[10der222]

I found some T/C maxi hunter bullets for my 50 cal flinter but to get them I also had to buy 5 boxes 500! .490 roundballs.I have in the past (when it was mandated) use the RB's but I shot a big doe

one day right through the lungs and we tracked her for over 1/2 mile,she died right on a 4 wheeler trail and when we arrived where she died there was blood everywhere but no deer.There were 2 sets of boot tracks in the snow and fresh quad tracks

.Since then I would rather not use them...UNLESS..they shoot really,really really good in my flinter.

 

[Racin41]

Let me know if you decide to unload a box ,i'll take 1

 

[duckman76]

That is why PA lifted the restrictions on the round balls. They do not expand at all when they hit a deer. Sorry to hear that someone would actually steal a dead deer right out from under a fellow hunter.

 

[PFC Clark]

it never seemed like conicals or sabots expanded much either. Stuff happens. That doe could have ran forever no matter what you shot it with.

 

[Ron pa]

On the board


Registered: 08/20/09
Posts: 334
Loc: Altoona, PA That is why PA lifted the restrictions on the round balls. They do not expand at all when they hit a deer

I can show you a couple that expanded vey well!!

 

[Muab Dib]

For what it's worth I have a 50 cal round ball from a TC Renegade that looks like a quarter when I found it in the deer. 100 gr. charge of FFF at about 25 yards. Just food for thought. Round balls can expand. It depends on the circumstances; velocity/distance/hit

Muab Dib

 

[mauser06]

shhhh dont tell the 3 ive killed with roundballs that they "dont expand" and are ineffective deer killers!

not tryin to be a smart.....but a double lung shot deer isnt running over 1/2 mile with atleast a 1/2" hole through both its lungs...just not happening...

 

[zimmerstutzen]

round balls of pure lead expand quite well unless moving very slow annd they only hit soft tissue, like guts. In muscle they expand

I tend to agree that a deer with 50 cal holes thrrough each lung is not going all that far., but indeed crap happens. I know of a bull that was running wild for 6 months and had dozens of bullets in it from folks trying to put it down. It just kept running off and healing up. What Rev war hero had over a dozen wounds and kept fighting? Koskiusko? Any city cop can tell you that some druggies don't stop coming forward even with body parts blown off.

 

[Buckethead]

I killed a big buck with a roundball. It dropped right in its tracks. About a 70 yard shot. I use .440 roundballs in a .18 blue pillow tick patch with 70 gr of ffG from my .45 flinter because it shoots that combination better than any conicle I ever tried.

 

[Bunky]

shhhh dont tell the 3 ive killed with roundballs that they "dont expand" and are ineffective deer killers!

not tryin to be a smart.....but a double lung shot deer isnt running over 1/2 mile with atleast a 1/2" hole through both its lungs...just not happening...

Gotta agree with you here----just doesnt seem right unless that deer was feeding in a meth lab!

 

[410-er]

From the guys on another forum that use maxis say they don't expand and give less a blood trait than a round ball.IF you hit a deer thru the lungs it WILL not go farther than 100yds.MAX!I have used RB's with no problems.Problem I noticed when I did try maxi's was that,due to their heavier weight,when shot out of a tree stand(20')they DROP!Had them shooting on at 50yds.Missed 5 out of the treestand at around 50yds.When I tried them on paper out of the treestand I found why I missed.That angle makes them drop.Another problem is when muzzle is carried down,they do shift off the charge making for a potential dangerous situation or damaged gun(ringed barrel).They will group and you can kill deer with them but so will a RB with less problems.If I can kill deer with a 45 RB,anybody can with a 50 RB.Know of some many years back that have killed elk with the 36 RB.
Why old Daniel Boone killed most of his bear with a 40 cal.

 

[Loggy]

No doubt from me either regarding the ole roundball's kill power!! All my roundball deer kills have been complete pass throughs with very quick kills. Only one ever recovered was from a TN wild boar.

Below are pics of the 54 Caliber round ball that processor recovered from my approx 300 lb. TN Wild Boar. I didnt get to talk to processor to see where it was recovered from but all i know is that my PA Mountain Rifle was aimed squarely on the hogs front shoulder with hog quartering towards me at approx 50 yards. It collapsed in its tracks with a few quivers & that was it! Of the 3 hogs I have killed: No.1 with a smokeless Savage 10 ML-II launching a 300 grain Barnes MZ solid copper & No.2 with my White Super 91 .504 In-line thowin a .503 cast 460 grain No Excuse Conical....the "ole roundball" produced the quickest kill. Of course...bullet placement has much to do with it but nevertheless....i was impressed!!

Based on condition of roundball it apparently penetrated thru some heavy bone and/or shield.

I was impressed with the expansion of the ole round ball!!! Over 98% weight retention.

Recovered 54 Caliber .535 Round Ball Beside Original

Original 54 Caliber .535 Round Ball On Scale

Recovered Roundball On Scale

 

[Mark Kw]

I'm with ya Loggy!
On the right is a 0.440" from a flint longrifle I had, went in the chest and came to rest in the hind quarter of a nice PA doe, left is a 0.535" from my flint pistol 75gr 3F through the shoulder plate of FL boar - neither of these critters went more than 25-30 feet. Ball from the hog was recovered from the dirt on the other side of him.

Jim, I've put enough different balls and bullets into test media to say with confidence, when you hear folks complaining about loosing thousands of dollars on a guided hunt because the REAL/Maxi/ect turned after impact and went way off course or failed to create enough of a wound channel, they ain't BSing you.

Edit:
Here's a very recent one from one of my customers, Kyle in CO started off this season right. He popped this one through the shoulder on a quartering shot, ball laid just under the hide at the last rib on the opposite side.

Where he fell

0.570" ball before & after

Entrance hole

 

[BerksCoflinter]

Good to see you back here, Mark. Thanks again for your help with my 24 gauge fowler load. I never had a chance at a spring gobbler, but I felt confident my load of #6's would hammer one within my 25 yard limit. Thanks!

 

[Mark Kw]

Berks,

Luckily I've been busy ... or is that dizzy? Well something or other building some high-tech modern stock blanks and working on my underhammer actions in between trying to keep the house and vehicle duct taped together. LOL

Glad I was about to help with the 24ga! I knew you'd like it.

 

[10der222]

Thanks for the constructive pointers to those who offerred(LOGGY AND MARK).To those who just want to call me a liar,oh well.My BIL saw the deer after it was skinned and the entrance hole and exit hole were the same size.There was no expansion of this ball.Now did you guys ever hear of a production rifle bullet failing?Stuff happens,just so happens the RB hit no ribs on either side and passed straight through.I don't make posts to get into arguments but some of you guys would have it no other way.

Rick,I'll drop a box of the RB's off at the Lewistown plant sometime this week.

 

[Bunky]

Weird things do happen! I dont think you will find many here are the argumentative type----just a bunch of good ol boys who will bust your chops and sometimes pick one anothers brain...all in fun.

 

[Loggy]

Thanks for the constructive pointers to those who offerred(LOGGY AND MARK).To those who just want to call me a liar,oh well.My BIL saw the deer after it was skinned and the entrance hole and exit hole were the same size.There was no expansion of this ball.Now did you guys ever hear of a production rifle bullet failing?Stuff happens,just so happens the RB hit no ribs on either side and passed straight through.I don't make posts to get into arguments but some of you guys would have it no other way.

Rick,I'll drop a box of the RB's off at the Lewistown plant sometime this week.

Thanks 10der222 for the compliment!

This is whats its all about sharing our experiences & learning from each other!

 

[burk313]

The deer that went a half a mile was probably not shot through the lungs,he never recovered. These new powders such as 777 make our muzzleloaders faster then a 45-70.Also if you hunt on a steep mountain side and shoot at a deer it is like shooting out of a treestand and your muzzleloader will shoot high.You must compensate for this by aiming very low on the animal.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Now Now loggy, I know what a 45-70 with 65 grains of 3fg, a 1/8 inch grease cookie and a 500 grain Ideal 457-125 bullet fired from an 1884 Trapdoor will do. It will carry its energy quite a bit farther than most of those 240 grain inline bullets, even when starting out at 65% of the speed.