.50 Calber for Elk?

[Ranch 13]

Back in the day before elk became kevlar coated, and almost impossible to kill, many of them were killed with 45,50 and 54 roundballs, and the occasional 58. Most choose their shot, and placed the ball where it needed to go. With the exception of Colorado, there were no special muzzleloading seasons, and if you wanted to use your muzzleloader, you did it in the regular firearm season.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Really it comes down to what style hunting you prefer. If deep down inside yourself the taking of the animal is the marker of success, don’t use a prb. If actual hunting is your rating of success, change your thought process and hunt as your a bow hunter. Several thousand bowhunters can get within range of a bull elk (<50 yds) and have the patience to wait for the perfect shot. Become a “bow hunter” with your muzzleloader.
Walk

 

[Ragged Edge]

What I've learned chasing primarily WT deer since 1976 with a flintlock is that a .50 cal. PRB can NOT be counted on to drop a deer in it's tracks without disrupting the CNS. Neither can a lot of other calibers/rifles. I quit using the PRB in place of the short REAL bullet because it is faster to load, and supplies a much better blood trail with a good shot because it almost always passes through on any broadside shot, and It cuts a clean hole (visible on a paper target) that is harder to plug up.

 

[WashingtonCounty]

“Walk” kinda sums it up. Although crawl comes in handy. I’ve been hunting elk in here in CO for quite a while with handguns, M/L, bows. Loved the hunts, seen lots, never shot at one. I set my maximum range where I can keep all of my shots (at the range) on a 6” pie plate. That gives some margin of error for shooting after running up a hill at 10,000 ft. FYI, my max range is 50yd with a M/L, 30 yd for a bow, and handguns need to be close enough for powder burns.

 

[WashingtonCounty]

Co recently went to minimums for elk of 50 .cal conicals @ min. 210 grains or 54 .cal PRB. Seems reasonable.
One of the problems I ran into when I moved out here from PA was underestimating range. Elk are pretty much huge and what looks like 50 yds might be a fair bit farther. Glad I used my rangefinder instead of my rifle on the first couple I saw.

 

[Urban Coyote]

The state is Montana. I didn't draw this year, first time in quite a while, and I've been wishing for a traditonal muzzleloader season there for years.

I once lived in Eastern Montana and in the early 1980s there was a surplus of deer, many antlerless b-tags were available over the counter. I used my muzzleloaders to fill a number of these tags, all with PRB.

Like I said, I've never shot at an elk with a muzzleloader. I did run across a young fellow trying to sight in a beautiful, minty actually, very early T/C Hawken at my club a few years back. It kind of made me cringe the way he loaded it with the new looking brass buttplate against the concrete we were standing on. Apparently some older gentleman, his neighbor I believe, had gifted him the gun. Anyway, I turned him on to some patches and a few round balls, success, he got it sighted. The next Spring I was on the range when the same guy came over to thank me for the PRB lesson, he'd killed his elk.

Your input is appreciated.

 

[Elkhorse]

This thread reminds me of reading Field and Stream magazine back in the early 60's and beyond.
Always the same, what caliber will and won't take down what.

 

[Stony Broke]

I have to agree with Old Hawkeye as far as bullets go for an elk. I have shot a number of deer and feral hogs with RB's, but not at long distances. Using a .50 Caliber I would opt for a conical to get better penetration and be better prepared for the differences that can happen with the hunt.

 

[pamtnman]

but will a .45 kill an elk?

 

[oldwood]

Once built a rifle for a young fellow . Rifle was a copy of an original flint , Dreppert ,Lancaster, long rifle , in .50 . Each year he sends me a photo of the elk he shoots with it. from Colorado where he lives. He uses a plain PRB..

 

[GrandLakeHunter]

It's not so much the caliber as it is what projectile you use & it's velocity that determine terminal performance. A 50 cal round lead ball weighs about 180 grains. 50 cal conicals weigh from about 270 to 420 grains. A mature bull elk weighs 700 or more pounds. This ain't rocket surgery. When hunting BIG animals use BIG, HEAVY bullets. I wouldn't shoot an elk with a 50 PRB past 50 yards. Round balls shed velocity quickly & become anemic at longer ranges. With a heavy conical, 100 yards or slightly more would not be unethical, if one is capable of placing the bullet in the vitals at that range. Just food for thought.

100% agree. There is lots of talk about caliber and that is fine if you are in PRB only conversations. Bullet type, weight and consistent shot placement is everything, not caliber. Some use 40 cal with long heavy slugs...works excellent. I am hooked on Lee REAL slugs and would feel fine using 50 cal, 250 or 320 grain REAL's.

 

[josie wales]

Back in the day before elk became kevlar coated, and almost impossible to kill, many of them were killed with 45,50 and 54 roundballs, and the occasional 58. Most choose their shot, and placed the ball where it needed to go. With the exception of Colorado, there were no special muzzleloading seasons, and if you wanted to use your muzzleloader, you did it in the regular firearm season.

Back in "THE DAY" many more were wounded to run off and die.

 

[Ranch 13]

Back in "THE DAY" many more were wounded to run off and die.

That hasn't been my observation based on the number of dead critters found in the timber..

 

[CoHiCntry]

but will a .45 kill an elk?

Yes!... but only if you shoot them in the eyeball

 

[Stony Broke]

I wouldn't be a bit afraid of using a .50 for elk....a guy just has to have good control of his firearm and be able to control where his bullet hits. I wouldn't be shooting a rb at 100 yds or more at an elk, but up to 50 yards with good placement there is no reason why it wouldn't do it's job. If I were hunting elk myself, I think I'd rather use a conical, just because the extra weight of the bullet will give you better penetration, but a rb could do the job also. I've shot a lot of hogs up in the 250 lb. or more range with rb's, placing the shot in the center of the front leg and had no problems. I would usually find a broken front leg and the ball sitting up against the skin on the other side.

 

[mooman76]

I'd wager allot of states won't allow a 50 with RBs for elk.

 

[William Lincoln]

In the word "Hunt" there is no mention of the weapon to be used.
Certain basics apply. You prepare, you scout, you stalk to within range
or take a "still "position within range and choose the weapon that will kill
within that range. If all goes well =you win and fill your freezer.

 

[hanshi]

What I've learned chasing primarily WT deer since 1976 with a flintlock is that a .50 cal. PRB can NOT be counted on to drop a deer in it's tracks without disrupting the CNS. Neither can a lot of other calibers/rifles. I quit using the PRB in place of the short REAL bullet because it is faster to load, and supplies a much better blood trail with a good shot because it almost always passes through on any broadside shot, and It cuts a clean hole (visible on a paper target) that is harder to plug up.

I must respectfully disagree with your assessment concerning WT deer. I've dropped several of them in place with both the .50 and .45, and none was a hit anywhere around the CNS plumbing. Prb is all I hunt with regardless of caliber and never have lost a deer with either one. IMHO if a shooter can't hit a WT in the lethal part of it's anatomy with a .45 or .50, a bigger projectile certainly won't do it either.

 

[SDSmlf]

So my question is have any of you killed elk with a .50 caliber rifle and if so what was your experience?

How many of the posters have actually shot a mature bull elk with a 50 caliber (or 45 or 40) patched roundball, let alone a with a traditional muzzleloader? Or maybe elk sized game?

 

[Ranch 13]

Elk just simply are not that hard to kill. They can take a lot of punishment and go along ways even when shot with the magical belted magnum cases. They have pretty thick coats and blood trails may not be what one would hope.
The thing about a "mature" bull is post rut they will be so run down in body condition that a mature dry cow will weigh as much if not more. Most folks make the fatal mistake of thinking they're big so they don't have to aim small.. Best bet is to shoot for just behind the front leg to avoid the heavy shoulder bones. But if you get to far back from the front leg and just barely clip the back of the lungs it's liable to be a tracking job...
Bottom line is they haven't built the elk yet that when shot with a 50 caliber round ball properly placed will shrug and look at you as if to say, you stupid human you shot me with that?
Think about it for a minute, the 50 caliber round ball doing around 18-1900 fps will be bigger in diameter before it gets to the fur, than a 44 magnum handgun bullet will be if it expands, and it's dang seldom you see anybody say the 44 isn't up to the task.