.40 Target Loads for Silhouette Shooting

[Ferret Master]

I am in the process of building a new flintlock rifle for the .40 and below Silhouette matches. It will have a 42" GM barrel. The only other .40 we have is my wife's rifle that has a 36" barrel with round bottom rifling. It requires a 60 grain load of 3f to shoot accurately. It has round bottom rifling. Very accurate on paper but to hot for shooting steel. silhouettes; even at 100 yards. Anybody have any experience with 42" GM barrels that might suggest some target loads that would work out to 100 yards or a series of load that would work out to 100. The silhouettes are shot at 40, 60,75 and 100 yards. I live in central VA. If anyone is interested in joining me in shooting .40 and below metallic silhouettes let me know.
Ferret Master

 

[tnlonghunter]

I'm not sure if I can help with a load. I haven't shot my .40 on paper past 50. What powder, patch, and ball combo are you using? Maybe try a tighter patch and ball, and see how that works.

I used to shoot flintlock silhouette matches at the Northern Virginia Gun Club in King George (just north of Fredericksburg). I don't know if they still shoot there. I'm up in Ft. Meade, MD, now, and I can't find any group that shoots silhouette near me.

 

[Ferret Master]

T
They shoot a modified Silhouette Grocery Match at Fairfax Gun Club in Manassas. I could send you their contact info if you like. Probably on their website. I made the targets for the NMLRA 200 yard match and bought the ones for the 100 yard (.40 cal and below) I ran the 200 yard match at Cavalier back in the early 2000's. The 100yd match uses basically Hunter Pistol size targets and shot at the same ranges,40,50, 75, and 100.

Haven't shot the new rifle yet, it is a work in progress. As for my wife's rifle we have tried everything and it only like the 60 grain load of FFF with a .395 ball. At almost 2000fps it is much to hot for steel, even AR500. Hoping to find some one that uses a GM 42 in barrel.

 

[hanshi]

The .40 I shoot likes 40 grains of 3F but 100 yards is a long way for a 1700 fps load. 60 grains get us 2140 fps which is awesome at 100. But that would be much too hot.

 

[FishDFly]

Send Fleener a PM, he shoots it.

 

[Huntschool]

I shoot a .40 Getz with a 1:66 twist standard cut rifling. It shoots the close stuff out to 40 or so with a 30-35 gr charge of 3fffg using a .395 Speer or Hornady ball. I then go to 45 gr or so out to about 65 or 70 and then go to 90 for anything at 100 out to 130 or so. I will admit I am shooting fixed sights and when I hit a target I want it to go flying so to speak. I have shot 90 gr. across the field of targets.

I am of the opinion that soft lead balls on the proper steel target do little to no damage. I am not a metallurgist so its my opinion that if a club is going to run steel they better buy targets that will stand up to soft lead at least.

 

[ohio ramrod]

My nephew shoots a Douglas 40 caliber 1/66 twist with 390 round ball .015 patch and 35 grain FFF for all ranges and he is hard to beat!

 

[oldwood]

The usual loads for a .40 , are 40 gr fff for light load , short distance to 50 yds , and 60 gr. for all else. My suggestion is to order some 500 Brinell hardness reactive tank armor plates. Guarantied that unless you can make your .40 do some kind of ballistic magic , the .40 will bounce off the plate. The multiple sized target plates are not much more than $50 each. ......Hope this helps...oldwood

 

[Tom Compton]

SMR .40 Douglas 7/8 x 42” fixed sights.
50 gr FFg @ 25 & 50
75 gr FFg @ 75 100

see that the above load 40 and 60 gr is like mine in that the 100 yd is 1.5x the 25/50.

 

[Stony Broke]

I've been shooting a 42" gm barrel on a percussion rifle for years....and have won many club matches with it, but have not used it for silhouette. I only shoot out to 50 yds. on paper. My common load is 40 gr. 3f and it shoots so well I have never experimented with more powder.

 

[oldwood]

Tom , very interesting info. I love my .40 , but until now , just never experimented w/it. I carry it on day hunts in the north central Pa. big woods mostly as backup for my .22 pistol unmentionable. I admit the only thing I ever took w/it for game was a grouse. I mostly just explore , and might shoot supper , but may not. Any way , I've made myself a date for the shooting range to test my .40 . Built this gun 12+ yrs. ago and can't remember if the barrel is GM. or Colerain . Have to take it apart to see the mfger................Thanks again..........oldwood

 

[garypl]

I shoot 45 gr 3F with .400 ball patched with pillow ticking for 50 yds and less. Load 60 gr 3F with same patch / ball for anything past 50 yds. Old Douglas 42” barrel with 1/48” twist

 

[oldwood]

One regret , wish I had ordered a couple of 3/4 " oct. .40 barrels when I had the chance. Now that would have made a skinny light rifle to carry all day in the woods........oldwood

 

[hanshi]

For small game under 50 yards I get great accuracy with 30 grns of 3F.

 

[Ferret Master]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the input. The problem with the targets is not the face of the targets. All mine are AR500. The feet have to be welded on with 8018 and pre heat if they are expected to hold up. The higher velocity delivers to much energy and the shock wave blows the feet off the target when it reaches the right angle transition especially in cold weather.. I had mine made so that the leg of the animal fits down into the foot and then welded so that the weld does not take the entire shock.
In the 200 yard game the targets are designed so that a .45 should be able to knock all of them down with a load of 60 grains of powder, even the bear at 200. Anyone using heavy loads that damage targets is eliminated from the match.
I have used my .32 in the .40 and below match but with any wind to speak of hitting the rams at 100 is a bit iffy.

The main advantages to shooting silhouette are:
1. You don't have to get up at 4:00 AM and shiver at dawn.
2. You can shoot all year round
3. No animals to skin and process in the dark
4. You get to shoot a lot., 40 animals to a match.
5. The pow ding sound is addictive.