45 v. 50 cal

[lient]

I was looking at muzzleloaders and was wondering if there would be much defference between a 45 and a 50 cal. The specific one I was looking at was the CVA Kadiak. Gander mtn had a good sale on a 45 cal, and I was just wondering if it will have close the the same killing power as a 50. Thanks

[Scott K]

The difference is "5".

Sorry, I had to do it!

[lawdog]

For whitetails the .45 is plenty of gun. If you are going to put a scope on it to use during the rifle season, it will actually shoot a little flatter too. The .50 is probably a little more standard and some things are easier to get for it, but there is plenty of .45 stuff out there too now so I wouldn't worry about that much.

[Code-Man]

Get a 50 cal. better to have that extra bit for bigger game if you need it but there are more options in my book for a 50 cal then a 45. I wouldn't waste my time and money and get a 45. get a 50 cal, some powerbelts, and some 777 powder pellets and start fireing away.

[Jameson]

Go with the common 50 cal. Do some further investigating on the CVA. Seems I remember reading some safety concerns with them when using large loads.

Waiting for that black cloud of smoke to clear after your one shot is very cool! Good luck.

[Gissert]

If you ever plan on hunting elk, I would go with the .50 cal.

[gorrilla]

CVA's are as safe as any other brand. Check it out.

As far as the 45 goes, I've shot one for six years now and any deer I've hit with it has dropped just fine. The dbl. lung/heart shots bled well and expired within 75 yards and the neck/shoulder shots dropped in their tracks. By the way I was shooting Powerbelts and 777 pellets(Pyrodex previously). For whitetails the 45 is great, for elk or moose, I'd argue the .50 is undergunned in comparison to a .52 or .54 anyway.

[jlm]

I agree with some, the .50 is most likely the best way to go in MN. Lots of options for loads and trust me, loads can be very difficult to find at certain times of year. With no optics in MN, the flatter shooting option of the .45 really has no consideration in the comparison. If you hunting is states that allow optics, I would certainly consider the .45. Muscle it up to the .50, you will not be disappointed! Good luck!

[gorrilla]

same debate, different month

the balistics are very similar between a 45 and 50. You have a little smaller projectile, but it goes faster and creates similar knock-down power due to kinetic energy. Both are very adequate to kill deer in MN. I also saw the deal at Gander on the Kodiaks and would say that would be a fine MLoader for the money...

[GunDr]

You need to remember this...

A 50cal rifle will be shooting a .45 cal bullet, while the .45 cal will be shooting a .40 cal bullet.

Selecting the right bullet and sabot, goes a lot further with regards to performance than the caliber size. A few sabot manufacturers are now making sabots with different thicknesses to accomodate the variety of different bore sizes. All gun manufacturers may say their firearm is a .50 cal, but the actual "measured" boresize, can vary by .005"-.007"

Sorry, I got off topic a little. Looking at what's being sold now, mostly 50's, I think the .45 cal may become a dying breed. As noted by the previous gentlemen, you have many more options with a .50 caliber.

[gorrilla]

Quote:

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I think the .45 cal may become a dying breed.

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Where are you getting this from? The .45 is a relative newcomer compared to the .50, but there is no shortage or dwindling of guns or accessories anytime soon. In fact I've seen nothing but more products each year since I bought mine. Its " a horse a piece" in my mind. Get which ever one you get the best deal on for whitetails.

[koonie]

The guys I know that shoot the 45 wouldn't trade them for any 50 cal.

Any decent gun shop will have or can get you anything you need for a 45 cal. You may want to plan ahead or order early as there is more 50 cal stuff on hand than 45 cal. due to popularity.

[lient]

thanks for the input guys, I picked up the .45 Kodiak. But I still wouldnt mind hearing your input about it.

[surfs]

The other aspect of buying a 50 cal vs the 45 is that if you ever wanted to take that gun, say Colorado for Elk or something, it has to be a 50 cal. Just another aspect to getting a 50 cal, but I also know that you bought the 45 and maybe you'll never go west, but now you know.

[lient]

What do you guys use for your powder and bullet, and what are your opinions on pellets vs. loose powder.

[jlm]

Pellets are by far much easier to work with. If you are looking to spend more time shooting and want to do so without a lot of hassle, this is the only way to go. If you want to try for a more accurate load, loose powder most likely with out-perform pellets. The trade off is not worth it in my mind, pellets all the way! Good luck!

[Whoaru99]

Loose powder is MUCH cheaper to shoot than pellets. How much that adds up for you depends on how much you shoot.

Pellets certainly are more convenient, but loose powder speed loaders are fairly quick too.

Ballistically, one can tailor the loads to a much finer degree with loose powder and I think the gun is just a bit less dirty shooting loose powder too. The loading data I have also says loose powder gives more velocity than pellets for a given powder charge. Or another way to put it, is that one would have to use 100-120gr in pellets to get comparable velocity to 90gr of loose powder.

Last year I used 90gr of loose Triple Seven FFg and a 250gr Barnes Expander MZ bullet. I will be sticking with that same formula this year.

As far as bullets go, many say the Powerbelt is great, but I've not been terribly impressed especially for the price they charge for them. Probably what turned me off was some reading I did that seemed to say the belt is just a gimmic and they shoot just the same without it. Basically the article was saying that its merely a bore-sized bullet that upsets upon firing as the primary method of sealing the bore/bullet. The only "advantage" is somewhat easier loading.

If you didn't catch it, I'm partial to the Barnes Expander line.

[lient]

thanks for your input, I was thinking that i would be shooting loose powder for the same reasons that you stated, cheaper, and easier to vary.