How much energy for deer?
 

I got an Omega and shoot 250 grain SST's with 100 grains of Pyrodex. In the paper that comes with the SSTs, it says with 100 grains at 200 yards the bullet has 975 ft lbs of energy. I have heard that 1000 ft lbs is the minimum for deer. Is 975 enough to kill a deer or should I use more powder? I dont want to use more powder unless I need to because of accuracy and it gets expensive after a while. What do you all think? Thanks

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Instead of being worried about energy, concern yourself with shot placement. That load you have there will work fine if you can place your shot. On a different forum a person claims to have killed a moose with a .54 caliber roundball shooting 90 grains of Pyrodex out of a T/C Renegade. The amazing thing is he claims the shot was made at about 170 yards. So the foot pounds of energy on that ball could not have been more then 400 pounds, yet it penetrated and killed a moose which is a thick skinned animal compared to a deer. Your shot should be a piece of cake if you can put that in the boiler room.

Again, practice and place the bullet. Also be a good tracker incase something goes wrong...

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Simply not true...too many variables for an absolute like that to be accurate across the board...it's a general rule of thumb that seemed to have been established as a magic minimum that will hopefully offset a lot of poor or marginal shots.

By contrast, I was squirrel hunting this past fall with a throttled back .45cal Flintlock using a little Hornady .440/128grn ball and only 40grns of Goex 3F...a doe came wandering along, I had a couple doe tags, shot her in the heart, she sprinted 25-30yds and fell dead...probably only a 150-200 ft. lbs. of energy at the target...shot placement is everything.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Generally speaking, 500 ft lbs is the standard-minimum for whitetails.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

A better question is how much penetration? You'd need to get to the vitals, and have enough energy left to expand the bullet. I killied my first deer with a .32-20 that hit the spine. That was dumb luck. I doubt the bullet could have reached the heart, but it would pass through the ribs, so it wasn't all chance.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

First of all, you have MORE than enough energy to kill any deer walking with that load.

I don't use foot lbs to compare muzzleloader loads. They don't come off well because foot lbs calcutations square the velocity, so speed is the determining factor on how well the load comes off in comparison. Remember that buffalo were almost killed to extinction by big slow moving bullets that don't look good in a ft. lbs comparison Use ft lbs to compare high powered rifles, but not BIG, slow moving bullets. Read about and try the Taylor index. Bore diameter is more important and speed less in this formula. Here is the link:

http://www.loadammo.com/Topics/July02.htm

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Unlike others on this board I do consider energy. You cannot always count on a perfect heart shot and might really count on good hydrstatic shock to get the job done. Especially if you hunt in a place where you can't have a deer run 100 yards on another piece of property. Here in MD for instance, you have probably lost that deer if it runs 100 yards. Since moving up here, I found out, if you don't get it down quick, the other guy will. 500ft-lbs of energy I don't believe would penetrate a deer if you took a quartering to you shot. I have shot alot of deer at 100 yards and with my older MK-85, with 90-95gr of powder with XTP bullet, I didn't get passthrus all the time. In fact at that distance rarely. I did in 50 yard range. Depends where you hunt really and your situation.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Maybe so, but the powder bullet combo mentioned by 12 point has 975 ft lbs. So as to not be confusing to him, I will state again, that he has more than enough energy to kill a deer, regardless of the presentation. would I take a 200 yard shot with a muzzleloader? No. For that I wold pull out my 270.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

thanks guys, i was just curious. I actually doubt that I will be able to take a 200 yard shot here in Indiana unless it is at the edge of a field. But, I will have a good chance of a 200 yard shot september in canada for caribou. I realize shot placement is everything, but I was just wondering about the energy from that far...

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Bigcountry, I usually agree with what you have to say, but I wouldn't take a quartering toward me shot no matter what what gun I was carrying.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

I think Roy Weatherby sold used cars before he invented hydostatic shock. I've never seen a broken blood vessel that didn't get hit by some part of the bullet.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

BobD, I understand and repect that. Its sometimes my favorite shot with a centerfire. It creates the most massive damage I see and really lets a all copper barnes do its work. And you are doing two things. You are laming him and you are taking out most of the vitals. Out of dozens of deer and anmials took down I find it the most effective for takedown.

With a muzzleloader, I dont' mind it and get a exit every time below 35 yards. But I am like you, after that. At 100 yards, I would wait for a clear broadsided shot and even wait until he took a step to expose that boiler room perfectly.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

Fellas this statement should explain alot. Enough said.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

You must not hunt with a bow.

I don't believe hydrostatic shock is generally credited with breaking blood vessels. All the writing I'v eseen on the subject mentions it in conjuction with shocking the central nervous system.

RE: How much energy for deer?
 

I don't think there is a solid answer to all this. I have seen shots with Muzzleloaders on the hunting shows where the big animals fall down when hit. I personally shot a big cow elk (estimated over 600lbs. as the bare four quarters weighed 475lbs. on the meat hook) and the shot was at 80 yards with 80gr. of Clear Shot with a 348gr. Powerbelt aerotip which turned sideways and went through the center of the heart stopping on the far side ribcage. The elk just walked off about 30 yards and then fell over. You would have almost thought the shot missed. I shot one this year( much smaller) this time with 90gr. of Black Mag'3 and a 300gr. Hornady which I clocked at 1800fps. with the shot at 90 to 100 yards, and only hit one lung and clipped part of the liver and made a second shot when she reached full speed running and she went another 1/4 mile with four big holes in her as all passed completely through. An elk with one lung is almost unstoppable. I don't know what they use to get those immediate drops of big animals. I doubt that with any muzzleloader the answer is hydraulic shock unless I missed something in the calculations.