selecting a caliber for hunting? small game vs big game

[KIt]

First off, I’m not comfortable telling people what they should be spending their money on. I am comfortable talking about what I’ve experienced, and what I believe to be true.

.36 calibre & .40 calibre are wonderful for small game and generally fun to punch paper, stroll on woods walks and maintain your shooting skill. Of the two, my personal choice is the versatile .40 calibre. I say versatile, because I can not only shoot .390 or .395 RBs out of my gun, but I can use a heavy patching material and shoot .375 and .380 RBs, making the gun a nice accurate functional squirrel rifle. A day in the woods toting a .40 calibre, is a day to remember fondly. The .40 calibre is plenty of rifle to bring down deer sized game. My .40 calibre uses 40 grains of fffg, under a .390 patched RB, and is flat out to 125 yrds…that simply amazed me when I figured that out at the range. The gun is light and well balanced, not as light and balanced as a comparable .45 calibre, but so what…those little lead pills are fun to load, and easier to get into the bore than a .32 calibre.

After 40+ years of shooting mostly a .50 calibre rifle in one form or another, I’ve recently become enamored with the .45 calibre. The .45 calibre is just right where I needed it to be. 13/16ths barrel 42” long, will give you a gun that is light, with just a hint of heaviness at the front end. Make that barrel 36” in length and you will have one of the most carry-able, well balanced guns you can take into the field or to the range. I love big game hunting with a smokepole, and the .45 does it with less powder, and felt recoil. I can shoot this gun all day for less than what it takes to shoot a .50 calibre, and it shoots flatter than the .50 calibre or the big .54; were I going into the field on an antelope hunt, it would be a coin toss between my .45 or my .40 calibre rifles…probably the .45 though…

The .50 calibre has been my ”GOTO” calibre since my very first blackpowder rifle. The calibre is the legal minimum calibre for elk in any state. And it is very effective at harvesting big game. I cannot say anything bad about this diameter…it does as expected…I’ve killed many elk with a .50 calibre, I’ve killed more elk with a .50 calibre, than any other calibre. I’ve hit elk with a .50 calibre RB and I have found that shot placement and the bullets pathway through the body is critical. Shot placement is critical, but once accomplished, the animal is going down. My recommendation with the .50 calibre and elk; use a conical bullet of some type; things are just a lot easier that way. Though I have a personal fascination with the .45 calibre, the .50 calibre is way more efficient on big heavy bucks…hands down.

When I started hunting with a .54 calibre, everything changed. This is what happens when you throw elk on the platter of game animals, you’ll want to go .54 calibre. The .54 is just major awesome for elk. I could hit an elk sideways shoulder to shoulder, with a RB and crumple them in their tracks. With a .50 calibre RB, that’s a “No,No” shot, with the .54 calibre RB…it became my “GOTO“ shot, never failed me. That little bit of increased diameter, makes this calibre a hammer on any big game animal up through elk. Most of the time I recovered a flattened out projectile just under the skin on the far side from the entrance, though on antelope you’ll see some through & throughs. I cannot say enough about the .54 calibre and elk hunting. It is the most efficient calibre at converting grains of powder into velocity. My target loads in my .54 calibre rifles, start at 70 to 75 grains; hunting loads are between 95 grains and 105 grains (whatever is the most accurate)…so my .54 calibre guns are now brought out only when it’s time to verify performance at the range, followed by a trip into the woods to fill tags.

 

[KIt]

Thank you. That was very helpful information.

 

[KIt]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestons. FYI- I think I am inclined to go with a 36 or 40 cal. for my first flintlock. Cheap to shoot and good for small game. Later, if I continue in BP, I would probally go with a 54 Hawken for big game hunting.

 

[SDSmlf]

My .40 calibre uses 40 grains of fffg, under a .390 patched RB, and is flat out to 125 yrds…that simply amazed me when I figured that out at the range.

Curious to learn more about your load, as it seems much better than I have experienced. Do you have chronograph data for your load? Personally have found a 40 caliber (.390” diameter) patched roundball leaving the muzzle at 2000 FPS or so and sighted in at 75 yards will be about 10” low at 125 yards and drift nearly 2’ in a 10 mph crosswind. Not exactly amazing or flat shooting at the 125 yard marker in my experience, so I would love to hear more specifics about your experience with your rifle and load.

 

[david w]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestons. FYI- I think I am inclined to go with a 36 or 40 cal. for my first flintlock. Cheap to shoot and good for small game. Later, if I continue in BP, I would probally go with a 54 Hawken for big game hunting.

I have a Kibler .36 SMR. The swamped barrel makes it light weight and well balanced. My full stock Hawken in .62 cal. is what I've used for big game.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Curious to learn more about your load, as it seems much better than I have experienced. Do you have chronograph data for your load? Personally have found a 40 caliber (.390” diameter) patched roundball leaving the muzzle at 2000 FPS or so and sighted in at 75 yards will be about 10” low at 125 yards and drift nearly 2’ in a 10 mph crosswind. Not exactly amazing or flat shooting at the 125 yard marker in my experience, so I would love to hear more specifics about your experience with your rifle and load.

In my posted statement, I’m going by point of aim. I didn’t see the need for a chronograph to determine point of aim. In my state the .40 calibre is a minimum calibre for big game, so though mostly for punching paper and stalking rabbits and squirrels…I was curious to see what the gun could do. Essentially, out to 125 yrds I found that I’m aiming right at the target and my groupings are staying, reasonably well within the kill zone, a 6” black radius of the center bullseye.

Once I have a load that I feel is accurate in my firearm, I want to know where that load is hitting at various distances. This will make me more competitive at club shoots and more proficient and ethical when hunting live game in the field…I want to know, for all my guns, where is it hitting at 20 yrds, 25 yrds, 40 yrds, 50 yrds, 75 yrds, 100 yrds, & 125 yrds.

Depending how much time I have at the range, temperature, and various general shooting conditions, I like to shoot 5 shot groups at targets under 80 yrds. If it’s overly hot, cold, windy etc. I don’t even try to collect shooting data, and spend my time working on Kentucky windage, and off-hand shooting at targets and gongs.

Targets start to get fuzzy for me at 100 yrds, so I’ll shoot 10 shot groups, or more at 100 yrds & beyond; looking for a pattern in the overall group to see if I’m leaning high, low, left, right, etc. I’m a traditional shooter, so only open sites on all my muzzleloaders.

Now for me, 100 yrds is a reasonable limit for big game, I can safely say that most of my big game are harvested under 100 yrds. In my younger days, with better eyes, that was not the case….I’ll still want an idea of what’s happening beyond that distance...so 125 yrds is reasonable, and it’s easy for 100 yrds and 125 yrds to be confused when hunting. Once an animal is beyond 125 yrds, it’s pretty easy to say…yeah, that’s a bit far, and I’ll bide my time and work to get another 25, to 45 yrds closer, then re-estimate the shot; and decide to take the shot or work in closer still…so 125 yrd grouping is a good buffer. I don’t carry a range finder, when hunting in a traditional manner.

I was very surprised that I didn’t have to compensate for 100 yrds, I was expecting a 40 grain load to hit low at 100 yrds. I just aimed right at the target, aimed the best I could and managed to keep 9 of 10 shots in the kill zone. The 100 yrd group looked solid, and fairly evenly spaced. The one shot that was out of the kill zone was high at 2:00.

Then I set up and started shooting at 125 yrds…same thing. It shocked me. I’m not really shooting what I would consider a hunting load in my .40 calibre, it’s 40 grains of fffg. I’m not overly experienced with this rifle, the gun was ordered back in December 2020, and arrived November of 2021…I half expected my shots to be noticeably low at 125 yrds, most likely in the region of the very edge of the bottom of the target, 1/2 on paper & 1/2 off paper.

Nope, not what I got…10 shots, 8 in the kill zone, 2 low at the bottom. 1 at 5:00, and 1 at 7:00. That is actually flat shooting out the 125 yrds. I’m happily surprised.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

If I had to choose 2 and I wasn’t going to hunt anything bigger than deer, I’d have a .32 and a .45. .32’s are just plain fun and super cheap to shoot and I’ve killed enough deer with a .45 that I know it’s enough for me.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

If I had to choose 2 and I wasn’t going to hunt anything bigger than deer, I’d have a .32 and a .45. .32’s are just plain fun and super cheap to shoot and I’ve killed enough deer with a .45 that I know it’s enough for me.

I really like my .45’s. They’ve really opened my eyes about the capabilities of this calibre. And a 13/16ths barrel at 42” and .45 calibre is a comfortable carry into the woods.

My .32 calibre Pedersoli BlueRidge is quite barrel heavy, in my opinion. I love the gun dearly, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it losing an inch or more in barrel length. I’d like a 36” barrel in the .32 calibre.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

I really like my .45’s. They’ve really opened my eyes about the capabilities of this calibre. And a 13/16ths barrel at 42” and .45 calibre is a comfortable carry into the woods.

My .32 calibre Pedersoli BlueRidge is quite barrel heavy, in my opinion. I love the gun dearly, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it losing an inch or more in barrel length. I’d like a 36” barrel in the .32 calibre.

I don’t have any expensive rifles, I’ve got .45 Seneca’s and Cherokee’s and .32 Cherokee’s, Crockett’s and a Seneca with an aftermarket .32 barrel of unknown make. They are all really easy to carry. Eventually I’d like a long .32 Flinter with great wood.
I’ve got a .36 Seneca too but I could never warm up to .36.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I don’t have any expensive rifles, I’ve got .45 Seneca’s and Cherokee’s and .32 Cherokee’s, Crockett’s and a Seneca with an aftermarket .32 barrel of unknown make. They are all really easy to carry. Eventually I’d like a long .32 Flinter with great wood.
I’ve got a .36 Seneca too but I could never warm up to .36.

Strumming my 6 Strings…the TC Seneca & Cherokee product were such fine offerings. I would love to see a manufacturer bring that idea back in a similar product offering.

Getting younger shooters and more women involved in blackpowder is a great thing; those two firearms platforms accomplished that is Spades.

The .45 calibre in both platforms is perfect for target shooting and small game. Both guns are so light, that even moderate hunting loads, 60 grains to 75 grains, are pretty stout for younger shooters.

 

[Snydly]

I think by now your question has been answered . ..32,36, 40 for small stuff. 45,50 and 54 for large game animals. I personally only use my shotguns on birds and do my best to go for head shots only. Small game.... I don't like picking shot out of my food and it's much more of a satisfaction to use a .32 or my 36 for head shot rabbits and squirrels. Happy hunting.

 

[rchas]

In the old National Park Service Popular Study Series there was a monograph titled "Rifle Making in the Great Smokey Mountains". Regarding caliber:

"...four kinds of rifles were made: one of about .35 calibre (0.35 inch) which was called a
squirrel gun; one about .40 calibre (0.40 inch) called a turkey rifle; one about .45 calibre (0.45 inch) called a deer rifle; and
one of approximately .50 calibre (0.50 inch) called a bear gun." p. 22.

I always thought that succinctly stated the best game/rifle combinations. You can find the series at National Park Service: Publication Series (Popular Study)

 

[nkbj]

Yall are reminding me that I need to do small game round ball loads in the 26" twist .458 bore TC New Englander.

 

[KIt]

I have a Kibler .36 SMR. The swamped barrel makes it light weight and well balanced. My full stock Hawken in .62 cal. is what I've used for big game.

I think I am going with a 36 cal Kibler. My concern was the weight of the barrel. Your answer was perfect!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Swamped Barrels are so nice. Nothing like shooting a gun that is near perfectly balanced and practically aims itself.

Great choice…

 

[waksupi]

I have both .36 and .40. .40 wins hands down for longer shots.

 

[KIt]

I have both .36 and .40. .40 wins hands down for longer shots.

What king of distances are you talking about? 40 is probabally good for coyotes, but is it overkill for rabbits?

 

[brazosland]

Next to .62 & .58 the .40 is my favorite.

It’s all the things everyone has said about it. Load it down to 15-20 grains of 3F and you can do anything a .32/.36 excell at…but you don’t have to handle those tiny balls!

Take a .390 round ball loaded up to 55 grains and it’s deadly on our Texas size deer and hogs to 100 with proper shot placement.

I do like the sound and effect of really big balls hitting game animals, but if I could only have one rifle it would be one of my .40’s.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Next to .62 & .58 the .40 is my favorite.

It’s all the things everyone has said about it. Load it down to 15-20 grains of 3F and you can do anything a .32/.36 excell at…but you don’t have to handle those tiny balls!

Take a .390 round ball loaded up to 55 grains and it’s deadly on our Texas size deer and hogs to 100 with proper shot placement.

I do like the sound and effect of really big balls hitting game animals, but if I could only have one rifle it would be one of my .40’s.

I would like to hear more of your thoughts on the .62 calibre & the .58 calibre. I may not always agree with your opinions, but I solidly respect your opinions and your depth of knowledge.

 

[waksupi]

What king of distances are you talking about? 40 is probabally good for coyotes, but is it overkill for rabbits?

I get good accuracy out to around 125 yards. Head shots for rabbits is no problem.