Semantics and Bore Size

[Trench]

It occurs to me that bore size in terms of small and large mean two different things given modern cartridges and our MZ's. For example and .36 or .40 caliber modern rifle cartridge gun would probably be considered big in terms of caliber, but small for the muzzleloading crowd.
For fun, how would y'all categorize the common muzzleloading calibers in terms of small, medium, and large bore? I would say small and large bores are pretty easy... but which calibers are considered medium? :hmm:

 

[Many Klatch]

All you are going to get is personal opinions, so here is mine.

small caliber 32 to 45
medium sized 50 to 58
large 60 to 75
cannon 80 and up

Many Klatch

 

[tg]

This would be an interesting question to put to the folks in the past, it would vary greatly from 1700 to 1850, I would pretty much go with the spread Many Klatch came up with if I had to hang a label on the sizes.

 

[mykeal]

Hmmm.

I would have classed .58 as large, but I really don't disagree with what Manny said. It's very subjective.

 

[Zonie]

.36 and smaller = small
.40-.50 = medium
.54 and up = large (not including cannons) :grin:

 

[roundball]

IMO, medium is .45/.50/.54/.56

Small = .32/.36/.38/.40

Medium = .45/.50/.54/.56

Large = .58/.62/.69/.75

 

[rabjr]

IMO, medium is .45/.50/.54/.56

Small = .32/.36/.38/.40

Medium = .45/.50/.54/.56

Large = .58/.62/.69/.75

I agree with that.

 

45 and smaller = small
50 to 66 = medium
69 to 8 bore = large
6 bore and 4 bore = very large almost unreasonable
2 bore = death on a stick

My scale is probably a little biased since I mostly build doubles and bore guns. I'm working on an 8 bore now.

C

 

[bajabuc]

It ain't a cannon until it gets to be 2 and 5/8". Smaller wheeled guns than that are models... I kinda class my guns by what it shoots. 4f in the bore is a .22 and yes I have built .22's for my kids. 3f in the bore is .30 up to .54. 2f for guns up to 1". 1f(cannon powder)for everything else. Opinions are like...well you know what. And some of us...you know what's...are opinionated.

 

[laufer]

small- .36 and smaller
medium- .40-.60
big- .6 and up

 

[Many Klatch]

Yeah, I'd agree that an 8 Bore is a large. Death on a stick, I like that phrase. Mind if I use it somewhere else?

Many Klatch

 

The guy I apprenticed under is building a 2 bore PRB for one of his customers right now. I was up to see him about a month ago, and I was handling it, and admiring his work. And that's when I came up with the name. The bore is big enough to use a 50 cal barrel for a ramrod. Frightening doesn't even begin to describe shooting it.

I don't mind the 8 bores they recoil hard but slow, not painful. The last 4 bore he built I helped site it in and it left me hurting for more than a few days.

Go ahead and use it where you like, it's nothing special just my normal wit(SPSM).

C

 

[Little Wattsy]

Hmmm.

I would have classed .58 as large, but I really don't disagree with what Manny said. It's very subjective.

:thumbsup:

 

[Trench]

A 2 bore?! Is that the same as a 2 gauge? Does that mean that there are 2 lead balls to the pound? Holy crap. A 3500 grain bullet? Please help me visualize this!

 

[Zonie]

"...Please help me visualize this!"
--------
Well, think of a ball of lead that is about 1.325 in diameter. That's just a smidge larger than 1 5/16.

That's around 3/8 of an inch smaller than a regular golf ball.

 

[kevthebassman]

A 2 bore?!?! Criminy! And that's shoulder fired?

What kind of powder charge would you put behind that ball?

 

I'm not sure I can help you visualize it,

But it is bigger then a ping pong ball and smaller then a golf ball. It 3500 PRB, and I think he told me the charge would be in the 375gr ffg range but he didn't know for sure as the information on them was very limited. They run a similar powder charge as a 4 bore, because if you ran the charge up proportional to the Ball, the recoil would probably kill a person, at the very least it would cause permanent damage.
If you are interested in the bore guns, you should read up on some of the Professional Hunters of Africa and Asia in the 1840 to 1940's. Guys like Sir Samuel Baker or Selous.

Samuel Baker had a 4 Bore Muzzleloader he called "baby", he developed a 2000gr exploding conical loads for it, very cool stuff.

C

 

[roundball]

Good lord that's a big bore !

A .62cal with 120grns Goex 2F is all the "big bore" I want :grin:

 

[slowpokebr549]

Didn't Baker also claim that shooting 4 bores had negatively affected his shooting for life? That flinch might be for life.

 

[jtmattison]

2 bore = death on a stick

:haha:

I like that one!

HD