-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Why .40 cal?
- Thread starter Walkabout
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
beagle74
32 Cal
Some folks seem real happy with it, it doesn't really appeal to me. Legally I can't use it for large game, and I wouldn't anyway. And I can't shoot good enough at squirrels to need the distance the .40 may provide over a .36.
I also like the .36 for small game and small varmints. The .40 caliber excels at the target range on paper. If you want to ring steel or knock it down then go to the .45 or .50. = it also bucks the wind better. My 2 cents worth
Why not a .40??? For small game , back off on the powder charge , for bigger critters like turkeys , coyotes , fat old ground hogs , and targets out to 75 yds , boost the powder a little. .. What ruins small game , is tissue vaporization from too much velocity. Kill it , don't vaporize it. Also , as an old guy , what a rifle weighs , becomes important. With that in mind , got a 3/4 " X 38 " st. Oct. brl. in .40. cal.. Light wt. walnut wood . , flint lock , and a rusty old set of iron parts found in ashes of a burnt out shed. Whole package weighs barely 6 lb. Another thing about a .40 , it will digest almost anything put down the bore , and be relatively accurate , while being superbly accurate in between the two sweet spots , representing high power , and lower velocities. Hope this helps
hanshi
Cannon
I used mine for targets and plinking. They are just about perfect for varmints (smaller than deer) and even deer where legal. They are usually very accurate, can give high velocities, generally lighter rifles and are very gently and fun to shoot.
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2012
- Messages
- 903
- Reaction score
- 1,214
Because its perfect for targets, enough punch to move targets in a woods walk, cheap to feed, less powder and lead. Bucks the wind decent, speedy lil'ball.
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
A 3/8 ramrod will go down the barrel...
I converted my .45 to a .40 when I built a .54..A .40 is great on squirrels when you drop down to 25-30grs of FFF powder and can be stoked up to say, 60grs FFF for larger game, deer inside 50 yards, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc...
A .390 ball also bucks the wind a bit better when target shooting longer range..
I converted my .45 to a .40 when I built a .54..A .40 is great on squirrels when you drop down to 25-30grs of FFF powder and can be stoked up to say, 60grs FFF for larger game, deer inside 50 yards, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc...
A .390 ball also bucks the wind a bit better when target shooting longer range..
beagle74
32 Cal
All good and valid points.
TDM
Cannon
- Joined
- May 28, 2022
- Messages
- 9,656
- Reaction score
- 24,211
- Location
- Louisiana & My camp in Mississippi
I’ve never owned a .40 but I’ve been intrigued by them. Maybe one of these days.
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2021
- Messages
- 634
- Reaction score
- 1,482
My fingers struggle with the .40 on some days. I would lose more .32 balls than I shot!
TDM
Cannon
- Joined
- May 28, 2022
- Messages
- 9,656
- Reaction score
- 24,211
- Location
- Louisiana & My camp in Mississippi
That’s why I don’t have a .32
Of all my rifles, the .40 cal gets shot the least of them. I don't hunt small game anymore, but even if I did I would prefer a .36 over the .40. Paper and cans are also killed just as well with a .36. I have killed deer with the .40, but it is lighter than I prefer. I don't live on the frontier, and lead/powder is easy to come by, so I like a .54 for hunting. My .40 cal. is very accurate. Maybe if the year was 1763, and resources were scarce, a .40 would be a good all around option. Today, I have not much use for it.
40 cal is legal for deer in Missouri and I intend on using mine for deer. I know my range will be limited to under 50 yards, but my hunt area doesn't lend for much longer shots.
I never owned a .40 but it was very popular in Arkansas. The law was small game had to have .40 and under, deer .40 and above. White 20-25 was good for Buggs and Rocky, 50-60 good for Bambi to about fifty yards. Most shots in the deer woods was that close or closer
About 1990 they changed to .45
About 1990 they changed to .45
I have seen the calibers change. For a long time it was .36 max for squirrels, .40 max for rabbits, and .45 minimum for deer. Everything today is .40 across the board.
In my experience, .40 cal is large enough that it isn't as 'load finicky' as the smaller calibers. I've had 2 and I am a solid supporter.
As far as "too small for this game" or "too large for this game", if you can confidently put the shot where it needs to go, any (legal) caliber is the right size.
As far as "too small for this game" or "too large for this game", if you can confidently put the shot where it needs to go, any (legal) caliber is the right size.
I read that Indiana is considering making it legal for deer hunting.
In Indiana it's legal to use a 410 slug for deer so why not 40cal black powder?
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2023
- Messages
- 34
- Reaction score
- 81
LOVE my .40 Flinter. And I love to eat Squirrels. With 20 grains of 3f, no meat destroyed with a 'decent' shot. As others have stated deer at archery range. Coyotes are next on my list. The squirrel pic is from my last outing a few days ago, and I missed a couple dang it...my fault.
