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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
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Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best?
      #204 - 30/12/02 02:42 AM

From: Nitro (Original Message) Sent: 7/26/2002 3:50 AM
I have a question for Blackpowder Muzzle loaders. If you wanted one for hunting medium sized game eg deer, boar, goats etc, what would be the best calibre and rifle to use?




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From: gunner1 Sent: 8/2/2002 5:05 AM
Is that the smooth-bore fifty?


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From: redbeard Sent: 8/3/2002 3:51 PM
I do have one in 50 and 54, but the tenn is a 1-66 twist round ball gun


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From: redbeard Sent: 8/3/2002 3:52 PM
I only hunt with round ball


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From: gunner1 Sent: 8/4/2002 7:38 AM
Sense we are on the subject I have question what was the lagest caliber of black-powder rifle ever made?


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From: NitroExpressCom Sent: 8/5/2002 12:56 AM
Gunner1

So you use a 30cal muzzle loader. Does that perform well on deer sized game? I'm uninitiated but my impressions were that a 50 or 58 cal are often used on medium game?

Redbeard

What sort of weight are the round ball projectiles that you are using in your 50s and 54s? Straight lead or a mixture with altimony?

Thanks



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From: gunner1 Sent: 8/5/2002 7:37 AM
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From: gunner1 Sent: 8/6/2002 6:12 AM
Nitro yes the thirty cals work great on medium sized game, but I would not suggest attempting a long range shot with one.


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From: redbeard Sent: 8/16/2002 3:31 PM
Black powder cartage elephant
now have seen some 75 cal matter of fact moss has one


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From: redbeard Sent: 8/17/2002 10:57 AM
In my state 40 cal is the lowest cal allowed for deer


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From: NitroExpressCom Sent: 8/19/2002 3:48 AM
This is the black powder rifle I would like to have one day.



A Pedersoli Kodiak double in .75 calibre (also available in .58, .54, .50 ). They also come with an optional 10 gauge set of blackpowder muzzle loading shotgun barrels.

Great!



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Nitro@NitroExpress.com

"I love the smell of cordite in the mornings"

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From: redbeard Sent: 8/19/2002 3:10 PM
sweet post a link for company


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From: Nitro Sent: 8/19/2002 11:05 PM
The link for Pedersoli is

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com

Also added to the Reviews, Recommendations & Links pages



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Nitro

"I love the smell of cordite in the morning"

http://NitroExpress.com



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From: Nitro Sent: 8/20/2002 12:47 AM
Gunner1

In answer to your earlier question.

"what was the largest caliber of black-powder rifle ever made?"

As redbeard mentioned I know of .75s (obviously from the post above). But I am pretty sure there would have been larger bore sizes. Certainly if you include smooth bores (ie as opposed to "rifles" - ie rifled barrels). The very large punt guns used for waterfowling in England spring to mind. I have a photo somewhere....

Not muzzle loaders but cased cartridge rifles were the blackpowder "bore" rifles used by the early elephant hunters and explorers in Africa.

One of the more common of the cartridges for elephant hunting was the 4-bore. The calibre is close to 1 inch (approx 0.935 to 0.955"). Firing a round ball of approximately 1,350 grs push by approx 440 grs of black powder at a velocity of around 1,500 fps

A less common cartridge in the old days but even bigger was the 2-bore.

The 2-bores were about 1.314 inches firing a 3,500 gr round ball !!!!! That's right HALF A POUND!

500 grs of black powder and a velocity of about 1,350 fos.

Now that sounds painfull. And brain killing.

*******

The bore calculation is how many round balls who get to a pound ie 4 round balls for a 4-bore from a pound of lead, 2 balls for a 2-bore.



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Nitro

"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."

http://NitroExpress.com



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Recommend Delete Message 17 of 18 in Discussion

From: Nitro Sent: 8/20/2002 12:56 AM
There is an excellent site on hunting in Africa with a 4-bore.

http://www.african-hunter.com/site/firearms/4bore_part01_01.htm

and

http://www.african-hunter.com/site/firearms/4bore_part02_01.htm

The author builds a 4-bore double rifle and hunts cape buffalo and other game with it.

Part of the excellent African Hunter website. Check it out.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nitro

"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."

http://NitroExpress.com



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Recommend Delete Message 18 of 18 in Discussion

From: Nitro Sent: 8/21/2002 12:39 AM
A lot of Aussie blackpowder hunters that I have seen use a Zoave rifle usually in .58. A no nonsense "military" style rifle.

Does anyone know of a web site for these rifles?

There is also a blackpowder rifle manufacturer here in South Australia. The Green River Rifleworks. Don't know much about them. Something to change I think.





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maddog4913
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Re: Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best? [Re: Prev_Forum]
      #21965 - 08/12/04 11:50 PM

I like Hopkins and Allen underhammers, I have a 45 with a 24 inch barrel, and it's the best shooting muzzleloader I've ever fired, Regards maddog

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eldeguello
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Re: Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best? [Re: Prev_Forum]
      #28220 - 24/03/05 02:03 AM

I have used a .50 for all those species, using both round balls and conical bullets (NO SABOTS!!). IF you include elk and/or black bear in the list, I believe a .54 is better.

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DarylSModerator
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Re: Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best? [Re: Prev_Forum]
      #44596 - 22/12/05 06:20 AM

I firmly believe that .50 cal and above have definite benefits over anything smaller in bore size, although a .45 rifle will work for the game listed.
: In muzzleloading rifles, round balls kill perfectly. Slugs merely extend the distance of the tracking job.
: .50 cal balls of .495" weigh approximately 184gr. in pure lead. Pure lead is what is required below about 20 bore size. A .490" ball may be used in a .50 cal. as well, with slightly thicker patches & will weigh approximately 4-8gr. less.
: A .535" pure lead ball weighs some 235gr. and is preferred for larger game like Moose and Elk. The .54 kills smaller game like deer and goats in it's tracks - with round balls. A .530" ball, also useable, weighs around 528gr. Slugs in .54 generally kill slower.
: Larger calibre than .54 is not needed for imtermediate big game as noted, but personal preferences abound.
: Personally, I prefer my .69 for all game shooting as well as target shooting. It is amazingly accurate, and will embarrass most modern rifles with it's 100 meter accuracy of 1 1/2" with OPEN sight 5-shot groups.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Plains99
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Re: Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best? [Re: DarylS]
      #44614 - 22/12/05 10:30 AM

I have to agree that a .50 caliber is probably the best for most hunting situations in an inline. On a round ball/conical gun I'd recommend a .54 with 1:48 twist. With most .50s with fairly quick rifling say from 1:24 to 1:32 you can shoot a 180 grain sabot for up to coyote size, a 240 to 300 grain sabot up to deer size and still load a conical or heavy sabot for elk size game and larger. In Africa I loaded a 435-grain sabot with 120 grains of RS and shot Gemsbok, Blesbok, Wilderbeest, Hartebeest, and Impala out to 145 yards with no difficulty. You have an awful lot of flexibility for a wide variety of game with minimal sight and load adjustment.

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Re: Blackpowder Muzzle loaders - which is the best? [Re: Prev_Forum]
      #49467 - 08/02/06 04:51 AM

Please stay away from button rifled barrels with 48" twists. On large animals, the slugs won't penetrate in a straight line, giving exceptionally poor killing power and the shallow rifling is difficult to get rounds balls to shoot accurately unless very tightly patched.
: There are too many good guns out there, with cut rifled barrels that will work well, right out of the box, as in the Lyman GPR, probably the best rifle for the least money.
; If you want to shoot slugs, get a rifle with proper slug rifling. They are also out there, in the GPH for one. There is no such thing as a multi-purpose gun, except from the advertizers & company finance standpoint.


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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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