Perfect elk and moose gun?

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Longhunter,
Yes, we were younger then. Today, if we can't get our Alaskan Mule next to the critter (after it is down), we don't shoot.
My hat is off to you sir. It is a fine animal, honorably taken. Thank you for sharing.
Best Wishes

 

[BillinOregon]

Longhunter: Thanks for posting. Bet those antlers have a place of honor in your home.

 

[hawk]

Longhunter , that's a beauty animal eh!
Moose hunters around here say "some days you work hard and other days you work harder". But your right at the end of the day it's worth it.
They also say that "the taste of moose tenderlion eases back pain" .
Thanks for sharing the memory of sucsess in the north woods with a great flinter.
Hawk :hatsoff:

 

[hawk]

Black Hand ,
I agree It all comes down to hittin' the boiler room.
A big hole helps. but it's not as important as hitting the heart&lungs . You only need a few hundered foot /pounds to do the work . Patients and point of aim over cal. or bore.
My grandad used a single shot 12bore for years ,then bought him self a new fangled "HIGH POWER" repeater with "smokeless powder!"
"when they're close enough to talk to... without cursin'"."let em have it"
I have used my bess the last few years , but I'm building a new tradegun with a chambers lock and a 36" tapered 12bore.
If I can get it to shoot strait I'll be using it this year for moose!

 

[Riley/MN]

Man, Ron. That sure does look and sound like a good time! A few years ago I almost went on a bear hunt with a fellow up in Bigfork, MN who makes birch-bark canoes for a living. Just didn't work out. Went and shot a bear up north of Duluth last year, but the idea of a canoe hunting trip sure gets my blood flowing. Maybe the Boundary Waters? We'll see...

Hey, nice shirt, too. Did you build that one? Any idea on a pattern for something similar?

Well I can only pray that the Good Lord has me destined for a couple of adventures like that. Thanks for sharing.

 

[BS]

bill, have you been keeping up on my shooting?

I built a light weight Under Hammer, 27" 7/8s x 50cal with a 1 in 30 twist for my Elk Rifle......410 Hornady Great Plains group about 2 1/4" and T/C Maxi-balls [larger diameter] shoot even better, under 1 1/2" at 100 yds, using 115FF. This is now my back up gun!

I started getting smaller groups when I went to sub-bases under the slugs. [cut off sabots and card stock under the maxis]

My main blaster is going to be my 72 RB shooter

 

[Rat]

I mentioned the rifle-muskets/minnie rifles as a "backup" to a good Jaeger, but don't overlook those rifles as a primary heavy game rifle.

100 grains or more under a big minnie will flatten just about anything I believe. Although the rifled muskets are generally considered a bit shakey in the accuracy department, sometimes the .58 calibre rifle-muskets can be VERY accurate and shoot in the sub-3" zone at 100 yards.

Now if they just made a 1861 Springfield with a flint-lock...!!!!

:youcrazy:

Rat

 

[BillinOregon]

BS: That elk rifle sounds pretty dang sweet, and a good backup indeed to the .72.
I keep going back and forth on what my "perfect" elk and moose rifle would be vs. a practical one.
My current "practical" thinking is something like building a rifle around the Pecatonica Rigby kit (adding a rib and ramrod) as I prefer the English sporting stock architecture. The most serious consideration is the barrel, as I want nothing less than a .58 and believe I would specify rifling and twist to shoot the various minies with up to 150 grains of FFg. I have fired this much powder under an 1100 grain conical in a Kodiak .72 and the recoil was certainly tolerable, if not quite pleasant.
I think the heavy Lyman 577611 (think that's the right number) at 1200 or more would certainly do for any antlered critter in North America.
Africa is another matter, and another thread, and the stuff dreams are made of.
Lyman makes this .69 minie mold, see ....

 

[NORD]

How 'bout a .58 Kodiak Double Express loaded with 100 - 120 grains 2f and 270 grain roundball OR 555 grain Maxi-ball?


Dixie Flinter...I was thining the same thing!

:hatsoff:

I think you are going to want a caliber not smaller than 54 caliber!

:m2c:

 

[shmrck1]

BillinOregon,
Deer and elk really don't care what they are
killed by, flint or percussion, half stock or full,PRB
or conical. My thoughts are use any of the guns you have
mentioned with any of the loads that you can put in a 3"
circle at 100yds and i think you will have an ethical
kill, and PC or not that is the ultimate goal :imo:
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[NORD]

The perfect Elk or Moose rifle for me is my .62 flintlock with PRB. It's never let me down, rain or shine. :m2c:

That is very cool photo!

:hatsoff:

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Nord,
Would the barrels be regulated with that heavy of a powder charge? Be fun to find out.
Best Wishes

 

[NORD]

Mr. Nord,
Would the barrels be regulated with that heavy of a powder charge? Be fun to find out.
Best Wishes

No kiddin'...I wish I had one to experiment with!

 

[BS]

How 'bout a .58 Kodiak Double Express loaded with 100 - 120 grains 2f and 270 grain roundball OR 555 grain Maxi-ball?

A little too heavy for my taste, and I don't mean the 555 Maxi!

 

[redwing]

Elk are not any tougher than they were 150 years ago
they will fall to a .50 .54 RB. Getting a rifle to hit
where you aim is what its all all about.
The Magnum Mania will not make up for poor skills in
the back country. Just more wounded animals. And
even with an Elmer Kieth SOOPER STOMPER .580 Mag. you
may need some tracking skills. Heaven Forbid.
:imo:
Redwing :redthumb:

 

[BS]

Elk are not any tougher than they were 150 years ago
they will fall to a .50 .54 RB.

Very true, I have seen a 54 RB shoot clear thru an elks lungs. It kills them very dead! I just think that bigger bores with more blast are fun too shoot! So why not hunt with them? :relax:

 

[laufer]

.54 RB worked for me each time on elk. Longest shot taken at ~80yards, went through both lungs, elk didn't move for a full minute, went for a short walk and dropped dead after 30 yards. 90gr of RS Pyrodex, .530 RB- deadly combo.
Friend of mine uses .58, same results.
Have no experience with moose, but shoudl not be too much tougher than big elk, .54 or .58 RB.
:m2c:

 

[robert smith]

The elk have a saying: Beware the man who carries the same longrifle every day.

 

[Slamfire]

The elk have a saying: Beware the man who carries the same longrifle every day.

Or short one! :crackup:

 

[mmarke]

Agreed....
I just started ML and this will be my first hunting season with round balls. I shoot a Thompson .58 BigBoar. The KABOOOOM on the shooting range is awesome. Then again when I was living out West, my favorite elk medicine was a .375 H&H. I have always been a fan of large calibers, but as others have stated shot placement is still key.