Elk hunting

[wahunterinrok]

I have a 50 cal Hawken and would like to use it for Elk, I was wondering what would be a good bullet/ load combo for this. I have tried the 370gr Maxi hunter from T/c and with 90gr of FFg my hawken seem s to really like it. How good would this do on elk, and does anyone have any better suggestions?

 

[BrownBear]

Lots of past threads on this, and yes, your getup is effective. Elk are really pretty easy to kill when hit right, but when hit wrong some folks think bigger gives them some kind of margin for error. I'm rather direct in feeling that if you can't hit them right in the first place, don't take the shot.

 

[rdoggsilva]

I've used the same maxi but 100grs. of b/p. I never take a shot over 75 yards. So try to get in close.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I am no fan of Maxi's so my recomendation is a 410 gr Hornady great plains bullet behind 90 gr or more of powder. Ron

 

[Vaino]

My former elk rifle was a .50 cal.TC "Hawken" and it killed a few elk w/ a 410 gr. Buffalo bullet and 100 grs. ffg. The elk never went very far if hit in the ribs.....Fred

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I am no fan of Maxi's so my recomendation is a 410 gr Hornady great plains bullet behind 90 gr or more of powder. Ron

I am in agreement with Ron on this one. It takes a special rifle to really like maxie balls.
I have in the past use them with great results but it seems that for really good accuracy they need very shallow rifling like on a blue ridge carbine.
I would ether get a mold and cast pure lead bullets or use a commercial bullet with a hollow base skirt for upset like a great plains.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Lots of past threads on this, and yes, your getup is effective. Elk are really pretty easy to kill when hit right, but when hit wrong some folks think bigger gives them some kind of margin for error. I'm rather direct in feeling that if you can't hit them right in the first place, don't take the shot.

ya you are absolutely right Brown bear, there is no such thing as "knock down power" when it comes to muzzleloading so you really don't need a heavy projectile to double lung an elk.
My favorite bullet in the past is a 270 grn cast bullet out of a Lyman mold.
pretty much anything is going to be effective at 100yrds for double lung.
Try a PRB out of your 50 cal you may be surprised at it's accuracy.
:thumbsup:

 

[Tkendrick]

when hit right, but when hit wrong some folks think bigger gives them some kind of margin for error. I'm rather direct in feeling that if you can't hit them right in the first place, don't take the shot.

:thumbsup: Absolutely right.

Assume the lotus position and chant: OOOOOOHHHHHHMMMMM bullet placement

 

[longcruise]

Welcome to the board. Nice to see another Coloradean here, even if you may only be a temporary colradean.

Some of the responses you are getting are refereing to the MaxiBall and some to the Maxi Hunter. As you probably know, they are two different bullets.

In my own experience with a TC Hawken and the MaxiBall, it only took one deer and one elk to abandon it. At this time I use strictly round ball, but in a .54. If I were going after elk with one of my .50's, I'd be going to a conical again. I'm sure the .50 and rb is adequate and there are a bunch of guys on this board who have killed elk with the rb in a .50, but still, I like that extra margin of the .54. That's just my opinion though.

The MaxiBall has to much of a point to it to make a decent wound channel, IMO. Both the animals I killed with them were very slow to die.

I don't like the idea of hollow point lead slugs for big game. One of my hunting partners hit a deer head on in the neck with a HP buff bullet and a hefty charge off ff and the bullet expanded so much it did not exit. That's not very good in the penetration department :shocked2:

If I were going to load up conicals in my .50 for elk again, I'd get the Lyman .50 Great Plains mold and roll my own from it. It has a nice wide meplat and should provide a good wound channel without overexpanding and stopping short of the second lung!

Anyway, that's my .02 & 1/2 cents worth on it.

 

[springer]

One of my favourit hunting projectile is the Lyman Plains. I shoot this in .50. One of the most effective hunting veapon is my .50 muzzleloader loaded with Lyman Plains and 100gr Swiss 2fg. (including my CF rifles and shotguns) Quick, clean kills, no meat damage.