AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Justin Urbantas on September 15, 2019, 10:04:50 PM
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There was a fellow on FB saying that he is using a .36 rifle for deer hunting this year. He claims that with .60 gr ffg and a maxi ball it matches modern magnum handgun power. What do you fellows think? Seems small to me.
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Not in Maine,,40 cal minimum.
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VA has to be 45 or larger. Someone told me NC allows 36 but not sure, I personally think 40 is too small for MOST hunters but that's just my thoughts.
Dennis
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Minimum 45 caliber here in CT.
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People's Socialist State of Oregon requires .40 for deer. I have carried my beloved Kibler .40 SMR during deer season but limited my shots to 70 yards. This year I will be carrying my new Lowell Haarer .54 flintlock for both deer and elk.
The "Muskrat" has spoken!
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You certainly can kill a deer with a well placed .36 caliber ball. Kind of like you certainly CAN ride a unicycle to work.
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People's Socialist State of Oregon requires .40 for deer. I have carried my beloved Kibler .40 SMR during deer season but limited my shots to 70 yards. This year I will be carrying my new Lowell Haarer .54 flintlock for both deer and elk.
The "Muskrat" has spoken!
The Muskrat is right. I would be afraid that a badly placed shot would end up
with an escaped animal that would be suffering. What does the 36 caliber ball weigh?
I think a 40 only weighs about 90 grains.To me, a minimum of 45 caliber would be
the starting point.
Bob Roller
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I don’t know of any state that allows that small caliber for deer. I’d also have to ask where he got the conical bullet.
Hungry Horse
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Hunters should have a desire for a clean kill out of respect for the animal. I have heard many stories of people taking deer with a modern double deuce. (Different kind of Long Rifle) Still doesn’t mean it’s ethical...
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I don’t know of any state that allows that small caliber for deer. I’d also have to ask where he got the conical bullet.
Hungry Horse
Legal in Tennessee, but I won't; should be >= .45 in my opinion.
(https://i.ibb.co/r21tFSV/Screenshot-20190915-181104-Chrome.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GQbJnLq)
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Not legal here in Colorado. It has to be at least a .40 cal with a conical and a .50 for a PRB for deer, antelope, and black bear.
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I don’t know of any state that allows that small caliber for deer. I’d also have to ask where he got the conical bullet.
Hungry Horse
Tennessee has likely the only 36 cal minimum for big game-technically legal for bear and elk too.
Most folks should never, but I'm sure some have and it's quite possible. Archery range might be reasonable, but I never plan to try it out. I might with a 40-I've seen what they can do close up.
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Not in Missouri either.... got to be at least .40 cal...
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he says the load is a maxi ball. 36 maxi weighs 120+ grains witch is the same as a 45 rb. I've shot 10-12 deer with 40 and 45 rb. Will go through a deer no problem. A 36 maxi might not be legal, but what do the rule makers know? 60 grs of 2f should be around 1700fps. Keep the range close and shouldn't be a problem. Lyman used to make 36 maxi ball moulds(I have one) and custom mould makers can supply 32 and 36 maxi's.
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Doc White has info on his website for loads and bullets he developed in .331 cal., and .367 cal.
The difference is that everything was a complete package. The inline muzzleloading rifle with thick barrel walls of 4140 CM steel, a breechplug designed for the higher pressures generated with bullets, LOOOOOONG grease groove bullets with superior ballistic coefficients, proper rifling depth and rates of twist for said bullets, really good triggers, etc.
When T/C invented the maxi-ball and maxi-hunter slugs they were reinventing the wheel for no other reason than to market projectiles under their own brand in the hopes that customers would be convinced that the T/C product was superior to a round ball, when in fact it was not.
Every couple of weeks/months on one of the various muzzleloading forums the same question arises as the one Justin has posed here.
It must be human nature to be constantly searching for a "MAGIC BULLET" in some form of endeavor that will allow one to substitute a new product for practical skill, and the OLD way of doing things.
Doc's .331 and .367 caliber bullets in his rifles will kill deer deader than a doorknob in the hands of an experienced hunter. According to Doc they have phenomenal penetration ability, something the T/C slugs do not.
I believe Daryl has talked about this often.
.
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In Arizona there is no minimum muzzleloader caliber requirement for any game species. I haven't done it myself, but a good friend has killed three Coues deer with a .36 flinter using prb. All shot at less than 40 yards.
I personally believe that there is no substitute for cubic inches.
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In Arizona there is no minimum muzzleloader caliber requirement for any game species. I haven't done it myself, but a good friend has killed three Coues deer with a .36 flinter using prb. All shot at less than 40 yards.
I personally believe that there is no substitute for cubic inches.
Couse deer are pretty small. You're lucky to get 30-35lbs of meat from them.
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I don’t know of any state that allows that small caliber for deer. I’d also have to ask where he got the conical bullet.
Hungry Horse
Could be using a modern 38 caliber semi wadcitter. They are .357 diameter and weigh 158 grains.
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He said it was a maxi-ball.
You can buy them.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/129/1/BALL-36-MAXI
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Ohio has a .38 minimum for deer. I've taken a few with a .40 but think that's minimal at best.
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British Columbia has a .40 cal minimum limit for hunting big game, Justin.
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Back in about 76, I finished off a deer with my wife's .36 Seneca using 60gr. 2F and a 128gr. maxi-ball. I had shot the deer when facing me, through the neck, but the round ball missed the spine & exited, however dropped him in his tracks. I reloaded, advanced and missed his head as he was throwing it around. She handed me her rifle & I re shot at it's head, the bullet missing, but entering the neck, about 1/2 way down, traveled the length of it's neck and entered the spine went down the cord then stopped still inside the spine, at the base of his neck.
A broadside shot would work on deer, I am sure, but it is not something I would attempt as I have better guns for the purpose.
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Yeah, I guess it can be done, but I think it's under powered. The guy is hunting in Kentucky.
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I never understood using the minimum caliber for game. It's like fishing for 10lb trout with a 2wt fly rod. Dumb!
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Ky is any caliber for deer. .50 caliber or larger for elk.
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I never understood using the minimum caliber for game. It's like fishing for 10lb trout with a 2wt fly rod. Dumb!
I whole heartedly agree. Light tackle fishing I do and understand. But light tackle hunting is beyond my ken. For me a proper deer caliber starts at .50 and I prefer the .54 above the rest. I am very fond of my .40 and it's a tack driver, just a pleasure to hold and shoot. But I can't begin to consider it a deer caliber. Perhaps an Antelope gun? I have considered that.
I'm sure where one hunts has a bearing on the chosen caliber. Down here in the thick southern swamps and woods we need a large hole that lets a lot of blood out if we need to track one. And the faster a deer expires the better. While farther west recovery with a small caliber would be much easier.
I agree that shot placement is everything. But sometimes conditions dictate that little ball doesn't always hit where you want it to no matter how good you are. That's when the .54 shines.
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South Carolina deer season is August 15th - January 1st? Seriously out here in the "People Republic of Oregon" we get 7-10 days. You boys in the South have it lucky. Need a hunting partner next year?
"Muskrat Mike"
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South Carolina deer season is August 15th - January 1st? Seriously out here in the "People Republic of Oregon" we get 7-10 days. You boys in the South have it lucky. Need a hunting partner next year?
"Muskrat Mike"
And me and Wade Patton are the luckiest of all. Our county is 3 Does a day til after the first week of January.
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I have two friends that work for the Florida Wildlife Commission. I believe that recently they legalized .30 cal. air guns for deer. They made the argument that if .30 cal. air guns are legal so should .30 cal. ML's be legal and that passed too. Previously, .40 cal. ML's were the minimum for deer. I think that it is a case of marketing driving hunting regulations (as with inlines also). I personally like .50 and .54 cal. for deer hunting. James Levy. I'll check the regulations now and see if I've made a mistake.
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South Carolina deer season is August 15th - January 1st? Seriously out here in the "People Republic of Oregon" we get 7-10 days. You boys in the South have it lucky. Need a hunting partner next year?
"Muskrat Mike"
And me and Wade Patton are the luckiest of all. Our county is 3 Does a day til after the first week of January.
And three bucks we can throw on that pile. :o We're also lucky to not have one jump into our vehicle any time we're out at night or pre-dawn. Knock wood, despite many close calls, I've haven't bent metal on one yet-but I've seen it happen.
The way I prefer to look at it, the TN rules allow for most traditional Hog Rifle calibers to be used because some folks don't have a rack guns to choose from, and need a utility gun first and foremost. This is completely off-base I'm sure, and the guys who passed it likely wouldn't even know what I was talking about, but I like the idea anyway.
And it won't hurt a thing for me to go 'round thinkin' it. ;)
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.40 Cal minimum in the Sooner state...
I'm certain I could take deer with my .32, but I'm not certain I would be comfortable doing it.
Mike
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South Carolina deer season is August 15th - January 1st? Seriously out here in the "People Republic of Oregon" we get 7-10 days. You boys in the South have it lucky. Need a hunting partner next year?
"Muskrat Mike"
until a couple of years ago we had no limit on bucks, except 5 per day. then we had several doe days. now they have these stupid tags, the limit is 3 bucks per year and you can buy more buck tags. but they really are a joke! as a lot of people skin and clean deer at home and do what we want. if a deer is taken to most processers they give you the tag back and you use the same tag over. I killed 9 deer last year and wasn't even trying hard! i give a lot of meat to familys who need it. I am 62 and have done that all my life, it is un-telling how many deer I have killed. and I am a lightweight compared to some of the other rednecks here! some kill 20 or so a year! that sounds awful but we have deer like fleas on a dog! the only ones game wardens mess with are the dog hunting clubs, it is all about making money! that's all!