Deer loads

[Standing Bear]

My bet is on bone as a he cause.
TC

[longcruise]

I've killed quite a few mule deer with 50 cal with loads ranging from 60 grains to 100.  They all worked just fine.  Less than 60 might work fine too,  but I haven't tried less.  Whatever shoots well at the distance you expect to shoot.

[B.Habermehl]

I've been using 80 grains of fffg black powder and a .570 round ball in my .58 English style rifle in flint. Of the ten or more deer I shot with this short barreled gun none have gone more than 25 yards on their feet. It a allmost always left a sizable exit hole. Except for one deer shot quartering tward me. The ball shattered the near shoulder and came to rest under the hide at the inner side of the opposite ham, traveling the length of the deer. The ball was surprisingly undeformed. I suspect my lead is a bit hard. The rifles barrel is only 28" long. My family members all have .54 cal rifles that I have full confidence that they will do similarly with 80 grains of fffg. They just haven't got a dumb enough deer to walk in front of them.BJH

[hatman]

I just wanted to acknowledge my thanks to all the replies in this thread.
This forum is a treasure trove of knowledge I'm thankful to have found.

[rich pierce]

I've had cast round ball fragment before.  When this happened, it was because of striking bone, but the shot was lethal, so I don't think fragmenting led to poor performance.

[galudwig]

The load I developed for my .50 schimmel consists of 75 grains of 2f Goex under a .495 home cast ball and .020 Wal-mart pillow ticking lubed with a 50/50 mix of Ballistol/water.  I'm not sure of its 100 yard performance as all of my hunting shots have been under 75 yards.

I've killed deer reliably with this load, but always wondered if it was underpowered; at least until I killed two with one shot. I had a doe and two fawns in front of me 60 yards. The doe was standing broadside when I took the shot.  I hadn't noticed that one of the fawns had walked beside her as I took aim and fired. At the shot, the doe went down and the fawns took off.  One ran about 30 yards and did a complete summersault and piled up. The ball had gone completely through the doe and into the chest of the fawn standing (hidden) beside her.  I found the flattened ball just under the hide on the far side of the fawns rib cage. Sure glad I had two tags in my back pocket that day! Never doubted my load after that. 

[Mike Brooks]

It doesn't take alot of velocity to poke a hole in a deer....

[Daryl]

It takes 'some' velocity over a pistol's speed (1,200fps) to hit them at 150 or 175yards, though. Yeah - I load my .54 pistol with enough powder to make it accurate(66" twist).  It likes 55 to 60gr. 3F.

[Hungry Horse]

75 grains in a .50 cal. And lubing it with a combination lube, that has water in it, sound like trouble in the making to me. Chances are that your 75 grain charge is more like a 60 grain charge in reality if you carry it loaded very long.
 Edited--------------------------------

  Hungry Horse

[galudwig]

75 grains in a .50 cal. And lubing it with a combination lube, that has water in it, sound like trouble in the making to me. Chances are that your 75 grain charge is more like a 60 grain charge in reality if you carry it loaded very long.
 Edited--------------------------------------------------------------

  Hungry Horse

By your determination, wouldn't spit-patching create the same problem? I'm sure there is more water in a spit patch than what is in mine. I use water in my patching only as a carrier. I prepare my patches well before I use them.  The water evaporates and leaves the oil behind. I've been using the "Dutch" Shultz method using various water/oil combos for years and they've never been a problem, nor will they likely ever be.

Edited----------------------------------------------------------------

[hanshi]

For a "serious" load in my .50 pistol I use 50 grains of 3F.  I wouldn't want any more as it's a bucking bronc.  Thirty grains is accurate and recoil isn't bad.

[galudwig]

Edited--------------------------------------------

  Hungry Horse

OK the two of you need to take this discussion offline. You are welcome to trade barbs via the ALR private message center.
Dennis

[OldMtnMan]

I used a .54 with 80gr of 3F Swiss for muley's, elk, and black bear.

I'm using a .50 now and will use 75gr of 3F Swiss for the same game. I might use 70gr to. I need to see what the gun likes. My thinking is the smaller ball will pancake faster if I push it too hard.

[Bigmon]

I once shot "THRU" a deer with 26 or 28 Gr 3F in a 44 cal cap and ball revoler.
I had it woulded in the jaw and didnt want it running off while I reloaded.

[OldMtnMan]

6 shots wasn't enough?