Lightest .45 cal for taking Whitetail ???

[equinoxbuilders]

I just ordered a Rossi Youth stainless .45 cal muzzleloader.
I believe I have narrowed my search for the lightest sabot for my 9yr old 50lb daughter. I have researched and researched and well you know, researched somemore.   Again, hunting out of a 2 person tree stand with blind.  Shot(not shots), will be no longer than 30yards broadside.  How does this sound?  158g Rem. .357 JSP in a MMP blue sabot. with 50gr. FFFg. should be pushing around 1500fps at muzzle and greater than 1400fps at 30yards.
This should shoot like butta!  

To all those Big Bore guys, I have taken all my 8 pointers - 4 of em- as a matter of fact, I have taken all my deer but one with my .54 cal round ball  Hawkins.  I'll be hunting along side her this yr. with my TC Scout Pistol .54 ball 80g FFFg. with red dot..  honest 2" groups at 25yds.

I'd love for my kids to be able to comfortably shoot 195g Barnes MZ with 70gr 3Fg, but if they can't, I thought I'd get a really good .357 magnum equivalent.  Being 30 yrd shot, I don't need good BC

I also came across the Barnes all copper 9mm(.355) in 115 grain that would work in the MMP blue sabot, but I'm thinkin this bullet is just too light for taking 150+ lb whitetails.

I also may wanna try the .357 180g Partition in Blue sabot with 100-120g 3Fg for some longer distance fun for myself... 150yds or more.

[Wolfhound]

IMHO, your thinking too light. I would be looking at the 180 XTP (40 cal) and 40 or 50 grains of FFG 777. I'd skip the 3F since you would be shooting such a light charge in a rifle I doubt you'd see any advantage. I'd use triple seven because it's hotter so you can get more velocity with less powder weight, and save some recoil while your at it. Just keep your shot in the range you said and you'll be fine. Shot placement will be key, stick with a boiler room shot and avoid the shoulder because you will not have enough power.

I've shot the 44 cal 180 gr XTP out of my Muzzleloader pistol with 60 gr of FFFG 777. This is not a heavy kicking load in my 4lb pistol so it would be even milder out of a rifle.

[equinoxbuilders]

I'm in total agreement with you..  I was originally lookin at the 180gr xtp, but wondered away from it because so many on here worried about it coming apart.  I guess at the velocities I'll be at, I won't have to worry about that.
Again shot placement is key, just another reason I was looking at the 158gr jacketed softpoints,  in case of a shoulder hit, little more penetration.
I'm really hopin she can handle 195 MZ's  I'll most likely be using 777 3Fg because I already have so much of it.  I do like your suggestion, and plan on getting some Hornadys

[Wolfhound]

Skip the 195 MZ's. With the all copper construction you won't push them fast enough to open them up good enough. I think a jacketed handgun bullet is going to be your best bet since you'll be pushing them at handgun velocities.

[red_ford_truck]

for my 11 year old daughter.........

50 grains of TRIPLE 7 ffg powder
pushing a 180 grain Hornady XTP .429" JHP bullet.

..this is for my 50 cal CVA rifle.....

Id  use a decent 158 gr 357 bullet  to minimize recoil, in a 45 cal rifle.

[equinoxbuilders]

I found and bought some Hornady .38 cal 158g XTP-HP with .45 sabots at the local gun store... I didn't see these on the Hornady website..  I've been doing some research in the Handgun Hunting section.  Some love this bullet and some were less than impressed by it's perfomance on deer.
I do think 50g of 7773Fg behind this will work well on the 140lb buck out of a treestand at 30 yards.  However  :-)  I have seen some pictures in this forum of the Dead Centers....  and those all lead bullets seem to expand well and hold together with various velocities.  I'm thinkin of ordering some of those as well, from Cabela's.. I'd order both the .357 in .45 sabot  in 175 grain and 195g.  If it were for me, I'd just load up the 200g .40cal in the .45 sabot..  but, that getting heavy for her...
I'm probably splittin hairs.. and I'm sure the Hornady 158 XTP-HP will do the job just fine.....  Thanks again for your thoughts...

[chickenlittle]

I think you'd be better off skipping the sabots for now.  Even with a low charge, a short conical will do great on a deer and be easy on your daughter.   And you won't have to worry whether the bullet will expand properly.

I'd consider the following .45 cal bullets:
285gr Hornady Great Plains
285gr hollow point Buffalo Bullets
200gr Buffalo Ballette

I'd start with the Ballette and work up from 40gr.

[Redhawk1]

I think you'd be better off skipping the sabots for now.  Even with a low charge, a short conical will do great on a deer and be easy on your daughter.   And you won't have to worry whether the bullet will expand properly.

I'd consider the following .45 cal bullets:
285gr Hornady Great Plains
285gr hollow point Buffalo Bullets
200gr Buffalo Ballette

I'd start with the Ballette and work up from 40gr.

I agree with chickenlittle. skip the sabots and go with a good conical.  

[chickenlittle]

I would also consider your .54 Hawken.  She could support the gun on shooting sticks.  With a heavy gun and a moderate PRB load, recoil will be very mild.  You might have her try this in shooting practice.  I bet she'd be real excited to use Dad's gun.

[equinoxbuilders]

I'd love for her to be able to shoot the Hawkins, and yes, so would she. :grin: ... but she is a Peanut, but tough as a Walnut... 50 inches tall, and 50 lbs... I may need to customize the Butt of the Rossi youth with it's 12" pull. and I may add some weight to it with red dot and bipod This Barrel is a 1-20 Twist.  I will try Conicals, but will more than likely get some flyers..  I will be ordering some Dead Center 195g .357/45s and I already have the Hornady 38/158g HP/XTP I'm ordering some FP/XTP and Remington .357/158g JSP and MMP blue sabots..  I will also get stuff that others have suggested...  I will do testing of all with various loads into 5Gal jointcompound buckets filled with water, to see how these perform.  As scientific as I can afford...