IF you had only one caliber to choose

[BigBoreBLR]

I don't have a huge opinion either way. That's why I am asking.

Today in our modern times with shotguns to hunt small game and our uncertain times in NY about being able to order supplies from outside enemy lines, I'd pick a 50 cal.

If I can still get the stuff I need online for years to come, .45 cal. Especially when it seems 45 cal is not a standard ball size.

If we were in olden times when these original weapons were new, I'd pick a 20 gauge. Mainly because I small game hunt much more than big game.

 

[cynthialee]

Don't you have to get pretty close to hit anything with a smoothbore? Their about 80 yards max right?

Gary

that is about the limit of my eyes with open sights on any gun as it is

 

[Coot]

Choose for what?
As general purpose smoothbore, .62.
For a general purpose rifle, .50.

 

[Carl Fowler III]

.62 caliber smoothbore....handle anything that walks or flys this good earth! :v

 

[Patocazador]

12 ga. double barrel. Can shoot everything with it: Birds, squirrels, rabbits, turkeys, and deer with a patched round ball. :grin:

 

[Critter Getter]

As an all around pick I would have to choose a 45 in a gun that had a rate of twist to handle both round ball and maxiball type projectiles. That way everything from head shot small game upto Iowa size Whitetail Deer and paper targets would be handled with great ease. That's my twocents. Greg

 

[AZbpBurner]

First muzzleloader rifle caliber I fired was the .40 my Dad built in 1970, but the first ML I cast for was .54 about 40 years ago.

To this day I have more .54 rifles than anything else, & although a couple of .50 rifles perform about as well, the .54 IMO is easier to work up accurate loads in and seems to have a better powder charge accuracy range than any of my other calibers.

 

[nkbj]

If it had to be just one gun it would be a goof proof reliable and well nigh indestructible flintlock smoothbore musket. Raising or lowering the bore diameter a bit would not matter terrible much. Only thing is I'd want a simple rear sight and a beady topped blade.

 

[bpd303]

If I could only have one gun it would be this one. Over/under 40 caliber rifled over 600 smooth bore... http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/282290/post/1308866/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[mooman76]

He didn't say only one gun. he said one caliber so I guess you could have several guns with the same caliber.

 

[William O.]

54 caliber.

 

[Alden]

A .45 for me. There is absolutely nothing I can't hunt and easily take with a .45.

Hanshi, a couple of weeks ago u said .62 smooth and .50 rifle. Right? Whahappen'dibetweennownthen -- cold water shrinkage!?

 

[Joel/Calgary]

A fowler or a double in the wonderful one-ounce bore, 16ga. With shot, it's a little easier to load down than a 10 or 12ga and easier to load up than a 28, 24, or 20ga, and that ball doesn't have to be moving fast to flatten any mammal I'd hunt at moderate range. Too much of my hunting is birds to limit myself to a rifle, much though I love them.

Regards,
Joel

 

[Semisane]

I refuse to even consider the proposition. :slap:

 

[M. De Land]

.58 caliber 1-60 twist. Mike D.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I refuse to even consider the proposition. :slap:

Score 1 point for the best answer so far.

I was thinking most average joes' could only afford one gun, so I figure it was a good question.

My daughters college fund says I can only afford 1 gun...........

I have not killed a deer with roundball yet. I've done it with conicals from a flintlock, but no roundball yet. The flintlock I owned at the time has a 1:28 twist. But, that's in the past........

Had this new gun for about a year. I passed up muzzleloading season this year. Trying hard to get a moose or elk tag for my 1st traveling hunt. I need the freezer room and probably got 3 deer in there already. I usually tag out all tags atleast the past 2 or 3 years.....

Otherwise, muzzleloading season is the only time I take off from work to hunt. I get home at 4pm, so I got and hour or two to hunt during bow season.

I do travel to PA for their January flintlock season. I am only about 1.5 hours away from the NE corner, the Delaware water gap.

 

[azmntman]

I have used only round ball on all my deer. Last Oct my son used a conical .54 GP on his first BP deer and although the wound was extreme his deer ran almost exactly the same distance as all mine have (a few have went nowhere or a single leap). His was heart shot, my last one was heart shot and both ran 50-60 yards. So dont be afraid to shoot em with a PRB! :thumbsup:

 

[Archie]

another vote for .54

 

[sb 54 cal.]

54 cal. smoothbore like it's versatility for anything in Missouri. Going for hog in April with it. 40 to 50 yards is good enough for me. :stir:

 

[Billnpatti]

I'd pick a .58 caliber smoothbore. It is a good size for hunting small or flying critters using shot and it also has a good size ball for hunting larger critters up to elk and bear. It is also large enough, without being too large, to use 00 buckshot for buck and ball loads. I think .54 caliber is a bit small for shot charges and the .62 will burn more powder than a .58 without providing much advantage over the .58. Yep, .58 smoothie would be my choice if I had to pick one single caliber.