Small caliber smokeless

[stumpy]

I have never read of anyone making a smokeless in anything smaller then .45cal. Aside from not being legal for hunting of big game in most if not all states does anyone have any ideas as to what type of ballistics might be possible from a smokeless in the 30 cal range. I know a certain bullet maker has saboted bullets (357) that are use in a .50 and .45 but I am speaking of bore size in the .30 cal range. Just curious

Thanks

 

[Wolf_River_Mike]

that's a good question Stumpy, I've wondered the same thing myself. I guess the cost of tooling up molds for small caliber sabots with little market or demand may be one answer.

 

[jims]

In Ohio you can shoot .38 caliber muzzleloaders but my problem is even if you could get the barrel work done how do you get sabots unless you went to a sabotless system and that has its own problems. If one shot .375 bullets they would weigh about the same as we can shoot now so I do not know if I could gain much. As soon as one did the State could change the rules and one would be left with a gun one could not use.
I have thought about subcalibers for some years also but could not get past the details.

 

[Dave James]

Here in VA it seems to be 45cal for large game only,, but I have a friend that loves his 36 cal guns for small game,, he has a TC and a lovely Cawoody flinter. But I have never heard of any smokelss ones being built.

 

[Mountain Man]

In Tennessee, the minimum bore for big game is .40. If Del would make some .40/.35 sabots, I would convert my .50 to a .40 in a heartbeat!! (hint, hint!) The advantage, even if the bullets still weigh 200 or 250 grains, is that they would have a much higher sectional density and, depending on shape, ballistic coeffecient than a bullet of the same weight but .452 could have.

 

[Finaddict]

I use a Traditions .32 cal. bp rifle for rabbit and squirell. It is a great little rifle and very accurate with a patched round ball. I know of a couple of places on the Internet to purchase .32 conicals. They weigh about 70 gr. I love the rifle.