.50?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Is the Big Fifty a good caliber for a round ball rifle? Seems like a decent go between from a squirrel gun and a big bore.

 

[deerstalkert]

i haven't found anything my .50 won't take care of except for elk and moose i use a .54 but the .50 would most likely work.
have barked a squirrel with the .50. have taken the head off a turkey with the .50. have base of the neck shot grouse with the .50. even shot a goose with the .50
deer fear the .50.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Hunted and shot a .50 calibre for most of my participation in this sport/hobby.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Is the Big Fifty a good caliber for a round ball rifle? Seems like a decent go between from a squirrel gun and a big bore.

Yes, but it's not "between" in an "either or" sense, with a squirrel gun and a big bore (imho) Folks don't really agree on what is meant by "big bore" either. Some say .58 or better, some say .62 or larger, and one chap that I've read who dealt with dangerous large game thought that .69 was for deer type animals, and .72 [12 bore] or larger was a "big bore" for things like tigers, or rhino, or elephant (well he used 4-bore for elephant).

A .50 tends to be quite hefty on impact, and for anything smaller than deer, it's pretty much head shots only.

Something .40-.45 with a round ball is more like the caliber that transitions for both small game and and big game, but even that's different, depending on the person whom you ask. For example, I have a .40, which I think is dandy for small game AND for deer (at the distances that I hunt). It's legal where I live for deer. A few folks live in areas that allow a rifle smaller, and have taken deer with a .38 or even a .36 at a close distance Other folks live where the .45 is the smallest allowed for deer, but they have a very accurate rifle so do head shots on squirrel and rabbit, and some even on turkey (in the fall).

So..., it depends on what you want to do, really.

A majority of folks will say, I venture to guess, that if it's big game but smaller than an elk, .50 round ball is great. Some will tell you an elk needs at least a .54 BUT..., others will say they've taken elk with a .50 without a problem, and others will tell you No, and that an elk is much better when taken with a .58. Some of the members here love their .62 rifles, and wouldn't think of taking anything big with something smaller, and some will tell you YES a .62 but in smoothbore, so you use a round ball on the deer, and shot on smaller stuff...

Get something that is accurate, AND that you like to shoot, AND that you also like to carry. Then figure out the best way to use that for the shooting that you are doing.

To sum it up... "There's more than one way to skin a rabbit", as the saying goes....


LD

 

[pmccoywss]

My .50 with hunting loads propelled a 180gr round ball at almost 2100 fps, right in line with 7x57 unmentionable out to 20 yards. Longest shot on game was 120 yards, and he was DRT.

 

[tnlonghunter]

In a B-profile swamped barrel, a .50 is the biggest bore you can get (at least that I know of) so it's a very lightweight barrel for caliber. My .50 has a 38" B-profile and weighs about 7 1/3 pounds or so. And no, the recoil isn't bad at all.

 

[brotherlloyd]

no matter what you choose its about shot placement. practice, practice, practice

 

[dave951]

Is the Big Fifty a good caliber for a round ball rifle? Seems like a decent go between from a squirrel gun and a big bore.

Well, the "Big Fifty" really refers to a cartridge Sharps in 50/90. No correlation to a 50cal muzzleloader.

Yup, it's a good all around gun but like many "all around" guns, it does some things very, very well, and others adequately.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

If choosing for deer, a 54 is a better bet as for the same barrel profile, it will be 1/2-pound lighter than a 50. And would be good bear medicine.

But otherwise a 50 is a good all-around choice and I would choose a 50 over a 45.

 

[sheriff john]

I like 'em all. .50's a bit more whollop than a .45 with the same powder charge, but the .45's shoot flatter. Heart-shot deer won't care. Out to 50-60 yards where I choose to shoot 'em, never saw any difference.

.50's easy to clean, even in long barrels. Balls to the pound of lead - c'mon, lead's cheap. Powder's perhaps more of a problem, but not much. Main thing - have fun & don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[hanshi]

I've killed oodles of deer with the .45 and one shot was all that was needed. But I've also killed them with various .50s and had the identical result on every one. Add the .54 and .62 for a very few more. My preference is for a .45 prb when deer hunting. A .45 uses less lead but powder charges are about the same. Dead is, well, dead, and all these calibers performed with equal aplomb. I do believe one should START their caliber search at .50 for elk, moose and such. I have used the .45 on small game but restricted myself to the .32 and .36 many years ago. All in all I like to pair the "correct" caliber with the game sought. I do like the .50 a lot and can highly recommend it.

 

[Dave Dworshak]

right on hanshi-also an excuse to have more different rifles!

 

[Lonewalker]

Yes it's a good roundball caliber

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I shot a deer with a 54 cal, it went down. Kilt a deer with the 45 cal 2 years ago, it fell over also.
Seems they all work just fine