Is there a "Big Caliber Syndrome" ?

[roundball]

Is there a "Big Caliber Syndrome" ??

I’ve accumulated a few different muzzleloaders / calibers over the years now, and I have acquired them in progressively larger and larger calibers.

When I started with a .45cal I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread”¦then the .50cal seemed like a great middle of the road caliber”¦and then the .54cal was very impressive with it’s power”¦and finally the big .58cal”¦well, it’s just a powerhouse.

As I accumulated them in larger and larger caliber sequence, I’ve ended up using the larger .54 and .58 calibers to fill my deer tags the last two years”¦and I’ve just completed a few trips to the range, running a few hundred more big .570cal balls through that excellent .58cal rifle.

Today, I took the .50cal to the range for the first time in a long time and it seemed like a toy”¦the ball looked tiny and I almost felt like I was wasting my time shooting it after all the .58cal shooting I’ve been doing.

I’m assuming this is a temporary feeling that will fade away once I start shooting the smaller calibers again”¦”¦or is there some sort of "Big Caliber Syndrome" that people can work themselves up into”¦and end up with .45’s & 50’s that will now lay in their cases unused??

 

I think you're on to something. I'm up to a .62 cal so I guess a .75 Bess is in my future. My .54 GPR sits at home for the most part but it's a caplock which doesn't seem as fun to shoot as my flintlock anyway.

 

[Dave K]

Sure I feel there is. It is much like c-fires and even bow poundage. Many times the shooter feels (IMHO)that more is better. Well, it can be, if the shooter is comfortable with it and accurate with it. Personally, I am comfortable with what the law says is enough gun. If they feel the min. is 38cal.(like here in Ohio) I am ok with that and would use it as it is meant to be used.

 

[tg]

I think this is an individual thing, some may be, some may go large for the PC factor,( or small) some may look to the edge to overcome a slightly off shot. I remember when if buying a production gun .45 and .50 were about it. Very often the larger cals. are heavily promoted on sites such as this....possibly over promoted, which may influence new shooters choices, I have seen many people jump up and down and insist on a larger than needed gun for deer or elk, and this may carry on with those who buy into it, as in many actvities it is a rarity for folks to do a complete and comprehensive study before making a choice, and bigger can be good but not absolutely gooder in every situation...

 

[BS]

It is Amazing on how it happens!

First a 45, then a 50, then a 54 ans so on........

After shooing a 62 and 73 for a while, those 50 cal balls sure look small.

80 grains of 2F out of my 62 is a nice mild load that doesn't kick, but if I want some real power, just double the charge.

Just remember: Big Balls Make Big Holes!

 

[Ridge]

My shooting experience started with a 45, then I bought a 50 which I felt was too much gun for deer. So I bought a 40. After several years of hunting I settled on a 54 for large(ish) game.

The 535 ball backed with 80 grains of 2F packs quite a punch!

 

[Zonie]

Face it roundball. Your on the road to self destruction!
Where do you think all of those Weatherby Magnums came from? Folks wanting more and more power! Why? To give them "the edge".

Deep in your heart you know this is the wrong direction for you so I would suggest you permit me to save you from yourself by sending me all of those evil large caliber guns.
That will allow you to rediscover the pleasures of shooting a .45 again. :grin: :grin: :rotf:

 

I just know that Freud would have a lot to say about our need for bigger balls. Something about feelings of inaduaqcy or some such. :rotf: Really I just think it's the disease, pure and simple. Just shows the depths we are sinking to with this malaise. :grin: :grin: :grin: Bill

 

[musketman]

Is there a "Big Caliber Syndrome" ??

I’ve accumulated a few different muzzleloaders / calibers over the years now, and I have acquired them in progressively larger and larger calibers.

There is a down side to larger bores, it's called economics...

Lead wise, the larger the bore, the less balls per pound you will get...

Powder wise, larger guns consume more powder per shot than smaller bores on average to achieve the same velocities...

 

[wwfeatherston]

Runs true with me- I'm eying up a .58 muskatoon at the moment and have a Walker Colt on the shopping list!

:grin:

 

[Walks Alone]

Kind of the opposite for me I guess. Started with a couple of 50's decades ago, added a 54, 12GA and a bunch of 45's before getting a couple of 32's and 36's. Shoot mostly the 32's and 36's hunting now and the 45's for matches - 50's and 54 seldom get out anymore, same with the 12.

 

[Keppy]

Roundball I just started out in this muzzleloader game and I ready enjoy the 45 cal. :grin: I have had a pretty good selection of big bore center fires in my time. But when it’s all said and done, I enjoy my small cal. guns the most. I figure when I hunt I use the cal. that is adequate for a clean kill. I also think you shoot better if you’re comfortable when you squeeze the trigger. And as we all know bullet placement is the key. Now I’m not saying I won’t ever get a 50 ,54 ,or larger cal. But for now the 45 cal. Is just right for my type of hunting and shooting. So I’m always looking for another 45 Cal.. So if you fellows get tried of those baby cal. :rotf: Let me know. I just might be interested. :winking: Happy New Year to you and all.

 

[sniper68]

Not true here! I got 36,40 45,50 & 58 cal rifles. Love'em all. Can't argue the power of the big boys but by far, my favorite ones are the 36 thru 45 cal rifles. Why!! Just "CAUSE"... :v
Some folks want or have a Hummer, I got a 82 S-10 2wd and it ain't for sale...
Freedom of choice, Ain't America great or what ?? :thumbsup: :v

 

[RiverRat]

Happy New Year Roundball, which caliber, let's say at 50yds, is your most accurate?

 

[bob1961]

i've seen this trend also....is it a trend or like ya said it was....i started with the .50 and moved to a .54....my next rifle will be a .36 fer small game and turkey....then a .54 flintock pistol....but right now don't have any inclination to move up in cal....but time will tell.....................bob

 

[Bob J]

.36 and .54 for me (and 10 ga). I remember reading Sam Fadala's opinion that a .54 is the best combination of velocity and mass. :hmm: Still, always wanted an 8 bore double :youcrazy: :winking:

 

[F.G. Ford]

We all know that Muzzleloaders have "Bigger Balls"and that's a fact.
When many shooters step from cartridge guns to front stuffers, .36, or .40 seems quite large.
So we may start with one of these.
And then the " BUG" gets you, you got to get bigger and more guns. Man this life is great!
My .36, and .40's have grown to .62 cal. and now after 40 years of black powder shooting, once again those .36 cals. seem atractive in cost and recoil, especially off the bench.
That's my view and I'm sticking to it.
Happy New Year to all.
Old Fors

 

[roundball]

I really wasn't on any journey after larger calibers for the sake of power or anything, it's just that every couple years a particular caliber would become sort of routine...I'd get the itch for another one...and with deer hunting always the fundamental interest, I'd go up to a larger caliber, not a smaller one.

I've got them all shooting very well, no accuracy issues or distinctions that would make one stand out over the others...except for the .58...it makes a single ragged hole so quick & easy compared to the smaller calibers 'cause the dad-blamed ball is so big!

 

[Runner]

I would use the 36 for everything but deer hunting if it worked. It is a pretty good paper target gun. It is a lousy steel plate gun. It will not knock them down a lot of the time at the longer ranges. It will not reliably cut popsycle sticks. If they would let me use it for turkey, it would be top choice for that job. I use it for general small game and a carry gun when out hiking.
The 45 is a between gun that I don't have any of anymore.
The fifty is a great target caliber and has the stuff for the steel plates, cuts popsycle sticks and such well, and is pleasant to shoot. It will handle any deer I have ever seen and I have killed two 300 pound class bucks. It is my primary deer caliber. No bears, elk, moose, or bison here. It is hard to argue that it isn't about the perfect caliber for whitetail.
The 12 guage is great for small game, turkeys, ducks, and such, but the choke tubes kill about half of it's uses.
For some reason I am considering a 38 inch 12 guage smoothbore for both rondball and shot. I think in my case I am tired of taking more than one gun with me on all of my trips. Even the Trapper with the two barrels is a pain on such outings. Just what do you do with the loaded 50 barrel while you hunt quail or rabbit in the middle of the day? I think I am looking for the one gun solution that can do it all, and that is a large bore smoothbore flinter I think. If the bears, moose, elk, and large wild boars invade, I would be all set. If the ducks attempt to take over, I would be ready. The one gun idea is attractive!

 

[ryoung14]

I think in this day and age we crave variety and, whether we admit or not, it usually upstages practicality. In our settled lifestyles, it's possible for each of us to have several guns that we've "justified" for various specialized tasks. There's the .32 squirrel rifle, the .36 or .40 for popping turkeys or coyotes, the .45 or .50 for deer, maybe a fast-twist .50 for open country deer, and then a .54 or a 58 for elk...maybe...someday. What's behind our so-called "justification" for each of these calibers is just a desire for variety....not that there's anything wrong with that :winking:.

Contrast this with the mountain man of the period who went afield with one or, at most, two rifles that had provide food and security for months at a time. If large dangerous bears were about, they would dictate the choice of caliber. A .54 would probably be the smallest he'd consider. Whether a .54, .58 or a .62 it still had to be useful on deer, rabbit and sage hen to put meat on the table. This is where the mountain man's skill and familiarity with his (one) gun made the difference. He could use that big bore on a rabbit and still have something to eat.

Similarly, back East where man was the most dangerous critter in the woods, small calibers like the .36, .40 and .45 were the most practical. They're economical and they excel at taking small game but, in the hands of the skilled marksman, could get the job done on deer and the occasional hostile indian.

I've got a System 1 Inline (obligatory: spit! spit!) with rifle barrels from .32 to .58. The .32 and the .58 are both good shooters and alot of fun. The .32 makes a dandy squirrel gun while the .58 is great at walloping my shoulder and making huge clouds of smoke. But for living with a gun day-to-day and putting meat on the table, the .45, .50 and the .54 get the nod. Pressed hard, they'll deliver the power. Throttled back they're quite useable on small game without demanding too much in the way of skill, lead or powder. As a PRACTICAL matter they're tops. But it's human nature that practical solutions seldom hold our interest.

If cars were as affordable and easy to keep as rifles, I might have both a Miata and a Viper in the garage....just for fun. But for day to day transportation needs, the Buick or the F150 would still get the nod.
FWIW
Bob