what grain.....
 

a while back i asked about what conical or bullet to shoot from my tc 50 cal hawken(1:48 twist) at deer to get the most destruction, quickest kill, and best blood trail.....you guys pretty much recomended a maxi hunter or maxi ball......what one was it and what grain bullet should i shot at deer....fairly close...probably most under 50yds.....i just want a bullet that will leave the deer sideways or leave with holes that leave me a trail a blind man can follow....i dont care how much meat i loose or anyhting...just dont want my deer going far or a hard tracking job.....destruction and bloodtrail is what im after....if its going to drop it in its tracks great...but i want a blood trail too just incase it does run off.....anyone? i remember the bullets recomended for this was a maxi hunter or ball....what one was it? and what grain bullet?? thanx alot....

RE: what grain.....
 

385 gr. Hornady great plains bullet will do what you are asking.Try 90-100 gr .Bp or pyrodex,if you use 777 start at 80 gr.Hope this helps

RE: what grain.....
 

mauser,

Last year I shot 2 does while Muzzleloading, the fist with my CVA inline 50 cal Firebolt and the second with my Traditions 50 cal Deerhunter. Both deer I used the 295 Aerotip Powerbelt. The first deer I was off but hit in the neck and the second I hit the spine. Both went down and did not move. The holes they made were awsome. I will pracice a bit more with these bullets again this year.

T

RE: what grain.....
 

I think someone suggested the Maxi-Hunter 350s because they open-up larger than the Maxi-Ball. If you hit enough bone with the Maxi-Ball & they don't exit, you won't have much of a blood trail... in many cases.

Personally, I've seen the damage a 295 grain copper-clad Aero-Tip Powerbelt does to deer with 85 grains 777 -- 100 grains Pyrodex equivalent. I know that bullet shoots well out of three different 1-48" twists I've owned.. even at 100 yards.

That would be my pick for a conical! Shooting larger game... use the 348s.

RE: what grain.....
 

The 370 gr maxiball will work well. Broadside shots should be pass-throughs with 90 or 100 grains of powder.

RE: what grain.....
 

thanx guys.....i tried the powerbelts last year.....and didnt like how they shot and loaded......i HAD to clean between shots or the second one wasnt going in...i didnt know that and fought with it for 5 mins....took me forever to get it seated....thats why i want to switch bullets....no doubt the powerbelts will mess a deer up.....but if i cant load a second round i may be in trouble......i forgot to mention that....ill try the maxis and the great plains(i do remember that being mentioned alot also come to think of it) and see what shoots best...clean between every shot and try to get my charges very close to similar and try to get the same pressure on the bullets and everything and try to see what bullet groups best.....then ill shoot that bullet this year......thanx alot guys....

RE: what grain.....
 

mauser,

I switched last year to the 240 TC's and had a terrible time loading them. They even broke my hand loader.

The 295's PB's, I can load in my Flint Deerhunter with my thumb and use my ram rod to easily seat the bullet. Even in my inline, these were so easy to load.

I hate to ask this but were you using the correct calibur bullet for your rifle?

T

RE: what grain.....
 

lol yes i was using the right caliber bullet for my rifle........295gr 50cal HP copper plated powerbelts....my guns a tc 50cal flintlock hawken......i could load the first one with easy....no short starter or anything....but the second one there was no way to do it....i broke a sweat fighting with it at the range....dad thought it was funny and said i was too weak...but im fairly strong....i tried lowering the powder charge to reduce fouling too and that didnt help.....dont know why it was so tough...the first one slid down like it had butter on it......but not the second one....i had to clean between shots.....and dont want that out of my hunting rifle.....the range its fine....i do that anyway when im trying to shoot good at the range....but in the woods when you hit a deer i dont want to be sitting there swabbing out my bore while i could be reloading just incase.....

RE: what grain.....
 

mauser,

That is odd... I can shoot several bullets without cleaning before I absolutely have to. I am using Triple 7 100 grain pellets in my inline and 80 grains loose powder in the flint. When I was using Black Powder and roundballs in my flint, I would have to clean almost after every shot. But when I switched over to Clean shot and now Triple 7, that is not the case.

Anyway, keep trying to find the best solution for you and your rilfe. I'm sure you will find it. Also, I'm jealous since you have the rilfe I want and hope to own someday. My Deerhunter is good for anyone just getting into ML and since I've been doing it for several years, I really desire a better flint rifle but can't afford one now. Though, the inline I have is a lot of fun.

Tom

RE: what grain.....
 

man this is getting WIERD........no lie at the range i shot about 15rds of patch n ball and never cleaned or swabbed or anything!!!.....it got a little tougher to load...but not much at all....wonder how many i could went for lol....i think if youd see my TC hawken youd be even more jealous........its a TC mauser06 custom now......first this was i added TC fiberoptic click adjusting sights...front and rear.....then i refinished the stock with truoil....they had on a clear coat that looked and felt like plastic...and turned white where i dinged it....that came out nice....then i wanted a sling but didnt want a lace up because it would cover my patch box and eveyrthing so i drilled the stock and put a stud in and bought a thimble that takes a stud for a sling and put a sling on.....then the brass was too bright while hunting....so i used brass black to turn all the brass a cold steel looking black...i love the look of that.....and the traditional hawkens were steel not brass from what ive read.....brass was to shiny for my likings anyway....then i put in a new touchole with a nice cone..i had an old one that was just a hole that you put in with a screwdriver not an allen key like the new ones....then i worked a lyman frizzen to my lock...i heard they last longer and spark better.....only thing i didnt touch was the blued metal and the inside of the bore.....ill eventually brown the metal i think......all of it...the brass too...since the brass black polishes off if you want to......but not yet....my bluing isnt too bad....i bought the rifle used for like 235 or something....i did put a little bit of money into it....probably 150 or so....sites frizzen sling kit ect cost a little.....it has a wierd look to it because the sling and fiberoptics....but they are there for usefullness...cant wait to shoot it.....hopefully soon so i can shoot it all summer and clear till october.......thats why i wanted to find a good bullet now....i love hunting with the flinter...its my favorite weapon to hunt with now.......i dont bow hunt though...im sure thats fun..i just want to get rid of the truck payment before i buy a bow.....