absolute minimum powder charge?

[buckslayer]

i know this is not an every day question, but i hunt fairly close to anti hunters houses and want to keep my presence as little known as possible toavoid any problems. i am a dedicated bow hunter but the muzzleloading bug has bit me and being close (but legal distance) from their houses, noise is my number one priority.  i will be hunting from a box blind with the muzzle inside of the blind (plenty of ear protection on) too keep the noise to the minimum.  VA laws say 50 grains of powder is the legal minimum, so working up from 50 gr, what do yall think the ethical minimum would be to cleanly kill a smallish va deer (70-125 lbs)?  i hunt in REALLY thick brush and shots will definitly be under 30 yards.  absolutly no farther.  bullets will be moderatly expanding to help with penatration and the shoulder blade will be avoided at all cost.  broadside and slightly quatering shots only.  so what would the minimum powder charge be considering all these circumstances?  thanks!

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

70 grains with a 295 grain powerbelt is damn deadly. I dont like the though of using 50 grains powder. Just doesnt seem good to me.

If the anti's give you any trouble, simply call the DOW, or whatever your rangers are called and report it. They will handle those bunny huggers and slap them with a big ticket the next time they cause any trouble.

[rickyp]

If you are 100% legal (and you should be) do not worry about the anti. You are doing nothing wrong and doing what is legal. So Be proud of being a hunter.
if they confront you stand your ground but be polite  and let them you you are with in your rights and working with in the laws. If they still are nasty call the game warden Most states have laws protecting hunters with anti harassing laws.

If you are close to the house 50 grs of powder won't sound much different then 90.The shot  will still bring attention to you.

You need to be more concerned with finding a load that works well in your M.L. then with not Pissing off an Anti hunter.

Sorry to be so harsh I have been there and done that.
I hunt right next to a few anti hunters and one even lived on the farm I hunted as a renter.  the one on the next property over she would ride her ATV up and down her driveway all day during hunting season trying to run the deer away. One day I ran into her and I thanked her she said for what I told her for running the deer right to me. the look on her face was priceless and she stooped riding the ATV.
On another day The renter called the DRN police on me saying I didn't have permission to hunt. Well the DNR police officer came looked in the window of my truck and saw my name, cell phone number and a copy of the permission slip. he went to her door  and I could hear load and clear what the DNR officer told her " It is deer season, he does have permission to hunt and I am not going to bother him" she was pissed and started letting her two rotwilers run loose on the farm. One day she came to me when I was getting ready to go out saying she hopes her dogs keep the deer away from me. I explained to her under the landowners orders I am to shoot any dogs, cats, foxes and other animals that can attach his ducks. I explained this to her and I told her I will shoot her dogs on sight as Farrel dogs and under the landowners orders. The dogs stopped running loose and as soon as her lease was up the land owner tossed her.

[Busta]

I agree with the other guys, if you are hunting legally there is nothing to worry about. If they harass you call the DNR, we have hunter harassment laws here, I hope you do to.

Like rickyp stated, the human ear wont be able to detect any difference between a 50 grain charge and a 90 grain charge. Find the load your rifle likes and you will only have to shoot once anyways, the deer deserve to be killed as quickly as possible.

If you are only shooting 30 yards max and want to be quiet, why not use your bow if it is legal to use during your firearms seasons. I know that is not what you want to hear, but it don't get much quieter than that.

[Semisane]

And whatever you do, DO NOT shoot with the muzzle inside of a box blind.

[wiley]

+1 on what Semi said! It gets real polluted inside a blind from the smoke and the hole in the side of the blind don't help accuracy!!
Wiley

[Double 30]

For 5 years now my daughter and I have been cleanly killing deer with 40gr of 3f T7 and a T/c Cheap shot sabot.Muzzle velocity ( chronoed) is 1375 fps with excellent accuracy.We've taken deer from 15 feet to 115 yeads and all but 2 have been pass throughs.None have required second shot and the farthest any went after the hit was 70 yards.That one was a 225lb 8 pointer.If state law mandates 50gr your velocity with a 250gr bullet will be mid 1500's with T7 and you'll be fine.If you want to use jacketed bullets then I'd use .44 or .45 Hornady XTP's ( not the mag .45's).You dont need 1/2 a can of powder to kill a deer.Recoil and muzzleblast will not be an issue.

[30-06man]

If you use a ML inside of the Box Blind the sound will not be your only problems. Don't do it. If you are the correct distance from the Anti's house and following all laws and they confront you on your land then they are trespassing along with any other laws they will break. Go let them go hug a cow and eat their tofo junk and don't worry about them while you are huntin. As far as power goes depending on what you use 70grains and a good sabot will be a heck of a combo for your ranges. I wouldn't even mount a scope for your needs.

[SuperKirby]

As long as you can hit what you're shooting at, they aren't going to know you're even out there until after the shot, so why does it matter?  By then, isn't it a little late for them to come running out to save poor Bambi or whatever it is they do?

[vabowhntr]

For 5 years now my daughter and I have been cleanly killing deer with 40gr of 3f T7 and a T/c Cheap shot sabot.Muzzle velocity ( chronoed) is 1375 fps with excellent accuracy.We've taken deer from 15 feet to 115 yeads and all but 2 have been pass throughs.None have required second shot and the farthest any went after the hit was 70 yards.That one was a 225lb 8 pointer.If state law mandates 50gr your velocity with a 250gr bullet will be mid 1500's with T7 and you'll be fine.If you want to use jacketed bullets then I'd use .44 or .45 Hornady XTP's ( not the mag .45's).You dont need 1/2 a can of powder to kill a deer.Recoil and muzzleblast will not be an issue.

What gun is this in?  Those cheapshots do work well at lower velocities, don't they?