It's hard to beat the .45 cal

[Loja man]

My first deer was with my dads .45 Long rifle! Upper lung shot! Blew so much smoke in the cold morning I had no idea if I hit the deer! By the time smoke cleared the deer was gone! Found her about 30 yards out in the brush. Great memory!!

 

[Cattywompuss]

A .45 T/C Hawken started my devolution into a MLer when I was six years old. My favorite rifle is a .50, but my .45 Dickert "Murder Hornet"(in honor of 2020) is only half a step behind.

 

[ohio ramrod]

The first ml rifle I bought was a forty five, the first rendezvous I went to, a man realized he had driven 100 miles with a fifty caliber rifle and 54 caliber balls. And was looking for some one with fifty caliber balls for sale. I made up my mind I would always have the same caliber rifle no mater how many I would get!

 

[Loja man]

The first ml rifle I bought was a forty five, the first rendezvous I went to, a man realized he had driven 100 miles with a fifty caliber rifle and 54 caliber balls. And was looking for some one with fifty caliber balls for sale. I made up my mind I would always have the same caliber rifle no mater how many I would get!

Since it wasn’t me! That’s to funny!!! LOL!!

 

[M. De Land]

It should be there way.
I emailed our game commission this summer about the reasons as to why we can't hunt squirrels with a .45 and they said they don't want people shooting up into trees.
A friend said it best when he says "then they should limit it to shot only and no .22s if that's the case."

Well that just makes to much common sense for a bureaucracy to except !

 

[.36Rooster]

I would have to agree. I might add that, its little brother, the .40 is a close competitor. And a versatile hunter might choose a .40 if he is bent on small game and a little big game, like i am, or a .45 if he is bent on big game with some small game. I currently use a .44 mostly, and mostly hunt small game. I'm not displeased with it. It may well be that the .45 wins. All of my squirrels are killed in the head, so, i suppose i could use a .58 if i wanted, but then there is powder and lead considerations.... a .40 and a .45 is a close tie. If you're a long range shooter, like I'm NOT, wind resistance is a factor, and a .45 may well win out. And that does make it a bit better. It can do everything smallgame wise that a .40 can, and better...considering that you are never taking meat shots with either...although the .40 is a hair flatter, but us true shooters don't really like flat guns much anyways.

 

[Coinneach]

A place to sleep and a place to eat.

Another Aussie here, good onya mate !

 

[Coinneach]

I have the similar preference and rationale for the 45. With decades of shooting my rifles in 40 through 58 cal, for each shot I have taken with my with my 40, 50, 54,58, and 62 cal muzzleloaders combined, I have likely exceeded that total my two 45’s. When I had finally decided to go all out and acquire a top maker, custom flintlock rifle, it was a 45.

Thats where I'm headed, considering a Left handed TVM Flintlock kit in .45 cal RB, or TOW.

 

[Grenadier1758]

No, @Coinneach, just watched a lot of Australian, New Zealand and English TV and read a few books.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I would have to agree. I might add that, its little brother, the .40 is a close competitor. And a versatile hunter might choose a .40 if he is bent on small game and a little big game, like i am, or a .45 if he is bent on big game with some small game. I currently use a .44 mostly, and mostly hunt small game. I'm not displeased with it. It may well be that the .45 wins. All of my squirrels are killed in the head, so, i suppose i could use a .58 if i wanted, but then there is powder and lead considerations.... a .40 and a .45 is a close tie. If you're a long range shooter, like I'm NOT, wind resistance is a factor, and a .45 may well win out. And that does make it a bit better. It can do everything smallgame wise that a .40 can, and better...considering that you are never taking meat shots with either...although the .40 is a hair flatter, but us true shooters don't really like flat guns much anyways.

Nothing wrong with a .400. Mine has a bit more nitro poke a 450-400 400 g double. Great for a couple of elephant but you need ac.500 double for more than two. Just trying to be humorous my apology for bring such things to the forum

 

[Rifleman1776]

I did do some reading on forums and it seems there's a fair amount of controversy over if it is capable of taking down deer.

To some there may be a controversy. But, facts are it is a very capable deer caliber. Ask the ones I have eaten. IMHO, it is a great all-around caliber.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Another Aussie here, good onya mate !

Well Mate are you from Western Australia. Cousin lives there and I have been to the massive ranges at Joondalup north of Perth. Big ML building but we could only watch from the car. park Nothing to shoot at as far up as Exmouth, chased an emu nr Canarvon, bugger could run faster than me , other than roo and you cannot shoot them in the cemetery. Seemed very anti gun and hunting. Lovely place though, people ain’t bad either. Did not like the price of your beer at £9 a pint in pubs It’s only £520 to Perth off season but not going to do the 23 hour flight again. Ha ha. Lovely to meet you

 

[mooman76]

I started with a 45 Kentucky CVA like many of us have, wanted bigger for hunting moose and elk. Then wanted smaller for economy and eventually went back to 45. Great gun,

 

[Coinneach]

I was based near Perth some years ago, and yeah the Gun laws are crap there.
Here in SE QLD not so bad, they pretty well leave us alone.
I'm currently working on a Jim Chambers Isaac Haines Flintlock kit in .50 cal RB, slow going but hey thats what its all about.
Built a Pecatonica River FL Tennessee Mountain rifle in .36 cal RB in the 80's which got me hooked, lerve Black Powder and Flintlocks, also do some SSAA Western action but find my interest has fallen off as I age.
Well met brother, Keep the Faith.

 

[stephenprops1]

Over the years I've had several muzzle loading calibers .36, .44. .45, .50, .54 and .58 but I have come to settle on the good ole .45 cal as being one of the most versatile and useful bore sizes around which sort of surprises me as I have always tended toward larger ball diameters in muzzle loading arms. Could be my tendency to be thrifty along with the added years have jaded my opinion but I think there is some sense to what I have settled on.
The .40 has really caught on over the last decade or so but I still think the .45 a better all around caliber not coming up short at the range or in the field. It shoots just as fast as the .40, is less wind sensitive and the recoil is hardly noticeably more.
It can be loaded down for squirrel or up to deer and black bear plus conicals can easily be used in this caliber which has a wide array of offerings available in shape and weight. It also is noticeably thrifty of ball and powder compared to the next larger class of bore diameters.
I think historically bore diameters around this size (.40 to .50 cal) in non military arms, were probably very prevelant especially to the long hunters ,trappers and surveyors who had to pack everything in the wilds.
ONe mans opinion but I have two rifles in the caliber now and both get used more than any of my other larger bores.

My first muzzleloader was a .69 caliber Charleville. I then switched to 50 caliber percussion. (I had several of them.) I then got a .32 caliber and was not very happy with it. (It fouled quickly) I have since switched to .45 caliber and I really do like it. I currently own three .45 caliber percussion rifles. two .45 caliber pistols (one percussion and one flintlock). I also have a 16 gauge/.66 caliber flintlock, Rogers Rangers smoothbore. I plan to stick with .45 caliber from now on. The smoothbore is primarily for shotgunning.

 

[M. De Land]

The old timers were smart and practical. Even with elk, buffalo and black bear east of the Mississippi the under .50 cal bores seemed to be the preference in size but I think the Grizzly bear changed all that when they crossed the "Big Muddy" !
The Hawken's made in St Louis tended to be over .50 cal and were far better suited for taking buffalo, elk and dealing with Grizzlies. Still from what I gather most of the Hawkens for the fur trade tended to stay in the .50 to .53 caliber range when made but freshening them out after a few years of heavy use made them larger in caliber. I wonder how many of the larger bore Hawkens actually left the shop as new guns in over .55 cal.
I think economy of powder and lead was still a factor in Hawken thinking after the move to St Louis.

 

[Jay Templin]

Yeah, it is near ideal. Unfortunately here, it is the minimum legal caliber for deer but not legal for squirrel hunting.
If such a fantasy place could be found with good hunting and the .45 being legal for squirrel, deer, and roundball for turkey,,,,, I can't think of anything better.
Until then, 20 gauge smoothbore is my only equally versatile option, but certainly not of equal economy.

That fantasy place is called Virginia!
Jay

 

[Brokennock]

That fantasy place is called Virginia!
Jay

After today, it is starting to look like a possibility again.

 

[M. De Land]

After today, it is starting to look like a possibility again.

I believe the country will look entirely different by this time next year, in a very good way !

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I was based near Perth some years ago, and yeah the Gun laws are crap there.
Here in SE QLD not so bad, they pretty well leave us alone.
I'm currently working on a Jim Chambers Isaac Haines Flintlock kit in .50 cal RB, slow going but hey thats what its all about.
Built a Pecatonica River FL Tennessee Mountain rifle in .36 cal RB in the 80's which got me hooked, lerve Black Powder and Flintlocks, also do some SSAA Western action but find my interest has fallen off as I age.
Well met brother, Keep the Faith.

the trouble with London you get the Holts gun auction, oh so tempting to bid, look on google, I can only buy S58 wall hangers ( see obsolete list uk ). such is life in UK, so other than bsa Scorpio pcp air rifles for rabbits and squirrels that’s life at 78. No and you cannot hunt with a ML in WA. It’s unkind to animals. That includes crossbows etc. All my guns come from Holts I try to buy one a year for my collection? Prefer rusty ones as they are usually untouched not mucked around with. In previous
Holts times we got a couple guys from OZ to buy guns, One especially from NT claims to have been a big buff hunter killed thousands mate. Ha ha. Driving to MT Augusta in cousins brand new executive. Mondao His wife lost control hit a termite mound probably, a big bush caught us at 70 mph bent the car in two. Ha ha ha All ok. That’s the bush roads for you , got to give it to you the tiny rabbit sized roos Quackers ???? On Rotness island lovely to feed and cuddle. And the sailing ain’t so bad on Perth water. Of course the chicks on Perth City beach below are pretty cool

nice to chat mate wish. you well