max range?

[Claude Mathis]

...I suppose I would be happy to keep the range around 100 yards. I've let a lot of deer walk for the sake of my ethics and the sake of pain and suffering on the animal.

:thumbsup: Commendable attitude.

Personally, I get more satisfaction out of seeing how close I can get to the animal, not how far away I can shot it from. It kind of goes hand in hand with my primitive gear and weapon. Different skill - different sense of satisfaction.

 

[bart_anastasi]

...I suppose I would be happy to keep the range around 100 yards. I've let a lot of deer walk for the sake of my ethics and the sake of pain and suffering on the animal.

:thumbsup: Commendable attitude.

Personally, I get more satisfaction out of seeing how close I can get to the animal, not how far away I can shot it from. It kind of goes hand in hand with my primitive gear and weapon. Different skill - different sense of satisfaction.

I have to agree when I first started hunting some where around 1965 here in Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York I never could seem to get a close 100 yard shot at a deer. After a while I started to shoot a bow and finally put my brain in gear and taking shots at deer from 20 yards or closser. I wont say how long for me to put bow hunter close and ML rifle together. But it was not all that long.

 

[Many Klatch]

Jeremy, a friend of mine that hunts a lot more than I do, puts distance stakes out in front of his tree stand. He uses orange tape so he can see it. More than one deer has been killed nosing the stakes. If the deer are beyond the stakes he doesn't take the shot.

Many Klatch

 

[faw3]

jerem0621
yes you could down your deer out to 150 yds maybe 200. BUT you have to be a perfect shot, no wind, a barrel with a 1 X 66 twist wouldn't hurt as well as 32 to 36" long. A lot goes into these shots. Before I got laid in the hospital the first time 12 yr's ago I was shooting out to 400 yds with PRB's - at targets and doing Very good. But the idea for me anyway was hunting with a ML was trying to do it the old way, longhunter and all that. Claude has it done best if I was trying to write it out. Fred :hatsoff: (one last thing get out and shoot as much as you can when you can, in the end that's what its going to take, 125 yds or 50.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Rat Trapper]

I hate "modern muzzleloaders" but if a hunter feels he absolutely must take long shots I'd very much prefer he shoot an inline with pointed sabot bullets rather than try to stretch the range of traditional roundballs.[/quote]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Rat Trapper]

Distance stakes can be very useful. I put them in front of my Wife's turkey blind. Inside stakes, "shoot", outside stakes hold fire. 1"x1" oak stakes with 6-8 inches at the top spray painted bright orange. For bow hunting or ML hunting I just range some objects in front of me once I get into the stand.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

Made a test with my .50 Deerhunter with a .490 RB, 0,20 mm lubed patch, 90 grs WANO PP. The rifle was zeroed at 50 meters and at 100 m I hit 13 cm below aiming point. So I think while the kill zone of a doe is much bigger as 13 cm it is possible to hit her deadly.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Quite true Kirrmeister, 100 meters or yards is easy enough under good conditions. But at 150 the wind deflection is twice as much as at 100. A slight breeze you'd never even notice can drift a round ball one foot or more at 150 yards. I set my personal limit at 100, knowing my rifle shoots flat enough to still score at 125 but I reserve that last 25 yards as a margin for error in range estimation. Even a 100 yard shot would be only under optimum conditions and from a good rest. The trick is to hunt where long shots are not required. Rather than sit with binoculars scanning an open hillside as might be productive with a high velocity centerfire, the fellow with a flintlock should be sneaking through the timber. :grin:

 

[Walks with fire]

I have .50 caliber flinters with 1/66 twist and GM 1/28 twist barrels. I prefer to hunt with a roundball as much as possible. I find that the wind is what limits my shooting distance more than anything else; I just am not the type of person to use Kentucky windage when hunting any animal; I respect even the smallest of natures creatures and I harvest them as quickly and humanly possible. As someone else already said; the .50 caliber ball is fine out to 125 yards as long as you can hit the vitals at that range.

My 1/28 twist flinters shoot 300 grain Hornady XTP's, Barnes Spit-fires and the like, great at the longer ranges of up to 150 yards with much less wind drift than a roundball. Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy roundballs as much as anyone else but under certain conditions the fast twist flinters I own are a far better tool. There are times where I can't shoot beyond 50 yards from my stand and even my 21" PA Hunter carbine with 70 grains of 3f and .495 ball is plenty of power.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Maybe a little off topic, but you are to be commended for not taking that shot when you weren't sure about it. There are way too many folks today that lack your good judgement. :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

AMEN...

Having killed critters with everything from bow and arrow to magnum centerfires; The BIGGEST factor is YOUR PERSONAL SKILL level. I know people that are deadly with a bow at 80 yards, I shot instinctively and 40 yrds was far enough. I know people who are accomplished at "long range hunting" they know thier equipment and practice with it and are deadly to a 1000 yards. For me 300 yards is a looooong way.
Same with ML what do you paractive to accomplish?
Energy DOES play a role but as they say shot placement is key with "location, location, location"

 

[Galen Futtrell]

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS,WHEN IN DOUBT LET EM WALK, TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY. :hmm:

 

[tg]

I would try to keep shots under 100 yds, then on the other hand you can shoot modern conical bullets, use a modern peepsight or scope and reach out to 150-200 yds but ask your self if this is any different than the centerfire guns you used to shoot, and why you want to hunt with a ML.

 

[Stormrider51]

There seems to have been a major move toward short range and huge bores. A little research will show that most eastern longrifles were of circa .40 cal. Acceptable range was measured by ones ability to hit accurately. My father took a bull elk at 182 paces with a .45 cal flinter. The elk collapsed where he stood.

My point is that "how far" should be measured by the shooters ability more than any formula of caliber vs range. My personal longest shot at a deer was just under 100 yards. I was shooting a .50 cal flinter. I was comfortable with the shot. My eyesight isn't as good today and I'd limit my range. The rifle would do the job but I probably couldn't.

Storm

 

[reddogge]

I'm finding my "comfort" ranges in bowhunting and muzzleloading hunting are getting shorter as I get older. 25 yards bow and 60 yards M/L.

 

[Runner]

Yep, the need for rifling and the itch to shoot little bitty groups gets less each day! The way I am going, a good smoothbore could do just about anything I need to do with a gun.

 

[sidelock]

Welcome convert to sidelocks. You are on the right track here. I have taken game out to 150y with my .50 T/C , but I have lots and lots of field shooting. (can you say prectice)in the hay fields of SW VA and NE TN on groundhogs and the hardwoods on squirrels. Seems like your location is right there. I load 90G 2F sighted on at 100Yd for long shots and 35G 2F for short shooting with same sight setting. Good luck :thumbsup:

 

[RUPPB]

:thumbsup: Yep, practice is the key. Before wanting to switch to M.L. I hunted with a old 12ga pump. Was told that they are not accurate at all. Funny, the paper plate out at 100 yrds always looked ragged, and the deer never backtalked. But soon will have to start over and hone my skills with a M.L.

 

[laufer]

Maybe a little off topic, but you are to be commended for not taking that shot when you weren't sure about it. There are way too many folks today that lack your good judgement. :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

:thumbsup: