Moose with my .50 or .54

[peeweet]

I have a couple of Lyman GPR's a .50 in caplock and a .54 flint.I just got the flint and Iam going to start learning how to shoot it this summer.The caplock I have had for many years and it is a tack driver out to 125yds (1 to 2" groups at 100yds)I love this rifle and have the utmost confidence in my ability to shoot it and it's ability to do the job.

I have some friends that think I would be crazy to hunt moose with it if I haven't mastered the flintlock yet (they think I would be crazy to use the .54 also).I don't plan on making a shot past 75 to 80yds max.I just wondered what you guys think.

 

[PreglerD]

I have also the various cals. from .45 to .54 and I think with a stout load of 90 grs the .50 will work for moose when you keep distance discipline. 70 yds should be the limit. Using conicals, here maxiball, you even can shoot at greater distance.

 

[roundball]

I'm one who happens to lean towards the "plenty" side...the "sledge hammer" side...and if I was going moose hunting, I'd use a .58cal or .62cal ball.

Moose got some big old bones and personally, I'd want a heavier ball to ensure good penetration...more penetration than I'd get with a lighter .50 or .54cal ball...that's just me personally.

So of the two cals you mentioned, the .54cal would be the obvious choice for me.

 

[Don]

I would think that the .54 with a conical would do the job just fine under 100 yards.

Don

 

[nchawkeye]

Well...Here's the deal...Now listen close, I'm going to give you the best advice you will ever get......














GET SOME NEW FRIENDS!!!


:rotf: :rotf:

 

[Bountyhunter]

All you have to do is turn on the tube and sometime during the evening someone is hunting elk or moose, or what have you with a bow. If they can get them in close enough to kill with an arrow, why can you not get close enough to kill one with a .54? After all, it is the hunt,,,it is about the woodsmanship to get close enough to make the kill.

 

[shmrck1]

GET SOME NEW FRIENDS!!!

Wacker,
Although I agree with 'roundball' I still say that
a well placed .50 or .54 will take down any North
American game. Short of well placed, then the larger the better and then one cal. larger than thatIMO
I can still remember as a 10 or 12 year old, my
dad taking me to a Fred Bear(spl) show where he
showed films of him killing Polar Bear with a bow.
I remember thinking then and I still think it now,
placement,placement, placement.
snake-eyes:hmm:

 

[bigbore442001]

After having shot a couple of moose I learned a few things.

1. Moose do not react like a whitetailed deer or other game after being shot. They seem to be so large that the shock doesn't affect them right away. You look at a deer when it is shot. They react by going down right away. They react by running off with their tail down . They stumble and trip, etc.

With a moose, they seem to turn and look at where the shot came from. You have to make sure of the first shot and reload as fast as you can and get another one in them.

2. Moose can be turned by making a moose call. I have done it in the past. You make a moan by cupping your hands on the sides of your mouth and closing your nostrils shut with your forefingers. This can make the animal turn broadside at times to present a better shot.

3. Hunt with some friends. When you shoot one, there is a lot of work. The easiest part is shooting the animal. The real work then begins.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[roundball]

I would think that the .54 with a conical would do the job just fine under 100 yards.

Don

I'd agree with that too...I assumed if he was getting into Flintlocks he'd want to use PRBs in it as well

 

[peeweet]

I do plan on shooting PRB's, I do have a hawken that is 1:32 twist for conicals and groups 495gr No Excuses lead conicals real well, but would prefer to use my roundball guns.I also have a .50 in an unmentionable firearm,but I would use my 300 weatherby if I wanted to shoot it with a copper jacketed projectile.RB my next purchase will be a 58 or 62 cal PRB gun but don't have the dough right now my son in college is burning up my hunting fund money :shocked2:

 

[cptleo1]

I also agree with "bigger animal-Bigger ball"

That being said, ANY animal that has the misfortune to have a .54 thru both lungs is YOURS.

I also believe as Grand pappy said "If he is still standing-KEEP SHOOTING !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I believe that if I was using the .54 PRB on Moose I would cast up a harder ball (wheel weights or lineotype) because of the heavier bone structure.

I would keep my shot under 75 yards.

If it takes a minute or two for the big rascal to expire - So what.

If the critter does not have sharp teeth or big claws, you are in no danger.

Pick your shot, take your shot, watch him run off, wait a few minutes and he will be yours.

I have two .62's and two .54's all are killing machines.

The thing that I noticed about both is that 'dead is dead'.

Your .54 will get it done.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

After having shot a couple of moose I learned a few things.

1. Moose do not react like a whitetailed deer or other game after being shot. They seem to be so large that the shock doesn't affect them right away. You look at a deer when it is shot. They react by going down right away. They react by running off with their tail down . They stumble and trip, etc.

With a moose, they seem to turn and look at where the shot came from. You have to make sure of the first shot and reload as fast as you can and get another one in them.

2. Moose can be turned by making a moose call. I have done it in the past. You make a moan by cupping your hands on the sides of your mouth and closing your nostrils shut with your forefingers. This can make the animal turn broadside at times to present a better shot.

3. Hunt with some friends. When you shoot one, there is a lot of work. The easiest part is shooting the animal. The real work then begins.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

Bigbore is correct. A Moose usually does not split like a twitchy deer. A couple of things to think about. Do not!!!!! try to hit bone and knock down a moose, It wont happen unless you spine it. Second the closer you are with a heavy RB load the more chance that your RB will flatten out and not penetrate as much as it would at slower speeds Ie longer distances. there for it is very important to go for a double lung,heart shot be good at tracking and reload quickly. A 50 cal will kill a moose just fine but I would prefer a 54 for a larger wound channel. It's what I have used on moose in VT and seems to work just fine.
I should or my sister should pull a moose tag in VT this year and I will be shooting my 54 TVM Leman with 100grns of goex express with a 530 PRB.
once your PRB has reached 50 to 75 yrds it will have slowed down enough to get just about or total penetration double lung.that is why I like a 54. It slows down a little quicker than a 50 but gives me a larger wound channel witch equates to easier tracking. Another thing to think about when shooting a large game animal is if you hit it high in the lung chances are you will not get a good blood trail because blood tends to drain down into the chest cavity instead of outside the animal. shoot for low lung high heart. All the elk and moose I have killed in this manner usually dies in two min or less. elk less moose more.
:hatsoff:

 

[FASTFRED]

They is a lot to be said about "If they're still standing, KEEP SHOOTIN'"...I would take that a bit farther and say "If they're still MOVING, KEEP SHOOTIN'", and always reload immediately after that first shot....That first shot is always the most important, make it the best one... :winking: ....Lizard....

 

[akbrownbear]

If it is a choice of shooting a round ball in a .54 or a conical in a .50, go with the .50. A moose is a HUGE animal, but not that difficult to kill. But, a round ball doesn't have the penetration needed to anchor one if the opportunity arises. I live in Alaska and have shot and seen a lot of moose killed, and the one major factor was the need for good penetration.

If your choices are just round ball in both calibers, go with the .54, but keep your ranges short.

 

[paulvallandigham]

For something as big as a moose, use an alloy round ball, so that it is harder. The harder round ball will penetrate deeper, than a soft round ball of pure lead. The ball will weigh a few grains less when you add tin, or tin and antimony, but at the close ranges for shooting moose, it will hit close enough to your POA that it won't make a difference in accuracy. I also recommend using the heavier and larger RB for moose( the .54 caliber RB).

By all means, do some penetration tests using both kinds of round balls. Wet newspapers tied in bundles and lined up end to end make a good test medium. It will stop a rb faster than live tissue in a moose, but you will get a good comparison of the two balls and how they penetrate. Use a powder charge you can handle, without working on a flinch. The weight of the ball determines the penetration, followed next by what the ball is made of. Velocity is way down on the charts as to what causes penetration. Again, try a penentration test with a " target " load, and then with your chosen, accurate " hunting " load, using the same round balls. You should see much less difference in depth of penetration than you might see between the soft lead ball and the harder alloy ball.

 

[shmrck1]

EagleRiverBlair,
Of course I agree penatration is very important,
as you say.I am aware you have much more experience with moose than myself, but I still feel a well placed,properly charged PRB, from either a .50 or .54 will harvest a moose.IMHO
Of course there are no moose in Reynoldsburg
snake-eyes:hmm: :v

 

[Eric N.]

Fine advice by all. We (party of 4) got a moose in 87 (Minnesota) Dont shoot a moose after 12:00 noon. Its gona take the rest of the day to get that big SOB out of the woods.

 

[tg]

I like the idea of the hard .54 ball and 50 yd shot, I know the .50 works up close on Elk and would not hesitate to use a .54 on Moose using the same guidelines.

 

Do the moose a favor - practice with the .54 flinter until you get good enough with it to place a killing shot. You and the moose deserve that. :thumbsup:

 

[akbrownbear]

You are absolutely correct, a well-placed patched round ball from a .50 or .54 will take down any moose walking. Just shoot it within effective range of a pbr to cleanly take a moose, which is much less than 100 yards for an animal this big. A moose is relatively easy to put down all things considered, but they do take a good bit of wallop. I advocate conicals only because they penetrate so much better from normal ranges, but up close, a .54 caliber anything is a big chunk of hurt, and will take a moose cleanly. Just be sure of your effective ranges and stick to it, and you will easily take a moose if the opportunity presents itself.

Even just being in the wilds looking for the opportunity is worth it to me, especially when carrying a muzzleloader...... :thumbsup:

But, most important thing with whatever you decide to hunt with is practice, practice and practice some more until it is second nature to shoot that weapon. In the woods facing an animal of a lifetime is not the time to be fumbling and trying to remember the loading and firing sequence of your muzzleloader. :shocked2: