Clifton Hicks
Senior Member
How many grains of powder would you put behind a .440 roundball for hunting deer?
I have been shooting black powder guns most of my life but have never hunted with one. Plan on using this rifle (on the left) for deer this year.
From searching the forum it looks like most of yall use .50 cal rifles with varying loads. My rifle is a .45 and, since it's a flinter, can only be reliably fired with real black powder. With .440 patched round balls and 45 grains of powder it puts the shots (mostly) on-target at 100 yards.
I will be hunting at much shorter ranges in open hardwood forest, but I still think a "hotter" load will be required to effectively drop the animal. I'm thinking 55 or 65 grains will do the trick, but figured I'd ask yall.
I have been shooting black powder guns most of my life but have never hunted with one. Plan on using this rifle (on the left) for deer this year.
From searching the forum it looks like most of yall use .50 cal rifles with varying loads. My rifle is a .45 and, since it's a flinter, can only be reliably fired with real black powder. With .440 patched round balls and 45 grains of powder it puts the shots (mostly) on-target at 100 yards.
I will be hunting at much shorter ranges in open hardwood forest, but I still think a "hotter" load will be required to effectively drop the animal. I'm thinking 55 or 65 grains will do the trick, but figured I'd ask yall.