Most popular caliber

[bobthemotorcycle]

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?

 

[Col. Batguano]

The most popular caliber in factory guns is 50. The most popular style is a half-stock plains rifle with a relatively short barrel (28"-32"). When you get in to builds, the most popular style is full stocked golden age American Long rifles, but more of a toss up in caliber between 45 and 50. Experienced builders usually build with swamped barrels, and newer builders build from parts sets with straight barrels.

does that answer your questions?

 

[rfdr]

What is the most popular caliber in Flintlock Rifles?

.50 is probably the most popular

Do people prefer any one caliber or are all of them equally liked and you will not find no greater number of one.

depends on the task of the rifle - bigger calibers are good for hunting

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

dunno the break down of what sells the most, but hunters typically prefer shorter rifles like hawkens and trades

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

dunno, don't care - you need to concentrate on your needs and requirements, and not those of others

 

[rafterob]

Search Pecatonica River Longrifle Supplies, they have a great website with lots of different stock profiles. It can help you decide what you like and an idea of parts prices. I believe the majority of flint shooters are shooting long rifles. Back in the seventies most production guns were .45, At some point most production went to .50. I personally prefer the .45, but do not now own one.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Caliber depends on your wants and needs. My two favorite are a .32 and a .54 for hunting, depending on game hunted, but the .45, .50, and .710 also get plenty of use.

As far as the "kentucky, pensylvania, missisipi", etc, you will need to be more specific because there are a lot of varieties within each of those areas, to the point that those names above mean absolutely nothing.

Lenght is also a personal preference. If you are building for yourself, who cares what anyone else wants. However, if you are building for someone else, then they will tell you what they want, so once again, that question just depends on the requirements and wants of the specific project. For example, when many people who haven't looked into the history of it say "Hawken", they usually refer to a TC, CVA, Traditions, etc which will usually have a 28" barrel, but the historical Hawkens had longer barrels, among other dimensional differences, so we are once again back to, it just depends on what you want or need.

 

[FishDFly]

"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."

Depends on what you are doing with a rifle, what you are shooting at and what part of the country you live in.

There is not one simple answer to your question.

Paper and critters will get you different answers.

Kind of like what is the best rifle or the best vehicle.

 

[Lonegun1894]

The best rifle and vehicle is easy. The rifle would be whichever one you shoot best. And the best vehicle is a truck of your preffered brand. :stir:

 

[hanshi]

What is the most popular caliber in Flintlock Rifles?

I, too, suspect .50 is the most common if you are talking about factory rifles. Custom rifles are all over the map.

Do people prefer any one caliber or are all of them equally liked and you will not find no greater number of one.

All have their adherents; it really depends on what the rifle is used for. I own .32, .36, .40, .45, .50 and .54 calibers. My favorite is .45 but I shoot the .36 & .40 the most because they are nice rifles and very economical. The .54 & .32 don't get fired as much.



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

The most popular seem to be the half stock guns with fairly short barrels. My own preference is the longrifle.


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

The "Hawken" (half stock) with short barrels are the usual preference.

 

[Matt85]

from posts on this forum id say the 54 is the most popular hunting caliber. gun length seems to be all over the place but id say most seem to prefer the half stock medium length gun (30-36 inch barrel).

i personally like the ends of the spectrum. for a long gun (40+ inch barrel) i like 45 cal or smaller. for short guns (under 40 inches) i prefer a larger calibers such as 50 and larger.

-matt

 

[rfdr]

it's all about personal preferences, as dictated by needs/requirements.

i use a pedersoli kentucky double set .45 most of the time, but for hog and deer hunting i break out the lyman trade single set .50 caliber. to each their own, it's all good one way or another.

Molon Labe!

 

[Rifleman1776]

A really impossible question to answer. When Douglas was in business a look at their production numbers might have helped. I beleive for a long time it was .45. In recent years, due to the influence of factory made rifles it probably has gone to .50. But, a lot of top competition shooters are prefering the .40 these days. For fun and competition use, due to the high cost and availability of both bp and lead, the .40 might be your best choice. If your plan to hunt critters that can eat you, the .54 might be the way to go. Short/long whatever, it is up to you.

 

[Coot]

A lot of guns built on speculation (as opposed to custom order) seem to be in .50 cal. Likely because it is a good all round caliber & only one up or down from the popular .45 and .54 calibers so "close enough" if someone was hoping to find one of those but really liked the look & balance of the one built as a .50. This forum has a good number of hunters where a .54 half stock plains rifle with a shortish (to me) barrel is very popular. At the CLA show and website, longer barrels of 40-44" in full stock flint seem to dominate. Checking the TOW site to see what is offered (& how long before it sells) will also give an idea of what is popular & selling well.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Most guys I am around perfer the 54 cal for hunting larger Michigan whitetails and blackbears. When I was stationed in GA the 50 caliber was more common but then again on average the game is smaller, other then the hogs. My favorite all around hunting rifle is a 54 caliber hawkens fullstock flinter 1 inch barrel thats 32 inches long is a well handling rifle that you can shoulder and swing fast or moving game to get an accurate shot off. Target gun is a 45 cal TN mountain with a 42 inch 13/16 barrel. So the answer is whatever you like best that fits your own needs wants and desires from a gun. It like the debate whats better a swamped or straight barrel, its all about feel, balance, and prefrence an often hc/pc. Example: If your trying to be a mountain man persona and you live west of the mississipi your likely to use a larger caliber short heavy barreled hawkens type, not many smaller sub 50 cals were used, at the time. If your back east longer slender smaller calibers were used. But then again you weren't shooting buffalo either. Of course before i am corrected theres exceptions to everything. Pick what YOU like and what you want and if your serious who and what time you want to portray. Cuz a early VA 45 caliber, wouldn't make much sense if your playing a 1830's mountainman/buckskinner out west

 

[bpd303]

My most popular caliber is 32 all the way to 69 caliber. Deciding which one to shoot at any particular moment is a problem for me.

 

[George T.]

35 years ago I'm sure it was 45 but today it's the 50 and I to believe the 54 is gaining. In flint I believe it's long rifles and in cap lock it's the half stock hawken type! Geo. T.

 

[Squeeze]

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?

yes

 

[MSW]

i would recommend that you get whatever rifle you feel best suits your aprticular needs. don't worry about what 'other poeple' will think or say - they're not the ones shooting it: you are, so have it the way you want it.

now, mind you, i am a registered curmudgeon, but i think that one of the strengths of this sport/hobby is that you're free to choose what you want to shoot and you don't have to worry about the follow-the-crowd, "me, too" mindset.

just one guy's opinion - free and no doubt well worth the price.

:stir:

 

[Archie]

If you walk into gander or cabelas you might be lead to believe that .50 is not only the most popular but the ONLY caliber. You will be hard pressed to find anything for a traditional ML besides caps and those are iffy too. So if you are looking for something other than .50 it's best to shop online.

 

[Yeti]

Building my first and I went through a lot of debate about what was a popular caliber for the sake of resale and accesories. Then I realized what I wanted to shoot was a less common .66 French Fowler that I could use for roundball but primarily for shot. Punches, molds, etc are harder to source and that adds to the fun for me, but I can understand why the popular market would be skewed for simplicity.

 

[Col. Batguano]

To be fair, you should own at least 1 of each type; sidelock cap #11, sidelock cap (musket cap)and flintlock and, at least one 50 cal.

You need to have a cap lock because sometimes the supply of real BP gets thin, and substitute powders are all you can find. Sometimes, 50 cal balls are all you can find too.