I've been shooting a 14 bore English Sporting rifle since '86. With .684" ball weighing 484gr., it's a wonderful moose slammer.
: E-mail me if you want for more info.
: I do not consider inlines as muzzleloading rifles, merely modern rifles that load from the muzzle. They resemmble in no discernable way, a side-hammer round ball rifle. They, and scopes are responsible for us losing our primitive weapons hunting season for Moose.
: Conical bullets are not necessary for normal big game including grizzly bears. According to Forsyth, 14 bore round balls will exit an Indian Elephants head and are wonderful for Tiger. In a proper barrel, any hardness of lead may be shot when penetration of bone is necessary. When it's .69" in dia. expansion isn't really necesary.(12 guage full choke is .69". (40pts. of choke)
: Conicals lack shocking power due to reduced velocity. While round balls continue to exit on moose, I see no reason for any extra penetration a conical of that size might give. The recoil would be horrendous, to give a conical of 14 bore, the required velocity, to give a flat trajectory. I know, as I made a mould to cst them from 580gr. to 1,200gr. Slugs must be pure lead, which rivet too much on bone(from testing on bones). Bell himself liked the 14 bore and round balls in it, as quotes by him are in Forsyth's little book show.
: The rifle below, is the one I speak of. It has express sights regulated for 100yd., 150yd., 200yd. and the 300 meter gong at the range I shoot at. It's most accurate load is 6 drams (165gr.2F) which is also my hunting charge.
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