Passthroughs By A Ball

[azmntman]

All of my PRB have been pass thru's and my load for .50, .54 and .58 doesnt go over 80 gr. (.50 is 65, .54 70-75 and .58 70-80, all depending on the gun). NEVER a non pass thru. Rib shots and an occasional shoulder only to BTW

 

[renegadehunter]

I've only shot two deer with BP. Both with my .54 Renegade.
The first was a 75 grain charge of 2f with a RB, about 60 yards, two holes. Exit was very close to the same size as the entry.
The other was a 4x4 buck with a 100 grains of 2f and a Hornady GPB, 54 yards, also two holes. Exit about twice the size of entry.

 

[rodwha]

All of my PRB have been pass thru's and my load for .50, .54 and .58 doesnt go over 80 gr. (.50 is 65, .54 70-75 and .58 70-80, all depending on the gun). NEVER a non pass thru. Rib shots and an occasional shoulder only to BTW

A deer isn’t going to stop a .58 anything Really I see the .54 as overkill on deer with the exception of longer shots on breezy days (I feel the .45 and .50 more ideal), but like to see how it performs in comparison as well, and with as popular as it is I knew I’d get plenty of input. I also sorta compare a .50 conical to a .54 RB.

What kind of ranges are we talking about with these never failing to fully penetrate? And what kind of powder(s). I’m curious as to estimated velocities as this is clearly a part of the puzzle of what one might expect. 65 grns in your .50 could be rather low using a lower “grade” 1F vs an energetic 3F, quite the spread of possibilities there...

 

[azmntman]

average shot for me in my woods is 60-80 yds. I use 3fff

 

[lb94]

For what it's worth i have never recovered a round ball out of a deer ( .50 and did .45 cal 1 year) whatsoever. A couple years I hunted with some TC maxi hunters that a guy gave me and of the 4 or 5 deer I'd killed with the maxi hunters I think I have 3 of those bullets at home that I recovered inside the deer.

That being said at times deer hit from 100 yd. + with a roundball didn't bleed all that much but the ball did pass through. But heck, I've tracked deer hit with shotgun slugs that we never found and never bled much and they were hit hard so at long range our options in illinois aren't that great whether you do shotgun slugs or muzzleloader hunting.