.50 cal. & White Tail deer

[Herb]

See http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/857645/

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm sure even back in the day the notion that 'more is better' or 'bigger is better' was popular. Because someone did something 200 years ago doesn't mean it was better. Methinks if a lot less muskets were not loaded with buck and ball or multiple balls back then there would be more originals still in circulation today.

 

[Tom Compton]

I see NO reason to double ball. If you just have to have the heavier weight just use a conical. In a trade I got a mold that drops .40 conicals that weigh about 200 grains. Haven’t had any reason to load one yet.

 

[Danny Ross]

You gotta remember, two holes is always better than one. UNLESS you miss :shocked2: . :rotf: DANNY

 

[azmntman]

You gotta remember, two holes is always better than one. UNLESS you miss :shocked2: . :rotf: DANNY

:hmm: Certainly a better blood trail BUT I have yet to track but one beast hit with a PRB, that was a gut shot (with a small liver slice) deer I shot at 180 yds trotting on the last day when I was "less mature". A single PRB with a moderate charge and within range and well hit, just need one :wink:

 

[tenngun]

They did load primed guns at that time, I’ve done it would be loath to try it again. They loaded some god awful charges, that ballisticly had little or no effect. Even a buck and ball load I’ve shot produces one man sized pattern of hits at 50 yards. One musket ball in the torso is incapacitating, the buck shot superfluous. It’s fun to play with such loads from an historic context but I don’t think they will be going in to the deer woods. I will continue to throw a lot of small ball at Thumper and Rocky however.

 

[homebrew .357]

The only way I have double ball was for a proof test of a new barrel, 3 times the calibre, two patch balls, and get behind a big tree. :shocked2:

 

[Jimbo47]

To anyone wanting to try it, I would be more worried about accuracy, rather than wanting a better blood trail.
To me, the question would fall under the title of not having confidence in your rifle, or ability to consistently place a lethal shot.
No offense to the OP, but that's just my opinion.

 

[smoothshooter]

No game warden in my area would care enough about the projectile used to have you pull the load so he could see what it was, unless you were hunting with something that looked kinda like a shotgun with a large bore with no rifling.
Even then it's unlikely they would pay attention. The idea that it was possible to load two balls in a rifle would be foreign to them, just like most other people.

But I realize that back east, and other Socialist infested areas, people ( and game wardens ) are often a different kind of human critter, and will really go out of their way to give hunters a hard time in any way possible.

 

[George]

But I realize that back east, and other Socialist infested areas, people ( and game wardens ) are often a different kind of human critter, and will really go out of their way to give hunters a hard time in any way possible.

:cursing: :cursing:

It's a weird world we live in these days.

Spence, a different kind of human critter

 

[nhmoose]

Shooting at the wound zone you ask me.

Deer have big x-rings around the lungs.

 

[tenngun]

I can’t see many game wardens asking you to pull a charge to check. Even Ca where lead is outlawed for hunters I could see a game warden checking your bag, but not making you pull a charge.
However, while I would be willing to fight over unjust laws we shouldn’t break game laws just because it’s unlikly to get caught. While you have a right to own and bear arms you don’t have a right to break game laws.
Two balls are historic, I don’t know if you could get any advantage from it but if it’s not illegal it’s your choice and your shoulder is the only thing that can suffer. If it’s illegal in your state please don’t try it, even if you can safely do it.

 

[Redstick Lee]

I (accidentally)double balled a .40 rifle over 120gr. BP as a teen and dislodged the nipple / broke the hammer as a result.

won't ever be doing that again.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

It wasn't unheard of to load more than one ball in the day. A few examples:

Actually, I've seen a very early Thompson Center Hawken manual that lists loading data for loading their .45 caliber Hawken with two patched ball. :wink:

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

very early Thompson Center Hawken manual

At that time TC company was simply in the manufacturing and marketing business. They knew next to nothing about ml rifles and cared less. They saw an emerging market and produced a product they believed would sell profitably to that market. Just bizness. Ignore the old info, like what was in the back of the Dixie catalog.

 

[hanshi]

I agree with you. Most of my deer have fallen to a .440" ball with many DRT. They bled profusely id they ran and none ran very far.

For a .50, I load 70 grains of 3F that is accurate to 100 yards. Normally I'd use 60 grains but 70 gives a bit better accuracy. But double ball? :idunno: :dead: