Convince me .45 PRB is enough for deer.

[R.M.]

If you don't hit them right a .58 isn't big enough.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[roundball]

If you don't hit them right a .58 isn't big enough.

I agree to a point, depending on how precise we are when defining 'hitting them right'...but there's no question a larger / heavier ball will carry more energy further which can be beneficial.

Example, if a deer steps/moves/turns just as the sear breaks and my heart shot now encounters a leg bone at 100yds, IMO, larger heavier balls have a lot higher chance of taking those kinds of unexpected incidents in stride and still get the job done

 

[dbutch]

I Have no valid points with the 45 cal.PRB (prefer larger cal.) If you feel the 45 cal. will work use it on some other property.....Bumping up to a larger cal. does not sound unreasonable to me...Someone else makes the rules when you are a guest.
Must be a good place to hunt for this issue to surface.
Good luck with your hunt..
send a report after...

 

[hawk]

..



if i can take a buck with my 45lb recurve bow i see a 45 cal having no problems at all .






..

 

[ebiggs1]

The game laws in Kansas allow for any caliber .39 and larger. But my choice is a 50 or 54.

 

[brassell31]

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth in favor of the .45 for deer. I've only hunted with mine once (I normally use a .54 for everything). I hit a midsize Muley buck behind the shoulder at 90 paces, and he made it less than a 100 yards before he piled up. The .433 ball was powered by 60 grs. of 3f Goex. It broke a rib going in, took out the lungs, and exited.

 

[longcruise]

If the shot took place in CO, it was not legal :shocked2:

 

[Stumpkiller]

..
if i can take a buck with my 45lb recurve bow i see a 45 cal having no problems at all ...

Whole different wound. The broadhead kills by slicing hemmorage alone. Think of a .45 as a broadhead less than 1/2" wide . . . and not very sharp. It has to create a wound channel causing the surrounding tissue and blood vessels to hemmorage without actually being sliced.

PS - I like a 60# recurve and a .54 ball. ;-) Surprisingly, a .54 ball (0.530") weighs 75% more than a .45 (0.440") ball! 228 gr vs. 130 gr A bad hit is still a bad hit, but a marginal hit (damn twig!) is less marginal with more mass to be less deflected and more energetic at the entry.

 

[brassell31]

Yes, you are right, Marmotslayer. I only read the rules as far as .40 cal. being the legal minimum size for hunting ML deer in CO, but missed the part about the minimum bullet weight of 170 grains, so I hunted in ignorance and bliss that year with my 123 gr.roundball. Knowingly breaking hunting laws is not something I condone, whether they make sense to me or not, so I don't deer hunt with that rifle anymore. I did ask a DOW officer about the reasoning behind the law, and he said as far as he knew, it (you guessed it!) had to do with meeting the minimum foot pounds of energy requirement necessary to kill a deer.

 

[juancho]

I hunt in places where distance is never greater than say 65-75 yds, if so.Some times I take the .75, some times the .54 , but most of the time the .45.
Last year I run a little test for myself, but I'll share it with you guys.
Is a .45 enough (42 in barrel, others could be different)for deer? well, how about 7 grains at 10 yds? Yes 7 grains of Goex 3f not 70.
After cleaning my doe, I took the head to the back and shot it with a prb and 7 grains of black powder. It went right thru it and burried itself 1 inch or so in the sand.
A couple of thing thou, that one was deader than dead for over two hours when that took place, and in my defence(or shame), I must admit it wasn't too big , rather small.
The other .440 ball pushed by 30 grains at 38 yds I could not find but was enough to fill the freezer.
I always try to shoot no more than 50 yds and a clear shot regardless of caliber.
Here they make no mention of caliber for muzzleloaders , so if you go out with a .36, you are still legal for deer ,and I know someone who does just that.
After all how many have fallen to a .22lr? Or to many hipower airguns(past and present), that would fall well bellow the legal "power" limits.
Aim small miss small.Be allways ready to let it walk rather than to take a marginal shot.

 

[longcruise]

I only read the rules as far as .40 cal. being the legal minimum size for hunting ML deer in CO, but missed the part about the minimum bullet weight of 170 grains, so I hunted in ignorance and bliss that year with my 123 gr.roundball.

Far as I'm concerned, it's no harm no foul. Only brought it up in case you had not found out on your own already. Obviously you got it figured out.

Our CO regs can be a bit confusing for sure. Most people would not tie that min projectile weight to the .45 being legal for deer rule.

I would like to hunt antelope with my .45 but do not want to shoot a conical so it gets relegated to small game and varmints.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Got my Seneca yesterday. Took it to the range. At 50 yards the 3 shot groups are measuring an average of 1 7/8". I'd say that's fine for deer. Shooting Hornady swaged .440 balls with .015" Wonder 1000+ lubed Ox Yoke cotton patches with a Ox Yoke lubed Wonder Wad over the 70 grains of Goex FFG. 90 grains is the max load for this gun with PRB's. I'm not even getting 1000 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle, almost but not quite. By modern standards it's not ethical in regards to energy. My max range would be about 75 yards with PRB's and 100 yards with conicals. Even with conicals, 1200 or so fpe is all the gun can muster. What say all of you? I need to present valid points to the owner of the sportsmans club I belong to in order to convince him it's ok.

You just got it all backwards.. you SHOULDA bought a .54 VS a .45 :wink: :grin:

 

[hawk]

..
if i can take a buck with my 45lb recurve bow i see a 45 cal having no problems at all ...

Whole different wound. The broadhead kills by slicing hemmorage alone. Think of a .45 as a broadhead less than 1/2" wide . . . and not very sharp. It has to create a wound channel causing the surrounding tissue and blood vessels to hemmorage without actually being sliced.

PS - I like a 60# recurve and a .54 ball. ;-) Surprisingly, a .54 ball (0.530") weighs 75% more than a .45 (0.440") ball! 228 gr vs. 130 gr A bad hit is still a bad hit, but a marginal hit (damn twig!) is less marginal with more mass to be less deflected and more energetic at the entry.

Stumpy I agree with what your saying about the wounds and all being different .I was only trying to show the low kinetic force of a 45lb bow being plenty to do the job ie 45lb bow 500 gr arrow at 150 f/sec has only 25 f/lbs at best ,the .45 with a 28" barrel with 60 grs of fff has a muzzle volocity of 1500 ft/s and kinetic enrgy of 700 ft/lbs
nothing is going to replace good shot placement and getting as close to your game as possible

if all things are taken into consideration one could kill a deer with a.45 prb
just as dead as a .72 cal ...the holes in the heart and lungs will just be smaller.

...hope i'm not splittin' hairs

 

[gizamo]

I'm always amazed at the wound channel, entry, and exit wounds made by patched round ball. I find them to be devastating with well placed shots. My tendancy is to always wonder about overkill with some of the calibers... Actually started to document this with some of my kills.

.45 PRB at 50 yards with a load that works well in your gun (not a target load)... is more than adequate to kill a New England deer with a well placed shot. Same might be said with a .40 caliber.