Loading shot in a .32 percussion rifle?

Possible? Possible but not recommended? A really bad idea? A shot charge of that caliber seems perfect for squirrel but i’m not sure how kind it would be to a rifled bore.

You don’t ask, you don’t find out. Thanks!

don

It's the rifling that is the biggest problem, makes it darn near impossible to hit anything beyond 10 feet.

If i understand, you’re saying that the presence if the rifling will creat mayhem with the shot column traveling down the barrel and exiting properly?

The shot column will spin like a bullet down the barrel. When leaving the barrel, the spinning column spreads out very quick limiting the effective distance to almost nil. I have seen test on you tube with larger calibers and larger quantities of shot that could be effective in an emergency. But a smoothbore does it better.

Very good, thanks for the replies. One less thing i have to wonder about, so i can i can devote more time to the others!

don

Another problem with loading shot in a rifle is, it will lead up the rifling in the bore.

Large amounts of lead will be removed from the shot that is in contact with the rifling grooves and if it isn't removed, shooting the gun accurately with a patched ball or a bullet will be very difficult.
Getting the lead out of the rifling grooves isn't any fun either.

I have tried shot in .45 rifles and pistols, as well as .50 and 58. rifles. Performance was extremely poor with all of them. An un-patched ball is more accurate than shot. My .410 muzzleloader shotgun out shoots all of them. If one is serious about it, have the barrel bored smooth.

There are “smooth rifles” that are just like a rifle, but smoothbore.

Smokey Plainsman said:

There are “smooth rifles” that are just like a rifle, but smoothbore.

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Yep, and I wish I had one.

Carbon 6 said:

Yep, and I wish I had one.

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Carbon6, so your 410 ml is a shot gun? How about a picture?

ppg1949 said:

Carbon6, so your 410 ml is a shot gun? How about a picture?

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Yes, the one CVA made back in the 80's
Looks just like this.




It's built for a kid, fun but difficult for an adult of any size to shoot.

C6, thanks. Very cool looking. I knew CVA made a 12 ga but never a smaller gauge. Thanks again.

Carbon, what a sweet little shotgun even with a pistol style grip. I wish it was mine.

Guys since you are talking about shotguns I am in the process of trying to develope loads for two 45 cal barrels that I had the rifling recut in due to some pitting. Am going to have to order some larger diameter molds since .440 is not grouping well and is pretty loose even with .020 patch. Question is if I can not get them to shoot could they be bored smooth and if so what would be the approximate gauge up from .45 after smoothing them out. Have no knowledge of smoothbores but if I cant get better accuracy out of them might be an option. TC Cherokee 24 inch shotgun dont see that everyday.

Two thoughts. Would a .451 revolver ball be too large? If not they are common as is 454. The second is as a shotgun you are larger than .410 if my rememberer is right.

Bassdog1 said:

Guys since you are talking about shotguns I am in the process of trying to develope loads for two 45 cal barrels that I had the rifling recut in due to some pitting. Am going to have to order some larger diameter molds since .440 is not grouping well and is pretty loose even with .020 patch.

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I would measure the bore and rifling depth first.

Yep working on that now hope to get them both shooting good enough to hunt deer with next year but worst case scenario.

Kansas Jake said:

Two thoughts. Would a .451 revolver ball be too large? If not they are common as is 454. The second is as a shotgun you are larger than .410 if my rememberer is right.

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Don't forget, when loading that .451 ball into the .44 revolver you're shaving a ring of lead a few thousandths off that ball.
Unless the barrel was bored out to a
.46 or .47, the .451 will likely be too big.

@Bassdog1
Have you tried .445 balls?

Ordered My Mold that is my next step