There are 6 dead deer in this picture. I know,you can only see 5 but there are 6,the 6th one might still be in my truck when I took this picture?
3 were shot with a TC Omega 50 cal,100 grains(pellets) and 295-300 grain TC Shockwaves?(not my gun)
One was shot with a TC Renegade/Sharon 1 in 72" twistbarreled 58 cal,90 grains of fffg Goex and a patched round ball(my gun)
One was shot with a CVA Optima Pro 50 cal,100 grains Pryodex Select and 245 grain Powerbelt(my gun)
One was shot with a CVA Kentucky Rifle 45 cal, 80 grains of Pryodex and a patched round ball(I worked up
the load for this gun about 15 years ago for my main hunting partner)

They all look about the same amount of dead to me

The one that went the farthest after the shot was one of them shot with the 300 Shockwave(poor shot placement,wasn't me) well over 200 yards and required another shot to finish the job

The 58 dropped it in it's tracks
The Powerbelt, about 30 yards
The other 2 with the Shockwave,one went about 30 yards, the other about 50
The 45,about 25 yards


This is how my CVA Optima Pro groups the 245 Powerbelts
The 2 on the right that are just about touching each other were before I adjusted the scope a little,then BINGO
Way less than a 3" group(as was stated by someone else) at 100 yards.
If you move the last shot back over with the other two it would be about 1 1/2"-2" group at 100 yards.

I love the way they load,I love the way they shoot and I love the way they work on deer.

I actually like the 58 the best,it was my Grandpa's gun, It was given to me after he passed away back in 88
I have hunted with it,with the same load every year since 89. I have killed an average of at least 2 deer with it every year since. I love that gun!

Prior to that I used a 45 cal TC Hawken with 90 grains of FFFG Goex and a patched .445 ball
Killed deer every year with it too. My Grandpa helped me(ok, he did most of it)build it out of a kit when I was 12.

Soooo, I see all this "debate" over what bullet a little silly.(by the way,my Dad is tougher than any of your Dads)
I am lucky I guess but I have never lost a deer shot with any of my ML guns/loads in 25 years of hunting.


Take a look at the top picture again, can you tell which deer is the most dead?