Hi all - My wife and boys bought me a muzzleloader for my birthday. Never had one before but here in MO they have a special muzzleloader season for deer which you can use your leftover gun tag in. They picked up a .45 caliber gun. I was expecting a .50 cal and thought of returning it, but after doing some reading maybe this is what I want. It will only be used on whitetails, and they claim some extra yardage from .45s. Anybody have input on this?
I exclusively gun hunt deer with a 45 caliber using Round Balls. (my modern rifles were stolen years ago & I never replaced them) ###I have got maybe 15 deer, all one shot, drop in their tracks, except one. ###This one was 150 yards and way too far, should never have taken the shot. ###It ran about 200 yards before expiring.
The biggest was a 10 pt, 172 lbs w/o head or hide (taxidermist had it) at about 40 yards. ###Most of my shots are at 30 to 80 yards (I "Bowhunt" them, and am used to getting close)
With a ML, I let more deer get away by waiting too long before shooting, waiting for the perfect shot, than I do by shooting too early. ###Actually, this only applies to Squirrels because I only missed "ONE" deer with my ML, it jumped into a creek just as I was pulling the trigger and I couldn't stop my self....
Speaking of squirrels, a 45 (with RB's and 30 or 40 grns 3F) ###will not destroy much meat, it just punches a 45 caliber hole......
As you can see, I really line a 45
But if yours is the "Other" type ML (shooting Sabots) I don't know anything about them and ignore what I just said, they are a completly different animal I imagine.....
I think the 45 would be fine.Thats the minium caliber in alot of states.I shoot a 50 caliber with sabots.I like it alot.I started out shooting 395 grains bullets.If I remember right that is.You could hear them hit the paper @ 100 yds.I lowered My powder charge down to 100 grains.With a 240 grain jhp 44 cal bullet.And I'm thight all the way out to 100yds.Anyways the 45 cal is plenty big enough for deer.Crap you could take deer with a 22. right.They make all the same stuff for 45 as they do for other calibers.My dad shoots a 58. caliber.He says I shoot a sissie gun cause I shoot a 50. cal.But I would rather have a smaller lighter faster bullet with more range.So see you're even ahead of Me with My 50 cal. P.S. I tell My dad I can throw a rock farther than that old 58 can lob out a bullet lol.My 2 cents worth
I have both a .50 cal and a 54 cal.1 is a T/C the other is a CVA. They are both in-line and I can get 4" groups at 150 yards with both of them shooting 44 cal 240 gr. hornady XTP bullets with high pressure sabots.I use 110 grains of rs pyrodex with them.
I have a 50 caliber inline now and would like to get a 45 inline next. It shoots flatter and a plenty large enough sabot to be perfect on deer. I would give the 50 the nod for bear moose and larger game, but would perfer the 45 for deer size game. It will produce the energy of a centerfire rifle with magnum(120-150gr) loads.
I'VE HUNTED WITH A .45 CAL. FLINTLOCK FOR ABOUT 20 YRS. ###I'VE ALSO USED A .40 CAL SOME. ###THE ONLY FAULT I'VE FOUND IS THE LACK OF THE ###AMOUNT OF BLOOD TRAIL AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE .40. ###I'VE TAKEN AROUND 30 DEER WITH THE .45 AT RANGES FROM 10 YDS. TO 150 YDS. WITH A ROUND BALL AND ONE BEAR WITH A MAXI-BALL. ###I KNOW THAT THE .45 IS CAPABLE OF MID-SIZED GAME. ###I'M NOT SAYING THAT A LARGER CALIBER WOULD BE BETTER OR NOT, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU MAY BE HUNTING WITH IT. ###A .45 ROUND BALL IS APPROXIMATELY 135 GRS. VS .50 CAL. AT 183 GRS.
### I'VE CHRONOGRAPHED MINE TO FIND THE POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURN ON THE POWDER CHARGE. ###BARREL LENGTH HELPS TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF YOUR POWDER CHARGE IS BURNED BEFORE IT BLOWS UNBURNED POWDER OUT THE MUZZLE. ###WITH A 42" BARREL I SHOOT 2250 FPS WITH 90GRS. OF 3F FOR HUNTING AND 1765 FPS WITH 47 GRS. OF 3F FOR TARGETS AND SMALL GAME. ###THE MAIN THING IS TO KNOW WHAT YOUR AND THE GUN'S CAPABILITIES ARE. ###THE MORE YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH YOUR RIFLE THE SOONER YOU WILL FIND YOUR EFFECTIVE MAXIMUM RANGE. ###HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT THE GUYS THAT PRACTICE ALL THE TIME ARE ALWAYS LUCKIER?
Welcome to the forum FTTPOW. Some of us answered like it was one of the new inline 45's and some like it was a percussion round baller. I don't think he told us. I agree with you about the diminishing return as powder charge goes up, a lot of unburned powder out the end. it sounds like you've done some smokepolin'.
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