Anybody out there ever use a smoothy for elk? I know you'd need to be close---probably 50-60 yds or less. Any thoughts or experience on a .62/20 ga for elk?
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Smoothbore Elk
- Thread starter Atticus69
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2010
- Messages
- 1,061
- Reaction score
- 482
Never gathered an elk with one but figure if a fella was within 40 to 50 yards ... that big ol punkin ball should do gang busters. They been gathered up with lessor balls and just cause it aint spun with rifling can't lessen the punch of a nice heavy ball to the lights.
I have no experience with this, but I do intend on using my new 20 gauge as a buck and ball gun. Elk and Deer are on the list for that gun and do plan on being at the 50-60 yd range for a maximum. Last year I harvested a 6x5 with a percussion .54, so .62 should be plenty
Brokennock
Cannon
If one of our fellow forum members can take a bison with a flintlock. 62 smoothbore, I think an 80 grain load, I would think elk at a reasonable range should be achievable.
leadhoarder
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2020
- Messages
- 992
- Reaction score
- 1,654
The elk will not care if the bullet is spinning or not.
I wish people would quit "harvesting an animal" and get back to just killing the things. Just a pet peeve from a grouchy old man.
Brokennock
Cannon
I understand your pet peeve.
However we live in different, and often strange (to us), times.
I kill animals. Pests and threats.
I "harvest" game. At least when taking about hunting anyplace someone may be paying attention that isn't solidly on one side or the other of the hunting vs. non-hunting debate.
I think when we use the term harvest is is supposed to imply that we will be using the animal, not just killing it and leaving it to rot. It denotes use and respect.
However we live in different, and often strange (to us), times.
I kill animals. Pests and threats.
I "harvest" game. At least when taking about hunting anyplace someone may be paying attention that isn't solidly on one side or the other of the hunting vs. non-hunting debate.
I think when we use the term harvest is is supposed to imply that we will be using the animal, not just killing it and leaving it to rot. It denotes use and respect.
I can’t like this post enough.
Harvesting an animal just sounds silly to me. If others can't handle calling something what it is they just don't know what reality is. Why should I care what they think. Call killing what you like, but it's still killing. Some of us kill animals to eat, seems people kill other people for lesser reasons.
I kill animals and eat them, i harvest vegetables from the garden as they ripen and eat them as well. If that offends people well, I no longer compromise with life whiners and bellyacher's. I live in the real world and will not live the lies, half truths and nuanced new age manure being propagated on a daily basis.
Robby
Robby
I took an elk with a .54 at about thirty yards. Lots of deer with my .62 smooth. Elk are a mite bigger then deer
but that .62 makes big holes. Lots of rifleman in America, but Canada saw few . And smoothies did the job there, long after rifles became widely available north of the border smoothies remained most popular because it worked
hanshi
Cannon
I also do not like the term "harvest" when talking of killing game. But I still often compromise occasionally by using the word "take" (as in taken, took, etc). But I'm not offended by "killing" because that's exactly what it is.
Brokennock
Cannon
And we wonder why we are losing in the court of public opinion and our rights and opportunities are being eroded away.
Wake up people. Even if you think you are bad ass because you don't care what people think and will say things the way you want,,,,,, you are the reason shooters/hunters have become our own worst enemy, we have become our own worst public relations nightmare.
Wake up people. Even if you think you are bad ass because you don't care what people think and will say things the way you want,,,,,, you are the reason shooters/hunters have become our own worst enemy, we have become our own worst public relations nightmare.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Messages
- 1,715
- Reaction score
- 526
Hunt the thick stuff and keep the shots close.
Use an extra 20 grins of powder.
Use an extra 20 grins of powder.
Oh never mind. I had a comment but I deleted it.
Last edited:
Surrendering ground and losing the language battle because we are trying to appease our adversaries’ (or even just the undecided) feelings is how we are losing our rights. When you allow the other side to dictate the terms of the engagement...you are on the road to losing.
Personally, when I hear someone use the word Harvest, what I hear is a person who doesn’t have the moral conviction to call it what it is...and the obvious question is “why should I follow someone down a difficult road who doesn’t even have the courage to be honest about what the issue is with themselves?”
The Moral Highground is where you have the best view of your ultimate defeat.
There floats my stick.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2020
- Messages
- 7,470
- Reaction score
- 20,923
- Location
- On the Border in Idaho looking at BC
the death of a thousand cuts is why we are in trouble. by definition we conservative's give ground and our rights and convictions are eroded.
i have reached an age where i stand at a line. "this far and no further". words have meanings, these words are being twisted until the meanings change and rights are lost. Here I stand, I can do no other". I kill my harvest no matter if it is free ranging or planted.
Brokennock
Cannon
I agree with what you both say. To a point. If you read what I first said, I allude to the difference between speaking with eachother in our own company, and speaking in mixed company where we need to make positive influences on people who are "on the fence." We won't change a true anti-hunter's mind, so it isn't worth changing our language with them. Someone on the fence needs to understand that we kill, but with purpose, and with respect. Yes we kill what we harvest. Just as a farmer or gardener kills the plants that they harvest.
The "whack-em-and-stack-em," attitude and language may be fine amongst ourselves, to a degree, but it doesn't play well with those on the fence.
If the other side can manipulate language to change the conversation, why can't we?
The "whack-em-and-stack-em," attitude and language may be fine amongst ourselves, to a degree, but it doesn't play well with those on the fence.
If the other side can manipulate language to change the conversation, why can't we?
What a lot of clap-trap. I could just as easily blame it all on the cavers and oh gee whiz, if I act nice and they like me everything will be okay crowd. Bull! What Brazosland said, amen!
Robby
