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45 OR 50 CAL. FOR WHITETAIL DEER.

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Whitetails aren’t that hard to kill, I like .45’s, but I don’t think it matters. Find a gun you like and go from there. It’s probably true that .50 stuff is easier to find locally, but I don’t care, I either cast my own or buy it mailorder and I don’t do either at the last minute.
 
As an absolute black powder newbie who has read a number of these caliber discussions while trying to decide how best to spend my own hard-earned coin, my takeaway from this particular discussion is that, when in doubt, it’s probably better to err on the side of the bigger, more versatile caliber. Especially when we’re talking two fairly similar calibers.

Unless there’s a pressing reason to go smaller... a beautiful rifle that fits you well, or can be had for a good price in the smaller caliber, or a gun that’s notably lighter... so it really comes down to the individual and what they’re looking for.
 
BrownBear said:
That's a rather minor consideration- both will do the job and there will be variation from animal to animal that can't be accounted for in caliber differences.

Here's another thing to think about, one which drove my own decision to add a 45 to my array: I wanted the 45 to be lighter and "sleeker" that my 50's just fore handiness. Yeah, I'm getting older and the hills are getting taller, so it just made sense to move to a gun that would do the job with a little less lugging between shots. The 45 fit those needs nicely.
Click to expand...
The 50 is lighter to carry than the 45 apples to apples.
 
SDSmlf said:
I have multiple options with 45, 50, 54, 58 and 62 caliber roundball guns. All work on whitetails.

Typically make my choice on what I carry based on hunting conditions. Have a 45 Cherokee, that is short and light, and can carry all day. Have successfully hunted with it a number of times, although early on I had a bad 45 RB performance experience, but we will just call that ‘shot placement’. Have a very thick spot (an overgrown clear cut) in the mountains and I only carry short barreled 58s when hunting there. Shoulder shots only for DRT, for if a deer takes only a few steps in the wrong direction recovery could be an all day project.

Distance wise, limit myself to 100 yards. All the hunting loads in my roundball guns are sighted for 100 yards (‘zeroed’ at maybe 75 to 90). All are over a foot low at 150 and three to five feet low at 200 yards...

What can you shoot well in your hunting conditions? Off hand, moving target that may not lineup broadside, wind, unknown distancees, trees/branches and such in the way, etc. Many ‘experts’ say shot placement. Not always easy to make happen.

45 or 50 will work. Picking one, I would advise going to the larrger caliber. As the saying goes, plan for the worst possible conditions, hope for the best.
Click to expand...
I love my little Seneca... ( I also confuse it with the Cherokee...) whatever, it’s a .45 and it’s got a patchbox and brass furniture. Pretty rifle and carries a lot like a model 94. A big plus in my book!
 
I' have a .45, .50. and a .54 all of which have killed deer. It comes down to preference and how comfortable you are with that firearm. Most of it is preference. If your after larger game, like elk I would go with the larger caliber. Any of the three is good for Whitetail deer.
 
I have never owned a 45. But I am absolutely sure I could kill deer with one if I had one. Why don't I have one? My flintlocks are used mainly to hunt, and they are 50 cal. If I ever draw a PA elk tag, or come up with the money to travel west for elk, or my dream hunt, to go somewhere farther north for moose, then Ill be able to use my rifles I own now.
 
Huntschool knows what he's saying, and he's right. Generally, the biggest factor is the nut loose behind the buttplate. In other words it depends on the shooter more than the caliber, within reason.
 
I own a 45 and everything in between up to 62, I just like the 58 or 62 as a personal taste with PRB. I see I am outside the mainstream it would appear. They all work but not without shot placement as everyone has said.
 
BrownBear said:
That's a rather minor consideration- both will do the job and there will be variation from animal to animal that can't be accounted for in caliber differences.

Here's another thing to think about, one which drove my own decision to add a 45 to my array: I wanted the 45 to be lighter and "sleeker" that my 50's just fore handiness. Yeah, I'm getting older and the hills are getting taller, so it just made sense to move to a gun that would do the job with a little less lugging between shots. The 45 fit those needs nicely.
Click to expand...

That's kind of where I am as I consider what I want to build. I'm leaning toward a .45 because I want a do-it-all rifle. A .45 would work for small game and would also meet the minimum caliber requirement for deer in Iowa. Most of the deer I've killed have been with a bow, so getting close is something I'm quite used to. Besides my 65 year old eyes prefer close these days, especially with iron sights. My hunting ground is in the driftless area of Iowa, which means once I leave the house, I'm climbing. So I want a relatively lightweight, well-balanced rifle to carry.
 
A little history here. Most of us know Davy Crockett is remembered as a very successful deer hunter, but also a proficient bear hunter, taking many black bear in Kentucky and Tennessee. His first rifle was a .48 caliber flintlock. In 1822, he was presented a rifle by his constituents for his service in the Tennessee legislature. That rifle was a .40 caliber flintlock. That’s the rifle Crockett named Old Betsy. Today, this very Rifle is housed at the Alamo museum in San Antonio, TX.
One can only guess at the number of deer and bear that this rifle accounted for.
The lesson is that a .45 caliber is plenty good for deer, or bear, in the hands of a good marksman.
 
Robby said:
I had never heard of the 'driftless area', sounds like beautiful country. Good luck and enjoy your search.
Robby
Click to expand...
It's in the Upper Mississippi Valley. The name is due to the fact that there was no glacial activity here. The bluffs on and near the Mississippi were all carved from limestone by water erosion. It's one of the very few areas of the state where you will find no granite boulders, just limestone. It's a very beautiful area of the state/country and often a destination for folks wishing to view fall foliage and the abundance of bald eagles in the area. We have decent deer and turkey hunting, but contrary to the manure you see on TV, you won't find a Booner behind every other tree, lol! Fortunately for me, I'd rather eat the darn things than hang antlers on the wall, so it's a good place to be.
 
The 50 Cal is the 30-06 of muzzleloaders. Adequate for just about all but the largest of NA game but best for none. If this is your first ML, go with the 50.

That said, a 45 will do just about anything a 50 can do.
 
I think what the question meant was is the 45 a good sutable round to kill a deer, or does a person need a 50. A 45 will have enough power to kill a deer. I use a 45 with 70 grains because that is the most accurate prb combo for that rifle. You can get a little more power and range with a 50. A 45 is not any more accurate than a 50. A 45 can be lighter and less kick and that possibly for a particular person can make the rifle more accurate. I would not want to hunt with a caliber less than 45. A 45 is a neat fun round. I have 45 50 54 and 62 smoothboar. I shoot the 54 the least.
 

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