.50 caliber round ball for elk?

[flintlock]

I shoot a .50 caliber flintlock with patched round ball. 90 grains of Swiss FFFg powder gives me 2000 fps MV. But considering how round balls slow down like they're wearing parachutes, I'm not sure this is adequate for elk. I figure I'd have to keep my shots to under 75 yards.

Any thoughts on the subject? any experience with this kind of load?

Thanks

[Standing Bear]

My elk load for the .50 is 90 gr FFg Goex and a .495 PRB.  Have not taken a shot but confident of my bullet placement at 75 yards and of the performance of a PRB under those conditions.  Many Elk, bison, moose and bear were taken with the same :back in the day".

TC

[Daryl]

I would personally use 90gr. 3F, or more likely, 100 to 110gr. 2f in a .50 for moose or elk within 120yards, no problem.  I would not use 85gr. 2F or less as I feel something over an initial velocity of 1,408fps is required for moose and elk and that low velocity is all 80gr. 2F gives in Taylor's 42" Rice barrel.  A .50 should shoot flat enough to 120 yards that no thinking of holdover or sight change should need be thought about.
1,850fps through 2,000fps will deliver an exceptional point blank range, one where the ball is never more than 2 1/2" over nor more than 2 1/2" under the line of sight. That's a 5" zone of death.  With sights held level from 25 yards to 120 yards, the sights for hunting, in my opinion, should give a p[oint blank range to at least 120yards- which means limiting to an estimated 100 yards on big, heavy game.  This allows an error in range judgement of 20 yards to be still within point blank shooting range and still able to kill cleanly.  in my opinion.

[Dphariss]

I shoot a .50 caliber flintlock with patched round ball. 90 grains of Swiss FFFg powder gives me 2000 fps MV. But considering how round balls slow down like they're wearing parachutes, I'm not sure this is adequate for elk. I figure I'd have to keep my shots to under 75 yards.

Any thoughts on the subject? any experience with this kind of load?

Thanks

Broadside lung shots and avoiding large bones like shoulder and upper leg bone it should be OK. Head shots even better

Dan

Dan

[Buzzard]

Flintlock; I've taken 3 elk with a 54cal flint rifle and 1 with a 20ga fowler. Loads for both guns were 90gr-3f and PRB's. All shots were broadside. The 54 gives about 1800fps and the 20ga gives 1550fps. All PRB's were recovered under the skin on the  off side of the animals, showing little damage, mostly from contact with ribs. The 600rb out of the 20ga also went through both shoulder blades. On these big critters, shot placement is critical of course. You're correct in wanting to keep yardages under 75 or so. Where i hunt, in the black timber, 50yds is a long way to even see an elk. Good Luck

[wattlebuster]

Put that ball where it needs to go an you will have elk steaks to grill. the .50 will get er done