Why so much?

[slim]

A century or so ago frontiersmen ( and women ) were shooting buffalo with .45 caliber firearms using 70 grains of blackpowder, (a.k.a...45/70 ), so why is everyone using 100 grains or more in . 50 cal frontstuffers for deer, when most deer are shot at less than 100 yds. Marketing hype? or do they kill deader than dead?

[flintlock]

I shoot 90 grains in my Knight Disc...With a 250 SST, I'm 2 1/2 inches high at 100 and 2 1/2 low at 150...It shoots plenty flat for the setups I hunt....I shoot 80 grains FF in my .54 flinter and patched ball...This loading usually shoots through a deer...When I finished this gun in 1990 I tried shooting up to 125 grains, as I got older and killed more deer with, I started reducing my loads...I finally settled on 80 grains....btw, the longest shot I have made on a deer with this load is 125 yards, and the ball went through both shoulders and the deer dropped...

Of the 10-12 inline shooters I know, none shoot over 100 grains of powder.

[Redhawk1]

Bullet construction has a lot to do with it, also the newer muzzleloader's are trying to make flatter shooting possible. The 45-70 with a 500 gr. gullet with 70 gr. of black powder is a real good killer of buffalo, deer and bear, but the trajectory is also a factor, even though shots with the 45-70 can be made out to 200 to 400 yards, again the trajectory is a big factor.

In my opinion it is not a bunch of hype, it is a fact that the new muzzleloader's with there 100 and 150 gr. powder charges are knocking on the rifle trajectory's and are more of 200 yards guns than 100 yard guns.  
So in closing, there is more to it than your observation.

[Critter]

Also a century ago the sporting powders available were cleaner, more efficent and more powerful than most available today.  Several experts that I have talked to or read compare 777 or Swiss powder to the sporting powders available in the 1800's.  We all know that 777 is hotter than Goex or Pyrodex so maybe thats why they got away with using 80 grs.

[Bullseye]

Heck I do not understand it and I must not be everyone since I only shoot 80 grs of 777 in mine and have never loaded it with more than 100 grs.

I think it is the American Way, most think that bigger, faster, etc. is better.

[huntersmurf]

The american way gets my vote. Isn't that how america grew so strong, Improve, Improve, Improve. Better, faster, bigger,stronger.

I love America!!

[SURVEYOR]

I don't know?? I was there a few years ago. Faster, fastest, more fast!!! Then I got tried of all the cleaning. More tried of all the fuss tring to push down a sabot??? I've since started shooting pure lead conicals. Now I only need 80 to 85 grains of powder wiithout having to pound that plastic down the bore. No more swabing between shots. But hey!!! Nothing wrong with zinging them fast boys down range!!!

[mangulator]

I'm with Redhawk1 on this one, bullet construction seems to be the why more hunters are going to the higher powder loads and the load are becoming more lethal at longer distances.

[yellowtail3]

A century or so ago frontiersmen ( and women ) were shooting buffalo with .45 caliber firearms using 70 grains of blackpowder, (a.k.a...45/70 ), so why is everyone using 100 grains or more in . 50 cal frontstuffers for deer, when most deer are shot at less than 100 yds. Marketing hype? or do they kill deader than dead?

Well, who doesn't like bigger, faster, better? Anyhow... I hunt with 90gr loose RS and a 240gr XTP, and just the other day used a  240gr CheapShot (which works GREAT) to kill a buck. They're $4/box of twenty, and as lethal as anything I've shot. I've yet to pass up a shot because of my modest 90gr powder load, but then I hunt mostly in the woods. I think I'm gonna switch to 300gr bullets of same design (XTP, unless TC comes out with a 300gr CheapShot) since they hold onto their velocity/energy better.

Hype... yes, there is definitely hype. There is money to be made selling $1 dollar bullets and $25/lb powder. And good for the folks making it. How many need the latest and greatest, and will harvest more deer because of it? Not near as many as buy it... but let 'em buy it.

[S.S.]

local merchants only stock 50 grain 777 pellets !!!
I use 2 and my Optima shoots very accurately with them !
No magic formula or anything 50 grains just isn't enough !

[a45gunslinger]

We asians go for accuracy actually I'm asian american so I want speed too - Kevin

[Rummer]

I use 90 grs of T7 FFg in my omega, behind a PR 300 grain Keith Nose HP. To date, the best 5-shot 100yd group I have gotten with this combo has been .75".  The worst has been 2".  I found that above ninety grains accuracy started to drop off and above 100 grains recoil became more severe.  According to the data on the powder can I was getting 1650fps with a 300 grain bullet using 90 grains.

That is faster than a .44 magnum will push a 300 grain bullet and slower than a .45/70 will.  It doesn't sound sexy but it is extremely effective.

I think the main reason people are shooting heavy charges in their muzzleloaders is that now they can.  You can shoot 150gr of powder in many modern ML's.  To most guys this sounds almost twice as good as 90gr.

I hunt with my omega in PA's fall ML season.  My shots have ranged from 20-150 yards, which is about as far as I care to shoot at anything with anything.  I have yet to have a deer take a step after being hit with this combination. 

For now, I don't think I need a flat-shooting-200 yard muzzlelloader.  If I do I will develop a load.  Until then I'll stick with my 90 grain load because it does what I want it to do. 


Rummer

[AndyHass]

When I shot a sidelock and never tried to reach over 100yd, I used 85 gr of powder....they always passed thru anyways.  My long range Omega is now sighted in with 110gr because that is the most accurate, flat-shooting load.  My short-distance Omega shoots pretty close to the same place at 100-110gr....I could get away with less but then I'd have to label me speed-loaders so I didn't mix them up.

[rks1949]

I shoot 100grs.777,and a 250 Shock Wave in my prohunter. It's(or should I say,I'm good for 150yds.) with this load. I like the advantage of being able to shoot farther,it just might give me the edge I need when a big buck shows up in the bean field.