• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

.45 Hunting Rifle Rig

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Walkingeagle

54 Cal.
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
2,075
Location
Living in the Past
I have often wondered about a .45 cal rifle in a fast twist percussion shooting a conical as a perfect big game hunting rifle (hellooo IdahoRon, lol). The .45 is the minimum for hunting big game in my province, which is a big factor in cal selection. Also you can utilize a smaller barrel with the .45 thus reducing rifle weight for anything carrying long distances or hill country/mountain hunting. The .45 lead conical loaded with 70-80gr of powder at reasonable hunting ranges is more than capable of cleanly harvesting even the biggest of all animals in North America, including the big bears (think .45-70 gov. folks!). Equip the rifle with a quality set of sights in whatever works best for your eyes, stock it for your taste and the perfect rig is born.
Anyhow, just rattling on about my thoughts.
Walk
 
I have often wondered about a .45 cal rifle in a fast twist percussion shooting a conical as a perfect big game hunting rifle (hellooo IdahoRon, lol). The .45 is the minimum for hunting big game in my province, which is a big factor in cal selection. Also you can utilize a smaller barrel with the .45 thus reducing rifle weight for anything carrying long distances or hill country/mountain hunting. The .45 lead conical loaded with 70-80gr of powder at reasonable hunting ranges is more than capable of cleanly harvesting even the biggest of all animals in North America, including the big bears (think .45-70 gov. folks!). Equip the rifle with a quality set of sights in whatever works best for your eyes, stock it for your taste and the perfect rig is born.
Anyhow, just rattling on about my thoughts.
Walk
I would suppose it would depend on what conical you’re using. A 200 grain REAL with 70 grains as opposed to a 500 grain (think 45/70) with 70 grains of 2F. I’d opt for the bigger slug for the really big North American game.
 
I agree especially if you're only shooting conicals.
Exactly, obviously the traditional round ball would not shoot well with this setup, however if one is inclined towards the beautiful elegance of a slim lined, fine wood, hand crafted traditional side-lock with more than enough oomph to handle all hunting to be done on our continent, my opinion is that this design is perfect. I have never hunted, nor shot a grizzly due to defence, even though I have worked amongst them for 30 years, but I would have not a single doubt the .45 conical is well up to the task!
As a side note, my experience has been that Black bears are far more dangerous than a grizzer, and one should never trust a black. Although I worked in an area of Alberta with the highest grizzly density outside of Kanaskas Park, and there were daily encounters amongst our staff, we have never had a single incident. Can’t say that with the black bears however.
Anyhow, obviously I’m aged as I have drifted off topic, lol.
Walk
 
I would suppose it would depend on what conical you’re using. A 200 grain REAL with 70 grains as opposed to a 500 grain (think 45/70) with 70 grains of 2F. I’d opt for the bigger slug for the really big North American game.
Absolutely 100% agree. Build the barrel to perfectly match the selected projectile and load (greased vs paper patched, hollow base vs solid, weight (length), etc). Comparison to the .45-70 cannot be truly fairly accomplished due to compression and combustion characteristics inherent to the unmentionable cartridge itself.
Walk
 
The .45 lead conical loaded with 70-80gr of powder at reasonable hunting ranges is more than capable of cleanly harvesting even the biggest of all animals in North America, including the big bears (think .45-70 gov. folks!). Equip the rifle with a quality set of sights in whatever works best for your eyes, stock it for your taste and the perfect rig is born.

I dunno about "perfect rig," but it's sure effective.

At the risk of a double no-no for forum rules about modern stuff, I need to report on tests performed by a buddy a few years back before he took his long dirt nap. He did some test loading and shooting side by side with a 45 caliber unmentionable and his 45-70 with a barrel of comparable length. Shooting the same bullet (paper patched for the unmentionable) from both, he compared chrono and trajectory results. Virtually identical.
 
in the last year ive killed around 60 hogs with various calibers conicals and roundballs. I hunt things clost longest shot about 18 yards. I have no experience with a REAL bullet yet. however I have no doubt the heaviest TC maxiball or maxihunter would take any animal around if hit in the vitals. another bullet I recommend is the no Excuse. The no Excuse comes in 2 weights a 385 grain and a 460 grain. I absolutely love the no excuses at 27.00 per 50 bullets they are awesome performers. if it was me id grab a box of each and try them.
 
Followed IdahoRon’s for paper patched suggestions a few years ago and I am very happy with results. The RCBS 11mm rifle bullet he suggests should drop any critter that walks in North America. PM Ron or wait for him to reply to this post.

As an FYI, I have settled on the above bullet (purchased mold 44-370-FN from Midway), cast with a 40:1 alloy, that weighs in around 400 grains (RCBS spec is 370 grain). Using #9 pound 100% cotton onion skin paper and sized to my GM LRH barrel, I am pushing it to 1400-1500 FPS with 80-90 grains of fff Swiss with a .50 diameter felt wad (.125” thick) over the powder. Enjoy ringing steel at 300 yards (iron sighted muzzleloaders hitting anything at 300 yards gets attention at the range I shoot at) and do hunt with it, although I don’t use it as offten as my flint guns. Three deer shot to date were between 40 and 85 yards and were dead when I got to them. With a good range finder and a solid rest, would feel comfortable out to 150 yards on game with this combo. Beyond 150 would be concerned about being sure of exact yardage, plus those kind of opportunities rarely present themselves where I hunt.

The above is my version of of IdahoRon’s shooting recipe. You should get hold of him and watch his videos.
 
The debate in my opinion is hitting the vitals. You all on this forum. Got me to try roundballs which I own 4 dedicated roundball rifles. Many many animals have been killed via roundballs. To date I haven't lost an animal that I've hit using roundballs. I however missed this last weekend over the top of a big boars back. My only gripe is when shooting big trophy dominate hogs with a thick callous I don't get pass throughs until I use a .58 the more mass and weight gets the penetration. But when hunting thick skinned tough animals I want a heavy for caliber conical. When I use a conical I get a hole all the way through in .50 caliber I use a 460 gr and 600 gr in 54 I use 425 gr great Plains. tc maxiball430 gr and no excuse 535. .58 I use a 600 gr8 maxi from tow and 570 rb. 72 I use 500 gr rb
 
The debate in my opinion is hitting the vitals. You all on this forum. Got me to try roundballs which I own 4 dedicated roundball rifles. Many many animals have been killed via roundballs. To date I haven't lost an animal that I've hit using roundballs. I however missed this last weekend over the top of a big boars back. My only gripe is when shooting big trophy dominate hogs with a thick callous I don't get pass throughs until I use a .58 the more mass and weight gets the penetration. But when hunting thick skinned tough animals I want a heavy for caliber conical. When I use a conical I get a hole all the way through in .50 caliber I use a 460 gr and 600 gr in 54 I use 425 gr great Plains. tc maxiball430 gr and no excuse 535. .58 I use a 600 gr8 maxi from tow and 570 rb. 72 I use 500 gr rb
I have shot the .50 cal 460gr Maxi balls in a TC Hawken I once owned (my first ml actually), you sure do know when its touched off! I figured at the time this was necessary to cleanly take moose or elk. I have yet to take an elk with ml (I believe they are the hardest animal to “give up the ghost”) but have taken most everything else I have hunted. A few with the .50 cal 370gr Maxi, however most with simply a round ball. I am planning to use my .54 and a rb this fall on our annual elk hunt. I have said that every year however, I just need to actually go through with it.
Love to read of your experiences, as well as all others so please keep the stories coming!
Walk
 
Ned Roberts wrote about this from a teenager bear hunt where his grandfather was shooting a .45 conical in the 1880s.
I’m all about traditional not practical. I like larger calibers, round balls, and longer barrels.
In terms of performance a 28” .45 with a fat conical, while not being ‘pre 1840’ (except for those pesky short guns used over the last seven centuries) kills things just as dead.
 
I've yet to see a 45 round ball bounce off of anything with fur on it yet, but a patched bullet poured at a length suitable for the twist of the rifle will give better penetration, and flatter trajectory if the distance gets stretched much over 100 yards
 
I've yet to see a 45 round ball bounce off of anything with fur on it yet, but a patched bullet poured at a length suitable for the twist of the rifle will give better penetration, and flatter trajectory if the distance gets stretched much over 100 yards
While having complete confidence in 45 caliber conicals, I became skeptical of 45 caliber round balls early on. Many years ago while using a cap rifle, had a 45 cal RB that ran out of legs by the time it hit the intended target. A rather large whitetail at a bit over 100 yards was quartering towards me. Heard that 45 round ball hit the point of the shoulder, just where I had learned to shoot with 30 caliber cartridge guns developed in 1906. That 45 caliber ball stayed in the shoulder and never reached the vitals. Many hours later after tracking in fresh snow the deer was put down with a second shot. Lessons learned were get closer, shoot behind the shoulder, get a bigger gun, or pass on the shot. I hunted the next year with a 54 caliber TC and solved the problem. There was really no choice other than using a round ball. At the time New York State required round balls only in muzzleloaders in the area I hunted (or you could use a shotgun if you wanted to hunt with a long gun).

As an FYI, took two deer this past season with a 45 round ball. Near identical shot distance (50 yards +/-) and placement on both, top of the heart lung area. In one side and out the other. One went maybe 25 yards, the other over 100. Guess they didn't know any better. Weren't that big, maybe 75 - 90 pounds dressed.

Also have a spot in the mountains that I hunt where I would not consider using a 45 roundball. A few steps in the wrong direction and you could have a near vertical recovery that even a mule couldn't help you with. I use a short barreled (26") 58 cal loaded with a round ball and take shoulder shots only. I've learned to do my hunting before the shot.
 
I've never had anything fail to go down after I hit them with just one .45 round ball. I haven't hunted anything larger than deer but many of them were quite large and at distances up to 75 yards. Mostly, penetration was through and through with quite a few dropping DRT. None ran more than a few yards. I trust the .45 prb completely. But when it comes anywhere close to 100 yards, I'd only take broadside or slightly angled shots with a .45. Actually, for those 100 +yd shots I've used .50 prbs with no complaints.
 
Back
Top