.45 vs .50 caliber ?

[Bobby5]

I was curious the advantages and disadvantages to each caliber?.45 and .50 Which caliber should I go with? I know a .50 would make a bigger hole but you what’s the advantages of the .45? Thanks

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I think there are as many good bullet options for the 45 as there are for the 50. i shoot 45 almost exclusively and cast my own bullets in a few different weights. If I'm buying sabots then the problem is that most guys around here shoot 50 so that's all the local gun stores carry. Buying sabots usually means getting them online, not a big deal. I feel that I get better performance from a 45. IMO range/trajectory is better and stopping power is essentially the same.

 

[GM54-120]

Only thing a 45cal cant do is shoot a 50cal bullet. It can however shoot a 45cal bullet without a sabot and at a little more speed with the same amount of powder. Most 50cals today are a 1-28 which is going to be a bit too slow for longer high BC 40 or 45cal bullets. There a few choices in faster twist 45s that will handle these longer bullets.

 

[MrTom]

I have both .50 and .45 cal inlines and both kill deer very effectively for me. I'm strictly a sabot shooter and I don't play with any of the big heavy lead. Inside of my 100 yard sight-in I can't see any advantage one over the other in accuracy and as far as killing power goes they both are superb. My .45 cal shoots both a 200 grain XTP and a Barnes 196 grain into the same holes at 100 yards without any scope changes using 70 grains weighed of 209 powder. Two of my .50's will shoot 300 grain ,44 cal XTPs and Barnes 250 Xpanders into the same holes at 100 yards without any scope changes using the same 77 grains by weight of 209 powder.

Both calibers are very flexible for me. Unless you're hell bent on hunting elk and may not be able to use a .45, I see no reason a .45 won't do just as good for you as a .50.

 

[GM54-120]

Take a 460gr 45 and a 460gr 50. The 45 will have a far better sectional density and more than likely a better BC. So if you adjust down to match SD you can shoot a lighter bullet in the 45. There are some really nice 45cal conicals in the 350gr range that require very little powder to be effective inside of 150 yards. I just find 45cal to be more flexible unless 50cal is required by law. Online the sabots ect are easy to find but not so much at Wally World/Cabelas/BassPro.

 

[knightnut2000]

45cal is my FAVORITE cal. Bar Non it will do anything a 50cal will do and mostly better . Get a 45CAL you won't regret it.

 

[Sideshow]

I agree with the 5 replys above . But just to play the devils advocate i will say a few things about a 50 ok ???

The 50 does have a few cool things about it . Bore sized bullets . I LIKE big bullets from a 50 . A 1 in 28 usually will handle about a 460 to 500gr conical very well . Its big medicine for big critters . The other option is a bore riding jacketed such as a Fury 320 but it will require sizing . Same thing with Thors , Hornadays and a couple others being highly effective big time hammers .
45 cal bullets are Numerous and so are sabots to "tune" your fit in the bore. Some are for 451 to 452 bullets others are for 458 sized bullets . There are ALOT of choices here !!! Good ones too !!!
475 cal stuff are kinda overlooked but a few exsist . Many that are out there are a bit too long for 1 in 28 however .

44 cal bullets have been tried many years but recently a nice one was released by Harvester called the White Lightning , a 300gr job thats NICE !!! Quite flat shooting and effective . Very nice bullet , i like it !!!

40 cal bullets out of a 50 just dont seem to work very well at all .

The 50 is kinda the "standard" stuff thats easiest to find nearly anywhere . That can be pretty darn nice at times !!!
The most different guns too and all over the place .

My self i kinda like them all , Lol !!! One for this one for that , whew.... i am expensive !!!

Oh , recoil . The bigger the bore the bigger the kick is the general rule . Mostly i LIKE recoil......sick man . At other times i dont . I make no sense to me either.....
But there ya go , the other voice for a 50 . Either one will serve you well , besides one day you may just see another cal you just Gotta Have.....such is muzzleloading.....

 

[dwm]

Just to mess things up, 52 cal knight

 

[Sideshow]

Just to mess things up, 52 cal knight

See.....it just happens......

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I just spent the last hour casting some 45 bullets for the weekend range session.
20 -200grn fp
20 -300grn fp
10 -405grn fp
20 -346grn hp
I just have to size and lube and i have 70 bullets to shoot and only cost pennies. All but 1 from molds I got cheap cuz they're not 50's so they were unwanted.

 

[ENCORE50A]

A 45cal fast twist will put the smack down on any 50cal for accuracy. 2¢

 

[Sideshow]

A 45cal fast twist will put the smack down on any 50cal for accuracy. 2¢

My 50 Rem uml 1 in 26 barrel i put on the knight bk92 shoots better than most 50s . I get just under an inch with its best load of 140grV bh209 with a barnes 460xpb bullet 275gr . Thats pretty good but truly better than most 50s are able to give . A 1 in 20 45 cal is capable of better . I think slicking/polishing up my bore helped a great deal probably . I romanced it after it was machined to fit the knight so i can only assume this . Shines like a chromed bumper inside !!! Lol !!! Look good to me !!! Not so sure deer like it much.......

 

[ENCORE50A]

My 50 Rem uml barrel i put on the knight bk92 shoots better than most 50s . I get just under an inch with its best load of 140grV bh209 with a barnes 460xpb bullet 275gr . Thats pretty good but truly better than most 50s are able to give . A 1 in 20 45 cal is capable of better . I think slicking/polishing up my bore helped a great deal probably . I romanced it after it was machined to fit the knight so i can only assume this . Shines like a chromed bumper inside !!! Lol !!! Look good to me !!! Not so sure deer like it much.......

The 50cal Lothar Walther barrel on what used to be my UF shot excellent, but it wouldn't hold a candle to a fast twist 45cal, which is why I don't own it anymore. I'm not saying I'm DONE with 50cal rifles, but I would never intentionally purchase another expecting extreme accuracy. Actually, according to my wife I'm likely DONE purchasing new rifles LOL

 

[Idaholewis]

Shooting Lead Conicals. I prefer my Fast Twist 45s due to the Extra Weight of the Rifle, especially in 1” Barrel Sidelocks (Less Recoil) As a Bullet Caster i have a Small Mountain of Bullet molds for .45 Cal that range in Weight from 200 Grains to 550 Grains. My .50 Cals Kick me Harder with the Same weight Bullet. If thinking of Shooting a Fast Twist .50 Cal to Longer Ranges, When you do the Math on Bullet length needed for Stability, Length to Weight Ratio the .50 Cal Bullets get HEAVY

As for accuracy, My .50 LRH will shoot with ANY of my .45s ANY Ole Day! My 1:28 Twist .50 Cal is one of the Most Accurate Muzzleloaders i own, And i own a Bunch of these things. I simply prefer my .45s due to less Recoil

 

[Sideshow]

The 50cal Lothar Walther barrel on what used to be my UF shot excellent, but it wouldn't hold a candle to a fast twist 45cal, which is why I don't own it anymore. I'm not saying I'm DONE with 50cal rifles, but I would never intentionally purchase another expecting extreme accuracy. Actually, according to my wife I'm likely DONE purchasing new rifles LOL

See how they ARE !!!! Regular party -- poopers !!!! Lol !!!

 

[Dave951]

I'm going to muddy the waters even further-

Why not a 58? My Parker Hale Musketoon is a sub 2moa gun that shoots a 400gr minie and it can also shoot 570 roundball. Go big or go home baby! and yea, I gots a 69cal too!

 

[ENCORE50A]

See how they ARE !!!! Regular party -- poopers !!!! Lol !!!

At some point during our return trip from TC, the wife asked me if I thought the new tubes would work, which started the conversation.
At the end of the conversation, her last question was, "Do you have $10,000 wrapped up in that rifle yet?" I felt the need to change the subject

 

[Sideshow]

At some point during our return trip from TC, the wife asked me if I thought the new tubes would work, which started the conversation.
At the end of the conversation, her last question was, "Do you have $10,000 wrapped up in that rifle yet?" I felt the need to change the subject

Oh boy.....thats not good.......a math-a-magican with fun police questions.....dam good time to change the subject !!!!!

 

[MrTom]

One really need to determine if he's referring to long range shooters or just the very day, garden variety of under 100 yards deer hunter when jaw jacking on accuracy. Two wholly different needs for both calibers. My 50s and 45 shoot as good as ANY high end gun at 100 yards with the bullets, sabots and charges I have put together. Now 300 yards, I couldn't begin to tell anyone where they group but I know I can ring the 300 yard gong with both 50 an 45 cals. I do not shoot at deer at that range. Accuracy is only relevant to the distance you're going to depend on it. For me that's 100 yards, maybe a random longer shot out to 150 or thereabouts, but I know where the gun shoots at the 150. Is it at the same accuracy level at 150 as it is at 100? No, of course not. but its plenty to kill a deer. My 100 yard clover-leaf groups from both the 45 and the 50's will keep pace with anyone's high-dollar gun, but what theirs does beyond 100 is totally irrelevant to me. So 45 or 50? Either one. Know your gun, know your load, and have total confidence in yourself. And all of my hunting guns are CVA with plugs converted to vent liner use and 209 powder. Like my weighed powder charges, consistency between guns is an element I pay close attention to and because of that I get excellent accuracy in guns that too many of you laugh at.

 

[UtahJimmy]

Thanks for starting this thread. I was thinking this the other day as I'm having decision paralysis on exactly what to buy in my first ML. Looks like I should start with a 45!