Art,
That bulletmaker is absolutely right! That gun is no good for nothin' and might even be dangerous! You should immediately box it up and send it to me for safe keeping before you wound an animal or blow yourself up!
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
OK, now that the :bull: has been taken care of...
Keep it simple to start. Somewhere between 70 and 110 grains of BP, a pre-lubed pre-cut .015 patch, a .530 round ball, and a #11 percussion cap will get you started. Try various amounts of powder and patch thickness etc. to find an accurate load. If you can keep 'em in the vitals, it'll kill a deer. I never shot an elk, but I imagine they die with a hole thru the heart/lungs too. :wink:
This buck dropped after taking 4 steps when I shot him at 100 yards with a .50 GPR. Load was 70 grains of 2F Goex, .015 T/C pre-lubed patch, and a .490 round ball. Broke a rib going in, penetrated both lungs at a slight quartering-away angle, and exited the off side. Can't ask for better performance than that. :thumbsup:
Take that rifle hunting! Hang the trophy on your wall! :wink:
Unless, of course, you want to send it to me for safe keeping. :haha: :hatsoff: