|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 624
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 624 |
Dan,
Good evening,
Simply trying trying to decide between a Lyman GPR and a GPH. I was asking for input from people that have had experience with PRBs and elk size critters. If you have such experience, your input would be appreciated. I think .54 balls are big enough.
Patrick If you want a fast twist bore, buy a break-action inline instead. No moving action-parts exposed - more weatherproof - easier to ignite - no permanent/blocked breech....etc....etc.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,184 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,184 Likes: 1 |
One, the smallest was a yearling doe I shot with a .45 Kentucky and 60gr of fffg real black. The others were using Hornady.490 swaged lead balls and 90gr of 2f Pyrodex. A couple were shoulder shots and one was perfectly broadside through the ribs.
None of them went anywhere but down, but none of them were 600lb bull elk either. Do as you wish, I was just sharing my experience using PRBs. Remember that elk are not only bigger they are heavier boned and IME much tougher.
And yes I would expect a .58 to shoot through a couple feet of deer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251 |
how the folks hundreds of years ago cleared the eastern forests of all elk and buff'ler with puny lead balls is a strange mystery.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,184 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,184 Likes: 1 |
No mystery, they just shot another one if they couldn't find the first. Ever read the Lewis and Clark journal, specifically the part where they shoot the grizzlies full of holes and have hair raising adventures getting them killed? Grizzlies have much lighter bones than your average elk.
I'm not saying you cannot kill elk with a PRB, I know that scads of them have fallen to said projectiles over the years. As I said before, I related my experiences using them and why I hold a low opinion of same when compared with other projectiles.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251 |
yeah and when you are [bleep] your pants & running at the same time, its normally not going to be a fatal shot
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251 |
But really in truth, folks back then had to know how to shoot and how to place their shot. If you couldn't shoot, you went hungry. They didn't do those fancy long range shots that hunters today do. They learned how to stalk and how to make a sure shot on the game they hunted.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
Never shot an elk with a PRB but I've shot several whitetails with them and never had one exit. These are not big deer either, 60-110# dressed. Didn't instill a lot of confidence as far as using PRBs for bigger game. Maybe use harder balls? That's weird. I've shot 6 whitetails with prb's and haven't caught one yet. That includes one adult doe punched through both shoulders. My load is 75 grs. Goex fffg under a .490" Hornady swaged ball. I've shot a few deer with a .490 rb and 80 grains of pyrodex. I hit one buck perfectly in the ribs, broadside at 30 yards. No exit, no blood, and he ran off 250-300 yards before he fell. Didn't find him until the next morning. That was enough for me to switch to conicals.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3 |
I punched one broadside through both lungs with a 12 gauge Brenneke slug once and it ran 250 yards with no blood trail. Shot another through the lungs with 40 gr. HP out of a .22WMR and it only went 40 yards before it fell. That one exited too. There are no guarantees and the next .490 ball I put into a deer may very well not exit. I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 624
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 624 |
Truth be told, we just don't know. I too have seen deer drop using a 22 LR and another run away scot-free after being hit by Winchester 12 gauge sabot/slug. Strange creature those deer are. Seen another run dead for about 30 yards, right towards me. His eyes were dead as a door knob, then ran smack into a Oak tree trunk at full speed, the only tree in that wide open field. Guess I killed him twice....
Last edited by Triple_Se7en; 07/22/15.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it. Me either. That's why I use conicals.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
...... then ran smack into a Oak tree trunk at full speed, the only tree in that wide open field. I had one do that once, but he ran into a Ponderosa Pine. Left it covered with blood, he was dead on his feet. Went back to where the shot was taken and there was lung tissue and blood blown all over the sage for 15 feet past where he was standing. Hit him with a 350 grain conical......
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,404
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,404 |
Not an elk, but a .530 ball with 85 grs. 3f Goex dropped this one where she stood. Ball went in the shoulder and exited in the rib cage. Go figure. (Davis triggers work well in a GPR)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 325
Campfire Member
|
OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 325 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3 |
I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it. Me either. That's why I use conicals. And the next deer you shoot with a conical may go 250 yds. without leaving a blood trail, even if it does exit.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251 |
This 300gr conical exited. Notice whats plugging the exit hole?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 80
Campfire Greenhorn
|
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 80 |
If you want a fast twist bore, buy a break-action inline instead. No moving action-parts exposed - more weatherproof - easier to ignite - no permanent/blocked breech....etc....etc. [/quote]
May not be legal for elk in some states, no exposed ignition.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,251 |
most muzzy companies now have break action inlines with #11 or musket cap ignition.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,017
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,017 |
To increase penetration with a roundball, Hornady made a ball called hardball out of harder lead. I don't know if it's still being made.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it. Me either. That's why I use conicals. And the next deer you shoot with a conical may go 250 yds. without leaving a blood trail, even if it does exit. You shoot em with what you want, I'm not telling you otherwise. I'll do the same. It's a whole lot more likely that a slow-moving 177 grain rb will do what you said than it is a 350-grainer will.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,242 Likes: 3 |
Absolutely agreed. I'll likely find my deer anyways, exit wound or blood trail or not.
|
|
|
|
653 members (16penny, 007FJ, 160user, 10ring1, 10gaugeman, 10Glocks, 70 invisible),
2,655
guests, and
1,401
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,213
Posts18,485,479
Members73,966
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|