load question for Deer and Elk

[Wink]

I'm looking for a single PRB load suitable for both Deer and Elk for my 54 Renegade. I will be using FFF Goex BP. Any first hand experiences or advice will be most welcome.

 

[rabjr]

Find a good accurate load from 80 to 100 grains of powder with a .530 or .535 ball through that gun and you should be all set for both animals. :thumbsup:

I use 90 gr of 3F with a .530 ball wrapped in a .018 bear greased pillow ticking patch here for deer.

 

[tg]

That will do the job if the gun likes the load. :thumbsup:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

80gr Pyrodex RS, .530 round ball, 140 yards. :thumbsup:

If its 150 yards away, put the tip of the sight directly on top of its back and squeeze the trigger.

 

[laufer]

Find a good accurate load from 80 to 100 grains of powder with a .530 or .535 ball through that gun and you should be all set for both animals. :thumbsup:

i use 90 gr of pyrodex rs with a .530 ball wrapped in a .015 patch or 80 gr of goex fffg with a .530 ball , 0.15 patch and op wad, worked fine so far.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Find a good accurate load from 80 to 100 grains of powder with a .530 or .535 ball through that gun and you should be all set for both animals. :thumbsup:

I use 90 gr of 3F with a .530 ball wrapped in a .018 bear greased pillow ticking patch here for deer.

I use a .530 ball w/ .015 T/C prelubed patches over 80grs of Pyrodex RS and am VERY comfortable with that.

 

[longcruise]

I'm looking for a single PRB load suitable for both Deer and Elk for my 54 Renegade. I will be using FFF Goex BP. Any first hand experiences or advice will be most welcome.

All you need is the elk load. It's automatically good for deer too.

Notice the recurring suggestion of 80 to 100 grains of powder. Anywhere in that range of powder charge has been effective in or elk camps over the years and of course it's also a deer load. Over the past 12 years I've been gradually coming down in my elk load. Started at 120 grains and now shoot the 80 to 100 range. Especially after seeing a few of my hunting pards drop elk nicely with the 80 grain charges.

 

[BrownBear]

I know a group of three hunters that have made two Colorado elk hunts. Two shot 50 cal and the third shot a 54. All of em scored on both hunts. And in four animals total, the 50's are yet to do it in one shot. The 54 killed elk both years with single shots. His load was 80 grains of 3f 777. I'm real proud of 90 grains of 3f Goex in my own 54.

BTW- All three of them are shooting 54's now.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I talked to a guy last night that said he shot a young cow this last year with a 54. He was using a PRB and 95 gr of Pyrodex. He found hair where he hit her but she was never found. No blood trail no nothing. I didn't press him for more details. We were at a Fish and Game meeting and I was needing to leave. it was too bad he didn't find her. Ron

 

[longcruise]

Two shot 50 cal and the third shot a 54. All of em scored on both hunts. And in four animals total, the 50's are yet to do it in one shot.

Interesting info. While the .50 is legal for elk here in CO, I have always felt it was light and have always gone with the .54 as a minimum. Nobody ever made a mistake of shooting too small a ball!

I talked to a guy last night that said he shot a young cow this last year with a 54. He was using a PRB and 95 gr of Pyrodex. He found hair where he hit her but she was never found. No blood trail no nothing.

A poor hit is a poor hit! Maybe hair is all he hit? I hope so.

 

[BrownBear]

Two shot 50 cal and the third shot a 54. All of em scored on both hunts. And in four animals total, the 50's are yet to do it in one shot.

Interesting info. While the .50 is legal for elk here in CO, I have always felt it was light and have always gone with the .54 as a minimum. Nobody ever made a mistake of shooting too small a ball!

Yeah. I've come close to putting it down to caliber difference, but stop short. The 54 shooter is a shirttail relative of long acquaintance, and the guy's just an excellent hunter and good, cool shot. The other two are younger and a lot more excitable. My relative has never told me the whole story, but when he refers to the hunts with the other two, he rolls his eye a little. Just might be some poor shooting in there to complicate things.

 

[Rat Trapper]

In my younger days I helped an outfitter in Colorado. Have seen my share of elk shot over the years. I'd perfer a conical bullet in my 54 over PRB. The Hornady great plains 390 gr hp bullet shoots real well for me with 120 gr of triple seven 2F. This load runs 1673 fps and will leave two holes in an elk hide for better blood trails. This is the load I'm planning on using next year on a Wisconsin black bear. I don't have a problem with the PRB on deer as long as the range is kept close. On all the deer I have seen shot with the patched round ball, the PRB worked well. As the animal gets bigger, I like a heavier bullet.