Favorite Hunting and NON-Hunting caliber?

[nightwolf1974]

What is your favorite Muzzleloading caliber for hunting?
Also, what is your favorite non-hunting (just overall shooting) muzzleloading caliber?

For me, my favorite hunting caliber is .54cal. With a wide selection of projectiles (new & old style) you can really lay a smackdown on your intended target.

My favorite general shooting caliber is .45cal. It's a nice lightweight caliber, that was once (and still is to some extent) offered in nice light rifles and carbines. And is also good as an entry level caliber for smaller framed shooters.

 

[JohnnieT]

I love .54 for both. I agree with you on the versatility.

 

[Dibbuk]

.31 and .50 Both solid, accurate rifles.

 

[Grimord]

For hunting herein CT for deer in heavy cover I like the .58, but for target shooting and such I shoot a .50 with low velocity loads. For small game hunting I like the .32.

 

[Phil Coffins]

54

 

[nightwolf1974]

54

Dude, I love your signature...

 

[mooman76]

It depends on what I am hunting. 50 for deer sized game and 58 for elk and moose. 32 for small game. General shooting my favorite has changed from time to time. currently it is my 36.

 

[user 49399]

50

 

[Art Caputo]

For deer/large game hunting, my 58.....For small game and casual targets, 40. While my favorites, I can’t say these are always my choices. A particular rifle at times takes priority over the caliber.

 

[Barry Strickland]

For target competition I prefer 40 cal.

 

[mushka]

For small game I'd use a .32 or .36. For big game I'd use a .50 or .54, and for target I'd use whatever I felt like at the time.

 

[user 36911]

.54 works fine for elk.

It's all I need for all my shooting.

 

[hanshi]

Usually a .45 for deer and a .32 or .36 for small game and everything else.

 

[deermanok]

45 and 50 caliber pistols are my favorite target shooting guns.
Recently bought a 45 caliber rifle and I think it will be my main deer hunting arm.

 

[leadhoarder]

.54 and .54

 

[appalichian hunter]

.62 for deer size game, 20 ga smoothie for field game, .32 for tree rats. Also shoot .50 and .54 depends on how I feel that particular day. .44 cal. for pistol plinking.

 

[BullRunBear]

I don't hunt any more but when I did I used an old CVA SxS 12 gauge percussion. I could load it heavy or light depending on the game involved. That cylinder bore worked well.

For target rifles it's mostly 50 caliber rifle for ranges past 25 yards and a Traditions Crockett in 32 for close up. Much as I like Colt and Remington cap and ball revolvers, nothing beats my Ruger Old Army or EMF Rogers and Spencer in 44.

Jeff

 

[Flintlock]

My .54 puts deer down right now but with my .45 I hunt everything from Chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, grouse, ducks ( head shots) beaver and deer. Hunting is a very broad term. The great majority of plinking-hiking and competition is done with the .45 as well

 

[vintovka]

I like .45 for range and .54 for field. I have built several 2 barrel sets in these calibers. The .45 is just too heavy for field work at my age and health. Less than .45 is too small for impaired hands. The difference in caliber seems very significant to me and I find the .54 very tolerable. I can see why my Tyrolean ancestors liked big bore light weight jaegers when in tough terrain. I have a beautiful .50 Flint GPR and the only thing that would make it perfect would be if it was in .54.

 

[Crow-Feather]

A 40 for target as it will sound a Gong at 100 yds. A 54 for hunting as you never know what you might come up against with only one shot in the rifle.