Brknarrow1970

All of this is realtively new to me as stated, and I am even more confused now... I have very limited experirnce with BP hunting but it is a route that I have chosen because I can no longer bowhunt -nerve issues, with that being said I killed a doe with a buffalo ballet in a .50 cal renegade I had - she stiffened up and dropped - Based on the responses - some say anything less than a .54 cal is RB is going to lead to some difficult tracking, I hunt in bear country in NC and want the best accuracy and quickest take down I can achieve . I have read and re-read several pages of this forum in detail looking to steer myself in the right direction, I like the appeal of the PRB but if it is going to lead to diificult track and I can track with the best of them been bowhunting 20 plus years, the .50 round ball may not be my best option in thick woods according to some, then there are die-hard saying it will kill anything in NA and I am sure it will but I hunt alone and dont wanna spend half the night in bear infested woods trailing. So the way I see it now are two options find a heavy lead conical that the 1:48 likes and use that in my .50's or purchase a LRH from GM in one of the 3 calibers they offer and shoot some type of sabot of which I have absolutely no experience, hell maybe I asked to many questions but have myself in an utter state of confusion and a month to go till the season opens, I do appreciate the PM's and the time you folks have taken to answer my questionsSo here is another In my shoes with limited experience but wanting to put whitetails down quick should I use the 1:48 and find the conicals it likes or Purchase the LRH and seek out the best load - and use a sabot - which caliber would you choose and why, I have a ton of .50 cal supplies

stripercrazy

my buddy's get a few deer with the tc maxi hunter bullet....they didn't go far and big holes a couple dropped where they were...he gets one allmost every year....he uses a inline too....I think those bullets will knock down most deer I'd shoot the maxi hunter or maxiball and see if you like them before getting new barrels...his guns the one before the black diamond came out ..its a 1/28 twist it may not be the right gun for the bullet but it knocks the crap out of the deer. he won't change anything.......

LaneNebraska

Stick with the 1:48, find some (No Excuses) connicals, and put the hurting on deer and bear.

Please save your money, you don't need a new gun. The ranges you shoot in NC are short, that connical with 70-80grains of your favorite powder will work wonders on any North-American game

bronko22000

You don't need a GM barrel Arrow. They are nice, but not necessary. The .50 PRB will definately kill a deer or black bear with a well placed shot. But the likelyhood of dropping right there or only traveling a little is remote. Even if you should get a pass thru you will have very little if any blood trail. And as a fellow bowhunter, I know how frustrating that can be. A conical with some expansion characterictics will probably suit your needs better. And if it is heavy enough and fast enough, you may be able to bust a bear's shoulder and anchor him while still penetrating into the vitals.

oldsmellhound

I'd go with a conical over 70 - 80 grains of powder. The Hornady Great Plains bullet is a real nice option, or you can go with a big ol' chunk of No Excuses lead. You don't need a ton of powder either - 70 grains of 3f powder is plenty for close range.

builder459

PM cayugad, he has friends that use nothing but the .270 gr buffalo ballette with excellent success.if your not confident in that bullet, you can go to a heavier conical, no need to buy another rifle.

Brknarrow1970

Thanks for the responses, I have shot the maxi's in one of the rifles grouped pretty decent - going to keep searching but will try a few rounds in both rifles and find the conicals they like - once again thanks and may look into some of the other options next year but with time pressing, a conical is the the best option

Muley Hunter

I hunted with my Renegade this for elk. It has a GM 1-70 twist barrel (.54). The season was last week. I used 85gr of Swiss 2F powder and a PRB. I killed a cow at 70yds, and it piled up at 50yds. It weighed at least 200lbs more than any mule deer alive. The shot knicked the heart and busted through both lungs. Tracking was pretty easy, because it never went out of sight.

I used a load that I knew the gun shot well. I shot a distance that I knew was effective for my load. I also took a shot that I knew I could make.

I plan on using the same thing for deer in rifle season.

I loved the challenge, and I still smile thinking about the hunt. Probably the most enjoyable hunt i've had in 60 years of hunting.

sabotloader

Brknarrow1970

Lane as well as others are offering very good advice - hard to be beat a no excuse...

bronko22000

Muley, the PRB and that .54 1:70 twist is the perfect combination. And no doubt effective as per your end result. But I have a question. Did you ever actually track that cow, or just go up to her? Hunting the east, particularly in heavy laurel or swamps is a whole different world than hunting the aspen forest or sage flats. (And I've done both). In some places in these areas, if an animal goes 10 yds it may disappear. You pretty much need a blood trail to follow. Even in the mor open forested areas when the leaves start to fall, the red leaves of the sweet gum and red maple can make it hard to pick up minute specks of blood.
A case in point. Quite a few years ago I jumped 3 deer from their beds while hunting on a side hill. Staying above them I was able to get ahead of them and as I peeked over a rock outcropping they were about 50 or so yds below watching their backtrail. I picked the biggest one and dropped the flint down on the frizzen. At the shot all 3 bolted and I was able to watch them and saw 'my' deer fall. But rather than go to where she laid, I went to where she was when I shot. There was snow on the ground so tracking wasn't an issud. But from start to her demise (about 60 yds) there wasn't a single drop of blood and no leg was being dragged along. Every indication from that PRB was that is was a complete miss. Only I knew better. From that day on, I always follow each and every trail after every shot for a minimum of 100 yds.