As I try to explain the lethality of roundballs to my centerfire friends my inexperience (only killed two deer with traditional muzzleloader) doesn't give me much firsthand info. So i would appreciate your input. What is the longest shot that you have killed a deer elk bear or moose with roundballs? what caliber? and what was the wound channel like, pass through, hit bone? any info is appreciated.
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farthest kill
- Thread starter elkslayer
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i use a .58 for all my big game hunting and the farthest shot I've taken was a 150 yard shot at a deer. The ball hit right behing the shoulder and passed through breaking 2 ribs and the off side shoulder before exiting. I've shot many deer and a pretty big bear with my virginia rifle and have never recovered a ball they have all been pass throughs. I use a .562 ball over 80grns. of 3f. The furthest an animal has gone was maybe 60 yards. The average distance is 35 or 40 yards. The blood trail is not as good as with a modern high powered rifle typically.
Longest was 115 yards on 120 lb dressed whitetail doe, .54 cal, 90 gr 2F 777. Cored heart with a big wound channel, complete passthru. While not the longest shots, I killed near 200 pound dressed bucks in '09 and '10 with the same setup. Both through ribs and lungs at 50 & 60 yards. Complete passthrus and neither went beyond 30 yards after the hit. I think the results would have been similar at 150 yards based on boards shot in practice (I wouldn't shoot that far on game just because too big of a risk of a bad shot) . I don't know what the energy is at that range. My setup produces 2000 fps at the muzzle, give or take a bit based on fouling in the barrel.
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I take great pride in getting in close as possible. The longest shots I've taken with round balls have only been one 75 yard shot using my .12ga smoothbore, a .715 ball and 82gr FF Swiss on a broadside big Doe. The ball hit high in the shoulders punched right through both sides dropping her where she stood. That animal hog dressed at 130 lbs.
Two longest with rifle was a 70 yard shot with a .54 cal using a .530 ball and 90gr 3F Swiss on a Doe. That shot hit her in the heart on a broadside shot which passed through, the deer ran 60 yards with a good blood trail.
A 60 yard shot with a .54 cal percussion using a .530 ball and 110 gr 2F Goex. On a quartering to me buck, the ball entered just behind the leg facing me and angled through exiting the last two ribs but stopping just inside of the hide. (The only round ball I've ever recovered). The buck (7 point)that weighed 140 lbs hog dressed took 3 steps, with each step he got closer to the ground until he collapsed. :thumbsup:
Two longest with rifle was a 70 yard shot with a .54 cal using a .530 ball and 90gr 3F Swiss on a Doe. That shot hit her in the heart on a broadside shot which passed through, the deer ran 60 yards with a good blood trail.
A 60 yard shot with a .54 cal percussion using a .530 ball and 110 gr 2F Goex. On a quartering to me buck, the ball entered just behind the leg facing me and angled through exiting the last two ribs but stopping just inside of the hide. (The only round ball I've ever recovered). The buck (7 point)that weighed 140 lbs hog dressed took 3 steps, with each step he got closer to the ground until he collapsed. :thumbsup:
Kentuckywindage
62 Cal.
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longest round ball kill for me was a cow elk at 140 yards with a .530 round ball and 80gr Pyrodex RS.
Skychief
69 Cal.
A long time ago, I killed a 190 pound (hog dressed) whitetail buck at 120 yards. 50 caliber prb over 80 grains 2f Goex.
Hit through the lungs, the buck gave no sign of being hit except for his tail twitching. I watched as he walked to a high bluff of a river through a cornfield. I watched him for about two minutes after the shot. I gave him plenty of time and found him a couple hours later in the brush along the river. The ball exited.
I am a little older now and would pass the same shot today. I was lucky that he walked off and laid down as he left little to no sign (the hit was high in the lungs).
Hit through the lungs, the buck gave no sign of being hit except for his tail twitching. I watched as he walked to a high bluff of a river through a cornfield. I watched him for about two minutes after the shot. I gave him plenty of time and found him a couple hours later in the brush along the river. The ball exited.
I am a little older now and would pass the same shot today. I was lucky that he walked off and laid down as he left little to no sign (the hit was high in the lungs).
.50 cal round ball for a whitetail deer at 80 yards. Broadside lung shot with ribs passed through.
.54 cal round ball for a whitetail deer at 95 yards. Broadside lung shot with ribs passed through.
In both cases the ball exited and the deer traveled perhaps another 40 or 50 yards.
.54 cal round ball for a whitetail deer at 95 yards. Broadside lung shot with ribs passed through.
In both cases the ball exited and the deer traveled perhaps another 40 or 50 yards.
longcruise
70 Cal.
Longest with prb was 85 yards on an antelope. Quartering away, entered behind ribs, passed through and exited just behind opposite shoulder. She went down so fast that I did not see her go down.
Most of my shots on deer and elk have been under 50 yards.
Most of my shots on deer and elk have been under 50 yards.
110 Yards, large doe (so large I thought she was closer than that :redface: ) with a .530 ball over 70 grains of 3Fg, through and through broadside hit. Ran 20 yards.
LD
LD
hoochiepapa
75 Cal.
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Pronghorn buck, 70 yards or so, .54 ball, 110 grs. 2F, .014 patch lubed with mink oil. Broke both shoulders, stopped in the skin on the off side.
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:hmm: ......do trees count?
longcruise
70 Cal.
Was that this year?
hoochiepapa
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No, sorry, I only hunted one day. 15 inches of snow chased me home.
hanshi
Cannon
Using two different flinters - a TVM EV & a Pedersoli Cub) - both were .50 backed with 100grns Goex 3F. Blind was a large hay bale in a big field which also served as a rifle rest.
Pedersoli: Couldn't be sure of the exact spot but it was between 100 and 125 yards.
EV: 95 yards on a big doe. Both ran about 25-30 yards & left good blood trail. Both balls passed through.
Pedersoli: Couldn't be sure of the exact spot but it was between 100 and 125 yards.
EV: 95 yards on a big doe. Both ran about 25-30 yards & left good blood trail. Both balls passed through.
I am not so sure that one is on the right path explaining the efficient use of the PRB in terms of the farthest shot taken that took a Deer, the ML/PRB is not intended to be a long rage weapon but genealy considered a sub 100 yd gun with typical traditional primitive sights, if your friends cannot get closer than 100 yds they should probably stay with centerfires, the decreased range is a part of the challenge like with archery.
Well doesn't that depend on the definition of "long range" and the type of center fire cartridge used?
My dad and my late grandad swore by lever actions in .30-30 and .44-40 respectively. The late gunshop owner (whose sons now run the place), swore by his Ruger semi-auto in .44 magnum, as does another feller I know, with his lever action in .44 magnum..., and they all go for deer at 100 yards or closer. :grin:
I think it was only after WWII and the wide availability of scopes that the range of effectiveness for rifles got beyond 200 yards. I have 20/10 vision in my shootin' eye, and I can't pick out the proper spot on a deer to place a shot using open iron sights, beyond 200 yards. :hmm: I prefer to get the deer into under 100 yards as that's where my rifle is sighted in.
How many folks have access to properly measured shooting ranges that go more than 100 yards? They are pretty rare here in the PRoMd.
LD
My dad and my late grandad swore by lever actions in .30-30 and .44-40 respectively. The late gunshop owner (whose sons now run the place), swore by his Ruger semi-auto in .44 magnum, as does another feller I know, with his lever action in .44 magnum..., and they all go for deer at 100 yards or closer. :grin:
I think it was only after WWII and the wide availability of scopes that the range of effectiveness for rifles got beyond 200 yards. I have 20/10 vision in my shootin' eye, and I can't pick out the proper spot on a deer to place a shot using open iron sights, beyond 200 yards. :hmm: I prefer to get the deer into under 100 yards as that's where my rifle is sighted in.
How many folks have access to properly measured shooting ranges that go more than 100 yards? They are pretty rare here in the PRoMd.
LD
Rat Trapper
62 Cal.
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Of all the deer I've shot with a muzzle loader, (19) none have been beyond 75 yards if even that far. I try to keep the shooting with in 50 yards.
I'll be 64 in March, and in those years I have learned I don't like looking for deer that may need a follow up shot. Put the first shot in the right place and the tracking is reduced.
I'll be 64 in March, and in those years I have learned I don't like looking for deer that may need a follow up shot. Put the first shot in the right place and the tracking is reduced.
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