if im going elk hunting with a muzzleloader do i use a 45 or 50 caliber.....

I would suggest a 50 cal for the likes of elk. The selcetion for adequate bullet combos will be much higher andimo itgives you the performance you need for the bigger critters.

most states require you use 50 cal. or larger.

need to check the state's requirements.

50

If your talking inline rifles then a .50 calber is the better choice. If you were thinking of going to the traditional rifles, then deffinately a .50 but if possible, bigger like a .54 caliber or even .58 caliber. Be sure and check the state restrictions on which type of projectile is insisted on and what caliber restrictions there are.

In this day and age I would get a .50 cal. They are just so much more versital as far as load data and products available.

Paul

Like everyone else, I would suggest a .50 for all of the reasons already explained.

When looking at state restrictions, remember that if you are shooting sabots out of a .50, they usually measure .44-.45 caliber.

Like what cayugad said. 50 for inline but if you are getting a traditional I would go with a 54. That is what I have. I might try elk with it for a few years. If I like hunting elk I myself might consider a 58.

A .50 is adequate, but a bigger caliber is better! In somejurisdictions,such as Colorado for example, .50 is the MINIMUM LEGAL CALIBER.And in CO., you CANNOT use sabots of any size!

A .45 would work, if you used a heavy enough bullet. I have one .45 that shoots the old Lyman/Gould 350-grain .457122, a .45/70bullet I size to .451" for the ML bore,very accurately with 90- grains of 777. I believe this loadwould be quite effectivefor elk hunting.