58 Hawken on deer?

[dwarvenchef]

I'm putting together my blueprint for a pre-40's PC 58 Hawken, it will be built for use, as in hunting and plinking. I know it is a bit heavy for deer but just how destructive will it be? I want to be able to use it for larger game as well hence the larger bore.

What twist would be best? RB or Mini? I've only really gotten used to 50's and not to well caught up on big bores.

If you have seen my other posts you will notice I'm getting myself set up with 3 primary rifles for each game size (36, 50, 58) all on the Hawken style. I want to be able to match the gun to the game with a touch of overlap.

 

[cayugad]

I have a T/C Renegade with a Green Mountain Barrel in .58 caliber. It has a 1-70 twist roundball barrel. I personally could not tell you how distructive it would be on a deer as I have not had the pleasure.

It is a very accurate rifle and I would not be too worried about damage. Like all solid lead projectiles, they will expand to some degree, but I like to put a world of hurt on what I hunt. I think that .58 caliber is just the ticket.

 

[Halftail]

I got a friend that regularly shoots deer with his 58 using rb's.I asked him once about it,he said "sets em right down on their ass like".Anyway that translates into.....Effective Deer killer. :v

 

[mikee51848]

There are people on this board who hunt deer with their Bess', and that's .75 cal. Ask the question in the Smoothbore forum.

 

[roundball]

I'm putting together my blueprint for a pre-40's PC 58 Hawken, it will be built for use, as in hunting and plinking. I know it is a bit heavy for deer but just how destructive will it be? I want to be able to use it for larger game as well hence the larger bore.

What twist would be best? RB or Mini? I've only really gotten used to 50's and not to well caught up on big bores.

If you have seen my other posts you will notice I'm getting myself set up with 3 primary rifles for each game size (36, 50, 58) all on the Hawken style. I want to be able to match the gun to the game with a touch of overlap.

The .58cal round ball is an outstanding performer and simply devastating on deer.
I got a GM .58cal Flint round ball barrel (1:70" twist) last year...took 2 bucks then, and 2 bucks just a couple weeks ago...complete passthroughs on all of them...they either dropped where they stood or fell in sight after a 25yd sprint. For typical woods distances of 50-75yds, I just used:

100grns Goex FFg (2F)
OxYoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady (or Speer) .570 ball

Even with just the midrange charge of 100grns Goex FFg, zeroed at 50yds, it only drops 3" at 100...if you'd be shooting larger game and/or longer distances, the full power charge would hold a flatter trajectory further, and the 279grn ball holds high energy a long way.

An excellent, accurate, powerful caliber...and unless you were going after something like grizzly, etc, IMO, the round ball would be a better choice considering velocity, trajectory, distance, and whompability for everything else.
:thumbsup:

 

[guncobbler]

You may not need all the "omph" that the 58 delivers but you'll probably not notice much difference from a 50 either. The one deer I killed with a 58 was a pass thru with just one rib hit. It's not going to look like you hit the deer with a 30-06 or 270. These bullets are still travelling slow. GC