Adequacy BP .45 caliber round ball for deer

[MMA1991]

Curious to get some thoughts from the group and to hear if anyone has taken white tail deer with a black powder front stuffer shooting a .45 cal round ball.

 

[kanook]

Shot at approx. 25yds, deer went approx. 35yds downhill. Ruger Old Army, homecast lead ball, 60gr of Shockey's Gold.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Absolutely doable. Shot placement is always a big part with a muzzleloader, whether it's a .45 or a .54 or other sizes. I like 70 grains of 3Fg in my .45, and coincidentally, I like the same powder load in my .54. I go for taking out both lungs. They do not go very far, and in addition to being a much smaller target..., the heart is delicious, so I don't want to shoot it to pieces. Go for both lungs...

LD

 

[Darkbob]

For the first 8 or 10 years I hunted with a Muzzleloader, I used an old .45 caliber hawken styled rifle that belonged to my mother. For the first few years I used round ball and I took multiple deer with it, between 10 and about 60ish yards.

I recovered one bullet that had gone in one side, through both lungs, and lodged in the rib cage of the far side. I wish I could find it to post a picture of it, but it is in a box somewhere out in the garage. It had almost completely flattened out. It looked more like a lead nickel than a round ball. On one side the stitching of the patch was clearly visible, imprinted in the lead.

So, while I can't say how effective they'd be at longer distances, I can tell you that on a good broadside shot at 60 yards and less they will take whitetail.

 

[1911 guy]

Plenty medicine. Start at minimum load, work up in five grain increments. When accuracy starts to fall off, reduce to the previous five grain increment and stick with it for your hunting load. This will give you the best velocity and accuracy for a hunting load.

 

[T.R.]

My flintlock rifle is 45 caliber. I've only killed one doe with it which is not a true test of lethality but that's how my luck has gone.

The deer was broadside to me at approx. 50 yards or so. I shot into the chest and the doe bounded away as if unhurt. But after a run of less than 50 yards the animal toppled over and kicked a bit. During field dressing, I noted a fairly wide wound channel through both lungs. The bullet was never found.

Dan'l Boone favored the 45 caliber over all others and he took many bears with his rifle, too. Combination of bullet placement and bullet performance is what gets the job done.

TR

 

[Big20]

I hunted many years with a TC Seneca in 45 cal. Perfect broadside lung shots out to 60 yards worked fine with a round ball. Longer or angle shots not so good. I moved on to using Maxiballs with great success out to 100 yds. My gun was peep sight equipped.