.45 shooters what's the advantage over the 50 ?

[Urban Coyote]

I could offer a bunch of reasons but my bottom line is if I could have only one muzzleloader given my hunting, which includes up to mule deer, and shooting experience I'd pick the .45. If I hunted bigger game the answer might be .54.

I'm well socked with .32 up to .58 but when I shoot for pleasure I almost always take a .45.

 

[Isiah1103]

I have .45, .50 & .54 that I've used on deer - mostly in PA & NY. The .45 has been the most ineffective deer killer of the three, for me. On my .45 kills, all my shots were chest shots and a lot of them pass thru. I've only lost one deer when shot with the .45 but all have travelled maybe up to 100 yds. or more after being hit. The biggest problem was with lack of blood trail. Most of my kills did not show a blood trail until 45 to 50 yds., sometimes more, after being hit. In certain tracking conditions, that causes a very difficult follow-up. I love using my .45 PA rifle because it's light, quick, accurate, low recoil and just plain fun. BUT, now as my eyes age more and I become less steady with more chance for a less accurate placement - I hunt with my .50 or .54.

 

[4570govt]

Old wood, that bear hunting story sounds like Jim

 

[Col. Batguano]

The 45 is just a ysdlexic 54.

 

[Coinneach]

I have .45, .50 & .54 that I've used on deer - mostly in PA & NY. The .45 has been the most ineffective deer killer of the three, for me. On my .45 kills, all my shots were chest shots and a lot of them pass thru. I've only lost one deer when shot with the .45 but all have travelled maybe up to 100 yds. or more after being hit. The biggest problem was with lack of blood trail. Most of my kills did not show a blood trail until 45 to 50 yds., sometimes more, after being hit. In certain tracking conditions, that causes a very difficult follow-up. I love using my .45 PA rifle because it's light, quick, accurate, low recoil and just plain fun. BUT, now as my eyes age more and I become less steady with more chance for a less accurate placement - I hunt with my .50 or .54.

.50 and .54 have been my all time favs when it comes to ML rifles, Smoothbores in 20gauge although I had a Pedersoli Bess in .75 years ago when I was a Black Watch 1815 reenactor.
Nowadays at 69 years old I'm content with .50 cal for my ML Rifles.

 

[Coinneach]

I only have one, and it is 45 cal

But when you grow up young Master Tremain......

 

[Dismount]

The bear in my area was the reason I went to a .54 cal. I find it strange that some say a .45 cal rifle is lighter than a .54 cal.? the out side of the barrel of the rifles I have seen have been the same diameter regardless of the cal.? that being the case a .45 cal rifle would be heavier that a .50 or .54. cal one. I have never owned a .45 nor have I ever held one in my hand. This is just a personal observation.

the barrels on my three .45 rifles are smaller diameter than my .50 calibers

 

[LME]

the barrels on my three .45 rifles are smaller diameter than my .50 calibers

I stand corrected. TOW had two size barrels years ago, like 40 years ago, as I recall ? I never worked on many black powder rifles mostly modern firearms. My Navy Hawkin measures 1" across the flats of my barrel. If it were a .45 Cal all other things being equal it would weigh more. What are the available out side diameters?

 

[Dismount]

I stand corrected. TOW had two size barrels years ago, like 40 years ago, as I recall ? I never worked on many black powder rifles mostly modern firearms. My Navy Hawkin measures 1" across the flats of my barrel. If it were a .45 Cal all other things being equal it would weigh more. What are the available out side diameters?

mine are 13/16'' across the flats

 

[Flintlock]

As others have said more ball to the pound, you can build a bit slimmer rifle usually then a .50. If I was going to have one rifle to do everything it would be a 50 depending on where you live but that said my favorite small game, hiking, protection gun is a slim long .45 Flintlock I built 30 years ago.

 

[tenngun]

".45 is the best caliber saves lead and powder"

When you spend $2,000 on a rifle, who is really counting pennies between the difference on lead and powder when evaluating a .45 to a .50?

If pennies were that important, folks would not be spending money on shooting.

I built all my guns, I don’t think I have a two grand gun, but I’m proud of tgem, six-seven hundred hours and sweat equity.
Anyway I do notice my .45 is cheaper to fire then my .62
However I didn’t get a .45 for cheap I got it as biggest appropriate for the style of gun I was making.
SMR were seen at .54, but .3-, even.28 was common. A .45 seem a good ‘big bore’ in that style

 

[bldtrailer]

ok I ordered a Bobby Hoyt in 45 gain twist and just got a nice plank of curly maple and a deluxe siler lock let the games begin
🛠

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I just bought another 45 cal yesterday and had a choice of a bunch of 50 cals - to me 45 is perfect blend of power, weight, recoil, and accuracy.

 

[William Lincoln]

The 45 will handle most American Big Game. As pointed out, it is easier and
more economical than the larger bores. Having said that, I prefer having a
larger bore for some places, such as Montana and Idaho. Esp. a 58 cal. In
mazzleloaders size does matter because it increases mass significantly.

 

[M. De Land]

I went to the .45 cal for my last two builds as I shoot paper matches mostly and find the .45 to carry up a bit better than the .40 in cross winds and yet shoots as flat or nearly so with about the same recoil. It also comes in 13/16s flat width barrels which look slim and trim on a full stock rifle.
I have one with a 1 inch flat GM barrel and under hammer action which is my primary offhand and bench match rifle.
I prefer a 1 in 60 pitch and shoot .445 hand cast balls from a Lee mold. I like .018 patch of cotton, tight weave shirt felt cloth.

 

[shorthair]

Less powder, less lead, less recoil are pluses less energy, less mass would be negatives. A guy just picks what you want to have fun with.

 

[Rifleman1776]

".45 is the best caliber saves lead and powder"

When you spend $2,000 on a rifle, who is really counting pennies between the difference on lead and powder when evaluating a .45 to a .50?

If pennies were that important, folks would not be spending money on shooting.

Fish, yes it is important. Cost of everything is limiting many avocations. When I started this game the cost per shot was almost too small to calculate. Today it is much more and can make a day at the range an expensive proposition. As said, unless a bigger boomer is needed for bigger game, the .45 saves lead and powder. And, if the choice is made pre-build a slimmer barrel can be used.
ps. Yes, folks are spending more money on shooting but only because they have no choice but to spend more or turn their rifles into wall hangers.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I'm planning a new build and I'm thinking .45 (I don't have one yet) what's the advantage over the 50 or 54 (40 is out not permitted in pa for deer )
Mr C Dixon loved the 45 .

I grew up shooting a CVA .50 calibre Mountain Rifle, in fact my 1st 3 guns were .50’s and a .54…shot those guns for many years.

17 years ago, I got my 1st .45 calibre flintlock. Even with a 42” barrel, the gun is beautifully balanced, with only a hint of forward weight. This gun has become a solid shooter. Last year I took my ole .32 calibre Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle, to rebarrel as a .40 calibre; due to the continuing barrel shortage, I chose to go with a .45 calibre barrel instead.

The .45 has become a favorite calibre of mine. The .45 is a very comfortable carry when headed out into the woods. The most perfectly balanced rifle I own is my .45 calibre Tennessee Mountain Rifle, with a 36” barrel. My .50 & .54 calibre rifles would gobble hunting loads, 90 & 105 grains at a time…the .45 produces solid hunting ballistics and accuracy with 65 grains. I cannot hunt elk with a .45 calibre, but I have not hesitated to take deer, it does just fine on big heavy does and stout woodland bucks.

My standard target load is 55 grains, and both my rifles are “single holers“ at 50 yrds.

If I want to hunt squirrels and rabbits, 40 grains does little to no damage…though the gun sounds quite muffled and congested with such a light load.

Yeah, I have come to really enjoy the .45 calibre.

 

[BJHabermehl]

I personally don’t like .45 for deer. For me it’s my primary target cal. My deer hunting rifles are.58 cal. Why, blood trails! Easy recovery. I had two fail to find deer, either clean misses or complete lack of blood trails, with 45 cal. Verses none, knock on wood. When I switched to .58. As a result, one particular.58 has harvested more deer than the rest of my armory including my modern stuff.

 

[hanshi]

Hansi, I also shoot .440 round ball in my .45. However, what would be a reason that I would consider shooting a .445 ball? Thanks.

Old thread I haven't been to in months, but I noticed I never responded to your post, Flashpoint. I have a .45 longrifle 36" X 13/16" X 1-56" twist X 7 lbs. This has been my primary deer hunting rifle for years. It's light, handy, accurate and never had to fire but one shot to drop a deer. The other 3 range from a 32" X 1" X gain twist X 7 lbs & 13 oz - a 25" X 15/16" X 6 lbs & 2 oz - and a "B" wgt X 38" X "Hoyt" radius groove.
Advantages? That's very subjective. Recoil: recoil doesn't bother ME and isn't an issue. But for some it may make a difference. .45 recoil is much lighter than a .50 and scarcely more than a .40. Rifle weight is usually substantially less depending on barrel size and stock wood density. Difference in cost of lead & powder are fairly minor since my loads for both are similar and often identical. I no longer hunt deer so I only occasionally shoot hunting loads in them (60 grains to 70 grains for both). Most of my shooting is with a .32 and a .36 anyway. With a 65 grain load of 3F I killed one deer at 75 yards with in/out penetration, a blood trail and a very short run. The heaviest blood trail I've yet witnessed was a buck I shot with my .45.

The .440" ball vs the .445" ball. Choice will depend upon the individual rifle. One rifle I own needs a .440" or less. The others shoot both weights wonderfully. A .445" may give a little more speed or better accuracy in some barrels but only adds 4 to 5 grains max to the .440" ball. I load rather tight prb and the .445" is noticeably more snug than the .440"; but both load easily with the underbarrel wood rod. Both balls are patched with .024" canvas patches I precut. But also know that my .50 X B wgt X 38" flintlock is only 2 oz heavier than my #1 .45.