ORIGINAL: H2OmAn
I can't answer your question but I will say that those who choose to
push the envelope can & will forever. Some of the elite in taking
everything to the limit will say its the small DNA string that separates us from the animals we hunt. I think it all starts when we see a sign that says sale, no reaction, but if we see that sign
and it says huge magnum sales event, we react. Same with ML's
if they says its a "MAGNUM" then yea buddy got to try that magnum charge. And sadly a lot of the new ML's have that attitude
with no regard to recoil or accuracy. Sometimes we just have to take a step back, a deep breath, and ask is this really necessary?
just my take on your statement.....
This is a good topic...I've used .264's, .30-30's, .30-06's, .35Rems deer hunting since the 60's...I believe in having plenty of power to ensure energy at distance, but never felt I had to use any of the really big boys...the above calibers are all generally about the same size and will take most anything on the NA continent at typical distances...shot placement always being most important.
However, FWIW, I view powder charges for muzzleloaders differently...IMO they can't always simply be discussed on the basis of powder alone, almost as if all projectiles are the same...I believe projectiles & projectile weight play a more major role in the selection of charges in muzzleloaders than simply saying xx-xxgrns of powder is all that's needed, like an across the board statement.
I hunt pretty much exclusively with flintlocks and patched round balls now, and they are a lot lighter than the same caliber muzzleloader conical is, with it's much higher level of sustained energy at distance. So I feel the need to drive PRB's at or near published max loads for deer hunting, to ensure I have the energy at distance if I need it.
On the one hand for example, I shot a 5 pointer this fall while squirrel hunting...had a .45cal flintlock, 128grn ball, and only 40grns Goex FFFg laying across my lap...the buck walked in front of me only 20yds away and I shot him in the heart, dead deer. But on the other hand, I could not have taken that shot at 50-60yds...would have needed much more velocity...and 75-100yds would have required even much more velocity.
But if heavy conicals are used, velocity is less critical and even though a slow conical's trajectory could be like a rainbow, it would still do its job when it got there due to its weight and energy.
Shooting a lot of PRB's at the range to test results, penetration, distance, etc...different calibers with different weight balls...I'm not comfortable with a blanket statement that "xx" grns of powder is all I need...with PRB's I use max power levels for a given ball considering the game I'm hunting and the distances I'll be faced with.
If that's only 50yds then that's one charge, but if I can normally see 125yds, I don't ever want to be holding a moderate load behind a PRB and have a P&Y buck walk by at 125yds...my two cents