PRB or Modern Projectiles

[rafterob]

I like a PBR when I'm camping

 

[Terry Lightle]

I am far from being an expert but to me a round ball and flintlock just kinda go together

 

[YJake]

For the ranges most of us hunt at with a flintlock the PRB is a great choice, and in .50 it will anchor anything two or four-legged east of the Mississippi.

-Jake

 

[Sidney Smith]

Id ask the deer I shot what they thought of the round ball, but theyre dead. Cant go wrong with round balls.

 

[Tumbledown]

I like a PBR when I'm camping

So many times I see PRB and read it as PBR...

 

[Grenadier1758]

That funny French word that starts with an "s" and ends with a "t" keeps popping up on this forum, even though mention of it or discussion about it is forbidden. It's kind of like an annoying fly that keeps buzzing around your head and won't leave you alone. Since we keep seeing it, I hope forum members are at least reading and pronouncing it the correct French way: It's pronounced "Sah...Bow".

We can talk about sabots in the clothing section. I have two pairs of the wooden shoes that keep my feet dry on those rainy days. I love them. I won't go to reenactments without them.

 

[hanshi]

I've never hunted with conical bullets in all the decades I've been hunting, so can't say much about them. But I can say I've killed a big bunch of deer with prb and NEVER needed but the one shot. This includes deer at a bit over the 100 yard mark as well.

 

[fleener]

Any of them will work and I have used them all. I dont use sabots anymore, dont like the plastic. I do hunt with conicals and prb, just depends on the rifle and the rate of twist.

I have killed a LOT of deer with prb and conicals. A well placed shot is always good and key.

Fleener

 

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not a person who shuns modern muzzleloaders. I have shot plenty of modern inline guns. First of all, despite lawmakers, and traditionalists opinion, a patch for a round ball most certainly is a sabot. It matters not what it is made of. A sabot could be a fabric patch, a plastic wad, a paper patch, wood, whatever.

Sabot-Noun : a device which ensures the correct positioning of a bullet or shell in the barrel of a gun, attached either to the projectile or inside the barrel and falling away as it leaves the muzzle

Secondly, I have seen plenty of animals shot with the modern trend sub-caliber pistol bullets, as well as some of the modern full-bore conical. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they are a ridiculous failure. I have to ask, why do people play such games? You have the diameter, and you have plenty of velocity. Use a lead bullet, and stop trying to be cute about using things like XTP pistol bullets. All they do is reduce effectiveness on game, never increase it.

Now that out of the way, what does work? A lead round ball of this diameter works very well. Inside of 100-120 yards it is the most effective choice on animals based on what I have seen. Things like a maxi-ball or a great plains bullet can be good choices too, but I have seen nothing to prove they will outperform a PRB until you are way out there in range.

My vote is to choose the slower twist barrel, and use a round ball.

 

[Jaeger]

We can talk about sabots in the clothing section. I have two pairs of the wooden shoes that keep my feet dry on those rainy days. I love them. I won't go to reenactments without them.

Yes! I forgot that originally the word describes a type of shoe. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[Carbon 6]

Round balls for me, they are cheap, simple, easy, effective and traditional..

 

[pwbsmokey]

And yet....you pronounce Chevrolet the French way....I hope.

Shivy?

 

[megasupermagnum]

One other point, if you cast your own (and you should), you will thank yourself for choosing a round ball. They are the easiest of anything to cast. It is a joy to have a pile of mirror finish balls on a towel.

 

[Carbon 6]

They are the easiest of anything to cast. It is a joy to have a pile of mirror finish balls on a towel.

Yes they are, they are mesmerizing.

 

[Coopscraft]

We can talk about sabots in the clothing section. I have two pairs of the wooden shoes that keep my feet dry on those rainy days. I love them. I won't go to reenactments without them.

I though “sabot” was a religious festival?

 

[tdoyka]

I have a lyman deerstalker left hand fl in 50 cal (i might sell it) and a cva hawkens left hand fl in 50 cal that i just bought in a auction in October.

i was going to go with tc maxiballs, which it does shoot(90 and 100gr ffg will go about 1 - 1 1/2" at 100 yards, 5 shoots/benched). but i going to go with the prb and 70gr of ffg. (about 1 1/2" at 50 yards, 5 shots from a primos bipod shooting sticks). the area i hunt its only about 30-40 yards "long" shot. the prb will go thru deer at 80+/- yards(thats the furthest i have ever "round ball shot" deer).

 

[William O.]

Hi, I am trying to get ready for PA Flintlock season. I am looking at a 50 Cal. Traditions Kentucky Flintlock, or a Lyman Great Plains. I was wondering if anyone had any rifle suggestions for first time flintlock deer hunters. Also, I was wondering if a 50 cal 1-66" to 1-72" Twist and only shoot PRB is practical for deer hunting, or should I get a 1-28" Twist and ONLY shoot Sabots and Conicals.

Thanks,
Chase

I'm probably late to this party but having been in a similar place when I got into muzzle loaders many moons ago, I recommend a patched round ball. In my humble experience the round lead ball takes game with ease and far better than the paper ballistics would suggest. There's nothing magic about them though, and bad shot placement is only the fault of the shooter but the 50 cal PRB is more than adequate. I would recommend you go with the Lyman Great Plains (GPR) and 3f real black powder such as Goex. Only use real black powder in a flintlock. Start with 50 grains and shoot three times, swabbing the bore after each shot. I like to use 100% cotton flannel for swabbing and cleaning that is just barely dampened with rubbing alcohol. Barely dampened too, so that you can't squeeze a drop out of the patch. Swab the bore; down and up then you're done. After three shots, aiming at the same point on the target, increase the powder charge by 5 grains and repeat. You should see your groups get tighter with each increase in powder, not exceeding the maximum recommended amount. Once you've found what your rifle "likes"and gives you the most accurate groups, then and only then should you adjust your sights or change anything else. The only variable you should change at first is the powder amount. For your patch material, always use 100% natural material. Anything synthetic can melt and become ONE with your barrel; and that's a giant P.I. the A. to remove. I've had the best results using 100% cotton pillow ticking. Sometimes it's called mattress ticking but buy it by the yard at your local fabric store. Then before you use it, wash and dry it to remove the sizing or starch. Yes, it will fray around the edges and you'll loose some but that's to be expected. There are literally millions of lube recipes but good old olive oil works great. Again, your shooting patches shouldn't be dripping with oil or any other lube as it will render your powder charge inert or even cause a very painful hang-fire. If you have to make your own mistakes I understand, but take it from uh, a "friend", the hang-fire hurts. If you need to stiffin up your patch lube then add some beeswax by melting the olive oil and BW together in a warn but not hot pan. The poor it into an old empty cap tin or similar container. Then just rub your shooting patch on it before loading, lubed side down.

Last bit of advice; take one practice shot for each yard that the longest possible shot could be for where ever you'll be hunting. For example, my eyes can't focus the front sight clearly on a deer past 80 yards, which would actually be a long shot for most of the places I hunt here in South Texas. So I place my target at 80 yards and take 80 practice shots using the most accurate load combination for the rifle I'm using. For my .54 caplock, that is 85 grains of 2f Goex. For my .50, I use 3f and a lower powder charge. Totally different amount and patch material if I'm using my .62 smoothbore, at closer distances as well. Each rifle is an individual and what works in my .50 might not work in yours. I hope this helps and you have good luck.

 

[kemart17]

Hi, I am trying to get ready for PA Flintlock season. I am looking at a 50 Cal. Traditions Kentucky Flintlock, or a Lyman Great Plains. I was wondering if anyone had any rifle suggestions for first time flintlock deer hunters. Also, I was wondering if a 50 cal 1-66" to 1-72" Twist and only shoot PRB is practical for deer hunting, or should I get a 1-28" Twist and ONLY shoot Sabots and Conicals.

Thanks,
Chase

PRB, need nothing else

 

[Sparkitoff]

One thing I find interesting is that a lot of "new" muzzleloader shooters are drawn to velocity like the trend among newer centerfire cartridges. Yet, when they get to the land of black smoke they want to shoot "bullets" at the cost of velocity. The PRB will typically have more velocity.

Back to the original topic; the shot placement is way more important than the shape of the projectile.

 

[Carbon 6]

Back to the original topic; the shot placement is way more important than the shape of the projectile.

And hunting skill is more important than how well or how far your gun will shoot.