.50 cal PRB vs Bullet impact point

[Chris Nolin]

The sights on my .50cal ML are set for a PRB over a target load at 100yds. But if I want to hunt elk with this rifle, I need to start considering bullets. So, in general (with an understanding that there are a thousand ballistic variables involved), will I need to drastically change my sights in order to shoot bullets with a hunting load? My concern is that I don't want to have to change my sights every year, before and after hunting season. Any advice for this beginner? What do you guys do?

 

[galamb]

What do I do?

I use an adjustable rear sight on all my hunting rifles (what you would find on a lever action Winchester or Marlin).

I tend not to shoot long/heavy conicals but will switch from a roundball to a ball-ette in my 50 cal if I'm using it. That extra 40'ish grains of projectile require a sight adjustment.

If you don't want to continually "adjust" your sights, you should set them for your hunting load/charge - the game you are after "deserve that", and learn to shoot your light charge/target /plinking with the sight set that way...

 

[rodwha]

Go to the range and see where it hits. They won't give the same trajectory, but maybe you could work the sights to work with both. Maybe even decreasing your load a little with the PRB and using a little heavier charge for your conical so that the difference isn't as big of a deal. This may reduce your point blank range. But you might not have to jack with your sights.

 

[Idaho Ron]

What do we do? Well I use Lyman adjustable peeps. I sight the gun in at every 50 yard increment. When I want to shoot at an animal I dope the yardage and adjust the sight to match the yardage of the animal. I hold dead on the animal and shoot. Then gut and pack you know the drill :thumbsup: I only use one load I don't switch loads between deer, elk, and antelope. They all get 1380 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards whether they need it or not. Ron

 

[BrownBear]

Only way to be sure is to ignore POI for a while and work on developing a load you feel is suitable for elk. Then check POI for that load and see if it's where you want it.

I tend to sight in my hunting guns with POI at 75 yards, while having enough velocity not to drop below 6" at 100 or get much over 1" high at 50.

I followed the prescription I just described with one of my 58's, finding just the right load in terms of grouping. But with a 75 yard sight-in, it was about 2" high at 50 and at least 8" low at 100. Way too loopy for my tastes. I went back to the load testing and though not grouping as tightly, settled on a load that put me only 5" low at 100 and 1" high at 50 with the 75 yard sight-in. Lots more recoil in such a light gun, but it's a hunting gun and not a target gun, so I settled there.

 

[Vaino]

My .50 cal. TC Hawken's elk load is a 410 gr Buffalo Bullet ahead of 100 grs 2f Goex. The rifle is zeroed for 60 yds because any further, the mid-range height is too great. By the way....this load and rifle has shot 6 elk.

I'd start w/ the above load and then shoot your PRB load and see where the POI is. Who knows...you might get lucky, but chances are the POI of the 2 loads won't even be close.

An adjustable rear sight would solve your problem if you're not lucky......Fred

 

[Billnpatti]

So much depends on the MV of the bullet, the weight of the bullet and the Ballistic Coefficient of the bullet compared to the weight, MV and B.C. of a PRB. If you know what the B.C. and weight is for the bullet that you plan to use and the MV of the bullet, you can go online and find a ballistic calculator that will give you the trajectory of your bullet. Lacking these bits of information, no one can tell you how the trajectory of the bullet will compare to the trajectory of a PRB. Anything that anyone tells you will just be guessing at best.

 

[Kapow]

What sort of rifle is it? Twist rate? I would shoot a near max load with a conical if it is for hunting. Use an overpowder wad. A heavier charge of powder will flatten out your trajectory to take the loop out of your shot.

Once you have got this to group then work out a target load that will shoot to the same point of impact. You might be surprised to find that a hunting load with a maxi is not too far from that of a PRB with lighter charge.

I shoot several different brands of maxis which all print next to each other and then worked up a load with a PRB until it landed where I wanted it. I shoot with fixed primitive sights to avoid having them move about. Simple. Effective. Also makes my hunting rifle a target and varmint rifle.

 

[russecv58]

the best advice I can give you is: go to the range and shoot some of said bullets and see where they are hitting. they may be surprisingly close to the same POI, though you might have to adjust your powder charge a bit. :2

 

[Rifleman1776]

But if I want to hunt elk with this rifle, I need to start considering bullets.

Why?
A patched round ball will kill 'em jest as ded.

 

[Chris Nolin]

Fantastic info. Thank you all. I was thinking I'd have to buy another barrel (or another rifle?) in order to shoot PRB and conicals so I'm not always messing with the sights, but I love the idea several of you mentioned about finding a heavy hunting load and then matching the target load to it. I know I'll still have some mental adjustment to make with the PRB, but that's shooting, right?

The rifle is a Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken, 1:48 twist

Rifleman, I think you're right that a .50PRB will kill an elk consistently. But in Colorado, the bullet or ball must weigh a minimum of 170gr. I don't think a .50 ball weighs that much.

 

[rodwha]

A .50 cal ball does weigh 170 grns or more.

 

[Chris Nolin]

Looks like you're right about that! 177gr for a .490 ball. Hmm, it's funny when you think you know something for sure and then suddenly you don't. Thanks for that!

Still, I'll want a little more lead for elk, to give me a few more options in the field.

 

[Rifleman1776]

But in Colorado

Oh! :shocked2:
Colorado. The land of celebrities, lefties, liberals and other assorteed anti-everything weirdos.
Sorry about that. An otherwise beautiful state.

 

[rodwha]

For some reason my cast .490" RB's don't weigh quite 177 grns and are a little small. I'm not sure if my lead isn't quite pure, my mold isn't exact, or if I'm having casting issues. My .457" RB's are also dropping a little small/light.

I'm waiting for my lung to heal up so I can see how they perform at the range!

 

[rodwha]

I used to live in CO just outside of Colorado Springs. As a military brat I've been around and seen a bit, and it's always been my most favored place. As we are preparing to move from Texas to wherever we'd like it was first on the list until I found out just how restrictive and crazy it is now. Nah, I'll move on.

 

[Chris Nolin]

Sounds like you're talking about California! You know, we recalled almost all of the politicians who passed those bills, and the laws themselves probably won't last too much longer--especially the mag size one. Anyway, we have enough ranchers, farmers and military here to hold our own against the celebrities (really?? where??), lefties, and such.

 

[Vaino]

Why must we interject politics into a neutral topic? MY first choice other than my state of Wisconsin would be Colorado...not because of politics but because it's a state w/ "everything".

You "politicians" should refrain from skewing this topic into an irrelevant topic of ideolgies. If you want to vent your biased political opinions....please do so in the "Premium Forums"....or can't you stand the "heat"?.....Fred

 

[Chris Nolin]

Thank you. Plus, I was wrong about the bullet weight "regulation" anyway. I've lived in quite a few states while in the military. when I got out and could finally choose, Colorado won easily. Love this place.

 

[galamb]

If you want to make sure you are above the minimum and you want something that shoots pretty close to a PRB, as far as trajectory etc you may want to try a PA conical from Hornady (220 grains which I shoot and like quite a bit in my 50 cal).

(These are advertised for 1:66 twist, but in a query to Hornady they stated they worked well in 1:48 thru 1:70 twist)

Buffalo bullets used to make a "Ball-et", which was similar in 245 or 275 grains - but they are discontinued, although they are still available if you look around a bit.

These are half ball, half conical. They come pre-lubed so you don't need a patch and they give your 50 the knockdown power of a 54 while not requiring the fast twist you need to stabilize many conicals.