.58 Caliber hunting load advice

[DonG]

I have a short barreled (20.5 ") .58 cal Jeager rifle that I want to hunt deer with. It shoots great with 55gr. 2FF Goex powder. The velocity is about 1050fps. Is that enough to knock down a decent sized buck? Patched round ball .570 diameter. I usually hunt with .50 and .54 long rifles but I wanted to use this Jeager one time.

Thanks,
Don

 

[ELewis]

check your state and local game laws.....some have caliber restrictions and such. With that said, plenty of folks in my neck of the woods hunt whitetail with a .44 magnum pistol. Without knowing the grain weight of your bullet, I can't really tell you what your energy delivered at say 50 and 100 yards are, but it's probably not much different than that .44 mag round.

 

[Bigpete]

His ball should be around 280gn.
I'm actually surprised at the velocity out of that short barrel and low charge. Makes me wonder what my rocky mountain big bore gets with 110gn

 

[ELewis]

ok....so here's the math. A 280gn round ball traveling 1050fps has a muzzle energy of 685 ft/lbs. A typical .44 magnum 240 grain load delivers a 1,180 fps muzzle velocity for 742 ft lbs of muzzle energy. So a slight edge for the modern cartridge but not too much. If there is one thing I have learned though in years of hunting is that shot placement trumps all that math just about every time, particularly on lighter skinned animals like deer. So I'd say as long as you can put that .58 lead ball in an 8 inch circle out to about 100 yards, your .58 load would drop him.

 

[Sparkitoff]

My State allows airguns for big game with certain parameters, and I often go back to that benchmark for muzzleloaders. Deer are taken readily with .45 and .50 caliber projectiles in the 760-990 FPS MV range. Many are taken at 100-yards, (but the projectiles are likely conicals). Nonetheless, good shot placement is key and I think you've got plenty of "power". A neighbor used a .510 roundball weighing 220 grains with enough air pressure behind it to get 880 FPS and he dropped a decent buck right at the 75-yard mark. You already have more weight and velocity....

 

[CapPopper]

300 gr cast bullet out of a 45 long Colt at 850-900 fps is plenty for deer and many larger animals I vote for its fine. Only question is why such a small charge?

 

[martin9]

If it's an original it probably has a much faster twist than what many barrels are made with now. If that's the case you have to use smaller charges for PRBs.

 

[CapPopper]

If it's an original it probably has a much faster twist than what many barrels are made with now. If that's the case you have to use smaller charges for PRBs.

I understand that but I wouldn't think you'd have to go that much smaller when a stout .58 charge is 110-120 grs ffg. I'm only shooting 90 in mine and then mostly just to flatten the trajectory a little

 

[JamesT]

I have no experience using the load you stated. I personally use 80gr FF in my .54 rifle and it kills them dead. Why not up the charge to a hunting load that groups just as well. Will take a little range work but I personally would feel more comfortable with a stout charge.

 

[TGJaeger]

The 55 gr load seems pretty mild. Unless there is some specific reason to use that load, I’d go up to at least 75 gr of 2fg. That is my target load for shooting our monthly match and it doesn’t beat me up too badly over the course of 25 shots. My hunting load is 100 grs of 2fg and that gets a bit sporty on both ends. Kills deer like lightning though.

My rifle is an English sporting rifle that weighs less than 8 lbs.

 

[DonG]

Thanks for the replies. Lots of good advice and exactly what I was looking for.
Best to all,
Don

 

[markdwhite15]

I'll throw in my 2 cents. I've killed a lot of critters in my life, a lot of them with a 40# hickory short bow I built as a kid and knapped flint arrow heads on a dogwood shaft. This includes deer. Pick your shot, if you penetrate both lungs the deer will lay down shortly and die, if you let it. My .40 flint longrifle with 50gr fffg and a .395 prb will go through the heart and both lungs on a big deer. They ain't Grizzly bears. Learn to stalk, take your time, and pick your shot. Like the old saying goes, Less powder more lead goes far kills em dead.

 

[Bigpete]

I'll throw in my 2 cents. I've killed a lot of critters in my life, a lot of them with a 40# hickory short bow I built as a kid and knapped flint arrow heads on a dogwood shaft. This includes deer. Pick your shot, if you penetrate both lungs the deer will lay down shortly and die, if you let it. My .40 flint longrifle with 50gr fffg and a .395 prb will go through the heart and both lungs on a big deer. They ain't Grizzly bears. Learn to stalk, take your time, and pick your shot. Like the old saying goes, Less powder more lead goes far kills em dead.

That saying is in regard to patterning a shotgun.

 

[markdwhite15]

That saying is in regard to patterning a shotgun.

Not in my neck of the Appalachian mountains. My mother's people in the southeastern Kentucky hills built their own guns, made their own powder, and dug their own lead. Powder and lead were precious and they didn't waste it. Guess I'm lucky I was born to a hunting and fighting family. My elders passed down the knowledge. But to each his own, I don't use an elephant gun to hunt deer, some like to.

 

[markdwhite15]

Davey Crockett's bear rifle "Ole Betsy" was a .40 flintlock. Just saying

 

[markdwhite15]

Back to the subject, I have a .58 Hawken I keep around incase one of our local Skunk Apes try to steal my supper. I like 70grns ffg GOEX under a .570 prb. Pretty close to a 45/70 Govt, and not so hard on my arthritic joints.

 

[jdw276]

Back to the subject, I have a .58 Hawken I keep around incase one of our local Skunk Apes try to steal my supper. I like 70grns ffg GOEX under a .570 prb. Pretty close to a 45/70 Govt, and not so hard on my arthritic joints.

Got me a 58, lefty durs egg lock, 36" green mtn, davis trigger. 570 rb, pillow ticking, either 75 gr 3f ole e or 90 gr 2f ole e. Group the same at 100 yds for me. Call it T Rex in case one comes by.

With the shorter barrel the OP has will they get more fps, same load, using 3f rather than 2f?

 

[markdwhite15]

Got me a 58, lefty durs egg lock, 36" green mtn, davis trigger. 570 rb, pillow ticking, either 75 gr 3f ole e or 90 gr 2f ole e. Group the same at 100 yds for me. Call it T Rex in case one comes by.

With the shorter barrel the OP has will they get more fps, same load, using 3f rather than 2f?

Not sure, I would try the old government test of how many pine boards it will penetrate. By the way, I lost my right eye in June and all my rifles are right handed. Would you let me borrow your rifle for a few years to see if I like it? Sounds like a good one.

 

[rich pierce]

You’ll be fine with the current load. It’s shocking what a ball that large will do.

 

[Bigpete]

Not in my neck of the Appalachian mountains. My mother's people in the southeastern Kentucky hills built their own guns, made their own powder, and dug their own lead. Powder and lead were precious and they didn't waste it. Guess I'm lucky I was born to a hunting and fighting family. My elders passed down the knowledge. But to each his own, I don't use an elephant gun to hunt deer, some like to.

Sure