Small bore rifles ?? Favorite's ?

[GDM]

I am looking to get me a small bore flintlock. What is your favorite small bore caliber? .32, .36, .40 ? I am saving for one and would like to hear from people with actual field experience which small bore caliber you think is best? I would be hunting mostly small animals, rabbit, squirrel, maybe a small Texas whitetail etc... I have several flinters in .50, .54, .62 if I get a chance to go after anything bigger. I appreciate any advice or experience shared. Thank you in advance.

 

[Rodd Boyer]

I'm partial to the .36, but I'm somewhat bias as I've not had much experience with. 32 nor .40.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I own and shoot all those and couldn’t tell you. Whatever one has the best barrel and lock maybe.

 

[Cpt Flint]

By all means a .40. Genuinely pleasant to shoot and a true jewel. Load it with about 40 grains of 3Fg and just enjoy the rifle. Load it with 60 grains for 100 yards and it gives a soul satisfying crack that raises eyelids and causes comments.

 

[Winchester97]

The .40 is great, can be used for squirrels to deer depending on powder charge. I'm a big fan of the .36 if you're only after small game. Can't really go wrong with either one.

 

[mooman76]

I'm partial to the 36. Got a 32 but to me it was like shooting a 22. Still a good gun but 36 has a little more umf. Can't say about a 40 but i'm sure it's a good choice also.

 

[hanshi]

My favorite is the .36 although I've taken more small game with the .32. If deer are also on the menu you can't beat a .40.

 

[Stony Broke]

Is started in with the 40's a lot of years ago, and it's always been a great caliber. You can load them way down if you want squirrels or small game or up to where you can take larger game. I used 40's in matches for years with great results.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've always shot large caliber muzzleloaders. Last year I built a .32 caliber. I really enjoy it. Very accurate and uses very little powder and lead.

 

[toot]

as for me I have never had a great amount of luck with small bores.

 

[nkbj]

I am looking to get me a small bore flintlock. What is your favorite small bore caliber? .32, .36, .40 ? I am saving for one and would like to hear from people with actual field experience which small bore caliber you think is best? I would be hunting mostly small animals, rabbit, squirrel, maybe a small Texas whitetail etc... I have several flinters in .50, .54, .62 if I get a chance to go after anything bigger. I appreciate any advice or experience shared. Thank you in advance.

Growing up in southeast Texas I'd say you skipped right over the best, a 44 or .45.
Not that I haven't liked my .40's or .36 for that matter. I just had more use for a piece with better reach and liked the handling with that long slender thin walled barrel. Then again I've always had better luck getting accuracy from bigger bores, not that others don't target shoot with their .40's. Never did get a deer with the .45 but 65 grains of FFg was my accurate load for head shooting and would have been plenty.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

By all means a .40. Genuinely pleasant to shoot and a true jewel. Load it with about 40 grains of 3Fg and just enjoy the rifle. Load it with 60 grains for 100 yards and it gives a soul satisfying crack that raises eyelids and causes comments.

Another vote for the .40.
I bought mine because .40 is the smallest caliber allowed for deer, it's fine when loaded for small game, and because it's odd.

I like odd..., I hunt with a flinter because around my area, it's considered odd. I often hunt wearing copies of historic clothes (I get odd looks, especially when this is mixed with hunter orange as per the law)
Flintlocks are SO ODD around my area in fact that one of my friends in the western corner of the county, is the first guy to take a turkey with a flintlock since they started checking-in turkeys. He is likely the first guy to take a turkey in the state with a flintlock in the 20th century.

Odd is good.

LD

 

[rchas]

I have shot a 32 and a 36--of the two I much prefer the 36. Easier to load, and the ramrod can be thick enough not to be flimsy. I am building a 40 now. I have heard enough about the caliber being very accurate that I want to try it in matches. My misgivings for hunting is that it seems a little big for small game, and too small for large game. I have a 54 for deer-- why risk using a .390 ball over a .530?

 

[Zapadach]

I have a .40 cal. Southern mountain rifle and it is the most elegant looking rifle I have ever seen. The accuracy of the .40 cal. in shooting matches is well known. I plan on using mine on rabbits to hogs, I know it will do the work.

 

[BigAl52]

I dont own flintlock in 40 only a cap lock but I sure do like it. Ive not shot the 32 or the 36 as I dont need anymore calibers. But a flintlock in 40 would be my choice

 

[roundballman]

I dont own flintlock in 40 only a cap lock but I sure do like it. Ive not shot the 32 or the 36 as I dont need anymore calibers. But a flintlock in 40 would be my choice

I have a 40 cal flintlock Kentucky rifle that I built in 1977 and a Seneca that I put a 40 cal barrel on. Both are accurate rifles that can shoot well with light loads for small game and will work for deer at reasonable range. I have killed mule deer and whitetail with the Kentucky rifle along with a pile of small game and one coyote. The 40 caliber is a great choice. Low recoil, accurate, and versatile. I love mine.

 

[hanshi]

I shoot the .36 & .32 the most because I like them a whole lot and I really want to conserve my modest powder supply. Next is the .45 & #4 is the .50. The least to get range/woods time would be the .54 and .62; so I don't shoot them with any regularity.

 

[stephenprops1]

I had a 32 Mowery percussion rifle. I found it to be finicky and it fouled too quickly for my liking. I had to swab the barrel after each and every shot. I have never owned a 40 cal., but I have heard those that do speak very highly of them.

 

[Grimord]

I like the .32 and .36 rifles as they are legal to shoot in my state for small game. I have 3 percussion .32's and 1 flintlock. These are fun to shoot. they are the .22's of the black powder guns. In .36, I have 2 percussion guns and 1 flintlock. These are my late season squirrel rifles and for rabbits and coyotes. The small bores are great shooting guns and very economical in powder and lead. I even have a home made .22 black powder percussion gun that I made that is a joy to shoot out to 30 yards using only 5 grains of 4f. I use lead air gun slugs for projectiles as handling a .220 lead ball with patch is difficult for me with my arthritic fingers.

 

[hanshi]

I find it really odd that many small bore shooters, including myself, who simply never have had a fouling problem while many others report significant problems. The only thing I can think of is that the lube and patch thickness is responsible for at least some of the problems. I'd like to get some sort of survey from both camps giving details of what and how they load the rifles. I'd bet there is a common thread running through both groups as far as patch, lube and muzzle crown condition that would interest all pee-wee rifle shooters.