What caliber is the flattest shooting?

[hanshi]

The OP asked for flattest shooting, I tried to help, If the Irish team shot accurately with muzzleloaders at 1000 yards using BP do you not think it could be done at 200?

In fact they would have won against the American cartridge shooters if not for a shooter getting on the wrong target.

Read more.

Shooting at "waay out there" TARGETS is indeed a fun, if humbling, sport. But NOT if it's an animal one is shooting at. Gongs and paper don't run away to die a lingering death like a deer would. This is why it's called HUNTING and not just shooting. During a hunting trip years ago we became aware of deer in a pasture. With my naked eyes I simply saw nothing in the pasture. My friend (in the military) had a binocular the military uses and would cost a civilian $1,000s. I looked through the binocular and low and behold there were several deer out there. One was an enormous buck that had me drooling. The glass also showed the distance to viewed subject; the deer were something over 400 yards yards away and invisible to me. I learned something that day and took the lesson to heart.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I am new to black powder and i’ve been curious about what caliber is the flattest shooting between .45-.58. I’m looking for something for hunting that can shoot reliably out to at least 200 yards. Thank you.

The .54 calibre RB is the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity…blackpowder and flat ballistic trajectories just are not usually used in the same conversations. With blackpowder as the propellant, trajectories tend to resemble Rainbows…

There was some very promising research being completed in the late 1800’s into BrownPowder, but once the early Smokeless Powders hit the market, the research was abandoned.

The most I’d say is that the .54 calibre RB is arguably the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity.

 

[hanshi]

I don't know if you were referring to my post or not, Archer, but I honestly did pace off those distances. And I would not even THINK about trying those shots today. I could see better back then but not very well today. That's why my average shot was well under 30 yards, plus I just can no longer shoot as well as back then. Age along with FW&T is never kind to us.

 

[Archer 756]

NO hanshi was not referring to you, just in general, some of us do know what distance is . Also cartoon is

 

[French Colonial]

The .54 calibre RB is the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity…blackpowder and flat ballistic trajectories just are not usually used in the same conversations. With blackpowder as the propellant, trajectories tend to resemble Rainbows…

There was some very promising research being completed in the late 1800’s into BrownPowder, but once the early Smokeless Powders hit the market, the research was abandoned.

The most I’d say is that the .54 calibre RB is arguably the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity.

I would be very interested to know the documentation for this statement, not arguing or flaming, just very interested.

I agree that a RB should be only used for hunting at short ranges, personally I would advise limiting shooting at game with a RB at 75-80 yards or under for most shooters.

BUT! the OP wants to shoot game at 200 yards so I would advise a conical grease grooved bullet of 400 grains plus out of a fast twist with heavy charges of fast burning powder. Whether he is capable of shooting it accurately is something that only he knows.

 

[deerstalkert]

I agree with French Colonial about the greased or even patched conical of heavy weight and fast twist. But.......... even then the trajectory is a parabola. AKA Rainbow. i started this addiction to Black Powder with a trapdoor unmentionable of 45 cal. there has always been one occupying a space in my cabinet for these 60+years since. i have used one with 500g conical around 8 times to take an Elk. longest shot was 65 yards. closest was 15 yards.
again the trajectory and remaining energy at 200 yards isn't for me when it comes to these magnificent animals which include the lessor deer. i would rather and have passed on many shots on trophy sized deer (elk, whitetail, mule, and moose) because i wasn't comfortable with the range.
i WILL shoot at paper and steel all day long at that range. Shoot at! seldom hit

 

[Bad Karma]

I am new to black powder and i’ve been curious about what caliber is the flattest shooting between .45-.58. I’m looking for something for hunting that can shoot reliably out to at least 200 yards. Thank you.

.45 caliber. Hitting at 200 plus yards is not a gimmick but you’ll need a bullet 350 to 525 grains for wind bucking ability round ball is very accurate but suffers in wind... Learn to dope wind, With practice and using accurate range finding the 45 gives you the best shot.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I would be very interested to know the documentation for this statement, not arguing or flaming, just very interested.

I agree that a RB should be only used for hunting at short ranges, personally I would advise limiting shooting at game with a RB at 75-80 yards or under for most shooters.

BUT! the OP wants to shoot game at 200 yards so I would advise a conical grease grooved bullet of 400 grains plus out of a fast twist with heavy charges of fast burning powder. Whether he is capable of shooting it accurately is something that only he knows.

 

[LME]

flat shooting isn't what you will find with a muzzleloader (traditional).
at 200 yards any projectile from a muzzleloader has lost so much energy it has iffy killing power. i know i will be flamed for that statement but i standby it.
I have always hunted muzzleloaders the same way i did a Bow and arrow. get as close as you can. the thrill is more than sniping at long range.

I have seen deer take a step at the same time the trigger was pulled. What was an accurate well placed shot turned into a gut shot deer that ran off never to be found but suffering until it bled out. I haven't and wont shoot at a animal over 200 yards and only then if the animal is grazing and put its head down to eat.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

The .54 calibre RB is the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity…blackpowder and flat ballistic trajectories just are not usually used in the same conversations. With blackpowder as the propellant, trajectories tend to resemble Rainbows…

There was some very promising research being completed in the late 1800’s into BrownPowder, but once the early Smokeless Powders hit the market, the research was abandoned.

The most I’d say is that the .54 calibre RB is arguably the most efficient at converting grains of powder into velocity.

I recall reading this about the .54 many years ago and it shaped my caliber decision on my first Hawken build.

Early this week i was able to do some 200 yard shooting with a. 54 Lancaster on a plowed field. I was surprised to find I had to hold up the entire front blade to get on target. At 100 yards this rifle is dead on.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I recall reading this about the .54 many years ago and it shaped my caliber decision on my first Hawken build.

Early this week i was able to do some 200 yard shooting with a. 54 Lancaster on a plowed field. I was surprised to find I had to hold up the entire front blade to get on target. At 100 yards this rifle is dead on.

I used to read data tables as a kid…when I got this book…

I started comparing the load data of all the calibres to each other. I very quickly realized that the .54 had a distinct advantage in the load data.

I wound up with a .50 calibre, because it was the minimum calibre for elk. Great calibre on deer…fairly good for elk, with a PRB…awesome on elk with a conical bullet.

There was a time when I had most of the data tables memorized…not any more, mostly “impressions”, these days.

I love the .54 calibre for hunting elk. The .58 calibre is solid as well, though significantly more recoil. The .54 calibre is a good solid calibre for any big game. I would even try Bison with it, though probably with a conical…

Now you got my thinking about 200 yrd shots with my .54’s…I’m pretty solid out to 125 yrds, most comfortable at under 100 yrds.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I have rifles in .36 through .58 and would say the .54 is my favorite for hunting. I tend to load a bit heavy - about 2000 FPS and the impact energy is quite impressive.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have rifles in .36 through .58 and would say the .54 is my favorite for hunting. I tend to load a bit heavy - about 2000 FPS and the impact energy is quite impressive.

The impact of the recoil is impressive as well

 

[LongWalker]

Back in 2014 (IIRC), in a thread titled "Rifle Accuracy 1776" on another forum, I posted results shooting an original Dickert out to 400 yards. This might at least give the OP some kind of numbers to consider as far as hit probability. Note that I was shooting from supported offhand and prone positions, and I counted hits anywhere on an 18"x30" target .

However, these numbers might only be helpful if you are shooting at a known distance, from a rest!

 

[Whitworth]

Either the .451 Whitworth or .451 Volunteer Rifle would be my guess.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

A .45 shooting conicals out of a fast twist barrel becomes essentially a 45-70, not traditional in 1700's, but that is not what the OP asked for.

Not something I am interested in but can it be done, yes. That is what the Irish shooters did at Creedmoor in 1874, muzzleloaders at 1000 yards.

First of all the Americans beat the Irish at Creedmoor. Secondly, the OP asked about "hunting" at "at least 200 yards" which is a totally different game than target shooting at Creed's Moor in the 19th century. Just sayin'.

 

[tenngun]

A .45 shooting conicals out of a fast twist barrel becomes essentially a 45-70, not traditional in 1700's, but that is not what the OP asked for.

Not something I am interested in but can it be done, yes. That is what the Irish shooters did at Creedmoor in 1874, muzzleloaders at 1000 yards.

A popular gun, both in ml and military civilian applications.
Ned Roberts tells the story of him and his grandfather bear hunting in Maine. Grandfather uses a .45 double rifle with conical. And Roberts learns to follow suit
However a .45-70 shot in the 13-1400 fps range. The half ton bullet, well not quite that much,still has a rainbow trajectory. In military operations it could well shoot over mid range troops
I wouldn’t want to catch one at a thousand yards but wouldn’t feel comfortable with any ml past a hundred or so, and with a .45-70 I wouldn’t want to shoot game much further away.

 

[M. De Land]

I am new to black powder and i’ve been curious about what caliber is the flattest shooting between .45-.58. I’m looking for something for hunting that can shoot reliably out to at least 200 yards. Thank you.

As to flat shooting in ball or bullet it's pretty hard to beat a .45 cal in my opinion.

 

[nkbj]

About 35 years ago I sat down with the Lyman BP Handbook tables and figured out that by their numbers the flattest shooting round ball was somewhere around .52. But if you want to hunt animals far out there do what works and get a barrel made to your likings.

My choice was .458" bore and .470" groove, seven rounded grooves of approximate equal width to the lands, one turn in two feet.

Too bad I can't still see that far.

 

[M. De Land]

I don't agree with that statement? I have shot a few different Caliber rifles and once dialed in they all shot close to the same. I also know if you shoot at long range and/or there is a wind blowing you need to leave the little caliber rifle at home.

I never got on the .40 ball shooting band wagon as I felt a .45 shot nearly as flat and was less wind sensitive with not much more recoil.