Effective Deer Loads for .45 and .50?

[Stumpkiller]

He tells me that the ballistics on a .45 can't be beat.

Lets not confuse ballistic efficiency with total energy.

No doubt in my mind that the .45 will keep burger in your buns from the deer woods. An animal can be only made so dead.

But as far as not being able to beat a .45? A .440 round balls weighs 128 grains, a .490 weighs 179, and a .530 weighs 230 grains. Now, it may take three times as much powder to drive the .530 ball at the same speed as the .440, but at any range it will then have more energy, punch a larger hole, be better in any measurement of the ability to kill.

If your change machine is 90% efficient and you put a dollar in, you still have fewer coins than the guy that puts a $5 in a machine that's only 75% efficient.

Another way to look at it is that if the pan delays and the deer takes a step before the ball catches it just behins the diaphram, you just can not HAVE too much extra available energy at your disposal to hopefully make that blood trail shorter. Larger bores that the .45 give you a little edge when bad things happen. Bigger holes, more blood vessel disruption, more energy transfer.

It's like when you make coffee and you "add a scoop for the pot". Or when you tune an engine for maximum RPM and then drop back "three clicks for Grandma" because running too lean will harm the pistons and cylinders. It's good to have a margin for error.

 

[roundball]

A .440 round balls weigs 128 grains, a .490 weighs 179, and a .530 weighs 230 grains. Now, it may take three times as much powder to drive the .530 ball at the same speed as the .440, but at any range it will then have more energy, punch a larger hole, be better in any measurement of the ability to kill.

I don't disagree with this at all...I think there may be differences in how literally the individual's post was viewed...I responded to the total context of the post which I interpreted to be a favorable reference to the .45cals capability...I wasn't responding to it in the literal, strict sense of "nothing can beat a .45cal", etc.

My .50, .54, and .58 each have a progressively larger "whompability factor" than the caliber before it.
:front:

 

[Stumpkiller]

:relax: I was, but that's why I put this in:

No doubt in my mind that the .45 will keep burger in your buns from the deer woods. An animal can be only made so dead.

I was jabbing at the mostly dead horse of the "no way to improve on the ballistics of the .45" comment.

Roundball, I see the iron in your hands and know there is iron in your words, or whatever that line from Ten Bears is in Outlaw Josey Wales. I'll listen to anything you have to say about deer hunting because I know you know. The .45 is a dandy caliber and I would carry one as far as I needed to in whitetail season. I just happened to click on your post to respond to because it was at the bottom.

You can join me on the back hill any time. :front:

 

[rudy parnell]

Hey, roundball [Good Friend]...Just cause a fellar don't agree with you 100% don't mean he is negative and unfair. I think that you can take a deer with a small short bladed knife...cause I have done it. I have also shot coons with buckshot and failed to put them down. There is no question that it takes just the right amount to do the job of killing game. My experience is that a pass through shot from anything into both lungs will reap the animal. Fact is that most people trying to do extraordinary things with firearms have usually done so at the expense of ethical hunting practices. I think experiment still leads to something called "trial and error"! And the real story about this post and the gravity of it ...is...this is probably the only subject that I feel qualified to make a statement on ..And really, am I all that far off the topic. I am new to the forum ,but I am not new to wacking big game. You keep your shots around 50 to 75 yards and hit'um in the eye ...you can kill'um with about anything. Problem is you could hit the jawbone and mortally wound the animal...You wont gather that one up. Finally, How many bird watchers you know turn their bino's upside down and look thru the little biddy hole...? It works better if you use the "BIGGER GUN". :relax: adios

 

[Fran49829]

I shot 1 large doe at 50 yards with my round ball gun and the ball went through both lungs and exited. My load was 68 grains Pyrodex RS, #11 CCI mag cap, .495 Speer ball, .018 wonder patch. I bet the "energy" on paper for this load are terrible but it killed that doe pretty good.

Fran

 

[Slamfire]

I've been usin' a .50 caliber, 245 grain Buffalo Ballette in front of 75 gains of FFFg. I'm lookin for a REAL mold of the same size so I won't be dependent on the local WalMart. eace:

 

[tg]

" Use your caplock. Load it with 90gr. of Pyrodex and a Thompson Center Maxi-Ball"

....I'm just guessin' but this must be some more of the "Keeping Tradition Alive" part of the traditional hunting forum....this has been if nothing else an amusing thread (VBG) good luck to you all on your deer hunts and a special salute to those who take the traditional path, and put aside the modern stuff.

 

[gmww]

This is my second reply. Not sure what happened to the first. Anyway, I used .440 round ball for my hunt this year. It was with 70 grns. of 3f pushing it. Here is what happened.

Four point Whitetail at 80 yards turns broadside and is moving at a slow walk. I fire and did not account for enough lead. It strike in the hind quarter knocking him down and then getting up and running like grease lightning. Being the smart buck that he is, he crosses into the No Trespassing field.

I watched him for three days feeding there with all the other deer and limping with a wound to his hind quarter.
Shot #2 came on my third day at 50 yards on a doe. The round ball passed through both lungs and out the other side. Doe is found 50 yards away dead.

My conclusion is that a round ball in the .45 is accurate and deadly when placed correctly. I am now developing a load with a Lee Minnie 301-02 grn. conical being pushed by 95 grns. of 2F RS. Looks promising thus far with 1" group at 50 yrds.

 

[revehuntsman]

The biggest deer I have taken was with my T/C .45, maxi ball on top of 90 gr fff. 125 paces down a sendero in South Texas. The round punched through and through at the diaphragm. I had to trail him but he bled out within 100 yards.

 

[adkmountainken]

i will be hunting tommorow with my 45. shooting 65 fff, .018 pillow ticking patch and a .445 rb. i have NO DOUBTS in my abilities and my rifles abilitys to make me out to 50 yards with this load. either between the running lights, neck, or behind the shoulder and i will be eating fresh heart and liver. i WILL NOT take a shoulder, chest, or or spine shot with my .45. if you know your limitations and hold fast to them you will be fine.
Ken

 

[Jblk]

I have killed alot of deer with 70 grains of BP and a round ball .001 less than the bore.All of the pro will tell you that a conical round is the best.Try a round ball, and you will be a convert forever.The round ball is a killer, I guess thats because bumble bees can't fly!I have killed several deer with shotgun slugs, but I have never had anything that works like the traditional round ball.I suppose that if you were a balistics expert you would say that it was because of the low velocity of the projectile, and I guess that I would agree with that.My Dad always shot squrrils with standard velocity shells because the high velocity went through them so fast they didn't know they were hit.Most of my shots are between fifty and one hundred yards and I have never had to go over a hundred yards to retreive my game.I do use a scope because my eyes have failed me in the last few years, but a young fellow should be able to do very well with iron sights.

 

[roundball]

Roundballs will get it done for sure...

 

[gmww]

I liked my 70 grns of 3ff and .440 patched round ball. Like you said though hit him in the right place. I sure wished I grunted and got him to stop for a moment. Still kicking myself on that one.