lemoyne

I retired in 1991, now I am just tired. I doubt if many if any here could be call rich, I would guess most of the retired incomes are below 60,000 I know mine is. Most people have a main hobby and that's where the spending money goes, some drink beer some monkey with fancy or hot cars, we shoot muzzle loaders. Lee

Semisane

Aw Lee, please don't make it a choice between shooting and drinking beer.

Spitpatch

I must say I enjoy shooting the 45 more than the 50.
If I had to have just one rifle, it would be the 50...

The 45 will actually out shoot the 50, albeit with a smaller range of projectiles.
The 50 is more versatile, and will shoot a wider variety of bullets quite well.

Why do some guys shoot exotic calibers in center fire?

Team Knight won the Nationals 6 years in a row and I'm told they did it with 45's.
I guess it make the sport interesting when you have more flavors to choose from.

Oh BTW...I'm 57, still work, shoot more than I should, and spend way to much time on forums.

WV Mountaineer

I retired in 2005 at the age of 55 after working for the state 32 years and eight months. God has been good to me and I consider myself not rich in the things of this world but rich in his mercy and love for me. As for muzzle loaders I own three 50 calibers two of which I still have not shot. I also have one 45 caliber knight disc elite that I have shot only a few times. Most of my shooting is done prior to the opening of muzzle loader season to sight in my rifle. I have nothing but respect for all the great guys who post their wealth of info on this forum for others to learn from.

WV Mountaineer

Underclocked

I kinda went upscale after winning PowerBall.



.50 is .05 bigger than .45 but not necessarily better.

HOGGHEAD

I can say that I do own both .45 cal knights & .50 cal Knights , ALL are great guns
But out of all the deer I have killed over the many yrs. There has only been 1 Rifle
That I have shot deer with that they never took another step after being hit ! this rifle being my .45 cal wolverine 209
although I do shoot a 460 gr NEX Conical out of this gun ! I have another .45 cal that I shoot Saboted Bullets out of
and So I can not Agree that the .50 cal is superior to the .45 cal.
if I could only have 1 Rifle & load Combo I would Choose my Knight Wolverine 209 .45 cal. with the 460 gr. NEX Conical Every Time ! But that is just me

O and as far as being rich / Not me Brother !

Reese260

This reminds me of the debate I hear every year at black bear camp. .30-30, .270, .308, .30-06, 300 Win Mag ......
I have never been very loyal to any caliber, make of vehicle or even manufacturer of rifle. I try different ones
when I can with the limited income that I have. Family needs come first and my toys a distant 5th.

For PA whitetail deer, I have used .50 cal and .45 cal inlines and there was no difference in the results - a freezer
full of venison. Although .50 cal is very common, it is by no means the minimum. I plan to use a .45 Knight Elite
this year and I won't feel under gunned.

Pick something that will work for you and be gracious in accepting what others choose to use.

spaniel

50 better than 45? By what measure? Versitality of projectile? Yes. Components available? Yes. Performance? Well, how are you measuring that? Is a 200gr .40cal bullet out of a 50 somehow more lethal than a 45? Nope.

50 is popular by versitality. The 45 has some advantages for special applications -- slightly higher velocity and less sabot around a small caliber bullet.

I actually want my next "inline" to be a .357. Get a .357 1-14" twist barrel with a custom breechplug mounted on a Rem700 short action, and shoot the highest BC .357 bullet available (Nosler Partition, from what I can tell). This would be a legal ML in my state and a heck of a longer-range weapon.

Retired? Hah! Not by a long shot, I'm one of the younger guys here. Independently weathy? Nope, though 10 yrs of college and 3 degrees has left me in a relatively good spot in this economy -- and a healthy student loan payment. I can pay for shooting by being cheap elsewhere -- I drive the oldest car I've seen in the parking lot at work, it's been paid off for 6 years and I'm driving it until it is unreliable.

The sick part is I finally own a farm with a shooting range right out my back door and I shoot less than I did when I had a 2.5 hour drive to shoot. Increasing responsibilities cutting into my playtime.

nchawkeye

Reese...It's not surpising...I have studied American History for over 40 yearsmainly because of the development of the American Long Rifle...I have read a period commentary where the author mentions that the Colonials prefer rifled barrel guns, with some preferring a smaller bore because the balls and powder needed to use weigh and cost less whereas some prefer a larger bore and the certain death that comes with a larger ball...

oldsmellhound

I only own 1 ML right now, and it is a .45. Why? Because everyone and their grandma has a .50 and I wanted to be different when I got into muzzleloading. Is it superior to a .50? Not really. The only 2 advantages I've been able to determine are:

1. Can shoot light bullets at a higher velocity than a .50 with less powder. Is the velocity enough to make a big difference? Probably not, at least for most people.

2. A .45 can shoot .355 - .358 caliber bullets. Not many people do, but for special applications (small game, light-recoiling loads for kids, etc.) it can be useful.

3. A .45 is going to shoot conicals and Powerbelts flatter at long range because of a better BC. So for those limited to (or choose) conicals or Powerbelts, the .45 is a better choice if you're shooting long ranges.

Am I weathly? Heck no- right now I'm back in school after a 12 year hiatus & only have a part-time job- so right now I'm "student poor" and living in the big city, which means I rarely get to shoot. I'm really looking forward to the day in about 13 months when I graduate and (hopefully) get a job right away so I can shoot more and buy a couple more ML's