36 Caliber

[HEAD0001]

I just picked up a nice LH 36 caliber percussion rifle. It has a 34" barrel that is a 1in48 twist. I just picked up a couple of hundred round balls to get started. I will buy a round ball mold if I like the rifle. Is anyone casting and shooting a conical in a rifle like this??

Any opinions on the 36 caliber are welcome. Including loads and patches for the roundball. I am new to the36 caliber. but I am looking forward to learning and shooting the heck out of it. Thanks, Tom.

[swamp]

HEAD,

I have a T/C Senaca in 36 that is a joy to shoot. The 1 in 48 twist is for conicals or maxi-balls.
It might be a bit fast for round balls.

If you cast 357 boolits you might try shooting them Lube with BP lube. Mine shoots them quite well.

The best part of shooting a 36 is powder and lead go a long way. I have a T/C Maxi mold if you would like to try some of them. If you want some cover shipping and I will send you some.

swamp

[mooman76]

I shoot 1-48 twist in my 50 with round balls and it shoots good so a 36 with a 1-48 should be fine.

[swamp]

mooman76

must be a senior moment. Is it a slow twist that won't stablilize a conical?

[HEAD0001]

What is the weight of a TC Maxi-?? Tom.

[swamp]

Just weighed 5 and they run 105 + - .5 gr. Cast soft.

[northmn]

1-48 is ideal for a 36. I have that twist in a 40 and it works fine. I have seen more concern over twist rate than is warranted for a round ball as they seem to function over a wider range than bullets. Rifling depth is probably more of a concern but smaller calibers can utilize shallower rifling. 36 should make a fun little rifle for you. They used to be "the" squirrel rifle when I started shooting muzzle loaders but the 32 gained popularity since. You have to head shoot with either. Makes a good little rifle for the larger small game species like woodchucks. 30-35 grains is generally used for small game.

Northmn

[jhrosier]

I shot a boatload of RBs through my Seneca back in the day.
I used a heavy charge of Pyrodex under a grease patched RB with excellent results.
It was the only gun that I ever got good results with Pyrodex.

Jack

[mooman76]

mooman76

must be a senior moment. Is it a slow twist that won't stablilize a conical?

Kind of what I was thinking but if you said you did it, I couldn't argue,( I don't have a 36,,,,yet). One of the few BP calibers I don't have. He might get a really short conical to stabize but won't know until he tried.

[Greg in Malad]

I have a 36 Seneca. With a 128 gr Maxi, 40 gr of Pyrodex RS is the lightest load that will stabilize at 50 yds. Producing 5-shot 2" groups. With a round ball, the same load shoots one hole clusters at 25 yds, and will hit an 8" gong at 100 yds, not bad considering the front sight covers about 2 feet at that range. I have tried Pyrodex RS and P as well as Grafs FF and FFF, and Pyrodex RS shoots the best.

[jimb16]

A round ball will stabilize in a 1:72 twist. The longer the bullet compared to its length, the faster the twist needed to stabilize it. My Colt AR Target Match is designed for 85 gr .223 bullets and it needs a 1:7 twist to stabilize them.

[northmn]

Twist rate is really the angle of the twist and not so much the standards that some quote such as 1-48. The angle of twist for a 1-48 inch twist in a 36 is about the same as a 1-66 in a 50. So while some slugs that work in the 50 may shoot fair the same design in a 36 would be about 1-35 for an equivalent twist. Modern rifles shooting long bullets in 35 are probably 1-16 or less. Round ball shooting seems to be able to accomodate a variety of twists. I had fairly good accuracy with a 32 and a Douglas 1-66 twist. Many had excellent little 36's with Douglas barrels that performed very well.

Northmn

[Hanshi]

The TVM .36 flint SMR I own is as good as everyone says about the caliber. My favorite sg & varmint rifle. The twist rate is about 1-48" or not too much slower. It's a tack driver, too.

[Fly]

I never shot or had a .36.How do they shoot out to a 100 yards & how many grains of powder
do you guys use?

Fly

[northmn]

None of the small bores will hold up as well out to 100 yards as a larger bore. My 40 will handle 100 yards in competition but were I still shooting for score I would go to a 45. that being said a smaller bore like the 36 can and has been used in all around bullseye shooting with fair success out to the longer ranges. They are really fun in the primitive matches. You could probably take the occaisional ground hog out at some pretty fair ranges with one.

Northmn

[Hanshi]

I never shot or had a .36.How do they shoot out to a 100 yards & how many grains of powder
do you guys use?

Fly

I agree with northmn. Small calibers are not long range guns. A .36, however, fairs pretty well at 100 yards assuming gentle winds. It's also capable of much more power that a .32. My favorite .36 load is 30 grains Goex 3f, .350 ball and .016 patch lubed with Hoppes #9 Plus BP lube. Velocity is between 1600 & 1700 fps but can vary between rifles. You can go to 40 grains for a real screamer that will be better at 100 yards.

[shdwlkr]

Fly
I have a 36 Seneca that I put a scope on and for kicks shot at the 200 yard target at my old range before I moved and was only a few inches low and that was with the scope just put on the rifle no getting it right for the rifle. If I remember right it was a rb and 20 grains of powder and .18patch. Would I hunt with that load at that range nope but it was fun to see what it would do and will have to look into more serious look at the subject in the future.
Maxi- ball weight for the .32 is around 105 grains +- a few grains depending on alloy and 128 grains for the 36 caliber and 370 I think for my .50 caliber mold and 400 for the .54 there are different weights when you get past the .36 caliber over the years and I can't remember the ranges right now.

[majg1234]

i have a SENECA in 36 cal it is deadly with the maxiball loads,BTW have an extra NIP maxiball mold if anyone is interested.also the CHEROKEE I have in 32 likes the maxiball too Both rifles are 1/48 twist.I like the maxiballs in small caliber as they are a little easier to load after fouling.Only shoot GOEX have not tried anything else yet

[jmh54738]

I put a Leupold 2X long eye relief scope on my Seneca .36. I lead lapped the barrel to remove the rough spots. At 50 yards, 28g 3f, and polypatch the group is 1 5/8" with 3 in 3/4". At 100 yards using a maxiball, bore butter, 50g 3f, the group (6 shots) is 2 7/8", with 3 holes touching, velocity is 1550 fps. The T/C booklet reads 1843 fps for this load. Even with 60g 3f, the velocity is Goex 1650 fps, Dupont 1603 fps, while the booklet reads 2001 fps. 70g 3f......DuPont 1689 fps, Goex 1782. My powders have peaked out, so how did they get 2001 fps out of this rifle? The T/C booklet came with the rifle and is dated 3/10/78. I have the T/C .45 barrel to swap out when the stripped gophers get really tough. John

[DIRT Farmer]

RE twist rates, lower volicity requires a faster twist . Som of the target pistol barrels are fairly fast under 1/20 . I know of one round ball bench gun that has a twist rate as told to me by the owner 1/14 feet. His load was huge but it shot one hole groups. In one of the Beval Bros. articles in Muzzle Blasts, if I rember corectly they rifled a barrel in .40 to one in twenty for a squirrel gun to cut back on meat damage. 1/72 is standard for a 58 RB gun.