Black Powder Moose hunt

[Bcheney6]

My dad and I are working on our first moose hunt in Ninilchik AK this September, we are taking 58 and 62 cal jaegers. Wondering about powder load and conical vs roundball suggestions.

 

[wildwilderness]

Moose are big, I would go conical bullet for sure. You will get more energy transfer with the bigger bullet and higher Sectional Density. Round balls became obsolete (except for nostalgia) in the 1800’s with the invention of conicals

At least moose are not as tough as elk, but they can still absorb lead.

 

[CoHiCntry]

There’s a whole bunch of traditional muzzleloader hunters that would disagree with your assessment that “round balls are obsolete”

 

[MThuntr]

Moose are big, I would go conical bullet for sure. You will get more energy transfer with the bigger bullet and higher Sectional Density. Round balls became obsolete (except for nostalgia) in the 1800’s with the invention of conicals

At least moose are not as tough as elk, but they can still absorb lead.

There are a significant number of muzzleloaders, old and new, that have rifling specifically designed for round balls. I agree moose react differently to being shot than elk.

My dad and I are working on our first moose hunt in Ninilchik AK this September, we are taking 58 and 62 cal jaegers. Wondering about powder load and conical vs roundball suggestions.

Have you ever used these rifles before? What are your rifling twist rates?

The manufacturer should have load info and will have a suggested "max" loads which will likely be hotter than you need but that will help.

 

[wildwilderness]

There’s a whole bunch of traditional muzzleloader hunters that would disagree with your assessment that “round balls are obsolete”

I understand your statement that's why I qualified it with nostalgia. Heck I prefer to hunt with a bow and arrow, which muzzleloaders made obsolete......

 

[HighUintas]

If you have a slowish twist barrel and a fatter breech like jaegers are supposed to, I'd just load as much BP in there as will give you your desired accuracy and rock the round ball.

My experience level is restricted to reading a lot of traditional ML info. I don't own one haha

 

[sveltri]

I shot my CO Shiras bull this year with a 270 grain powerbelt. Its the only animal I've shot with a muzzle-loader, so I am by no means an expert. Shot was 60 yds, took the moose close to 10 mins to expire and I was able to find the bullet just outside the offside lung. Retained bullet weight was 171 grains. I borrowed the gun and shot a couple times prior to season, I had planned on hunting the entire season with my recurve. If I had it to do over again I definitely would have experimented with a higher powder charge, I believe what I used was an 80 grain charge.

 

[dugedug]

What Jaegers are they (custom, kits, Pedersoli, etc.)? What is the twist rate and barrel length? Typically, a twist rate for PRB is not going to perform well with conicals and vise-versa. Most Jaegers are designed for PRBs and will not perform well with conicals as the design is 17th to late 18th century (caveat is a new manuf. like Pedersoli or a T/C Hawken hybrid). Either way, for a load you are going to have to build the load for each rifle. There could be a 5gr. or more difference between like rifles/calibers... starting point rule-of-thumb is your caliber in grains as the low end to being with and work your way up. When groups start loosening up you back off 5grs.

 

[LASTINLINE]

a .58 round ball has performed a few bang flops for me on deer. dont think there would be any issues with moose. always wanted to try those 555gr. Maxi balls but i have a 1-70 twist. so i stick with Hornady .570 round balls.things i tried this year and helped a bit with accuracy was using am unlubed wool felt wad over the powder to seal the gas and keep powder dry and a thicker patch around.020 and liquid wrench for patch lube. best of luck whatever you use!

 

[FLATHEAD]

Not many hunts cooler than a Moose hunt with traditional Muzzy gear shooting roundballs.

 

[Bcheney6]

There are a significant number of muzzleloaders, old and new, that have rifling specifically designed for round balls. I agree moose react differently to being shot than elk.


Have you ever used these rifles before? What are your rifling twist rates?

The manufacturer should have load info and will have a suggested "max" loads which will likely be hotter than you need but that will help.

I personally haven't yet but my dad has killed elk deer and antelope with the .58 cal and round ball. I know the one rifle has tighter rifling the other but not sure of the twist rate ill have to do some research on that. Thanks!

 

[Bcheney6]

I shot my CO Shiras bull this year with a 270 grain powerbelt. Its the only animal I've shot with a muzzle-loader, so I am by no means an expert. Shot was 60 yds, took the moose close to 10 mins to expire and I was able to find the bullet just outside the offside lung. Retained bullet weight was 171 grains. I borrowed the gun and shot a couple times prior to season, I had planned on hunting the entire season with my recurve. If I had it to do over again I definitely would have experimented with a higher powder charge, I believe what I used was an 80 grain charge.

Awesome, we played around with powder load a little and it seems about 120 is max its wasn't burning all of. Normally id take a bow but id like to shoot 100 yards if I get the opportunity.

 

[FrontierGander]

I shot my CO Shiras bull this year with a 270 grain powerbelt. Its the only animal I've shot with a muzzle-loader, so I am by no means an expert. Shot was 60 yds, took the moose close to 10 mins to expire and I was able to find the bullet just outside the offside lung. Retained bullet weight was 171 grains. I borrowed the gun and shot a couple times prior to season, I had planned on hunting the entire season with my recurve. If I had it to do over again I definitely would have experimented with a higher powder charge, I believe what I used was an 80 grain charge.

A higher powder charge would have screwed you more than anything. You used a deer bullet on a moose. Way to light of a powerbelt for moose.

 

[sveltri]

A higher powder charge would have screwed you more than anything. You used a deer bullet on a moose. Way to light of a powerbelt for moose.

Well he walked 20' feet from where I shot him, bullet went through both lungs, and he died. From the research I did, I concluded that moose are not nearly as tough as elk and have lots of soft spots. Good luck on your hunts.

 

[Nykki]

It's been awhile but I have killed a couple moose with my 50 Hawken, using a maxi with 90 gr of two F. First one I shot him in the chest head on at about 40 yards, it made a mess we found the bullet in the hind quarter. Another one was broadside and was a pass through. Haven't tried any of the new bullets. Had a friend who used a 62 with a round ball and liked to shoot them through the neck.

 

[Squincher]

I killed a moose with a .570 round ball over 85 grains of 2F in 2017. The bull staggered around, went down, and was dead before I reloaded. It was a broadside shot and I found the deformed, somewhat flattened ball in the ribs on the opposite side. It was about a 60 yard shot.