Any .36 prb deer kills to report ???

[Skychief]

Out of curiosity, I want to hear about any deer hunting experiences with the 36 caliber patched roundball. The legal minimum here is 45 caliber, but, I have often wondered about what effect the 36 prb's would have on deer....hence, the question. Thanks.

 

[luieb45]

I don't have experience with killing deer with a .36 cal but if a .45 will kill good at 50 yards a 36 cal will maybe be able to deliver the goods at 20 to 25 yards.

 

[Bretwalda]

Sky-

I have taken two deer with a .32 PRB in an original Hall target rifle. The first was head shot at 25 yards...performance was instantanious. The second was a broadside shot at 30 yards. The PRB slipped between the ribs, puntured the both lungs and lodged in the right shoulder. flattened like a penny. The deer was crossing a creek at the time of the shot. He traveled about 20 yards up over the bank of the stream and stopped; looking back at where the shot came from. When he started moving again (he was in a cut bean field at this time) I could see that he walk as if a little drunk and after traveling 50-75 yards he made a sharp right turn and walked 30' to a fence row where he piled up. From hit to fall less that a minute. Blood trail was limited but his tracks showed defined signs of being hit. Fortunately for me I could witness this entire event from my elevated position. I was using 35 grains of FFFg Swiss over a pure lead swagged .310 ball. And for those whom may question I was hunting in a state that rifle was legal to use in. One of the "sisters" to my gun,(also in .32) was owned and used by a man in PA whom hunted deer with it from the end of WWII until the late 50's. He kept a log of all of the deer he killed using that gun. I think small bores are capable, but limited in their ability to do the job. Placement is very, very critical!

 

[kherring]

.36 is the legal minimum here in SC. I plan on using my .40 this year when I get the load worked out. 90% of the deer I have killed have been less than 50 yards so I think it will be fine.

 

[PGTMG]

I don't have experience with killing deer with a .36 cal but if a .45 will kill good at 50 yards a 36 cal will maybe be able to deliver the goods at 20 to 25 yards.

I have killed a deer with a 40 prb at between 70-75 yards. I shot him about prefect (got both lungs)and he ran almost a hundred yards (not in a straight line). I would expect similiar results with a 36. I moved to a 54.

 

[BrownBear]

I haven't killed any with 36 cal RB, but a hunk of lead flying through the air and hitting flesh is a hunk of lead. I have shot several with 38 special handguns launching both flat nose and round nose revolver bullets at a chrono'ed 820 fps. While both killed, the flat nose hard cast did it distinctly better, creating much more of a wound channel and much shorter tracking jobs. The round nose bullets were cast with a soft alloy and appeared to expand slightly while penetrating completely. The deer reacted to the RN hits much as PGTMG describes with his 75 yard 40 cal hit. Lung shots resulted in 100 yard runs and heart shots didn't shorten the job any.

If I was going to use a 36 cal RB, I'd do it with a pretty stout load for good velocity, then limit my range so I still had as much as possible. I'd also be taking broadside shots only, and hoping that the tissue disruption from significant ball expansion was a good trade-off for more penetration and a very thin blood trail, even from through-and-through hits. It could be done, but if things went wrong from a poor hit or too low velocity, they might go really wrong.

 

[Birddog6]

Sky-

I have taken two deer with a .32 PRB in an original Hall target rifle. The first was head shot at 25 yards...performance was instantanious. The second was a broadside shot at 30 yards. The PRB slipped between the ribs, puntured the both lungs and lodged in the right shoulder. flattened like a penny. The deer was crossing a creek at the time of the shot. He traveled about 20 yards up over the bank of the stream and stopped; looking back at where the shot came from. When he started moving again (he was in a cut bean field at this time) I could see that he walk as if a little drunk and after traveling 50-75 yards he made a sharp right turn and walked 30' to a fence row where he piled up. From hit to fall less that a minute. Blood trail was limited but his tracks showed defined signs of being hit. Fortunately for me I could witness this entire event from my elevated position. I was using 35 grains of FFFg Swiss over a pure lead swagged .310 ball. And for those whom may question I was hunting in a state that rifle was legal to use in. One of the "sisters" to my gun,(also in .32) was owned and used by a man in PA whom hunted deer with it from the end of WWII until the late 50's. He kept a log of all of the deer he killed using that gun. I think small bores are capable, but limited in their ability to do the job. Placement is very, very critical!

Just out of curiosity, what state is a .32 cal ML legal to hunt deer with ?

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Michigan for one,I think it should be .50cal min.

 

[Bretwalda]

Michigan does allow a .32 to be used to hunt deer with. I don't want to debate ethics here, but I can assure you that the small bore, used at shorter ranges is very lethal when the ball is properly placed. My shots are limited to 35 yards or less. I use a range finder designed for bow hunting to determine the distance to certain objects from my deer stand. Once the deer enters that 35 yard ring then I wait for the perfect shot that is needed. I am a reasonaly good shot, this .32 is very accurate. Even deer movement at this short range is limited in the effect on the shot, but wait for them to stop still. I long bow hunted for many years and I am willing to wait for a good close shot, as I know that is what I need if I plan on making a clean harvest. (I would still be bow hunting, but due to a shoulder injury, that cannot be fully corrected, I am no longer able to pull my long bow with out damaging my shoulder more.) Deer hunting with a .32 is not, I repeat is NOT for everyone. However, many game officers, from many states will tell you that their poaching history will show that plenty of deer are killed every year(at short ranges) with a .22 rimfire. I have killed deer with 12 ga. slugs, muzzle loaders up to .58 cal, .243 win, and 2 bladed broadheads from a 73# long bow. If I placed the shot properly all of these weapons did a fine job of getting "my meat" for the larder. Please donot go into the "my caliber is better than your caliber debate" it reminds me of the "long bow/traditional hunters" vs. the "modern compound/mechanical blade" debate that parted many a friend in a bowhunting club I used to belonged to.
I say respect your states hunting regulations and respect the game that you are attempting to harvest by using a safe and humane means. To work outside of those boundaries is truly what is unethical. :hatsoff:

 

[jmac]

I once read "...with all the trappers who have carried a .22 LR over the past 50 years, making it the arm of availability when oppourtunity presented itself, an argument could be made that the lowly .22 has taken more big game than any other single cartridge. That doesn't meann the .22 LR could be called a big game cartridge." I believe Elmer Keith said that, could be wrong on that one. Point is, virtually any caliber could be pressed into service in a time of need but in today's world when we hunt for choice not survival anything less than .45 wouldn't be an appropriate choice for deer size game and larger. I apologize if I sound as I'm on my soap box, but I strongly feel we have an obligation to the hunting commuity and a responsibility to the game we pursue to use a caliber and load which will cleanly and consistantly kill under most circumstances not just under ideal conditions.

John

 

[PreglerD]

Comparing ballistics I won't choose a .36 PRB for deerhunting, but I would use a .36 conical. It has similar energy as a .45 PRB. And that works fine for all kind of light and medium game.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[mazo kid]

This is an interesting thread...as has been mentioned before, you MUST be sure of your shot and be capable of making it. Here in Wis. the minimum caliber is .40 so I don't have anything to add.

 

[nchawkeye]

Those that want to argue caliber and energy usually didn't grow up on a farm where they had hog killings...

I've seen many a pig killed with a .22 Short...Why did we use shorts??? Because a Long Rifle often ended up in the shoulder when the hog was shot in the head...

.22s will kill deer quite easily if shot in the brain within 50 yards...The smallest bp caliber I have used on deer was my .40 with .40 grains of powder...I was squirrel hunting and just couldn't resist...

 

[hawk]

When one is willing to WAIT for a PERFECT shot as dictated by the weapon of CHOICE any cal. gun /stickbow or wheeled bow .
One must employ the will to pass on any other shots presented, here lies the ethics.

The State CAN NOT legislate a large enough ball to over come POOR judgement

The onus of a good clean harvest rests on our shoulders as ethical hunters .

As ethical hunters we should put aside the pettiness that comes from diffent camps and all learn to share the same fire before others PUT IT OUT.

I would like to be able to say that I have taken the time to harvest a deer with a .36 cal but havn't, I have not used a .36 to hunt deer and will not because the government has made that choice for me.

 

[hanshi]

I've never killed deer with either .32 or .36 but count my Lancaster .45 as my favorite deer rifle. I've killed more deer with the .50 prb but at woods ranges can't be sure I can tell a difference. I've also killed many with the .357 revolver and the .22 Hornet rifle. The .32 far outclasses the .22 mag. in energy and the .36 leaves the .357 in the dust and approximates the .22 Hornet's energy. The .40 is about even with the .41 Mag. from a revolver. Though I've never used anything smaller than a .440 prb on deer, I'd not hesitate (not choose) to shoot a deer with the .36 or .40. Not so sure about the .32.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Texas is .32 country. No minimum cal. I've used mine on a couple of them. Hogs as well. Pick and choose your shots.

 

[tg]

I used to do well with a .40 at close range and don't see why the .36 would not do as well, I would really be aware of distances and spot on with shot placement, ethically it is better than those taking 150 yd shot with a .50 when their skills are not up to the task at 75 yds.IMNSHO

 

[Homesteader]

Well said, Hawk.

 

[hawk]

I hope It doesn't come off too calis but I was in a bit of a mood after work the other day .

I would like to rewrite alot of the reg's that were made for black powder hunting they don'tseem to have alot of logic in some cases .