seeking advice on calibers

[BrownBear]

Anything bigger than .62 (20 ga) is much too lead hungry.

Actually, no. That's the beauty of muzzleloaders, and in fact the advantage of larger cals. I regularly shoot 7/8 oz loads from my 12's and get better patterns than my 20's with the same charge.

Sure the capability is there to use heavier charges, but there are lotsa reasons not to. I read accounts on here of guys using bigger charges in their 20's than I'll ever shoot in a 12. Their guns and their shot, but I'm betting they could get similar performance with lighter charges in a 12.

 

[dave61965]

Well I hope I can catch tip in his shop tomorrow and handle some different style guns and see if anything jumps out at me, right now I could come home with anything from a .32 to a .62 :grin:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Then there's the 14 gauge to consider too. .69 caliber. Problem is that it's not available in a standard C-weight contour. In a standard contour I'd opt for the lightest option in gauge selection. And, it's kind of fun to show up at a range with a caliber or gauge nobody has ever heard of. That's why I opted for a 38 caliber for my next rifle build.

 

[BrownBear]

...kind of fun to show up at a range with a caliber or gauge nobody has ever heard of....

Yeah, I get lots of looks when I pull out my 30 cal flint rifle. CF guys have a certain "outlook" about what 30 caliber means. :rotf:

 

[ray j.]

I went with a 16 bore, as I happened to come across a new old stock drop in Sharon barrel set up for a renegade.. :grin:

 

[Tinker2]

it's kind of fun to show up at a range with a caliber or gauge nobody has ever heard of. That's why I opted for a 38 caliber for my next rifle build.

How about that in a smooth bore



Alexander

 

[Col. Batguano]

It's going to be an FCI 48" A-weight swamped barrel built in a Peter Neidhart styled Lehigh / Bethlehem Schooled rifle. While it certainly COULD be a smoothie, I don't see the point.

When I get around to building a smoothie it will be in a grown-up gauge or caliber, (with a view to throwing shot rather than balls) which will be after my engraving skills improve some.

 

[Rifleman1776]

...kind of fun to show up at a range with a caliber or gauge nobody has ever heard of....

Yeah, I get lots of looks when I pull out my 30 cal flint rifle. CF guys have a certain "outlook" about what 30 caliber means. :rotf:

Long ago I got tired of some guys making fun of others with their tiny calibers compared to their .58 cal. rifles, or larger. So, I started a little tradition to shut them up. I'll wait until they leave their "big" rifle for a minute then set a .731" round ball used in my 'Bess on top of the muzzle. When they return you can almost hear their eyes pop. Then the boasting stops. :grin: :blah:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Why is it that so many guys feel the need to pull out the tape measure when they're in the locker room? :surrender:

I bet these guys never shoot from anywhere but off the bench too. ML'ing is an offhand game, not a bench game.

 

[BrownBear]

Then the boasting stops.

A few years back when I first picked up my Bess I made a rare stop at the public range on my way home. I knew all the guys there, and they were all going though clip after clip in the cheap AKs you could buy back then. Shooting at a 1' round gong at only 100 yards, and every now and then someone would actually hit it.

When I pulled out the Bess, they gave me the usual ration, then went back to shooting. I moved to the upwind end of the line, loaded up with 100 grains of 2f under a ball as recommended by the previous owner. Did my best to "aim" at the gong, then let fly.

They all had to quit shooting as the big white cloud drifted down the line. When it cleared, the gong was GONE!!! I'd ripped it off the post- bracket, chains and all.

"Any questions?" sezz I, as I packed to leave after only one shot. Good thing I left too, because an hour later on my own range I couldn't reliably hit my 2'x2' target board at 50 yards! :rotf:

 

[buzz]

Most of mine are 20ga or 62 cal why well 20ga wads are easest to get like 12ga and i also like keep things simple
As well
The other thing is with this cal i can shoot dee/coyotes or small game with shot plus weight of these guns is not bad carry into the wilds

 

[morb]

They all had to quit shooting as the big white cloud drifted down the line. When it cleared, the gong was GONE!!! I'd ripped it off the post- bracket, chains and all.

That's hilarious :rotf:

 

[weum817]

I vote 62 cal..squirrel to chupacabra