Most popular caliber

[simeon england]

Howdy!

To spin off a bit and give a different sort of answer. Not that there is anything wrong with the above answers, mine is just different.

For me, it all depends on what you see yourself doing in the hobby. Meaning, if you are looking to shoot as some paper or steel every now and then, then your own wants and wishes, and a survey of modern guns will supply answers to all your questions. However, if you are wanting to do something historical, and develop a persona and believable image of someone in history, one must look at history to find the answers.
Having no idea which is your choice, I will supply my view of looking at your questions.

"What are the most popular calibers"?
Depends on a small set of years for me, and I study about a 15 year period from 1765-1780. A pard of mine did a survey of surviving guns from this era and the size averaged out to 52 cal.
This means there were some larger, some smaller also. Also remember in colonial times, caliber was not measured. It was balls to the pound. And a gunsmith didnt set out to make "a 50 cal" size barrel. He made the barrel, and then a mold to go along with it, whatever size it was.

To be brief, I choose what was chosen in history, and let that dictate my decisions.
This is not for everyone, I understand that. Just simply providing another way of answering your question.


Happy hunting!

 

[eaglesnester]

50 is popular only because 54 and larger is almost impossible to find as are barrels longer than 32 inches. A 54 will do everything a 50 will do only better. In order to find a barrel longer than 32 and bore larger than 50 is to build one from a kit. Not all of us have that skill. I live in Northern B.C. Canada in the interior and there are no clinics that one can go to for help in building their dream rock lock such as a full stock Flint Lock Hawken with a 36 or 38 inch tapered barrel in 56 or 58 caliber. Our critters are big up here and some of em will even eat U.

 

[kopfjaeger]

Don't worry about what's popular. Find out what tickles your fancy. My favorite deer and bear hunting rifle is an Early Virginia with all browned steel furniture in .50 caliber with a 42" swamped barrel. My favorite small game rifle is a old Dixie Tennessee Squirrel Rifle in .32 caliber. I'm a sucker for southern style flintlocks.

Some guys like brass furniture, some like shorter barrels, some like bigger or smaller calibers.

When buying or building a flintlock the only one you have to make happy is yourself. Of course making the wife happy doesn't hurt. :grin:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Something to consider,
I would not associate popularity with “being the best”.
I also would consider that the “most popular” is so because that’s what manufactures make. The best illustration of this point is modern mls almost every factory made one is of 50 caliber. Just because manufacturers maximize their inventory to profit ratio doesn’t make it legitimately popular.

 

[galamb]

Without asking narrower questions and putting some context in place, it's impossible to give an answer.

If you are asking about an "off the shelf" NEW flintlock rifle priced under $600, you are only likely to find a 50 or 54 cal from Traditions or Lyman in half-stock or full-stock offerings.

If you have a fatter wallet and still want a production rifle, Pedersoli offers alot more styles and caliber choices.

If you are looking at custom, virtually anything you could think of is available.

If you are looking for a rifle to hunt deer, depending on how and where you hunt something in the 40/45/50 caliber range would work.

If you are hunting larger/dangerous game, a 54 cal might be the minimum you would want.

If you plan on only hunting squirrels and shooting targets a 58 or 62 cal is probably out of the question - a 32 or 36 might be what you would be after.

Are you asking because you are concerned about resale value if you don't like the rifle? If that's the case a 50 cal would be easy to sell off - a 62 smoothbore maybe not so much.

If you live in a remote area you can almost always find supplies for a 50 cal.

If you look at all these responses I think a pattern will be seen. Your question was far to broad - need some context..

 

[Alden]

Isn't this just a manufacturing question? "A fact"!? People's opinions have little to so here...

Call the barrel and gun makers and ask them what they sell. Add the numbers up. The largest one is the most popular.

Of course I like .50's in rifles and .62 in smoothbore's myself.

 

[hanshi]

Interesting, Alden; because those are generally my favorites, too. :thumbsup:

 

[OcelotZ3]

I'm just a newbie (first BP shoot in early December), but I noticed the lack of local supplies for anything but .50 so I decided to somewhat "standardize" on that for now. So all of my percussion & now flintlock rifles are .50 cal. No smoothbore yet but who knows.

If I stumble across a good deal in some other caliber I won't reject it immediately, but it has been handy as far as supplies so far. And, if I forgot to order anything I need, I can pick almost everything up locally, even in a small town.

 

[AZbpBurner]

The first black powder long rifle I fired was made by my Dad in 1970. He liked .40 cal. in caplock for ease, economy and accuracy of shooting. When he left for Florida last fall, the rifle stayed with me, and is high on my list of wht to shoot next.

Caliber preference depends not only on the type of shooting you plan on doing, but the distance you do most of your shooting at. I can hit a grapefruit-sized target with my Lyman Deerstalker LH Flint .54, and nearly as well with a .50 cap rifle. Patience is a factor, too.

Currently I have 1 each flintlock in .50 and .54, and also one of each cap in .50 & .54 ... not including a .54 breechloading Gallagher ...

I'd been shooting .50 the longest, and got my first .54 (not including the 40 year old Gallagher) about a year ago. I've found the .54 easier and quicker to develop accurate loads for than my .50's, and I find myself shooting almost exclusively .54 cal since last fall.

It's good to hear that .40 is gaining in popularity for competitive shooters. I plan on giving Dad's old rifle a workout in the coming months.

 

[Alden]

I'm just a newbie (first BP shoot in early December), but I noticed the lack of local supplies for anything but .50 so I decided to somewhat "standardize" on that for now. So all of my percussion & now flintlock rifles are .50 cal. No smoothbore yet but who knows.

You remind me of somebody... Me! Good for you on this journey. Your approach makes sense. I tried to do that when I was young. Did my homework. Would try not to buy guns with obscure chamberings or bores other than my focus for example.

Once the firewall is broached by antiques, great bargains, custom guns, historical correctness, a particular application... It's all over. Hell, I've bought new guns specifically to be reamed to another caliber!

Next, try limiting yourself to just one. Two... dozen!? LOL

Still, a rational plan. Have fun and shoot safe.

 

[Thom77]

Something I always keep in mind when designing a build is that the larger the bore, the lighter weight the barrel is. Not a determining factor by anymeans, but something to be aware of.
Thom

 

[OcelotZ3]

Why would that be? Do larger calibers result in lower pressures that the barrel has to withstand?

This seems to be the reverse of rimfire/centerfire rifles except for those with specialty/bull barrels.

 

[Zonie]

When he says the larger the bore, the lighter the barrel, I think he's talking about a barrel with the same length and distance across the flats.

With those being the same, the larger bore removes more material from the inside so the barrel ends up weighing less.

Of course, there's a limit to that.

When the bore size gets to be a certain size, the outside of the barrel must get larger to maintain a safe barrel wall thickness.
If that happens, the larger bore may end up weighing more than the smaller bore barrel.

 

[Walks with fire]

I would say the .50 is the most popular factory made caliber. I have several .50's and recently bought a Lyman Deerstalker .54 flint which will probably push the others to the back of the cabinet. I think it's all I really need anymore for a deer rifle here in PA. I really like the .54 over the .50 and I shoot it better than any of the .50's I have. I like short barrels for easier handling and they shoot accurately for the distances I use them for. I should have gotten a .54 years ago and don't see me going back. Never liked a long barrel gun and a .54 seems to be just right in a carbine length.

 

[Dphar]

What is the most popular caliber in Flintlock Rifles? Do people prefer any one caliber or are all of them equally liked and you will not find no greater number of one.

Also which is more preferred, a Kentucky Flintlock, a Pennsylvania, a Mississippi, or what?

Do most want a short hawkens or do most prefer a long Flintlock?

It depends on the intended usage of the firearm.
Elk rifles will naturally be larger caliber than a rifle meant to shoot squirrels.

The typical Pennsylvania-Kentucky rifle up till probably 1810-20 would be between 44 and 50 caliber. With a few larger and some smaller.
The first "issue" rifle from the US Army, the Contract Rifle, was 50 caliber.
Rifles over 50 were not needed by the average hunter and in fact one of the few comments from the time points out that rifles over 36 (about 53-53 bore size) to the pound were rare.
What is most popular today is what ever the factory mades say it will be by making it.
But from the historical standpoint eastern rifles were generally 50 caliber or under and western rifles, IE plains/mountain rifles, were generally 50 caliber or larger.
Many Indian trade rifles, especially those made by the British were often 58 caliber since they could sell more lead by selling rifles using 24 to the pound than if they were 40 to the pound.
Also remember that rifles that were in use for 50 or 100 years were freshed a few times and a rifle that is now 58 might have been 50 when new. Many were later bored for shot and are much larger.

Dan

 

[Carl Fowler III]

Hey Dan I think I have one of them freshed barrels....50 cal marked on the barrel but it mikes out to a .54 cal....Mr. Hoyt does do excellent work! :wink:

 

[Pa_No_Tux'et]

A friend and I had a lengthy conversation about the 1700's ear long rifles and why the smaller .25 .27 .30 .32 .34 and .36 caliber were more common then the larger diameter bores. The best research we could come up with at the time, ( late 90's ) was related to smooth bores and fowling shotguns / fowlers. Those smaller calibers are common Buckshot sizes that fit properly into various bore shotguns or fowling shotguns. It was fairly common to buy a smooth bore or shotgun like musket in a large bore diameter for general hunting needs. Same principal as today with caliber common set ups. Round shot in the common buckshot calibers worked well for both types of weapon. Simplification of gear and the need for a small cheap slug thrower that was appropriate for smaller game on the East coast.

 

[yellowhammer]

Local Cabelas has more .54 stuff out, like Hornady round balls, etc, than even the .50, which surprised me. I think .54 is trendy now. I know I just completed a .54 kit myself lol, in my case mainly because this particular model is lighter and better balanced in .54.

 

[ZUG]

Here is my take on this: If I am hunting medium to large game then its .50 caliber or bigger. If I am target shooting, then its .40 or .45 caliber. If I am shooting varmints/small game, then its .32 or .36 caliber. Of course, there is overlap here so don't get fixed on one area or caliber.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I prefer 54 for deer hunting, and the .32 for target shooting and squirrel hunting. I don't care what the popularity of a certain caliber is. I have to like it. You will hear a lot of people saying a .50 can do everything a .54 can, and a .32 is too finicky to play with etc. To each his own.