Barrel Choice

[Hanshi]

My .45 has a straight barrel, 13/16" and 36" long.  It is light and balances very well but with still a little weight at the muzzle.  My .50 has a "B" weight swamped barrel x 38", balances like a dream and feels like a feather.

[Tourblanche]

What about history ?

    A very long barrel was usefull before  1720-1740  because of the powder that was made in those years .
    As time passed , powder was still made with the same 3 ingredients , but
   milling , mixing and granulation improved .  The powder available today is probably   OK for  36 " and perhaps even a bit shorter barrels .

    What is your favorite time period  ?    Classic long rifle ( so many styles ) ?  Hawken ?

[RobD]

it's ALL about personal choices and the primary use of the firearm.  if hunting is some part of the equation, fit in the caliber and manoeuvrability factors.   most folks who are somewhat like me enjoy a bit of each era, from the F&I war to the rev to the golden age and then the mountain man period.  then there's the ignition system choices.  i prefer flintlocks and enjoy early smoothies (F&I/rev), the golden era rifles and those rare half stock hawkens.  if re-enactment is yer game, the firearm may need to be lots more period/era specific.  if just shooting is the game, there are a few "hawken style" rifles that can be had for $500, but for the more specific era arm the price tag can escalate rapidly, particularly if a smoothie is needed.  it's all good, there are no rules, totally subjective.  enjoy!!!

[2country]

Some good input here. The gun will be a flint lock Lancaster, Southern type rifle used for hunting coyote to squirrel to rocks and flies, maybe small deer, just a do what ever fun gun.

I called Goex Powder inc. to get information on, barrel length and powder burn. The guy that I spoke with didn’t have a good answer.

I spoke with the folks at sittingfoxmuzzleloaders for awile, real nice guy answered all my questions. They will be getting some of my business! A rifle 36” x ¾ cross flats octagon barrel will come in at
around 6 1/2 lbs. This is what my traditions .32 cal Crocket is. It fills good but could have just a little more forward weight for better hang.
He said I can get a rifle with 13/16 octagon barrel down to around
7 ¼ lbs.  
I can get a rifle with an A swamped barrel at 36” but didn’t get a weight.

Does anyone have experience with 36” x ¾ cross flats barrel in .36 cal and up?
If I go .40 cal with ¾ x 36” barrel, will the barrel be to light (flex) for good accuracy? How about a swamped A profile barrel 36” .36 cal and up?

[RobD]

imho and respectfully, yer wasting a lotta energy and time on stuff that don't matter all that much.  all the things you type about are all viable in one manner or another.  you just need to decide what you want/require.  getting opinions of others is just that - what they think and/or want.  whether or not you already have a number of ml's, and since we all know there is no "best" muzzleloader, trying to get a whole list of things nailed down with one gun is a real tough row to hoe, if not impossible.  this is why most of us have a lotta guns, probably more than we need but who sez some of us are sane?  for yer new rifle, just list all yer choices and filter it down to what you think of yer criteria will please you most.  if you spend too much time on yer gear thinking, the gear becomes far more important than the experience of shooting and/or hunting, or the camaraderie of your shooting buds.  enjoy!

[2country]

yer wasting a lotta energy and time on stuff that don't matter
you just need to decide what you want/require. getting opinions of others is just that

Respectfully, not a waste to me and yes I can make a choice without help from a form thought discussing things was what a form was for. I put value on others opinions that is why I asked questions and enjoyed the different opinions.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[RobD]

Some good input here. The gun will be a flint lock Lancaster, Southern type rifle used for hunting coyote to squirrel to rocks and flies, maybe small deer, just a do what ever fun gun.

"squirrel to deer" with considerations for .36 to .40 caliber will put a goodly emphasis on yer shooting and loading skills, and will require more thought in taking an ethical shot on critters larger than tree rats.

.....

If I go .40 cal with ¾ x 36” barrel, will the barrel be to light (flex) for good accuracy? How about a swamped A profile barrel 36” .36 cal and up?

NONE of that stuff about burn rates or barrel profile or barrel weight will matter all that much, imho.  but you may also wish to consider recoil as a factor if the overall gun gets quite light.      

[Mike Brooks]

The gun will be a flint lock Lancaster, Southern type rifle

That's going to be a real gem of a rifle, especially with a 36" X 3/4" X .36  

I just built a late period Appalachia flint rifle with a B weight Colerain 42" X .36. The finished gun weighs 7 1/2 lbs. The A weight wight save you another  1/4 to 1/2 lb. You go with a 3/4" barrel you're going to have some real architectural problems. Of course with a Lancaster of the Southern type maybe architecture isn't an issue.

[ridjrunr]

That'll be a doozy  

[RobD]

OR, don't give a rat's pitoot about being "period era hysterically correct" and do whatever the heck pleases YOU and not HIM, sez i.

[Hawken]

I know how to fly anything with wings and an engine, I know how to work on P&W radial engines, I know how to kill deer/squirrels/turkeys, and I know how to shoot a rifle. But what I am not schooled in or adept at is building a Traditional Rifle. Long ago I discovered that there are people out there that are smarter than I am and that my Dad taught me that if I wanted to learn how to grow corn....it was wise to go ask a man that had a crib full! So...a while back when I ran across a FOR SALE ad that Mr. Tom Watson over in Georgia had put up for a .50 caliber Traditional Flintlock that he had built up, I called him and asked about his experience with these rifles. He advised that he had 39 years experience in building them and that the rifle I was asking about was a 'shooter'! I bought that rifle and I discovered that Mr Watson's word is as good as gold! Being a 'newbie' to flintlocks I had a few problems at first but Tom assisted me with getting 'squared away' and now...this flintlock fires every time I squeeze the trigger! I believe it pays to listen to an experienced rifle builder!!

Flintrifle by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

I cut the centers out of my 100 yard targets and save them and once I got the rear barrel sight adjusted on this rifle....the majority of shots went to center!

Flinttgts by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

[Mike Brooks]

I know how to fly anything with wings and an engine, I know how to work on P&W radial engines, I know how to kill deer/squirrels/turkeys, and I know how to shoot a rifle. But what I am not schooled in or adept at is building a Traditional Rifle. Long ago I discovered that there are people out there that are smarter than I am and that my Dad taught me that if I wanted to learn how to grow corn....it was wise to go ask a man that had a crib full! So...a while back when I ran across a FOR SALE ad that Mr. Tom Watson over in Georgia had put up for a .50 caliber Traditional Flintlock that he had built up, I called him and asked about his experience with these rifles. He advised that he had 39 years experience in building them and that the rifle I was asking about was a 'shooter'! I bought that rifle and I discovered that Mr Watson's word is as good as gold! Being a 'newbie' to flintlocks I had a few problems at first but Tom assisted me with getting 'squared away' and now...this flintlock fires every time I squeeze the trigger! I believe it pays to listen to an experienced rifle builder!!

Flintrifle by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

I cut the centers out of my 100 yard targets and save them and once I got the rear barrel sight adjusted on this rifle....the majority of shots went to center!

Flinttgts by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

That's a nice Hawken.

[RobD]

Flintrifle by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

just ... absolutely ... beautiful.  

and she's a shooter to boot!

curious as to what's the barrel length?

[Hawken]

Barrel is 35"!

[RobD]

i was gonna guess 34" but 35" is darned perfect. too.

man, that is just one awesome hawken ... i wished you didn't post those pics, now i need to get me one of those!!!