Is a 40 round ball sufficient for deer hunting?

[Critter Getter]

Thank you to Spence for posting the informative history on the popular calibers of past times. Fun read. Also, I loved the story of your rifle and a real nice looking weapon it is. I have no experience with a .40 but having shot many large whitetails with a .45, I can’t imagine that a little smaller projectile would make much difference and if legal in Iowa to use it on deer I am sure that I would. Greg

 

[Jay Templin]

Will a .40 kill a deer? Absolutely. But here in Virginia, only muzzleloaders at least .45 are legal for deer.
Jay

 

[sportster73hp]

I don’t mean to steal the thread but has anyone regularly used a ml for woodchuck huning ? What caliber and distance?

 

[ugly old guy]

What does the state's current hunting regulations you want to hunt deer in say?

That is the only thing that really matters unless you intend to violate the hunting regulations. (Not advisable, by the way.)

I know Idaho, Oregon, Washington, (and unless they've changed the regulations since I lived there) Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas, The PRK (Peoplez Republik of Kalifornia), and Nevada all have a minimum of .45 caliber when hunting deer with a muzzleloader.

Idaho also requires that the muzzleloader not be a pistol (of any caliber) or a cap and ball revolver.

 

[azmntman]

Well come on over to AZ! Bring yer .32 crockett and maybe you'll get an elk tag. Ya sure will be legal here, course yer apt to wound 25-30 elk before ya kill (or find one ya hit) and tag it.

Common sense plus shot placement = meat.

I would use one over water in the woods, NOT in brush. I am usually found with a CVA. 50 after deer myself

 

[olskool]

Davy crocket's rifle Old Betsy was reported to be a 40cal. it is said he killed over 100 black bears with it. if it did kill all those black bears I think he had no problem killin a deer with it. in fact if you had asked him if it was enough gun for deer he probably would have thought you to be touched,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[josie wales]

Can I steal that line? I like it....

I don't own it but be my guest to it.

 

[nkbj]

I don’t mean to steal the thread but has anyone regularly used a ml for woodchuck huning ? What caliber and distance?

We've had one show up around the yard but haven't taken a shot at it.

 

[Griz44Mag]

We've had one show up around the yard but haven't taken a shot at it.

(YET?) We know you will, so take a pic when you do....

 

[TNGhost]

I don’t mean to steal the thread but has anyone regularly used a ml for woodchuck huning ? What caliber and distance?

Yes. Year before last I had six or seven of them living around the the area just beyond the mowed yard. Two fell to a '58 .44 when I snuck up on them devouring young cabbage plants in the garden on separate occasions.. Not particularly challenging shots, at less than 20 yards from behind the corner of an outbuilding, but most satisfying.

 

[galamb]

I don't usually comment on "is it enough" because I tend to believe that if you have to ask you may already be doubting the question and when you have bambi in your sights you can worry about many things but having enough gun/bow/spear should not be one of them.

I have successfully taken three deer with my 38 caliber shooting roundball. And yes that is only a 79 grain ball (.375) being pushed with 40 grains of FFF real black.

BUT, and it's a giant but, I primarly hunt deer with bow. So my shooting lanes "do not" extend beyond 35 yards - can't see further than that so no chance of "trying" a shot beyond that.

At 35 yards my velocity is about 1475 fps with an impact of about 350 foot pounds.

AND because of that it MUST BE a full on, standing still BROADSIDE shot right through the heart lungs. No quartering shots, no shots on alert deer, no contorting out of the stand - If I wouldn't take the shot with my recurve bow, I won't take the shot with my 38.

So I "know" a 40 is more than enough if you only take a near perfect shot. If you "just have to get a deer" a 45 or better is probably more what you need.

 

[David Coulter]

I once looked up the rifles of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. They used 36 & 38 I think. That was more normal in the East and those small bores killed lots of game. Make it part of your woodsmanship to get in close and scout the woods for a good set up. Double lung will do the job.

 

[gustrolland]

I was wanting to know if a 40 cal is sufficient for deer? I have used 45 and no problem. Thanks

I've killed one nice buck with a .45 (.440ball) over 80 grain of 3F, 70 yards and a perfect shot placement. And I was not impressed with the knock down. But I had impressive results with only 5 caliber more, that is a .50. I hunt with a flinter and have made a jump to a .58 that was make by a top class builder and also to .62 smoothbore that I have no idea who built it.. I've yet to take any game with the .62.I use the .45 to show nonbelievers how dam good a front stuffer can shoot.

 

[Eterry]

In my experience, whitetail aren't hard to kill. They are often hard to locate, but usually in brush at dusk.

My father was a great believer in the 410 slug. It is almost ballistic twin of the 40 cal muzzleloader. He favored a neck shot.

You can always use a conical or REAL bullet. My 40 cal Real bullets weigh 197 grains. That should do the trick nicely.

 

[Carbon 6]

Is a 40 round ball sufficient for deer hunting?

Yes,Yes,Yes, a 40 is sufficient,

The man behind the trigger though is an unknown variable.

 

[Col. Batguano]

It's the rough ballistic equivalent to a 44-40 rifle, or a 357 mag from a pistol, and both of those are considered (marginally) adequate. (interestingly though, it's less than. a 30 Carbine, and most states DON'T allow those.) It will work, but your "margin of miss" from a less than perfect shot is smaller. The bigger your gun, the larger your lethal kill zone is.

 

[Nessmuck56]

40 cal minimum here in NH for Deer Hunting

 

[Skychief]

Wouldn't this thread be better suited located in the hunting section?

Enjoyed and found the history very interesting Spence.

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[Snotty54]

J. D . Thompson was one of my mentors. He got me started building rifles. He was very knowledgeable and built a lot of rifles. You don't come across them very often, people who have them hang on to them.

 

[Art Caputo]

IMO, the hunting circumstances makes a difference in caliber choice. With little or no hunting pressure, and a well placed shot, the 40 cal. will get the job done. Under pressure, with deer aware of the hunters presence and tendency to take flight, the added energy and tissue/bone damage of a larger bore will give added margin for the skittish animal that may cover a lot ground before giving up the ghost, even with a fatal shot. Best case, would be a long tracking job, worst case, a lost deer.