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.50 cal small game hunting?

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Anyone do it? Do you use a light powder charge coupled with headshots? Interested in hunting rabbits but don't have a second (smaller caliber) rifle at the moment. -Larry
 
Not with a .50" but with .45" & .58".
Try 30gn report back.
IMG_20160513_181322.jpg
 
I had a TC Renegade back abut 35 years ago that was incredibly accurate. I squirrel hunted with it and only loaded about 15 gr of powder in it along with a patched round ball. The gun went "bloop" rather than bang when I touched the trigger but was deadly accurate to 25 yards. I made only head shots, the ball would cut a small notch out of their head with very little overall tissue damage.
 
I’ve taken more then one tree rat with .50 and .54.... on ‘healthy’ charges. From a rest I can shoot center. In the field I’m very right eyed and tend to shoot an inch right or so at fifty yards. So I’ve learned to compensate for it.
Still I’ve missed Rocky and Thumper that have been on my left. While I’ve hit necks an upper shoulders on them on my right.
With an animal just a few inches thick there just isn’t a lot of tissue to be damaged. Most of the meat is back and hips.
Old timers liked them pea shooter as it was cheaper then deer shots. But a fifty will give you squirrel and dumplings as well as a .36
 
If a .50 or .54 is going to be used on small game, the hunter needs to remember, high velocity is your enemy.
If I may say it, think of shooting a plastic milk jug filled with water with a .22 target cartridge solid bullet. It will just poke a hole thru the jug. Now, using a solid .22 Mag, shoot a similar milk jug. The jug will be blown inside out. Basically the same size bullet but with large differences in its velocity.

For that reason, Bretsmoothy's 30 grain or better yet, Eric's 15 grain loads would be worth using.
These low powder loads will shoot to a different point of impact than the loads one would normally use in their .50 or .54 so do some target shooting to find out where they'll be hitting.
 
Built a Roman nose half stock in .45 using a T/C barrel 1-66. I used my deer load of 60 grs FFFg under a .440 ball. Shot many a cottontail with it. Took their heads right off. About 1 in 20 shots I missed. If it was a body hit 4 get a boot et!
 
Anyone do it? Do you use a light powder charge coupled with headshots? Interested in hunting rabbits but don't have a second (smaller caliber) rifle at the moment. -Larry


I don't use a .50 but I have used a .54 (in both handgun and rifle) as well as a .58 cal on small game. I tested light charges in a .62 cal flintlock today that I plan to use on small game this fall. I only go for head shots on small game. When centered the ball usually removes the head completely.

I've found that .54 and .58 caliber balls cause less bloodshot damage when my shot is off slightly than a small .32 caliber ball. Here's my take on why. The larger ball tends to plow through a small animal without expanding. With both heavy and light charges the result is pretty much the same. The smaller projectile travelling at relatively high velocity expands on the animal transferring that energy to tissue.

Here are a few links to "big bore" small game hunts I've posted on this site in the past. Unfortunately photobucket has placed their logo across the images in the links. I'll share a couple pics from these hunts below without their logo.

Snowshoes and Grouse with a GPR

Plains Pistol Snowshoe Casting Over Fire

.58 Cal Lunch

.54 cal snowshoe hares
54 cal GPR Snowshoes and Grouse 063.JPG


.58 cal grouse
58 Cal Grouse 026.JPG


.54 cal grouse
54 cal GPR Snowshoes and Grouse 081.JPG


.58 cal snowshoe hare
.58 Cal Grouse Lunch and a Hare 129.JPG


More .54 cal grouse
54 cal GPR Snowshoes and Grouse 103.JPG


Another .58 cal grouse
.58 Cal Grouse Lunch and a Hare 056.JPG
 
I forgot to add that with light charges the point of impact is pretty much the same as my big game load out to 30 yards or so. A benefit of using your big game gun on small game it that you get more practice with it in actual hunting conditions. That definitely helps during deer season.
 
Are those snowshoe hare good eating?


I love snowshoe hares and prefer them to cottontails @brazosland. I like cottontails too but they have a slightly different taste than snowshoes. One of my favorite things to make with snowshoe hares is enchiladas. I call them "Harey" enchiladas. :thumb:

Hare Ench, Katahdin Barrel and DW 357 Max 007.JPG
 
I love snowshoe hares and prefer them to cottontails @brazosland. I like cottontails too but they have a slightly different taste than snowshoes. One of my favorite things to make with snowshoe hares is enchiladas. I call them "Harey" enchiladas. :thumb:

View attachment 36511

You are speaking my food language of love!

Funny, every trip to Colorado we always see tracks everywhere in the snow. Don’t know that I have ever seen a live one.

I love me some fried cotton tail. Thanks for the info.
 
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