How many of you all shoot roundballs? If so, what do you like about them? What caliber of roundball do you shoot? What have you killed with a roundball?

i shoot patch n ball out of my 50cal TC hawken flinter....i would kinda like to shot a big ole conical...just for the weight/shock/damage factor...but my tc LOVES to shot round balls...and absolutely hates to shot bullets of any kind ive tried..dont know why...but i can shoot touching groups with balls...only killed 2 groundhogs with them...one at 45yds straight through the boiler room like a deer off the sticks...the other was 10-15yds standing...i was standing freehand....perfect hole through the neck....

Sharp Shooter,
Everybody shoot roundballs at one time or another and if they don't there missing out.
My 1st ML deer was a doe at 90+yds using a .54cal round ball in my T/C Hawken rifle. It was many years ago and I can remember it like it was yesterday.
The deer was gone by the time the smoke cleared. I didn't like the fact that the smoke blotted out her reaction to the hit and I didn't have the foggiest ideawhat direction she ran off. When I got up to the spot where she was standing there was a litttle blood, but not much of a blood trail.I was glad that we had somesnow to makethe tracking easier. I followed what little blood I had over the top of the hill and there she layed. She piled up less than 30yds. from where I shot her.
I had harvested many deer before withmy bow& shotgun and I don't ever remember being that excited before. I didn't know it at the time,but I was turning into a "blackpowder junky"

I've shot roundball for 25 years or more. My favorite used to be the .54 caliber (and still is a favorite) butI do like the thump of the .58 caliber roundball. My first deer with a roundball was a doe at 30 yards. She came walking down the trail (tree stands were illegal then) and I was laying prone on the ground under some brush. I took her right through the brisket and shot all the way through her. She ran about 20 yards and I watched her fall.

I did hunt black bear with a .54 caliber but never saw one that was worth taking. I saw a tiny yearling, and a sow with cubs, but nothing of size that year. The next time, I never saw a bear the entire season. I have a person I know that bear hunts with a .50 caliber roundball and he claims that is the best close range weapon he has ever used on bear. He said the ball penetrate excellent, does a lot of damage, and usually makes its way out the other side.

I've shot 2 deer with a roundball from a Charles Daly Hawken. 90 gr Pyrodex. The first was the standard double lung hit with pass thru, good blood trail, etc. The 2nd was more memorable: I shot her in the front shoulder, quartering to me at about 40 yards. I found hair where she was standing, but no blood or blood trail, but snow made tracking easy, where I found her about 100 yards away. I found the roundball had broken into at least 4 pieces, but they made it into the boiler room, one piece was lodged in the heart.

IM jaybe

we all have t/c hawkins .50 cal. AL of them shoot the MAXI-BALL not those MAXI-HUNTER real good. i use .370 gr maxi-ball. thompson told me they get on test rifles ,3/4 inch group with the MAXI-BALL. i can touch holes at 50 yards with 80 grs.of 2f with a wonderwad and bore butter and a 370 MAXI-BALL. they should shoot well out of your gun, if not, send it in to THOMPSON.

I use roundball almost exclusively. I play around with some lead conicals in a couple of stock T/C Renegades but most of my rifles have slow twist roundball barrels. Roundball is all I use hunting because that is what shoots best in the rifles with which I hunt and because it gets the job done for the hunting I do. I have rifles in .32cal, .40cal, .45cal that I use for small game, mainly rabbits and squirrels, with an occasionalwoodchuck, fox, coyote and a few gophers. I use .45cal,.50cal, .54cal & .58cal for whitetail deer and take an occasional fox and coyote with them, while deerhunting.

I shoot round balls more than any other projectile , they're relatively cheap , get the job done , and they perform predictably . I shoot .50 and .54 calibers , the .54 is my favorite . I got two deer this year , a buck fawn(mistook for doe) , and a good sized spike . The fawn was taken with a 3/4 oz. 20 guage slug , the spike was taken with a .54 round ball , the first ran considerably further . I do try sabots occasionally , but I always come back to round balls . My preferred brand is Remington .

I've taken deer out to 90+ yards with a Renegade in a .54cal and roundball. It's not something you should do unless you've practiced at that yardage andare very confident. But that's close to being the max. I would comfortably shoot in hunting conditions. Shooting powder,patch,ball is a very rewarding feeling and I enjoy it alot. There cheap to shoot and it gives the feeling of what muzzleloading is all about. I've also shot maxiballs with good success.

I like 54 cal for hunting and 45 cal for target.25 deer 3 at 150+ 2 bear 1 at 150+ and 1 boar. I do most of my hunting with bow orX bow .Lee