Rem. .36 cal. ballistics?

[Rebel]

Getting a '58 Remmy in .36. What kinda velocities can be obtained with one of them and how much powder will they hold? Will it equal a .38 Spl. in energy? Always had .44 Rems so don't know much about the .36. Do those of you who have them like them? Are they accurate shooters? Any info appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Don]

I have one and like it very much.It will hold up to 28 grains of powder without a wad. I fired round balls over a chrony with 27 grains of pyrodex P and got an average velocity of 1105fps to give 217ft/lbs of energy. With a 130 grain Lee conical on top of 22 grains of Pyro P averages 764 fps for 169 ft/lbs of pressure. To me this makes this particular cap and ball viable as a SD pistol at least on the trail in the back country. Accuracy was good as I recall.

Don

 

[Rebel]

Thanks for the info Don.

 

[MSW]

i tried shooting mine into a few water bottles, soda bottles, and the odd over- ripe watermelon. i've never run my load over a chrono, but i would estimate that the 'whompability' is about that of a .38 short, or perhaps a bit better.

not a one- shot- stopper, but certainly not something you want to stand in front of. for antipersonnel work, i'd grab something in a larger caliber (either ML or centerfire)

you want to let a lot of blood out and a lot of air in. shoot straight, shoot first, and shoot again (in exactly that order) repeat as necessary; you don't get extra credit for style, and the notion of 'ammo conservation' is vastly overrated.

that's the end of the tirade and, as is the case in many of my tirades: free advice and worth every penny.

just one guy's opinion...

 

[Rebel]

Sounds like the right idea to me. :wink:

 

[Zonie]

You asked if your .36 was equal to a .38 Spl?

I'm looking at a fairly average .38 Spl load with a velocity of around 800 fps with a 160 grain bullet. That would have an energy of around 230 ft/lb.

Your .36 shooting a roundball over 30 grains of GOEX 3Fg has a velocity of around 890 fps for a energy of 139 ft/lbs, so the answer to your question is, "No".

Actually, the question isn't fair.
Remember the .38 Special was a cartridge developed well after 1900 and it was called Special because it was more powerful than any .38 cal pistol cartridge commonly in use at the time.

In any case, the .36 cal Colt, Whitney and Remington were considered to be enough for a wartime sidearm that was made for stopping other men so, IMO, if it is judged on that basis and its power is more than adaquate.

 

[Rebel]

Thanks Zonie, i knew i could count on you for an answer. :thumbsup:

 

[zodd]

I have a Uberti '58 remmie in 36 cal, one of my favourite BP pistols :thumbsup: -cheers zodd

 

[Blizzard of '93]

WB Hickock used a '51 Colt of course but he preferred the .36 over a .44 and made good use of it, also prefered round ball over slugs. some reference to his use of 4F in the chambers.

 

[madcratebuilder]

The powder used well have a major effect on energy delivered to the target. Triple 7 and Pyrodex well give you more energy than black. I have seen 20% variation between brands of black for velocity. If you want a good self defense load triple 7 has the most potential. It can be more difficult to get reliable ignition, particularly if over compressed. I use magnum caps with it and have no problems.

 

[Don]

I like 777 and do use it but velocities are erratic as is accuracy. I always seem to go back to pyrodex P for my revolvers.

Don

 

[OLDPUPPYMAX]

If you have any difficulty getting Pyrodex/777 to ignite, you might use a bit of 4f before the main load. It's quicker to ignite. And someone posted Hickock using 4f in his .36? Well 4f generates more pressure than 3f. And 3f more than 2f (in equal volumes.) Maybe Bill was ahead of his time, or maybe it was well known even 150 years ago!