What Cal?

I am about to order a Tennesee Longrifle kit from Track of the Wolf. I am looking at a percussion rifle. I can't make up my mind on a caliber. I am looking at a .32 and a .36 cal. I will use the rifle for paper punching and for squirrel hunting and for cottontail hunting. I think that the .36 would be better because I can use 000 Buck and make the shooting a little cheaper.The .36 also carries a bit more power. I understand that the little .32's foul pretty easy too. What do you guys think ? Any pro's and con's between these two? Thanks for the input.
Rob

Interesting question. I was thinking just yesterday about building a .32 cal. rifle. I was at Cabela's and hefted one of there .32 cal. rifles in a 38" barrel and it felt a little muzzle heavy even for me. I have heard that the 32 cuts pretty little holes in leaves but I think the .36 will be my choice for the reasons you gave and to lighten the barrel a bit up front. Although, I may opt for a swamped barrel and that would take care of that little muzzle weight matter. The .32 sure would have to have a tee-ninenesy little ram rod.

Rob,
I love my 32 caliber, it's one of my favorite guns. It's like shooting an air-rifle. The wind does play a factor when shooting it out past 50 yards so if you're going to do serious target work I would not recomend it or the 36 for that matter.
You can shoot single 0 out of a 32. You just have to use a little hammer to get it started so I wouldn't recomend it for hunting situations. I would just use a .310 ball.

mrfishnhunt said:

I am looking at a .32 and a .36 cal. I will use the rifle for paper punching and for squirrel hunting and for cottontail hunting.

Click to expand...

I would apt for the .36 caliber, just in case that coyote happens to stray by while you are out popping squirrels for supper...

Both caliber's will take squirrels and paper with ease, but the .36 would offer a tad more "oomph" when needed...

Yah! .36! It shoots like a 22 magnum, a .32 shoots more like a 22 long rifle. Bigger bore is easier to swab out, too.

My .32 flinter is my favorite, a joy to shoot, and as far as fouling is concerned, there is not that much more to worry about. You may run across a coyote for every 100 squirrels that you shoot. Not worth all the excess meat damage on the bushytails just to have a bit more power when the rare coyote comes along. I used to have a 36, and when my shot placement wasnt in the head, the ball tore up too much edible meat. the decision is yours, of course. Good luck.

I like the 32 over 36, they both will foul like any small caliber. Have a mold for both. Your buckshot will not be smooth like a cast bullet. The 32 only needs 20grs 3ff,will kill the groundhogs deader a wedge. Both good calibers for snall game.Guy in W.Va killed camp meat all time with 32. 36 with 30grs 3ff still little rough on squirrels. Dilly

I'd get an A weight swamped .36. But I'd get it in a rock lock. But if ya get a cussin gun, don't get the patent breach, they really do foul in the smaller calibers, my .40 is a PITA, just use a drum and nipple configuration, that way ya can make it a convertible if ya decide to try rocklocks. Bill

"...But I'd get it in a rock lock...."
_______________________________________
Boy, some folks just don't want to step into the 19th Century! :rotf:

I like my little .36 boys rifle but I must admit I don't shoot it as much as I should.
I decided to build the .36 mainly because I figured it would be a little less sensative to fouling. Of course, at the time, I was burning Elephant Powder and fouling was a big issue with me. Now that I'm shooting Swiss it isn't an issue in my guns.

I just started shooting a .36 and I'm extremely pleased with it. I liked the size of the target holes and also have some .36 Maxiballs to try out. I don't know if those are commonly available in .32 caliber if at all.
I use a wooden ramrod just under bore diameter and I personally wouldn't want to go with either a thinner ramrod or have to handle smaller balls for too many shots.
Maybe .36 resists the wind a little better too?
Good luck! :v

Be careful, I bought a ".36" that turned out to be a .35 and 00 buck is the biggest I can shoot. :shocked2:

I have both. My .36 was the first rifle I built. The .32 was finished a couple of months ago. The 36 has a button rifled 13/16" - 42" Sharon barrel while the .32 has a 3/4"-36" Green Mountain. I really like both rifles. Niether rifle cruds up at all. Both will shoot all day without running a cleaning patch down the barrel.

A couple of things to keep in mind. With the same size barrel the .36 will be a little lighter. Also a 5/16" ramrod is almost too big for a .32. I ended up getting a 1/4" ramin rod for it. It's mostly there for show as I use a 1/4" steel range rod but it still looks pretty flimsy.

I cast for both my rifles so off the shelf balls are not a consideration for me. I do seem to remember someone saying that 00 buck can be used in a .32.

LeatherMoose said:

Yah! .36! It shoots like a 22 magnum, a .32 shoots more like a 22 long rifle. Bigger bore is easier to swab out, too.

Click to expand...

The great thing about MLers is that you can easily adjust loads--you can make the .32 shoot either like a .22LR or a .22 Mag. I currently shoot a .32 for small game. I used to have a .36. There isn't a whole bunch of difference IMHO betwen the two. The .32 eats very little powder and has plenty of power to cleanly drop game up to coyote size with proper loads--but if you are going primarily for the heavier small game a .36 or .40 (if legal) would be better. You say you are mainly interested in squirels and the like and for them I personally like my .32. I have not found that fouling is any worse and I use a composition rod for range and hunting use--saving the wood one for show or primitive shoots.

IMHO it's six of one and a half-dozen of the other. I've shot both, and the thump is pretty well determined by the charge. ANY caliber fouls... it's BLACK POWDER!!!!