question about flintlock hunting

[Deleted]

--I never hunted with one-- a round ball when shot from a flintlock-- does it kill from shock like a center fire or hemorrhage like an arrow or both??

[Muab Dib]

I'm not being smart here tbo2, but I'm guess'n a little bit of both...hit it right and that little round ball will do the job. Not as fast as most high powered center fire rifles but a heck of a lot faster then an arrow. A hit in the vitals is always the key.

Muab

[Deleted]

I was just kinda wondering--I didn't do any internet research, figured I'd get more info from the site-- I didn't think a solid round ball would do that much tissue damage unless it was a lung or heart hit.

[cspot]

Dec 31, 2013 17:38:47 GMT -5 @tbo2 said:

I was just kinda wondering--I didn't do any internet research, figured I'd get more info from the site-- I didn't think a solid round ball would do that much tissue damage unless it was a lung or heart hit.

Is it ethical to hunt with one? stirthepot

Only shot a couple with a roundball. In my experience they didn't do the damage that a centerfire rifle would, but it is more than adequate to kill a deer.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 17:17:03 GMT -5 @tbo2 said:

--I never hunted with one-- a round ball when shot from a flintlock-- does it kill from shock like a center fire or hemorrhage like an arrow or both??

Tom...you load-up a roundball properly it will hit as hard & be as much as devastating(killwise) as any other lead projectile per comparable FPS.

I have killed tons of deer with the rb with none offering any refusal plus a 300LB TN Hog which dropped in its tracks.


Main thing is to spend a lot of time pre-season shooting to properly understand ur own personal shooting limitations plus getting to know your gun. Many just go out one or times to prep albeit why they unjustifiably get so frustrated. Really a shame so many don't benefit from such an efficient/deadly weapon due to their lack of preparation!

Bottomline...a roundball kills like a 10 ton hammer if u know how to swing it!!

[Muab Dib]

Bottomline...a roundball kills like a 10 ton hammer if u know how to swing it!!

And all God's children say...Amen!

Muab

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 18:21:18 GMT -5 Muab Dib said:

Bottomline...a roundball kills like a 10 ton hammer if u know how to swing it!!

And all God's children say...Amen!

Muab

Only if your discipleship included training in how to properly swing a hammer!

[Deleted]

thanks guys-- good info to start my quest for my first Flintlock deer next season. thumbsup

[Deleted]

I use hollow point sabots or conicals. They hit like a 100 ton hammer, transfering the energy into the target as a bullet should.
Have taken many deer with round balls, just prefer the sabots now.

[Deleted]

I use hollow point sabots or conicals. They hit like a 100 ton hammer, transfering the energy into the target as a bullet should.
Have taken many deer with round balls, just prefer the sabots now.

[Deleted]

I was loaned one and it took me 3 days at the range (last Thursday, Friday, and yesterday) to feel comfortable. I'm going out this week but you can be sure any shot I take will be pretty clear and close. No monkey business for sure.

I can't imagine what war was like with these back in the day. But it is very satisfying to shoot.

[dennyf]

I'm with the guy that repeats hisself.

Switched to maxi hunters in my old 45 cal. T/C Hawken years ago. Pretty much a wadcutter w/a bit of a dome on the front end. And I shoot saboted HP pistol bullets in that stubby Traditions 50 cal. abomination.

Had a guy at our club jump on me about the maxi hunters some years ago, when he spotted that yeller box on the range bench. He said they won't shoot in that rifle because of the twist. Then I pointed out two of 'em within two inches of each other on the 50 yard target.

Buddy of mine that's been into muzzle loaders for over 40 years, still shoots patched round balls for deer in his long rifles and has taken dozens and dozens over the years.

[dalesholder]

Dec 31, 2013 18:59:06 GMT -5 @tbo2 said:

thanks guys-- good info to start my quest for my first Flintlock deer next season. thumbsup

Sounds good. I took my first with a FL in the early season a couple years ago. Terrific feeling knowing that little piece of rock and a round ball of lead did the job as good as it did. looking forward to seeing your success pics.

[Deleted]

Hey Dale...I remember a few years back on one of our flinter hunts where you scared the hell out of a yote with ur flinter & vaguely remember you scaring a deer below me as i whutched your smoke cloud rise above the trees!! Glad ya finally connected on one!!

[dougell]

Dec 31, 2013 17:23:16 GMT -5 Muab Dib said:

I'm not being smart here tbo2, but I'm guess'n a little bit of both...hit it right and that little round ball will do the job. Not as fast as most high powered center fire rifles but a heck of a lot faster then an arrow. A hit in the vitals is always the key.

Muab

I respectfully disagree.A sharp BH is every bit as effective as a centerfire and more effective than a rounball.

[Muab Dib]

You're right dougell; A BH may have a bit more "umph" then a standard RB, but this is what I said in my post and I gotta stand by it.


"....hit it right and that little round ball will do the job... A hit in the vitals is always the key."


Muab

[longhunter]

You have got to be kidding. More than half the deer i've shot with a round ball never left the spot they were shot. Cannot even begin to say the same for archery deer. Go shoot a gallon jug filled with water @ 25yards with a bow now shoot another with a 50 cal round ball pushed by a 90 to 100 gr load and when you are done picking up the pieces of jug just shot with the roundball. Tell me which one hits harder or to use your words more umph.

[bushmaster]

I'm with you longhunter, A roundball with an 80gr. load behind it has way more umph than a arrow with a BH.

[dougell]

I've seen dozens of deer get shot with round balls and only ever saw two drop on the spot unless they were shot in the neck or high in the shoulder,which breaks their spine.If they're hit through the lungs or heart,I'll put my money on the sharp BH any day of the week.

[dougell]

Jan 2, 2014 8:26:43 GMT -5 longhunter said:

You have got to be kidding. More than half the deer i've shot with a round ball never left the spot they were shot. Cannot even begin to say the same for archery deer. Go shoot a gallon jug filled with water @ 25yards with a bow now shoot another with a 50 cal round ball pushed by a 90 to 100 gr load and when you are done picking up the pieces of jug just shot with the roundball. Tell me which one hits harder or to use your words more umph.

I never used the word umph or claimed that a roundball doesn't hit harder.Killing efficiency has nothing to do with umph or how hard it hits.

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2014 8:26:43 GMT -5 longhunter said:

You have got to be kidding. More than half the deer i've shot with a round ball never left the spot they were shot. Cannot even begin to say the same for archery deer. Go shoot a gallon jug filled with water @ 25yards with a bow now shoot another with a 50 cal round ball pushed by a 90 to 100 gr load and when you are done picking up the pieces of jug just shot with the roundball. Tell me which one hits harder or to use your words more umph.

Amen LH...same experience here.

Try shooting a 300Lb plus wild boar through the armor plate with a BH...LOL. Was on a TN boar hunt with 3 very accomplished archers who all shot Matthews bows & killed hundreds of deer with them. After the 2nd day of the hunt they all were carrying their flintlocks which they brought along as a "back up"....LOL. No comparison whatsoever if you do your part. I killed a 300 LB sow with a .535 roundball through the armor plate & knocked the hog on its back. Recovered expanded roundball on far side hide. Berkscoflinter here was standing behind me & saw the shot.

[Muab Dib]

I may need to correct myself here. I was thinking Dougell was talking about maxi balls and sabots and such in the flintlock. If he was talking about broadheads (BH) well, then I disagree completely. A round ball has it all over a broad head. JMHO

Muab (who is the one who used the word "umph" )

[dougell]

I strongly disagree.Other than one gut shot deer,I haven't had a deer run out of sight in well over a decade that was shot with a bow.That isn't the case with muzzleloaders.I've killed 5 or 6 deer with patched roundballs amd three with sabots.That's not a lot of deer but I've been on hand when literally dozens have been killed with roudballs.By far,they run much farther with a roundball than they do a similarly placed shot with a sharp BH.i'M NOT DISCOUNTING A ROUNBALLS EFFECTIVENESS.They certainl can kill deer.However,they don't do it faster than a BH.

[dougell]

Jan 2, 2014 8:59:34 GMT -5 @loggy said:

Jan 2, 2014 8:26:43 GMT -5 longhunter said:

You have got to be kidding. More than half the deer i've shot with a round ball never left the spot they were shot. Cannot even begin to say the same for archery deer. Go shoot a gallon jug filled with water @ 25yards with a bow now shoot another with a 50 cal round ball pushed by a 90 to 100 gr load and when you are done picking up the pieces of jug just shot with the roundball. Tell me which one hits harder or to use your words more umph.

Amen LH...same experience here.

Try shooting a 300Lb plus wild boar through the armor plate with a BH...LOL. Was on a TN boar hunt with 3 very accomplished archers who all shot Matthews bows & killed hundreds of deer with them. After the 2nd day of the hunt they all were carrying their flintlocks which they brought along as a "back up"....LOL. No comparison whatsoever if you do your part. I killed a 300 LB sow with a .535 roundball through the armor plate & knocked the hog on its back. Recovered expanded roundball on far side hide. Berkscoflinter here was standing behind me & saw the shot.

I'm not talking about penetration although depending on what type of medium you're shooting through,it could go either way.The armor plate of a boar will grab the shaft of an arrow,impeding penetration.However,a shots through both lungs will put a deer down just as fast and in most cases faster than a similarly placed shot with a roundball.

[Deleted]

Since this is my first year out with the flinter, I have a question for you pros out there; I went out New Years Day and didn't see a deer. It was light snow and 25 degrees. A little "crunchy." Depending on how much snow this winter storm dumps in the next 24 hours (heard anywhere from 6-10" locally), thoughts on a Saturday hunt with REALLY cold temps to boot?

I know, I know... you can't hunt from your couch yada yada yada...