Delivered energy to large game?

I have access to both a .73 snaphaunce fowler by Gary White and a .62 Dutch bellied trade gun by Leonard Day. Question: what's the difference in delivered energy to large game? With shot? Does a .73 have that much of an advantage over a .62 on any North American game? Just wondering.

Sorry but you aren't giving us enough to work with here.

Difference in energy? In order to calculate energy you need to know the velocity. A .73 is not more powerful than a .62 just based on caliber.

With shot? The .73 has a shorter shot column than the .62 for a given weight of shot and this is an advantage but you will have to shoot each to determine which delivers the best patterns.

So.... :idunno:

Enjoy, J.D.

Please permit me to rephrase. Based on safe average loads which you experienced shooters have found to be optimal, what's the real world difference deer hunting or turkey hunting with either a .62 or a .73? This doesn't have to be scientific. What's your individual favorite, and why? Do you personally find the .62 or the .73 to be your choice, and why? Thanks.

Either way, it depends. I have a .710 and a .54, so will answer based on those since it's the closest I can. The larger bore has a shorter shot column giving better patterns for flying birds, where as the longer shot string of the smaller bore is great for stationary targets like squirrel, turkey, etc. With ball, the larger bore may have the larger and heavier ball, but the recoil is also much heavier than the smaller bore if you are trying to achieve the same or at least a similar trajectory, due to that the larger bore needs a much heavier powder charge to get the larger heavier ball moving at a similar velocity. In terms of my guns, this doesn't make a difference when shooting at 25yds, but by the time the balls from each get to 50yds, there is a noticeable difference in trajectory, but still not enough to mean a miss with the larger bore. Once you get beyond that, not that I would attempt a shot beyond 60yds without more load development, the larger ball drops like arock in comparison to the smaller. Keep in mind though, that my .710 has thin walls so I refuse to load it to the point of trying to achieve the velocity I get with my think walled .54, but I dont hotrod either gun.

I know this isn't exactly the same calibers you asked about, but it still shows the relationship between the larger and smaller bores and their quirks. Hope it helps.

what I use on game

62 cal. for deer with rb
62 cal. smoothbore for turkeys

72. cal for waterfowl-turkeys-grouse
76. cal for waterfowl-turkeys-grouse

prefer larger bores for flying game.

62. cal rb is big enough for me for the deer in Wisconsin.

shot turkeys with all three calibers.. head & neck........no difference in out come.

That is not even a hypothetical question.
Excepting maybe big grizzlys, whatever you shoot will be dead. As in ded. No matter what caliber you shoot it with. I kill deer with a .45 cal. round ball. They wouldn't be any deader if using a .73 round ball. BTW, I have a Brown Bess that shoots .731 balls and could kill deer with it. But, as said, they wouldn't be any deader.
Use whichever you want for the adventure of using a unique firearm but don't sweat the killing effectiveness, it is no relevant.

wahkahchim said:

I have access to both a .73 snaphaunce fowler by Gary White and a .62 Dutch bellied trade gun by Leonard Day. Question: what's the difference in delivered energy to large game? With shot? Does a .73 have that much of an advantage over a .62 on any North American game? Just wondering.

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Since you seem interested in hunting only and NOT target shooting, clays, etc I would say the amount you actually HUNT and shoot will dictate what you should get. Obviously the .73 is (more like 12 gauge) while the .62 is (more like 20 gauge).... I prefer 12 gauge over 20 gauge for birds or any feather and since I only shoot a couple of times at LARGE game a year (and a few more shots to train, verify sights alignment, and get ready for hunting season) the 12 gauge or equivalent is how I would go.

Simple, I would shoot both with round-ball and shot and pick the most accurate, or in the case of shot the best pattern.

With those two guns it's really oranges and oranges.

As has been pointed out, dead is dead.

Enjoy, J.D.

Thanks! Great answers!

jdkerstetter said:

Simple, I would shoot both with round-ball and shot and pick the most accurate, or in the case of shot the best pattern.

With those two guns it's really oranges and oranges.

As has been pointed out, dead is dead.

Enjoy, J.D.

Click to expand...

Yup, J.D. nailed it. Either one is more than enough for anything in North America. Go with whichever you prefer.

Understand, now, that "energy" doesn't take game when it comes to prb & black powder. A big, soft ball kills by creating lots of internal damage, unlike a modern rifle that delivers high ft lbs of energy. I can't tell you what you should choose but I can tell you what I do.

IMHO nothing larger than a .62 is needed for anything in the woods. If it bites back (griz, for instance) I'd go a bit larger but would still feel comfortable with a .62 if that's what I had. If a 325 to 350 grain lead or WW ball won't kill it I'd leave it be. For turkey and small game (not wing shooting) a .62 works perfectly fine. Barring all this I'd simply use the gun I liked the most.

This is all good information! Thanks all!

The larger bore has a shorter shot column giving better patterns for flying birds, where as the longer shot string of the smaller bore is great for stationary targets like squirrel, turkey, etc.

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TRUE in theory. As JD mentioned you need to shoot them, and unfortunately the above should be correct all of the time, but...,

There are so many other variables, the size of the shot and quality of how it's made, what you use for wadding, and then simply barrels of the same make, rolling off the assembly line back-to-back, often don't shoot the same with with identical loads. That's probably one of the reasons why historically there is a sort of mystique surrounding the regularly successful bird hunter..., I have copies of woodprints from Germany from the 17th century, and there is a different word for a bird hunter compared to a game hunter.

I have a SxS 20 gauge caplock from Pedersoli..., It patterns great with 7½ shot from paper cartridges over 70 grains of 3Fg. Doesn't like any other size shot. It took me a while to find that load.

LD

Sorry, don't want to steal the thread here but LD do you have some pics of those woodprints?
Would be very interesting.

Thanks,
Silex

bigger hole = more blood on the ground hopefully :v