What setup for elk?

[Oldruffedhunter]

Hoping to make it to Co next fall for a muzzleloader elk hunt. I'm wondering what setup you guys are using. All shots will be under 100 yards. Also those who have taken elk how was the penetration? I know hitting bone will change things. I'm not opposed to shotting a conicle bullet but if possible and ethical I'd stay with a round ball. Thanks for the info.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

What rifle do you have? I just bought a .54 flintlock and plan on using that once i buy an elk tag. Also hunting and living in colorado. Im planning on using between 90-100 grains of ffg powder and a .530 patched round ball. I'll try to keep the shots within 100 yards.

 

[Bill Hall]

Oldruff, I have taken five elk, one bull and four cows, all with a .54 round ball. All had excellent penetration and all but one fell within 20 yards of the shot. I think two broadside shots went clear through the body. I hit one cow far back near the liver and the ball stopped in her chest. I started out using 120 grains of ffg goex, but now I use 100 grains with no noticeable difference. I think all shots were between 15 and 60 yards. In my opinion, a .50 is a little light for elk, but the .54 is perfect. Bill

 

[Vaino]

A .54 PRB driven by 120 grs. ffg has killed a few elk and within 100 yds.w/ a rib shot, this load is very effective. Used to use 410 gr. Buffalo Bullets but found them not as versatile because of the excessive mid-range heigth and also that they have a tendency to come off the powder charge. These elk I shot w/ the above PRB combo reacted the same as when I was using a .300 Win. Mag within 100 yds...... Fred

 

[Oldruffedhunter]

Right now I've got a Isaac Haines 50 cal that I'm going to use for deer, But also think it would be too light for ethical shots on elk with a round ball. I was thinking about a 58 or even a 62 cal. I just want to make sure I have enough gun with a round ball setup.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

A 54cal roundball will do really good on elk. Personally I am going to take my 58cal for elk though. It will do a little more damage.

 

[longcruise]

Myself and all the guys I deer and elk hunt with in CO use .54 cal guns and we have had good results with PRB and 80 to 120 grains of ff and fff.

That said, if you are picking up another rifle then by all means consider the .58 or .62. A bigger ball never hurts!

 

[tg]

" But also think it would be too light for ethical shots on elk with a round ball."

The .50 will do fine on Elk, you just need to be closer, I prefer 60 yds max when I was useing a .50 for Elk if you have any doubts though by all means go with a bigger ball, one of the worse things you can do is go hunting with a rig you lack confidence in.

 

I'm with TG. A lot of elk have been taken with a half inch PRB.

Sean

 

[bouldersmith]

a .50cal roundball may kill elk, but its not legal in co. Here we need to have at least 180 projectile for elk, the prb comes in at 178. In a .50 cal you need a bullet here in CO, .54 and up a prb is fine. I just built a .50 cal bullet gun for elk, I'm not sure what bullet it will like yet....testing of loads comes soon.Anyone have a .50cal bullet they really like on the big boys?
Steve

 

[Vaino]

For many years I used .50 cal., 410 gr "Buffalo Bullets" w/ a 1:48 bbl and the accuracy was outstanding and the elk didn't travel far at all after being hit. What mainly bothered me asre these bullets and other conicals was that they lifted off the powder charge in a clean bbl and during a day's hunt had to be checked periodically. This really got to me and I finally built a .54 "Hawken" for a PRB and am satisfied w/ it's performance. If it wasn't for the "lifting", I'd still be using the conicals....Fred

 

[paulvallandigham]

Fred: Why didn't you use a lubed patch, or card wad over the bullet to keep it from moving? With the heavy weight of those .50 cal. bullets, neither would impede the flight of the bullet.

 

[Vaino]

Good suggestion....never even had an inkling to use an "over the bullet" keeper. Somebody's thinking!!!!.....Fred

 

[Mad Professor]

It helps if you use a bullet lube that is "thick" enough at the temperatures you are hunting to prevent the bullet from moving off the powder charge.

I've only had the bullet become unseated in warm weather when the lube became runny.

 

[Vaino]

The conicals were prelubed and the lube never softened in 90 degree temps in direct sunlight when sitting on the bench while shooting.....Fred

 

[redwing]

The .54 is a good Elk killer with in the range of a flint lock long rifle. The .50 Cal. does just fine but you need to be a little closer most of the time.
As with any hunt try to pick the best country for your rifle. With my old .338 Win. Mag. you can shoot elk over sage brush or in black timber. With my .54 Southern Rifle I need to be in the timber. The elk are not always where you need them.

 

[doulos]

Another way to keep a conical on the charge is to patch it. Ive tried it with strips of lubed paper and it only changed my point of impact a little. Some guys i know wrap their conicals with teflon plumbers tape. My preferred method was allways just to foul the barrel with a fouling shot.

 

[dlemaster]

I took a large cow elk in AZ back in '98 with a .60 cal flint rifle. I used a .590 prb and 125 grains of Goex 2F powder.

Regards, Dave

 

[BrownBear]

We've had the same four guys hunt elk on our place on and off for the last ten years or so. Three shot 50's with conicals and the fourth shot 54 RBs. The first three hunts the 54 was the only one who got one-shot kills, while none of the guys shooting 50 cal conical's managed it.

Could be a whole lot of marksmanship issues involved, but last year they all showed up packing 54's and shooting RBs. One of the guys still needed two shots, but everyone else got one shot kills.

Marksmanship comes first, so it's a little hard to sort out differences in bore size, even after 20 or so elk were killed. New purchase, I'd go for a 54 and practice like crazy. If I already had a 50 and wanted to use it, I'd still practice like crazy.

Odds are any problems will be due more to marksmanship failures than to caliber failures.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

I'd look on the board for a .54 to come up, you can easily find deals on here. Price seems a little high? Just make an offer and see what happens. I plan on using my .54 flintlock this year if i can draw a buck tag.