Whitetail Deer with a 36 caliber ball?

[Daryl]

I would suggest, that a shot from a .36 cal. taken from a tree stand - range maybe 10' to 20yards might work, however, must remember, that ball will turn into a disk
which will limit penetration. Hit bone (plunging shot to coin a mariner phrase)and it is likely to stop.
Even 00 buckshot at an initial vel. of only 1,300fps expands considerably on 'game'.
A normal charge of say, 35 to 40gr. 3F will drive a .350" ball to about 1,800fps, maybe slightly higher than that. That's over 1/2 ball weight in powder. (Ball - 65gr.)

[Austin]

May have been a few taken on Stoner Creek, mindful of shot placement….

[alacran]

I used to use 65 grains of 3f in order to knock down 1/2 inch AR 500 Ram silhouettes at 100 yards. They went down with authority. They were the NRA pistol silhouette size.
 North American deer are thin skinned. All the deer that I have killed using modern shotgun slugs have flattened to the size of a quarter. They lodge under the skin . All the deer I have shot with a round ball have been pass throughs. Good broadside shots under 50 yards with a 36 round ball with an adequate load will kill a deer.
The only reason for not using it is that it will not leave much of a blood trail. In my opinion there is no substitute for cubic inches. The bigger the hole the more  the .blood

[Justin Urbantas]

I'd say if you are accurate and comfortable with your rifle, you'd be fine. I'd limit it to 40 or 50 yards and go with head shots though. No meat waste, and they go down quick. I use a .45 with roundball for my deer, and have shot them out to 120 yds with a vitals shot.

[Dphariss]

Since a lot of deer have been killed with a 22 LR years ago by people I know pretty well. Within its range a 36 will get the job done. But shot placement is critical. A shot kust over the heart will kill one pretty soon I would think. I know that at 50 yards or so a 45 RB driven with 45 gr of FFF from a FL rifle will kill deer dead. In about 50 yards of running which is pretty typical. No matter what they are shot with.

[hanshi]

A .36 prb can kill a deer, has likely killed a few and I imagine there are any number of .36 adherents who use them.  I, myself, have, in the dim past, used a .22 Hornet to take several.  The .36 is a great caliber when used on game that's suitable for a small rifle.  Since the mid 1960s I've drawn the line at the .45 where deer are concerned.  IMHO shooting deer with a .36 is as much a stunt as it is ethical hunting and perhaps more so.  In survival situations one must use what one has available.  But when a better choice of caliber is readily available there's really no choice.