.45 caliber RB enough for deer?

[45man]

I hear that all the time. EXPERTS say it is too small but tell the 150+ deer I have killed with my .45 flintlock. I have a love affair with the .45 colt revolver and a heavy cast for deer also, the BP rifle is so much more.

 

[4575wcf]

No self proclaimed experts here.only a bunch of online gun cranks sharing experiences and having a friendly discussion.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I lost our polish gentlemans reply perhaps not showing in this string Just translated polish into English Sounds like the hogs have TB or foot and mouth both very Nasty, cull is the only remedy.

There's a super mountain range wild as hell and big animals , runs all down the west of these old eastern block countries,

Poland is a lot of wild boars, saren and deer. With wild we have a problem because they are ill. The government pays a prize for claiming a boot about 100 euros. Poland hunters do not want to hunt wild, because they can not eat them. Poland is a very friendly and safe country. New hotels at a good level. Excellent kitchen and beautiful women. Prices are about 30 percent less than in Western European countries.
Welcome to Safe Poland, a country without any problems with emigrants.
I'm not a hunter only a sports shooter,
Regards in

 

[Gordoncourtney]

That's a lovely reply Can I just take BP muzzle loading guns to Poland, licences needed ,,daft I can look on google I guess. ,??can I bring them in my motorhome......several polish friends dumped UK and gone to Spain.......polish shops are here and there , some nice different food.....of course Aldi and Lidi are everywhere, and low prices so little shops don't stand a chance.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

My son Stephen is in Cornwall, U.K. clambering over this deralict 17 the century gunpowder factory in Cornwall stream, relic of a water wheel piles of stones Photos will follow, just facetimed me showing me around Poring with rain though

Gunpowder works at Kennall Vale, Ponsanooth - 1020143 | Historic England


Gunpowder works at Kennall Vale, Ponsanooth - 1020143 | Historic England

 

[Skychief]

 

[Skychief]

45 caliber round ball is suited fine for Eastern Whitetails, used within its limitations. Same can be said for other choices.

The above bucks were taken quickly and cleanly with 45 caliber patched round ball loads.

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[Urban Coyote]

My Beaver Lodge . 45 has killed three mule deer. The best story was a two point mule deer buck the last day I'd planned to hunt deer for the season, the next and last hunt of the season was to be for elk. Anyway he was spotted from the pickup on a back road while I was modern rifle hunting. My partner and I argued over whether one of us should shoot him, he was about 35 yards from the truck. Finally I said I'd get my muzzleloader out from under the canopy, load it and if he was still there kill him, which is exactly what happened. Small buck, one I'd normally not have shot, but we agreed I was simply "cleaning up the gene pool" since he'd been dumb enought to stand there during the whole process.

 

[LME]

Shot [placement is everything. A .440 round ball in the heart/lung area trumps a 12 gauge round ball in the guts.

You are right! There have been deer killed with a .22 cal. bullet. We have slautered huge hogs on the farm and we used a .22 cal bullet to put them down. I am sure that a well thrown rock could kill a animal. I think the problem comes with bullets of small caliber and low energy is they don't fair well on marjonal shots. If it doesn.t hit a vital spot you have screwed up and wounded the animal and it wanders off suffering. The larger Cal. projectiles do a lot better job on shots that are not in the vitals!

 

[FishDFly]

Very well said.

 

[Texan138]

Context is important as well, I hunt in some steep terrain. I usually carry a 54 or 58 simply because the further the game runs after the shot, the steaper the climb.

 

[LME]

Context is important as well, I hunt in some steep terrain. I usually carry a 54 or 58 simply because the further the game runs after the shot, the steaper the climb.

A .45 cal shooting a conical will work well but I have seen that a ball is iffy!

 

[ML48]

First off, I hunt with my muzzleloaders. Thinking of a .45 cal. ML for deer hunting. Is there anyone who thinks that a .440 patched RB at 1231 ft.lbs of muzzle energy isn't enough for deer size game?

Even a 240 grn. Maxi Ball is only 1485 ft.lbs. of muzzle energy at 100grns. of FF.....

I've never hunted with anything less than a .50cal. using a .490 RB at 1739 ft.lbs. of muzzle energy.

Yes, a .45 RB is plenty to kill a deer with a well placed shot. A well placed shot with a .22 will do the job. That being said, distance is also a factor.

 

[BJHabermehl]

Yes, a .45 RB is plenty to kill a deer with a well placed shot. A well placed shot with a .22 will do the job. That being said, distance is also a factor.

Shot placement and distance are the keys. I still prefer my .58. Let’s more air in and more blood out.... BJH

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Gordon, if I didn't dislike Kielbasa so much, I would emigrate to Poland. Beautiful country, for sure.
My Dad was a Naval officer, and we visited Poland around 1952. We went to some old concentration camp, I remember the place well, but not the name of it - I was 6 then, turned 7 several months later.
We did have some sort of military officer accompanying us every where we went, wasn't sure why.
I do believe Poland was a part of the Iron Curtain country at the time.

 

[ML48]

Gordon, if I didn't dislike Kielbasa so much, I would emigrate to Poland. Beautiful country, for sure.
My Dad was a Naval officer, and we visited Poland around 1952. We went to some old concentration camp, I remember the place well, but not the name of it - I was 6 then, turned 7 several months later.
We did have some sort of military officer accompanying us every where we went, wasn't sure why.
I do believe Poland was a part of the Iron Curtain country at the time.

I could eat kielbasa and pierogi's every day. That is an excellent tasting sausage.

 

[Robby]

I could eat kielbasa and pierogi's every day. That is an excellent tasting sausage.

Yeah, me too. Gordon, just what are you washing it down with, hic.
Robby

 

[Crow-Feather]

First off, I hunt with my muzzleloaders. Thinking of a .45 cal. ML for deer hunting. Is there anyone who thinks that a .440 patched RB at 1231 ft.lbs of muzzle energy isn't enough for deer size game?

Even a 240 grn. Maxi Ball is only 1485 ft.lbs. of muzzle energy at 100grns. of FF.....

I've never hunted with anything less than a .50cal. using a .490 RB at 1739 ft.lbs. of muzzle energy.

Well, you might have a problem with a 300 yard shot, but back when, 40 calibers did well in the hands of our great++++ grandfathers. They used to sell their hides for a dollar. Dollar = 1 Buck (hide).

 

[Gordoncourtney]

won at Holts London auction a .36 double ML rifle mint condition 1885-1926 ??? Think by midland gun co heavy weighs in at 10.5 lbs 30" barrels, I wanted a .5 or .45 but I could not turn this one down...prices don't ask. Far nicer than any Pedrosoli for the extra £700.


Been unhappy as its only a .36, but you have lifted my spirits I'll never be allowed to fire it in UK, no S1 police permit , no chance of getting one at 78 But must try it out on deer somewhere over the rainbow. Well it's a BP .375 magnum double rifle, " death by double rifle". Having lived a couple of years in Africa, well you could call Nigeria Africa but don't bother going there, better say no more.

Until I read this .45 article I thought I had wasted my money on a squirrel rifle.. Hope you can view my notes....I don't have any little .36 balls or any data, but I have some .35 80 g air gun pellets which could produce 500 ft lbs...it even gets better with the little 152g Sierra pistol .357 bullets producing 975 ft lbs at just 1700 ft sec And the modified .375 bullets at 191g brings in 1225 ft lbs of course we are going off the string using bullets but thanks to you guys I now think I have a deer killing .36 double rifle

The mind boggles at loading two 80g pellets or .36 balls , better than a .45 rb
Of course if you load a .45 270g bullet at 1950 ft sec 120 g BP if your barrel will stand it you will get 2336ftblbs

So the string should be .45 round ball against ml bullets , I guess your call

Many thanks much happier this morning re reading and doodling on paper

 

[pmccoywss]

I have shot at least a dozen mule deer and whitetails with my .45 using patched .445 round ball and 90gr GOI 3F. Only one ran about thirty yards, the rest were all DRT.

Getting close enough for a well placed shot is the key with any caliber.