Anyone use a .58 on something REALLY big!?

[Snow on the Roof]

In a recent discussion with a close friend concerning blackpowder guns and elk, my buddy {a fan of heavy conicals and fast twist barrels} said my new .58 roundball gun wouldn't handle an elk. My thought is a properly loaded .570 RB used at reasonable ranges, would take anything on this continent. Of course I have no experience with anything larger than whitetail so I'll put it you all. What about practical experience with big roundball guns, specificly but not limited to a .58, on the big stuff? Elk, moose, bison, grizzlys? Where's Brown Bear when I need him?

Snow

 

[poordevil]

I shot a buffalo in 2007 with my 24" bbl Parker-Hale Musketoon. I used 70 gr 3FFFg and a smooth sided Prichett minnie ball. At the shot the buffalo's front half lifted off the ground. My son shot his with a 220 gr 30-06 and had no where near the reaction as mine did.

I would have no problem using a RB in .58cal for a buff, but I might up the charge to 100 grs 3fffg or a tad more.

 

[Little Wattsy]

In a recent discussion with a close friend concerning blackpowder guns and elk, my buddy {a fan of heavy conicals and fast twist barrels} said my new .58 roundball gun wouldn't handle an elk. My thought is a properly loaded .570 RB used at reasonable ranges, would take anything on this continent. Of course I have no experience with anything larger than whitetail so I'll put it you all. What about practical experience with big roundball guns, specificly but not limited to a .58, on the big stuff? Elk, moose, bison, grizzlys? Where's Brown Bear when I need him?

Snow

I kilt a Buffalo a year-ish ago with my .54 shooting a round ball.

Here is the original post/story: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/232538/post/700405/hl//fromsearch/1/

THAT made a believer outta me concering the killing ability of the .54 so I would assume that your .58 out to get-er-done JUST FINE! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Well, with mammals being mammals...put the ball squarely through the heart/lung area avoiding any big bones and all go down pretty much the same.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a .58cal on any mammal roaming around the U.S. ...not sure about the really big bears that bite back...but certainly anything in the deer/elk/buffalo/ram class of big game.

As one reference, both these fair size whitetails were complete pass-throughs at 50 yards using only 90grns Goex 3F and a .570" / 279grn Hornady ball.

 

[mazo kid]

I took a buffalo cow with my 20 ga. Trade Gun a few years ago; 80 gr. of ffg under the patched round ball. She took 2 steps and toppled over, the ball had clipped the top of her heart off. I bought a used "Grand Rifle" in .54 caliber and the former owner had taken at least one elk with it; don't know any more of his story. So to answer your question, a properly placed .58 ball will definitely anchor an elk at a reasonable range.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

i've shot elk out to 140 yards with a .54cal shooting round ball. Took her clean with one shot and 60 yards later she was dead and with excellent blood trail.

That big .58cal ball is going to leave a big hole and punch through the vitals.

 

[Vaino]

Have shot 2 adult elk w/ a .54 using a .535 RB ahead of 120 grs 2f and none went over 50 yds after being hit and both were found dead. It's surprising how that RB expands to the size of a quarter even when the shot was paced off at 107 yds. Of course both elk were hit broadside and in the rib area. Formerly used a .50 cal., 415 gr "Buffalo Bullet" but didn't like the huge mid-range height and saw no difference in killing w/ it and the .54 RB. The .58 will "do the job"....Fred

 

[Bill Hall]

The last elk I got was with a .58 rb. 90 grains swiss, shot through the lungs at less than 20 yards. She kinda jumped forward and then kinda flipped over, and that was it.

I've also killed 5 elk before that last cow, using a .54 rb. No shots were over 60 yards. One was a botched shot and required some tracking and patience, but all the rest dropped within 20 yards or less from where they stood, and that includes one big bull. If the .54 rb can do so well on big game, such as elk, it stands to reason that the .58 can be counted on to do as well or better. Bill
P.S. and you can tell your friend there's experience, and there's :bull: :grin:

 

[Snow on the Roof]

"P.S. and you can tell your friend there's experience, and there's :bull" :grin: [/quote]

Exactly why I started this thread...

Snow

 

[BrownBear]

The best comparison I have seen is as close to direct as you can get. There's a guy that hunts elk on our place in the the Southwest with two buddies. He uses a 54 with PRB, and they're in the 50 cal conical camp. He's yet to require a followup shot, while the heavy conicals very often require one. In the rare cases when they didn't require a second shot, they went a long ways before dieing. The 54 cal elk always dropped within sight.

Of course, there's more to the picture than bore holes and bullet choices. The 54 cal shooter is a HUNTER and gets closer and places his shots carefully. The conical guys are trying to make up for lesser hunting skills by shooting further and taking marginal shots.

I've drawn the conclusion that these guys' kills show that hunting skill is a whole lot more important issue than bore and bullet choice. A 54 cal or larger ball isn't going to make up for bad hunting and shooting, any more than a conical is any kind of magic over a RB.

 

[Herb]

This one big enough? 360 points. .58 with roundball and 130 grains of Goex 3F at 45 yards.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/240313/

 

[Little Wattsy]

This one big enough? 360 points. .58 with roundball and 130 grains of Goex 3F at 45 yards.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/240313/[/quote]


BEAUTIFULL Animal thre! Who was in charge of the camera? :hmm: :wink: :wink:

 

[pmwest]

Check this out:

Hunting Southern Africa with Muzzle Loading Rifles
by Donald Malson & Don Kettelkamp

$2.00 from NMLRA

 

[Herb]

1895 man, the hunter, explained in the post. Wildshot, I went to high school with Don Kettlekamp at Monona, Iowa, a year or two behind with his brother, Bill.

 

[roundball]

Small world...Don and I are members of the same trap & skeet club here in North Carolina...several years ago now I gave him a couple of empty CCI large rifle primer trays so he could fill the holes with #11 caps to be able to safely ship them via airline on one of his trips to Africa...seems to be a good man

 

[saber]

I use a 54 cal with 120 grs of 3f and have taken 4 moose the lasy 4yrs along with 3 sheep black bear are no trouble at all a one small 350 grizz that was comeing in to camp it is were you put the ball that kills

 

[bingo1952]

And now for the REALLY REALLY big stuff.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Q...Ag#v=onepage&q="VAL FORGETT" "AFRICA"&f=false

 

[bwhoffman]

The best comparison I have seen is as close to direct as you can get. There's a guy that hunts elk on our place in the the Southwest with two buddies. He uses a 54 with PRB, and they're in the 50 cal conical camp. He's yet to require a followup shot, while the heavy conicals very often require one. In the rare cases when they didn't require a second shot, they went a long ways before dieing. The 54 cal elk always dropped within sight.

Of course, there's more to the picture than bore holes and bullet choices. The 54 cal shooter is a HUNTER and gets closer and places his shots carefully. The conical guys are trying to make up for lesser hunting skills by shooting further and taking marginal shots.

I've drawn the conclusion that these guys' kills show that hunting skill is a whole lot more important issue than bore and bullet choice. A 54 cal or larger ball isn't going to make up for bad hunting and shooting, any more than a conical is any kind of magic over a RB.

This says a lot! Excellent use of words and thought! Very Ethical comparison!

Aim small, miss small!

 

[texcl]

I've never had to shoot an animal more than once with my .58 rb. If I draw and elk tag next year I'll use my .58 on it. So far I've only taken deer and bear with my .58. It's realatively new.

 

[410-er]

Wish I knew of a farmer that needed a cow or bull put down.The 58 Big Boar would be glad to help. :surrender: