Small calibers????
08-05-2011, 07:46 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Downwind, New York
Posts: 578
Small calibers????
I am not a professional on the subject like some of you probably are but after reading through the thread titled "what's next" I got to thinking. Are there any muzzy calibers smaller than .45??? If one was created, would it work? Would the bullet withstand the powder charge? Could it be a faster, longer range "varmint load"??? I'm just thinking out loud here. Any opinions?
08-05-2011, 08:26 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
Well Predate my son, you have .40, .36, 32. These are the most common. I also believe at one time there was a .22 around but not sure.
A couple of us have .32s and there may be a 36 or 40 around this forum. These little bores use mostly patched round balls. Or as we refer to them PRBs.
A couple of us have .32s and there may be a 36 or 40 around this forum. These little bores use mostly patched round balls. Or as we refer to them PRBs.
08-05-2011, 08:32 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
PREDATE, the only smaller calibers I know of are all round ball shooters - .32's, .36's, .38's and .40's. They are fairly short range propositions with the two smaller ones pretty much limited to 50 yards and the larger ones to 100 yards.
MMP makes a sabot for shooting .357 bullets from a .45 caliber gun. (http://www.mmpsabots.com/blue.html) I've tried them in my 1:30 twist barrel with Hornady 125 grain XTPs and got great accuracy with light loads, but couldn't get them to shoot well with hot loads. They were just not long range shooters.
MMP makes a sabot for shooting .357 bullets from a .45 caliber gun. (http://www.mmpsabots.com/blue.html) I've tried them in my 1:30 twist barrel with Hornady 125 grain XTPs and got great accuracy with light loads, but couldn't get them to shoot well with hot loads. They were just not long range shooters.
Last edited by Semisane; 08-05-2011 at 08:34 AM.
08-05-2011, 08:51 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Here's a trajectory study I did with my 1:30 twist Green Mountain Barreled Renegade with 125 grain .357 Speers and 40 grains of GOEX.
I took two shots each at 20, 30, 40, 50 & 60 yards and was really pleased with the results. When I tried more powder accuracy went to hell. But this would be a great small game/varmint load at least out to 60 yards - maybe ever farther, but I stopped at 60.
Some day I'll shoot this load over the chronograph to see how fast it's going, and also try longer ranges to see how far out the accuracy holds up.
I took two shots each at 20, 30, 40, 50 & 60 yards and was really pleased with the results. When I tried more powder accuracy went to hell. But this would be a great small game/varmint load at least out to 60 yards - maybe ever farther, but I stopped at 60.
Some day I'll shoot this load over the chronograph to see how fast it's going, and also try longer ranges to see how far out the accuracy holds up.
08-05-2011, 09:18 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,605
I modern inline 40cal would be interesting and there are a wide variety of .3XX bullets that would work and 40cal conicals are not too rare either. State regs though would likely hurt sales. Ive got the MMP 45x357 to shoot the 147gr 9mm XTP "ok" with a light load.
Last edited by Gm54-120; 08-05-2011 at 09:21 AM.
