Barrel length decision help

I’m ordering an Iron Pennsylvania from Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. This will be used for hunting elk in the mountains of Colorado and western whitetail in timber. My only other flintlock is a Lyman GPR which has a short 32” barrel.
I need your assistance to help me make a decision between the 38” or 42” barrel. It will be swamped so those are my options. I want it to be reasonably easy to load and easy to handle in timber (38”) but I want the look of a long rifle and the extra length might be good for sites/accuracy (42”). TVM said it will be under my top end weight of 9.5lb no matter what. What say you on the barrel length? I’m 5’10” barefoot if that matters.

38"

Looks get the very last seat on the back of the bus.

Your main concern should be how the rifle functions.

Tires are round for a reason. Even though every other shape known to man is more visually interesting.

If you hunt the black timber I would choose the 38 If you hunt the aspens or more open country the 42 will be ok JMO I have hunted both types of terrain. Also the 38 with a full length stock will look lake a long rifle

I don't think there is much difference in handling (and yes I have rifles both 38 and 42 inches) but that extra 4 inches of sight plane seems to help me out with accuracy.

I have a 38 and am glad I didn't go 42. Handles and balance nicely with the swamped barrel.

My TVM’s with 38 and 42 inch barrels weigh in at 7 1/2- 8 pounds, balance beautifully, and pose very little difference in handling for my 5’ 10” medium frame. I personally prefer the appearance and off-hand shooting characteristics of the 42”barrel on my Pennsylvania/Lancaster and Virginia styles.

Most of my rifles have 42" barrels, my turkey gun fowler has a 38" and I just built an Issaac Haines in .54 with a 38" swamped barrel, the gun weighs #7 12 oz and is mighty handy.

Whichever length you get you will get used to it; I have a .44 with 42" a 7/8" barrel that I hunted with for years, at first it felt like I was carrying a lead pipe, over time it felt perfectly normal to me.

I don't see any accuracy difference in my rifles with a change in barrel length if I take the time to work up a proper load for them.

Here’s mine with a 38” straight 7/8” Colerain 50 cal. It weighs 7.5 lbs and balances perfect off hand for me.

I live in the Ozarks it’s heavily wooded here. I don’t find the longer barrel to be a problem, and I think long looks ‘right’ on an ml.
Hines made rifles shorter during the long rifle era, so short is ok too
I would go with long but that’s purely cosmetic

I prefer shorter barrels, but when I hunted, it was in Wisconsin where the woods tend to be kinda thick. You really don't get much of a performance increase going from 38" to 42"... and that extra 4" of barrel will find every snag you walk past. You will get a bit more of a sight radius, but with those lengths, that would be negligible. In the end, it's really what you like.

A swamped barrel is something I have never handled, but I've heard good things.

I have a 42in swamped barrel on my York rifle and I love the way it looks and shoots. Ive carried it through the thick woods of the Arkansas Ozarks for a couple years now. I find myself on occasion wishing I had went with the 38in Haynes rifle especially when trying to transport it in my vehicle. I have a Honda pilot and it barely fits across the back seat, and if i put it in the front passenger seat I have to move the seat all the way back and lean the backrest all the way back to get it in and out. 4in shorter OAL would make a big difference in those cases. Also, a bit shorter would be a little easier to load especially when overhanging limbs is a concern.

Lots of good info. Thanks guys.

I have hunted the west with a 40 inch barrel for years, no problem. The only advantage to the shorter barrel might be weight for a long hunt, and possibly slightly faster to load since it will not be under your chin.

Fishslap said:

I’m ordering an Iron Pennsylvania from Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. This will be used for hunting elk in the mountains of Colorado and western whitetail in timber. My only other flintlock is a Lyman GPR which has a short 32” barrel.
I need your assistance to help me make a decision between the 38” or 42” barrel. It will be swamped so those are my options. I want it to be reasonably easy to load and easy to handle in timber (38”) but I want the look of a long rifle and the extra length might be good for sites/accuracy (42”). TVM said it will be under my top end weight of 9.5lb no matter what. What say you on the barrel length? I’m 5’10” barefoot if that matters.

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Go with the 38”. Fits in a vehicle better, is a little easier to load because you can see the muzzle better without having to set the butt plate so far out from your feet.

I'm 5' 10" and have no issues loading my .40 with a 42 barrel, IIRC, the rifle is 57" long.

Shot my .54 Kibler Colonial today for the first time in a few months (I know, a darn shame to let a nice gun sit) and it sure felt heavy after I have mostly been shooting a comparatively svelte Kibler SMR. I got used to the Colonial’s heft after a few shots but it got me to thinking that a Woodsrunner (4” shorter) might be a swell thing to have. In your shoes I would go 38” and never look back.

Wow, some overwhelming info here. I think from reading the posts here that there is a lot more in favor of the 38in. My biggest three issues for throwing in with that opinion is length in transport and storage (think extra tall gun safe), difficulty in getting ANY rifle thru heavy branches and brush and from my experience small is less frustrating at the end of the day. Now add that extra non-swamped barrel weight of 4 extra in. and that's why I got a 38 myself. I have to say that the transportation issue wasn't fully appreciated or the range rod hitting the basement ceiling until I experienced them.
I will say a 42 looks awful purdy and graceful though. Pick what your heart tells you to so you don't regret it. Of course you can always have both.

Timber Wolf said:

Shot my .54 Kibler Colonial today for the first time in a few months (I know, a darn shame to let a nice gun sit) and it sure felt heavy after I have mostly been shooting a comparatively svelte Kibler SMR. I got used to the Colonial’s heft after a few shots but it got me to thinking that a Woodsrunner (4” shorter) might be a swell thing to have. In your shoes I would go 38” and never look back.

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Thanks. Good replies by all. I think I’ll go with the 38”. If I want a 42” later, I can get another in a different caliber!

You know the main reason for the long rifle bbl's in America is because the powder back then needed that length to burn. It was not top quality blk. powder, powders now days are better in burning. Right now i don't have a long barreled rifle in the stable

smokepolehall said:

You know the main reason for the long rifle bbl's in America is because the powder back then needed that length to burn. It was not top quality blk. powder, powders now days are better in burning. Right now i don't have a long barreled rifle in the stable

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Great information. I ordered the 38” swamped, dark brown curly maple, aged iron barrel and furniture