32, .36,.451 .50, .54,.58 .62 . The .62 smooth will put an RB in 4" at 50 yards and take small game with shot. I plan to pattern my .62 this weekend if the weather will give me a break. Should have an order in from TOW before then with wads, ramrod, ect.
Not the most interesting ML I have, but if I had to rely on one for eveything definatly the most pratical.
Last weekend I spent a lot of time with my .50 flinter. Huge fun because it is so much harder to master.
My .36 squirrel rifle is light, easy to load and shoot, and uses less lead and powder.
If I am feeling technical, and have a day to kill, the Whitworth will challenge me( and my shoulder)at longer ranges.
For me it boils down to whats the fun of the moment. That's why we are here, right?

 

[Dphar]

38, 40, 43, 44, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56...it appears there was once just about every size of rifle a man could stand behind and ol' Lymans (bless their hearts) had ball moulds for most all of them. Nowadays the commonly produced spread is just a few.
I think I'd like to have something light and graceful that sets to my shoulder about like that 22 Grandad entertained prairie dogs with.

If you'd your druthers what would you be packing?

There are to many possibilities, what use? Real practicality. The Kentucky during the Rev-War was usually 44-50 caliber. Yes, its pretty easy to document. Looking at rifles that saw little use, usually after being captured by the British or by writings of the time.

These are best all purpose calibers. Heavy enough for deer/bear but fairly easy on ammo and can head shoot small game without using too much powder or lead.
Shotguns of useful bore size 32-20 bore use far too much lead and are only really economical if shooting birds bunched on the ground/water.
Musket bore guns are REALLY lead hogs.

Dan

 

[nkbj]

Yeah, big enough for deer and small enough to be loaded down for the convenient food critters. You're right. And, something between 45 and 50 would be conducive to a geometry for pleasant size, weight and balance. Compromise and estimate .47 to .48 bore. Octagonal to round. About 30" of barrel enough? Perhaps an eighth inch thick wall at the muzzle?

 

[David W.]

If the choice was to only be able to have one rifle, it would be an over/under swivel like "Paints His Shirt Red" had. I could be wrong, but I believe one barrel was rifled and the other smooth bore.

 

[Keppy]

Well I have a 45,54&58 plus a 54cal.smooth bore. If I had to choose one from my rifled barrels it would be tough choice. But I guess the 54cal. has to be my choice rifled or smooth bore.