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Small caliber muzzleloaders


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For the last few years Ive gotten the Blackpowder bug bad. Its my go to firearm for deer, over several dedicated sluggers I have. I just love to go to the range and target with them, perfecting loads and trying for better groups.

Ive even amassed a growing pile of all calibers, mostly modern style. I havent gone over the traditional wall yet...;)

but with most of my 50 and bigger calibers its still over a buck a shot easy with bullets and all the gear for whatever load. So lately Ive gotten into the smaller calibers.. .32 & .36 mostly, bought a few and started in with Patched roundballs and real blackpowder. But it seems everything in these calibers are all in sidelock or traditional style guns. and I guess Im getting a bit older, and My eyes arent as good as i think they should be. I just cant seem to get the grouping I Know the guns are capable of, Open sights and all.. I even have an older CVA Varminter in .32 tapped and drilled for a scope, but I just dont think it would look so good on a sidelock. so I started searching.. Modern style HAS been made, But in small batches and anyone who has one loves em and just will NOT part with them. I found this site, among others

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlrifle3.html

I just kept going back to drool over those guns..Wow!! I wanted one bad. I tried searching all kinds of forums/auction sites...and soon found out I wasnt gonna get a hold of one that easy. So, I started mailing barrel makers.. to try and get a custom for an existing platform....they ALL werent interested.. tried gunsmiths.. Most were diehard traditional style and werent even interested..well, I got to talking with one from another forum, and he eventually agreed to custom make me a barrel..for anything I wanted! well I just loved that green Mtn .32 from the link. pretty much built on a Knight Disc extreme. So I had to one up that and went with a Knight Mountaineer as a base. all stainless I bought a NIB and had it shipped to him. Kansas..haha Hes working on it now. I even contacted the guys from the site about their write up rifle..Barrel, rate of twist, any and every tidbit of knowledge...since im getting it all custom anyway..fine tune everything..right.. well they were about the best knowledge base on small caliber muzzleloaders Ive come across yet. Their rifle, and most .32 for that matter are usually in a standard 1-48 twist. usually requiring a load of 20-30 grns + for best accuracy. a bit heavy for squirrel, and anything but a headshot almost cuts one in 2 spoiling a lot of usable meat. well they said the old TC cherokee in .32 had a 1-30 twist and was probobly their all time favorite, most accurate squirrel gun. Remaining accurate with a load down to 15 grns for a good head shot or smaller hole and less waste on a squirrel gun. So, here I sit, anxious as can be waiting for my custom .32 (after much debate and research I went with a 1-36 twist) to arrive.. Itll prob be a few months, so ill just be out shooting a sidelock till then.. Ill post on it again once it gets here. sure its probably about 3 times more money than its worth...but I guess im just a big kid with more expensive toys..:D:cool:

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Probably the cheapest would be something like

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-R36128

but CTD doesnt like to ship to NJ..may have to call them and try for a FFL transfer

next cheapest is prob

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00139R26128101

you can try most auction sites, but most of the time anything in 32-36 are discontinued and in high demand. the prices will usually floor you. Ive picked up a few from watching a lot of different Blackpowder forum classified, but even then, its sporadic at best and pricey as a rule.

most usually go with a replacement barrel for a hawkins or great plains style rifle. its a drop in replacementand if you already have the rifle, its the best/cheapest route. otherwise, its a watch and wait deal. hence my finally opting for a custom. otherwise youll pay abt a grand for a better made/better name traditional style anyway. theres a great knowledge base on those forums, but you cant even mention anything "modern style" there

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