Hunting load

[jamieorr]

I have no plans to hunt anytime soon, but I do know hunters and might be invited deer hunting sometime.

Right now I'm using 70 grains of 2F behind a .490 patched ball. Kills those paper targets dead! But is it sufficient to knock over a deer at 50 yards? That would be as far as I'd take a shot, I think.

Jamie

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yes.

Not a barn-burner load to be sure, but it ought to do with a well placed shot. I use 85 gr FFg in my .50 cal. New Englander.

 

[Wes/Tex]

You didn't mention the type of gun you're using or the barrel length but 70 grains ought to crank up about 1550 to 1600 fps velocity. Rule of thumb would be another 100 fps for 80 and another 100 fps for 90. Any muzzleloader in decent shape will handle any of these. 1600 fps from a well placed ball will knock Bambi "from here to yonder" as one of the older hunters used to say. Accuracy beats power every time. Just keep your hunting distances in the same :wink: distances as your target ranges, you'll do fine with a "hit in the boiler room".

 

[BrownBear]

...70 grains of 2F behind a .490 patched ball...at 50 yards?

Start collecting venison recipes! :thumbsup:

My wife uses 60 grains behind the .530 ball in her Lyman Deerstalker (24" barrel) 54 caliber. She limits herself to 50 yard shots, and we've never recovered a single ball from one of her deer. And all were clean, quick one-shot kills. I'd expect much the same from a .490 ball atop 70 grains. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall some folks on here reporting that's their favorite deer load.

 

[Don Steele]

It's certainly enough to kill any Whitetail out there if you put that RB in the right place. One of the benefits of more powder is a flatter trajectory. That makes it easier to place the ball properly without having to do any kind of "hold over or under". In other words...Range estimation becomes less critical. You might be all sighted in for a 50-60 yd shot, but the shot you get is 20-25 yds. Do you know where your ball goes at shorter range..??
I load 90gns. in my 50 cal with a roundball and have killed several deer from 20-100 yds with NO problems and no tracking required. I like it like that..!! :thumbsup:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Right now I'm using 70 grains of 2F behind a .490 patched ball. Kills those paper targets dead! But is it sufficient to knock over a deer at 50 yards? That would be as far as I'd take a shot, I think.

In a 28" barrel or longer I'd say with a broadside lung shot, probably will go through the deer at 50 yards.

LD

 

[robinsroost]

In a 28" barrel or longer I'd say with a broadside lung shot, probably will go through the deer at 50 yards. LD[/quote]

LD, 70 grains of 2Fg will certainly shoot a .50 caliber PRB through a deer because 65 grains of 3Fg does. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yes. Plenty adequate when placed right. Placed wrong, triple that charge still might not be enuf.

 

[jamieorr]

Yes. Plenty adequate when placed right. Placed wrong, triple that charge still might not be enuf.

Thanks again guys. It's a 28 inch trade rifle, so should be okay. My only reservation now would be that shot placement, but as it's all speculation right now, there's lots of time.

Haven't hunted since I was a teenager, never taken a deer. Our next door neighbor used to bring home a deer or a moose every fall.

Jamie

 

[Choctaw]

I hope you get to hunt, Jamie. This was previously mentioned, but practice at not only your maximum range but at all distances in between. Also, practice using various stances and rests. For me practicing, load development and anticipation of fall is nearly as fun as the hunt itself.

 

[The Baron]

Your load will work just fine. 80gr. 2F put a .490" PRB right through a very big doe (about 140# dressed) from my T/C New Englander at 50 yards. I can't see 10gr. less powder making much of a difference. As was said, shot placement is always key. Hope you get to go try! :thumbsup:

 

[tenngun]

Just look over fifty and hundred yard balistic results. A .490 ball at 1100 fps slows to about 850 fps. A ball at 2000 fps, almost twice as fast slows to about 1100 fps.
I used to load heavy thinking the deer deserved a faster ball for a quick kill. However I found it just doesn't add any kill power. With 70 grains and even 60 grains has put deer in the freezer.
We can talk about wound channels and hydrolic shock and such and such. However the killing power of ball comes from half inch holes through areas that bleed a lot. Lungs, heart, livers and necks opened by a half inch hole turn deer in to venison.

 

[Zonie]

Yup.

When you stop and figure, a 1/2 inch ball starts out about as big as one of those modern suppository guns bullets will end up expanding to.

Then, after poking a 1/2 inch hole in the critter, a soft lead ball will often expand to an even larger size as it continues to tare its way deeper. :shocked2:

 

[hanshi]

I favor 70 grains of 3F in my .50 and 60 grains in my .45.

 

[azmntman]

shot alot of cow elk with .54 and 80 gr. I believe all were pass throughs. my deer load is 65-70 gr depending on what .50 I take (or 55 in my .45). SHOT PLACEMENT

 

[tenngun]

Ml always looks anemic compared to a modern gun. You can boost the paper a bit with a conical of some sort, but not much. Its low velocity low power, but big hole. In spite of 400 foot pound energies at a hundred yards game goes down for keeps. Like everyone said shot placement counts most. Don't take ify shots, get close, take your time...no snap shots on startled running game. Think of a ml as archery on steroids instead of a primitive form of a modern gun.

 

[Zonie]

Think of a ml as archery on steroids instead of a primitive form of a modern gun.

Well said.

Well said, indeed! :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Good analogy. 25 yards with a bow. 75 yards with a m/l.

And I always think about where the shot will come OUT with either. Optimal - get both lungs and leave an entry and exit wound.

Difference is with a m/l I'll do a ground level frontal if under 20 yards but would never try that with a bow.