How Far is too Far for a Muzzleloader?

[LFM]

Seems that I continue to read that most inline muzzleloaders are good to 100 yards maybe 125 but that is pushing it. Seems that the makers of most make suggestions otherwise but that is perfect conditions and seems we never have that while out hunting. The wind drift, being the projectile is more subject to drifting off that makes them subsceptable to not going the distance of the "200" yard that many manufacturers market theirs as capable of.

What are most here max distance and what is the farther distance you have taken a deer at with your preferred Muzzleloader and what sabot or projectile was used as well as powder used and how much was used...

I am looking at 80 yards as the best distance but we all know deer never offer us the shot we are looking for the fartherest is 120 yards. But that is if everything goes right but the wind never seems to work...

Just wondering since I seem to get the muzzleloading bug right after Rifle season ends though I have taken my Muzzleloader out for rifle have yet to see a deer to break it in...

Thanks for any info...

LFM

 

[Patrick White]

Straight from my log book. All ML kills.

35 yds.
20 yds.
20 yds.
201 yds. Not a typo. Laser verified at 201 yds. I was prepared for this shot. Practiced a lot before the season with a Ballistic type reticle and knew the drop. No wind. Passed another at 230 yards because I didn't know the drop at 230.
60 yds.
120 yds.
100 yds.
50 yds.
85 yds.
50 yds.
100 yds.
25 yds.
80 yds.
75 yds.

 

[03mossy]

the more practice the better. right now i am confident out to 150yards. eventually i hope to be confident out to 200yards. the main thing is if you feel that you can make a clean ethical kill at whatever distance go for it.

 

[jbargers]

In my omega with my hunting load (300gr SW 120gr 2F T7) Sighted in 3" high at 100 yards It drops 11" below point of aim at 200 yards. that is a total drop of 14" At 250 there is an aditional drop of another 7", for a total of 21". Mind you that that is only 50 yards and it drops 7 more inches. :shock: That is a lot in just 50 yards. I am confident in my ability to make shots at 200 considering the conditions of the shot. I would not attempt any farther. In my opinion the ability to make those long shots lies far more on the shooter and not how many pellets you loaded. The deer doesnt care how fast your bullet was going, or how far it dropped.

Oh my longest kill is 110 yards. FWIW my longest centerfire kill is 150, a shot i could had easily made with my ML. :lol:

 

[Spitpatch]

Most people who know how to handle their gun and know it's trajectory, could take shots to 200 yards given the right conditions. But it's all relative to the rest your using, your mental state of mind, how cold you are...etc.

I had a guy shoot and become familiar with my Elite that missed a clear 100 yard shot at a large buck because he had buck fever and was visibly quaking in his boots when he pulled off the shot.

100-200 on the bench is TOTALLY different than 100-200 in the blind or tree stand.

 

[jbargers]

100-200 on the bench is TOTALLY different than 100-200 in the blind or tree stand.[/quote

Amen to that. Just because the gun can do it, does not mean the shooter can.

 

[Anonymous]

LFM

I have taken deer from 10yds to 165yds with my ML BUT if you want to be able to shoot long distances you have to practice , practice , practice for the longer shots.

As far as the killing capeab. of a ML 200yds is not out of the Question with the right Bullet - powder charge - gun - and conditions , But remmember that most of the deer killed is under 100yds.

Ron G.

 

[Patrick White]

100-200 on the bench is TOTALLY different than 100-200 in the blind or tree stand.

Exactly. The bench is good for figuring drop but you have to be able to make the shot from field positions and using the rest you use in the field.

 

[RAF]

One thing to keep in mind. Recorded drop of the bullet at the bench is going to be different that the drop you will experience shooting from a tree stand. The drop will be the same but you going to shoot higher because of you elevated position. An example. I shoot a savage and have it zeroed at 100 yds. I was shooting from a ground blind which I built on a hill, so for all intents and purposes I was shooting from an elevated position. I shot a buck at 165 yds. It was about 10 feet lower than me. The POI was where I aimed.

 

[Patrick White]

One thing to keep in mind. Recorded drop of the bullet at the bench is going to be different that the drop you will experience shooting from a tree stand. The drop will be the same but you going to shoot higher because of you elevated position. An example. I shoot a savage and have it zeroed at 100 yds. I was shooting from a ground blind which I built on a hill, so for all intents and purposes I was shooting from an elevated position. I shot a buck at 165 yds. It was about 10 feet lower than me. The POI was where I aimed.

You'll see more diference up close than you will from further away. There's a formula to figure this. a2+b2=c2

If you know a and c then you subtract to find b. c2-a2=b2

If a is 15 feet and c is 600 feet (200 yds)

15x15=225 , 600x600=360,000. subtract 225 from 360000 and you get 359,775. Find the square root of that. (invert the square button on the calc.) Fyi it's 599.81 and a whole lot of decimal places after that. I rounded to the hundredth. Roughly 200 yards.

Using the same stand of 15 feet you spot an animal at 375 ft. (125 yards).

15x15 is still 225. 275 x 375 = 140,625. Subtract 225 and you get 140400 or 374.70 feet or 124.9 yards.

The higher the stand and the closer the distance will increase the difference in aiming points.

Taking it to the extreme, 40 foot stand and a 60 ft. (30 yard) animal. Aim as if you were 44.72 feet or 14.91 yards.

Unless you are in super hilly terrain a rifle will hit pretty close to the aiming point if you know your drop at a certain range. Bow hunters see the large differences because they are at close range in high stands.

If you hunt those high elevations and frequently shoot great angles up or down then either buy a rangefinder that calculates true ballistic range. :wink:

 

[LFM]

I hunt from a enclosed Rifle Blind and it is about 18 to 20 feet uphill and it is 120 yards maximum straight down front but to the left a shooting lane is 150 yards though I would not shoot that far if one comes in unless it is a good buck but I would try and wait and hope it moves closer. I just looking for what is more of the norm for those that do a lot more shooting and hunting with a muzzleloader.

Just wondering if I do get a shot I need to be patient and squeeze the trigger and be surprise when it goes off instead of possible jerking the trigger. And wait for the best broadside shot for a good kill shot...

Thanks guys a little more tech that I am but still all good info...

I am off to hunting...

LFM

 

[Underclocked]

Patrick, you forget to run a vector analysis of the force of gravity at the different angles. :lol:

 

[Patrick White]

Patrick, you forget to run a vector analysis of the force of gravity at the different angles. :lol:

:lol: