Anyone uses .45 or smaller for whitetails?

[Skychief]

I think all these are .50 caliber balls except the second from the left, a .45. They represent the only prb I've managed to recover from deer. Through and through is the rule.

Interesting pics of retrieved roundballs on this thread.

My recovered .445 roundball from the buck I shot at 15 yards a couple weeks ago, looks like a perfect igloo. It didn't flatten any more than that. It hit a rib going in then through the heart, resting under the skin of the offside. Very pure lead by the way. :idunno:

The buck went about 30 yards and did a somersault. I did notice that he left no blood trail as it was all internal. I looked good too as I am fairly new to deer hunting with the 45's.

Skychief.

 

[Amikee]

Actually Connecticut's limit is a minimum of .45, but this rifle was sooooo pretty, even my wife was in for it. Within a day the price went up high and still goes up.
on gunbr search for "contemporary kentucky" and see it for yourself.
Thanks guys

 

[tsafa]

You may want to consider molding your own conical rather then just using a 140 grain ball. The mass of the ball will change the energy considerably. Also a longer shaped conical will grip the rifling better an form a tighter seal. Consider getting mold to cast 190 grain conicals.

Here is some data to consider:
Gun..............................barrel................load............bullet weight....bullet type............Velocity.........Energy.........momentum
Thompson Flintlock........28 inch.........100 grains 2F ......178 grain..........490 ball...........1460 ft/s.......842 ft-lbs.........37.12 ft-s
Thompson Flintlock........28 inch.........100 grains 2F.......315 grain........ .490 conical.......1307 ft/s.......1195 ft-lbs.......58.81 ft-s
Thompson Flintlock.......28 inch......... 100 grains 2F.......485 grain......... .490 conical.......1089 ft/s.......1277 ft-lbs.......75.45 ft-s


I used a .50 cal flintlock above, but you can see under the same powder load how the heavier projectile increases the energy and momentum.

99% pure lead expands pretty good too. So you not only get a big hole, but a high transfer of energy. I have pulled out 485 grain bullets like look like chewing gum.

If your conical is too tight for the bore, don't be afraid to put the lead on an anvil and work it a little so it fits. The rifling will give the bullet a spin and distribute any unevenness you create.

 

[Skychief]

What's the "ft-s" supposed to represent? :idunno:

 

[tsafa]

Sorry Skychief. The data does not copy and paste very well from my webpage. I had to do a lot of editing to get everthing to line up right.

The ft/lbs is energy. While the ft-s is momentum.

I like energy as the effect of a whipping action. While the momentum is more of a punching action that pushes through.

 

[tg]

I think you will do fine with the traditional prb if you just use good judgement and shot selection I have alwasy found the experience a bit more rewarding the farther I stay from the modern style bullets and such, one does get to the point of using pretty much a caseless 45/70 if using conical bullets, they are loaded from the muzzle but much of the whole ML thing is pretty much lost for most serious ML hunters once headed down this path, and most conicals are meant to engage the rifleing by expansion and some do not work as well in a slower twist barrel, the PRB was the main projectile in the ML era untill the 1840's then more a military and limited target hunting use and not by the common folks of the time and few of todays bullets are the same design as what was used then probably for a good reason FWIW

 

[Skychief]

Numbers are great, but........

In my opinion, loss of blood pressure from holes in organs and vessels kill our game (if not spined).

I am sure the buck I killed last year with traditional archery equipment wasn't hit with much foot pounds or momentum or what have you. He still died and rather quickly too. :shocked2:

Not trying to pick at you, I just know what I know from field experience. I believe that is proof in the pudding. Glad you are on the forum by the way! :thumbsup:

Skychief.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I think this is my 4th deer(lost count) in the last few years with my .44. In the thick stuff I hunt a 50yd shot is along one.

Bill Large barrel, Roller lock, shoots through just about the same hole at 50yards.

 

[Amikee]

Very nice! This stock and buck are girgeus. Thanks for pisting. Unfortunately this .44 cal rifle was sold for more than I could spend. But I'm sure it was worth much more than sold for. Anyway, Thank you All for the effort! And till the next post

 

[Skychief]

I think this is my 4th deer(lost count) in the last few years with my .44. In the thick stuff I hunt a 50yd shot is along one.

Bill Large barrel, Roller lock, shoots through just about the same hole at 50yards.

Nice buck and rifle Eric!

Is there a chance that you could tell more about your rifle and maybe post a picture or two of it?

I am a sucker for Large barreled rifles. I have one in 45 caliber.

Thanks, Skychief.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My hunting load in the above rifle is 70gr of 3F,.445 ball patched with .18 pillow ticking.

The original owner told me the rifle had been shot over 50K times since the early 70s, a pound of powder a week for the ten years he owned it. A .440 ball was once tight, now a .445 loads easily, the rifle will still drive tacks.