round ball energy
01-15-2010 | 07:17 PM
#11
Dominant Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,193
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
I have a book written by Don Davis. He teaches how to shoot a flintlock in the book. As he discussed white tail deer loads, he mentioned a favorite load of his was 50 grains of powder and a roundball.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
01-15-2010 | 07:18 PM
#12
Dominant Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,193
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
I have a book written by Don Davis. He teaches how to shoot a flintlock in the book. As he discussed white tail deer loads, he mentioned a favorite load of his was 50 grains of powder and a roundball.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
01-15-2010 | 07:19 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I'd work with sabot and bullet combinations to find a better load...These inlines are easily capable of minute of angle at 100 yards...In addition, inlines are made for shooting sabots and bullets...A round ball barrel will be cut rifling .015 deep with a
1-66 or 1-72 twist in a .50 or .54 caliber...
But to answer your question, yes that round ball load you posted will kill a whitetail...I bought my first flintlock in 1977, a .45 and from then until 1990 I used 75grs of Goex FFF and a .440 round ball...I moved up to a .54 in 1990 and no use a .530 and 80grs of powder...As a side note, I rebarreled the .45 to a .40 and have even taken a couple of deer with the .40 and 60grs of FFF...
When you start going down in power it's almost like you are bow hunting...Limit your shots to 25-35 yards, get tight behind the shoulder and hit them right behind the elbow (low in the shoulder)...
1-66 or 1-72 twist in a .50 or .54 caliber...
But to answer your question, yes that round ball load you posted will kill a whitetail...I bought my first flintlock in 1977, a .45 and from then until 1990 I used 75grs of Goex FFF and a .440 round ball...I moved up to a .54 in 1990 and no use a .530 and 80grs of powder...As a side note, I rebarreled the .45 to a .40 and have even taken a couple of deer with the .40 and 60grs of FFF...
When you start going down in power it's almost like you are bow hunting...Limit your shots to 25-35 yards, get tight behind the shoulder and hit them right behind the elbow (low in the shoulder)...
01-15-2010 | 07:36 PM
#14
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I have a book written by Don Davis. He teaches how to shoot a flintlock in the book. As he discussed white tail deer loads, he mentioned a favorite load of his was 50 grains of powder and a roundball.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
A lot of people are on a powder power trip. Before inlines most the time we shot 70-100 grains of powder and killed a lot of deer. I always shot 85 out of my Renegade but that was a favorite load. My friend hunts with a Kentucky long rifle and his load is 70 grains and a roundball. He killed a deer out to 100 yards with that load.
So if your shooting 50 grains and the shots are close, aim for the organs and put that ball in the heart. You might not get a pass through, then again, you might.
01-15-2010 | 07:42 PM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
Likes: 0
I used a 54 cal PRB with a 12 gr of powder [RS] in a Hawken I built to take a 600 pound Black Bear it was flattened out to the size of a quarter and stuck in the skin on the far side dropped him on the spot at over 180 yds. They will do the job a lot better than most give them credit for. They are all a lot of fun including the traditionals.
01-15-2010 | 07:59 PM
#16
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I used a 54 cal PRB with a 12 gr of powder [RS] in a Hawken I built to take a 600 pound Black Bear it was flattened out to the size of a quarter and stuck in the skin on the far side dropped him on the spot at over 180 yds. They will do the job a lot better than most give them credit for. They are all a lot of fun including the traditionals.
01-16-2010 | 04:08 AM
#18
Fork Horn
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: My Range in Central NY
Your RB load @ 50 gr will work fine out to past 100 yards . It will cleanly pass threw most rib shots well out past 100 with your 50 grain charge. I used to hunt with a .45 Underhamer and have had many complete pass threws with the little 128 gr. ball I always shot 60 gr. of Black or Pyro. Many deer were shot ove 125 yards away. Just learn were the ball flys and how it flys at longer distances.
The purpose of the ball is to make a hole to let blood out and air in, your 50 ball is better suited than the old 44-40 that killed zillions of deer. Our for fathers diidn't us anything over 50 gr. and they ate well.
The purpose of the ball is to make a hole to let blood out and air in, your 50 ball is better suited than the old 44-40 that killed zillions of deer. Our for fathers diidn't us anything over 50 gr. and they ate well.
01-16-2010 | 04:33 AM
#19
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
I used a 54 cal PRB with a 12 gr of powder [RS] in a Hawken I built to take a 600 pound Black Bear it was flattened out to the size of a quarter and stuck in the skin on the far side dropped him on the spot at over 180 yds. They will do the job a lot better than most give them credit for. They are all a lot of fun including the traditionals.
That don't sound like enough powder to get the ball out the end of the barrel. What kind of powder do you use.