Big enough for elk???

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sdporter

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
Sep 19, 2017
Messages
1,574
Reaction score
1,879
I have seen people questioning 200 yard capabilities of a muzzleloader for elk. This was sent to me this morning by a friend who was lucky enough to draw a Colorado permit for bull elk this year. This bull was 181 yards, .504 Super 91, No Excuses 460 grain and 100 gns of Pyro Select RS, open sights. You might say Thor’s hammer has fallen. It won’t let me upload a video I guess...Anyway, the gun goes off, rib cage shows an impact, and this bull drops like a rock. Yeah, a muzzleloader big enough for elk at 200 yards
 

Attachments

  • 7E9F2C64-C599-40B0-8B2B-C31C3E176592.png
    7E9F2C64-C599-40B0-8B2B-C31C3E176592.png
    202.6 KB · Views: 52
I'm a big believer in big lead for elk in muzzleloaders. I'm using a .458 405 gr. Remington bullet designed for the .45-70, and 115 gr. 777. I've dropped 3 out of 4 in their tracks. Several of those were shot at 200 meters. We went to light bullets for trajectory. Now that we have rangefinders and ballistic reticles on our scopes, big lead makes sense. Oh yeah, we went to small bullets for recoil too. I practice on the bench with two shoulder pads. Keeps me from flinching.
 
Big lead definitely works. The way that bulls back-end dropped on impact has me suspecting a spine shot which will always drop them on the spot. None of the three bulls I have witnessed being struck by 460g bullets, at much closer range, have dropped like that. But all three were broadside and double lung hits...Furthest one got 100 yards or so after impact.
 
181 yards with open sights... I would be lucky to hit the mountain. Great shot!
This is the sight he is using. Said he loves it. I can’t see the front bead any longer so on an open sight only hunt, I’d be doomed or at least limited to less than 100 yards.....
 

Attachments

  • 2011393F-3AB8-409F-A6CE-90D618036742.jpeg
    2011393F-3AB8-409F-A6CE-90D618036742.jpeg
    76.7 KB · Views: 32
This is the sight he is using. Said he loves it. I can’t see the front bead any longer so on an open sight only hunt, I’d be doomed or at least limited to less than 100 yards.....
Wow that looks pretty nice
 
Did he say where the shot hit I can’t really tell , maybe someone with better eyes can
Looks to me like a little higher and back , a little back on the chest . Appears to me like it was arching downward and hit a rib too . Hope i got it right for you !!!
 
Looks to me like a little higher and back , a little back on the chest . Appears to me like it was arching downward and hit a rib too . Hope i got it right for you !!!
I think you’re right. You can see the muscles bunch right there as the bullet hits.
 
Obviously the bullet or parts thereof, at least tickled the spine. He dropped like a sack of taters!

I've killed bull elk and deer with 415 - 440 grain lead conicals over 80 gr VOLUME Triple Se7en and Blackhorn 209 in my NEF 1:28 twist .502" bore from 30 - 170 yards with peep sights. Back when I could still see, that is!

I use the 460 - 495 grain bullets in my .504 White.

Nothing like hearing that "THWACK" report back to ya.

I shoot mostly saboted bullets with Blackhorn 209
in scoped rifles, nowadays.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top