O/T Muzzleloader on deer

[TPM]

I was thinking of using my muzzleloader for our area's controlled hunt this season. I've worked up an accurate round ball load but I was curious as to it's effective range on deer. It's a .54 cal shooting a .530 patched round ball in front of 95 grains of FF blackpowder.
Any thoughts or experiences?????

[wabi]

With that caliber and charge I'd say 90 to 100 yards would be a reasonable maximum range. A shot in the heart/lung area with that big round ball should do the job. The round ball looses velocity & energy quickly, but can be very effective at close ranges.
I found a very accurate load by accident this summer for my T/C NewEnglander sidelock. It shouldn't really be that accurate, but a 350 grain .458 cast lead bullet in an MMP orange (.50/.458) sabot pushed by 80 grs fffg black powder shoots one ragged hole @ 50 yards. I have several coffee cans full of those .458 cast bullets a friend gave me, so I bought 50 sabots to see if any of my muzzleloaders like that combination. Suprisingly the 1:48 twist NE barrel shoots then much better than any of my 1:26 twist inlines????????
Hopefully I'll get a chance to see if they will drop a deer cleanly this gun season.

[hawg hunter]

What is the twist of your barrel? If you have a 1in 48 twist such as TC Hawken 1-1/2 to 2 times the calibur is about opti. with the powder charge that you are using that should be real good up to a hundred yds. If you have a slower twist say 1in 66 or 1in 72 you could stoke it up alittle hotter and maybe shoot 125yds without to much of a drop. As stated by other forum members rd. balls lose power quickly and drop fast after 100yds. Muzzle loaders are short range weapons and I don't care what you read in all the mags. All the hype that they are long range 200yd + weapons is a bunch of bunk designed to sell products. A target set up and a gun zeroed in for 200yds is possible but to tell someone that the average hunter who has never shot at a deer over 100yds that he can kill at 200 yds without changing "hog wash". The hype you read about 150 grain powder charges in guns weighing in at6-1/2 lbs. Once!!!! The most powefull long range Sharps didn't use a load in 12lb guns. Sharps biggest cal was a 50-110 and 45-120.

[raydaughety]

I agree with Hawg Hunter, I took 2 deer this year with my CVA Optima Pro. One was 136 yards and one was 180 yards. It can be done but you have to find that perfect load and PRACTICE A LOT!!!!

[navaman]

my t/c white mountain carbine with a 1:20 twist will only shoot big long heavy maxi balls at 370 grains (too heavy for my taste) acurately. i talked to the people at t/c and they recomended using 250 grain sabots. i'm looking forward to seeing how they will shoot.

[TPM]

Thanks guys, I plan on keeping shots within 75 yards so I should be okay. I've done a lot of muzzle loader target shooting for years now but this will be my first venture hunting with one. Hawghunter, I agree, a gun is only as accurate as the person shooting it but some of the newer inlines when matched with the right bullet do put out some amazing long range accuracy. BTW, the gun I will be using is a TC Hawken with a 1 in 48 twist barrel. It will shoot a round ball quite well with any charge between 90 and 110 grains but 95 seems to be the optimum.