Range Test: .45Cal Double PRB deer load

[jamesthomas]

Just FYI for everyone, I would check your States hunting regulations carefully, In Alabama you are limited to a SINGLE round ball for deer, .40 caliber an above.

 

[rodwha]

I wouldn't want to use a double ball load for deer, but I'd certainly prefer seating another PRB were I to use it against a large black bear or concerned about a brow bear (which I'd prefer to walk away from armed with a .50 cal rifle).

I'd certainly agree with anyone that stated a double ball load was more devastating than a single ball load in most any case. Though the damage of each ball is less than a singular ball, there are still two of them.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I didn't mean for the second set of info to taken as collective, but individual.

Each ball is moving much slower which seems to equate to less deformation and/or less penetration, but gives two wounds.

At the extreme I see where a single ball has enough to penetrate completely and expand some, but a dual ball load wouldn't completely pass through and may not deform, but gives two deep wounds that likely still go through the vitals.

I can see how this would make a good bear load back in the day.

Why do you say the duel balls would'nt pass through? Do you have actuall experience in this?

My experience with soft lead balls has demonstrated how they make reluctant projectiles for deep penertration. In fact drive them faster and they just want to flatten out more not drive deeper....the only real way to get them to go deeper is to increase their mass/size or cast them harder.
It just so happens the quarry is not that wide and balls make a good job of it. Jibber jabber arond numbers makes one think a ball is inadequate when in fact the real world demonstrates perfect performance across a wide range of velocities and size balls with next to no standardization at all.

B.

 

[blackpowderscout]

Florida has to be 20 gauge or bigger. So the .62 and up guys are good to go I reckon. Good excuse for me to get another gun now.

 

[roundball]

My experience with soft lead balls has demonstrated how they make reluctant projectiles for deep penertration. In fact drive them faster and they just want to flatten out more not drive deeper....the only real way to get them to go deeper is to increase their mass/size or cast them harder.
It just so happens the quarry is not that wide and balls make a good job of it. Jibber jabber arond numbers makes one think a ball is inadequate when in fact the real world demonstrates perfect performance across a wide range of velocities and size balls with next to no standardization at all. B.

Agree, keyboard theory is just that, and is why I like to run my own tests first hand...if it's not real-world, it's not real, LOL.
Like the non-lead solid brass ball test in my .58cal last year...range tested then dropped a deer in it's tracks last fall...so lead could be banned tomorrow and I now 'know' I have a proven deer load I could use to keep right on hunting.

 

[rodwha]

I'm certainly not saying a double ball load won't or cannot completely penetrate. Those numbers suggest to me that both balls would likely do so out to maybe 75 yds or so. I was looking at this from an extreme perspective, maybe what might happen at a longer range such as 100 yds.

But that can possibly be equated to a much larger critter at a closer range. Maybe those .45 cal balls wouldn't completely passthrough a huge black bear.

It is certainly all speculation on my part, and I have no experience of my own.

I certainly don't doubt the RBs ability to cleanly take an animal. Quite the contrary, because of the many folks here who have given plenty of evidence of not only quick kills, but complete passthroughs of medium, and even large game, I have come to trust the PRB as an effective hunting projectile.

Before having come to this sight and read as much, and asked as many questions, I thought, from my modern understanding of projectiles, and what these modern experts have been stating for quite some time, which is heavy bullets with certain qualities is necessary, that a conical or modern projectile were necessary if I were to hunt beyond maybe 50 yds with my .50 cal Lyman's.

Thankfully the many kind fellows here have shown me that these little lead balls can actually perform much better than one might think.




"At the extreme I see where a single ball has enough to penetrate completely and expand some, but a dual ball load wouldn't completely pass through and may not deform, but gives two deep wounds that likely still go through the vitals.

I can see how this would make a good bear load back in the day."

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'm certainly not saying a double ball load won't or cannot completely penetrate. Those numbers suggest to me that both balls would likely do so out to maybe 75 yds or so. I was looking at this from an extreme perspective, maybe what might happen at a longer range such as 100 yds.

But that can possibly be equated to a much larger critter at a closer range. Maybe those .45 cal balls wouldn't completely passthrough a huge black bear.

It is certainly all speculation on my part, and I have no experience of my own.

I certainly don't doubt the RBs ability to cleanly take an animal. Quite the contrary, because of the many folks here who have given plenty of evidence of not only quick kills, but complete passthroughs of medium, and even large game, I have come to trust the PRB as an effective hunting projectile.

Before having come to this sight and read as much, and asked as many questions, I thought, from my modern understanding of projectiles, and what these modern experts have been stating for quite some time, which is heavy bullets with certain qualities is necessary, that a conical or modern projectile were necessary if I were to hunt beyond maybe 50 yds with my .50 cal Lyman's.

Thankfully the many kind fellows here have shown me that these little lead balls can actually perform much better than one might think.




"At the extreme I see where a single ball has enough to penetrate completely and expand some, but a dual ball load wouldn't completely pass through and may not deform, but gives two deep wounds that likely still go through the vitals.

I can see how this would make a good bear load back in the day."

Thankyou rodwah....I find that how gunwriters wright we will soon be using 50bmg for rabbit!
I was not attacking you...number crunching these things can get my panties a twistin'...my problem not yours!

Thankyou for your kind reply :hatsoff:

B.

 

[BrownBear]

Isn't it funny how real world experience differs from the writing of guys being paid to write about the products being advertized in the rags they write for....

 

[roundball]

Yes, I simply posted range testing and plans to try a double ball load deer hunting this fall in case it was of any general interest.
I have no interest in getting off into theory either...it almost always disrupts / derails threads about real life stuff.
I'll post my hunting results if I'm able to get a deer in my sights this November / December while carrying the .45cal Early Virginia.

If you experiment a few double loads with your .58cal, start a thread about how it turned out.

 

[BrownBear]

If you experiment a few double loads with your .58cal, start a thread about how it turned out.

Will do. Kinda looking forward to it now.

 

[rodwha]

It certainly makes me want to try a double ball load in my .50 cal, especially since I may find myself in bear country soon.

 

[dbutch]

Make sure both balls are touching! :v

Don't say i didn't warn you! :hmm:

Will some one _____please_____ chrono these double ball loads?

Thank You! :bow:

 

[rodwha]

I'm actually curious if the chronograph will work properly when two projectiles get registered.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes that's a good question. I wonder how far apart they are flying when they pass the chrono-screens. Might register as one projectile, might really bollux up the micro chip's program...

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Also, I wonder if "loaded for bear" which I always thought meant a stout load of powder, ..I wonder if it also meant seating a second ball on top of the first, back-in-the-day?

Just curious...

LD

 

[roundball]

Chronographing double PRB loads:

I doubt seriously there would be any separation of a couple lead balls at a mere 10 feet when they just left the muzzle under raging pressure and velocity

 

[dbutch]

Roundball! I'm perplexed??? why not chrono them your self? :hmm:

 

[roundball]

Roundball! I'm perplexed??? why not chrono them your self? :hmm:

Haven't been interested enough to haul all the stuff up to do it yet...now that I've at least learned what I have about the load, the POI, and the accuracy, I'll probably get around to it on a trip when I'm taking the .45 again for general practice and have the time...not an urgent thing for me to know...besides, with the large vents I use my velocities seem to average 100fps slower than most others so it wouldn't be very precise to other people.

I shoot at a tiny little private range that only has one lane to shoot a rifle and this time of year I don't like tying it up with the slower process of Flintlocks, to say nothing about adding a chronograph into the mix...with last minute people lined up to check their scopes for the seasons that are about to open, etc.

 

[dbutch]

:thumbsup:

 

[Joel/Calgary]

I'm actually curious if the chronograph will work properly when two projectiles get registered.

Herb seemed to have no problems in the thread that I linked to in my previous post, and they seem to work in measuring buckshot and birdshot loads.

Regards,
Joel