Is there a "Big Caliber Syndrome" ?

[brayhaven]

Is there a "Big Caliber Syndrome" ??

Sure is RB, also, in CF handguns it's called "Elmer Keith Syndrome" & CF rifles it's just "masochism" :grin: Greg

 

[Mike Brooks]

Here's my view.....for what it's worth.
I'm not impressed with big recoil or noise. for 99% of the rifle shooting I do neither one is needed.
For shooting paper out to 100 yards I like a .40. For shooting steel gongs I like a .54. If i was going to have a designated midwestern hunting rifle I only shot 5 times a year I'd go for a .62.
If I could only have one rifle I'd go for the universal .54.
Smooth bores for ball: I'd go with a 28ga. for target shooting and steel and midwestern deer hunting. I've had several and they are incredibly accurate. For a single barrel shotgun I intended to hunt birds with I'd go for a 10 or 12. For a flint double for upland hunting and skeet I'd go with an 18 or 16 with very light breeches .
I've always had the opportunity to have any rifle caliber I wanted and have always choose to keep the ball size with in reason to get the job at hand done. Big bore usually equals big recoil with equals a shooter with a bad flinch that can't hit what he's aiming at.
There are some out there that can handle a rifle with a big bore and recoil, but there aren't many that win big competetive matches with them . the wining rifle calbers in competition that I've shot against in the past 25 years were in the .45 to .54 range. Wining smooth bores for target/steel work were nearly all 28 ga with the occasional fellow that had his 20 bore sorted out after spending considerable time shooting it.
This of course is all my opinion, yours may vary....but just keep in mind I know I'm always right.... :winking: :blah: :haha:

 

[more powder]

Well i have only been into shooting flintlocks for 2 1/2 yrs but i have shot cap guns sence 61 i went from 45 to 50 to 54 to 73 now i need a 62 smooth bore.I like all of them :grin:

 

[bpollock_sr]

Ther must be. Because I,ve got it.I started years ago with a .50.I did buy a 36 for small stuff.But i've also acquired a .54, 2-.58s a.62 rifle, and a .662 (16ga) smoothbore. I hope someday to own and shoot a flint wall gun, and further in the future maybe a small artilery piece.

 

[skeetabop]

My thoughts exactely Roundball. I bought a 58 last year and it makes my 50 look like a bb gun. I used my 58 for the first time deer hunting this year and it is a awesome deer slayer. I enjoy shooting my 50, but the 58 is by far my choice for muzzleloading now.

 

[dwarvenchef]

I'm just an addict, need to have something in every caliber, that way you always have something to shoot no matter what the mood (now if only my pocketbook would let get them all)...

 

[ssettle]

Big caliber syndrome...I believe there is .I have a acouple 54s. I started with a 50. I'd like a 62 smooth bore if possible. Big bores have their place. If I was a mountain man and seen a brown bear I'd want something alot bigger than a 50 caliber.. it'd take alot more than one hit to stop one and I can't run very fast while pooping my pants.

 

[bigbore442001]

I think that this trend has to do with how versatile a larger bore can be. You can load down a large bore for smaller game but you really can't load up a small bore for large game.

Although not related to muzzleloaders this story told to me by my Dad indicated the problem with hunting with a lighter gun for deer sized game. Ages ago, my dad hunted with the son of a game warden in the state of New Hampshire. Back then, Dad and Gramps always used the 30-06 for deer. The new guy was shooting a 257 Roberts or something similar. Anyways, the wardens son shot a deer and it ran off over a hill and they tracked it for 100-150 yards. Well, they found the deer. A nice buck........with someone elses tag on it and they were dragging it off. Nothing they could legally do. First tag is the legal owner.

In places with a lot of pressure, Id' rather hit a nice deer with a 54 or something like that rather than the bare legal minimum and have someone else go off with it.

 

[walruskid1]

bigger is better! :grin:

 

[faw3]

Im sure your on to something, I thought the 62 for my H+AS would be it , then I see this guy has a 20 m m barrel away we go thinking about what we could do with that. Heck that 48"will hit anything I can see,I thought the 58 was big till I got the 62. and thing about it is All I shot the last month and a half is the long barrel H+A or the Ithaca Hawken, everything else is just forgotten.........Fred :hatsoff:

 

[Dave K]

I can't argue about big being better for big game. But, there can never be an excuse for poor shot placement. The game wardens son, didn't get that deer because a 257 Roberts wasn't enough gun,it was because of shot placement, that he didn't get it. I have used 30-06's for big game and I certainly wouldn't feel handicapped with a 257 Roberts on deer. I doubt a 30cal. hole in the hams makes any difference over a 25cal. hole in the hams. Please don't allow poor shooting ability to overtaken by a bigger cal.If you can't handle a big cal., shoot a cal. that you can accurately shoot. A poor shot is a poor shot, regardless of hole size.

 

[bigbore442001]

The deer was shot in the chest to the best of my knowledge. Something bigger will give you more of a fudge factor and when you need to drop something quick. You would be surprised at how many people follow other blood trails .

 

[wwfeatherston]

Following someone elses blood trail strikes me as a good way to get shot!

They are pumped up and know there is a target out there- recipe for a long box with metal handles...

 

[PaulN/KS]

Returning to the original topic...
My wife's rifles are all 50 caliber.I started with a 54 and have pretty well stayed with that caliber.Can't have smaller balls than the wife you know... :hmm:

 

[bigbore442001]

In some parts of the nation, some hunters are less ethical than others.

If I were hunting on a private farm where I knew everyone, then I wouldn't feel too bad about using a smaller bore. But say I was hunting the Harold Parker State Forest near the Greater Boston Area of my home state, where a lot of hunters comb the place from the city, then I want to make sure I drop what I hit.

That is all I am stating.

 

[Dave K]

Maybe it is time to break out the heavy artillery. Cannons will have them drop where they are hit, but meat damage is severe and parts of the game may be strung over a large area. But, at least don't have to worry about good shooting. This is just all in jest, but maybe you can see my point. There is still no excuse in not working toward good marksmanship. I am sure those with big bores like them and for good reason, but where does the fudge factor stop? If a 75cal. is better than a 58cal. how about a 125cal.? There comes a point, where you just need to be an ethical hunter and shoot within the limitations of you gun and practice good shooting.

 

[tg]

A good point Dave, the trajectory of a 1.50 rb may be a bit interesting to sight in at a reasonable range so that a range finder was not required for every 20 yds change in distance.

 

[Maynerd62411]

First it's a .45,
then a .50,
then a .54,
then a .62,
then a .75,
then on to the cannons. :rotf:
Will it never end? :rotf:
I hope not. :rotf:

 

[harryo]

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.

I did pretty much the opposite and started with a .54cal and then added calibers in progressively smaller sizes. I did add a .58cal in there somewhere so it wasn't a straight progression. I enjoy shooting all my rifles but find myself shooting the smaller calibers like the .40 & .45 more often. when punching paper. The .40 is just so darned accurate and is a pleasure to shoot as it generates very little recoil with target loads.

 

[BS]

First it's a .45,
then a .50,
then a .54,
then a .62,
then a .75,
then on to the cannons. :rotf:
Will it never end? :rotf:
I hope not. :rotf:

I think the Cannons came before Muzzleloaders! :grin: