Deer hunting with a 32 cal

[Howdydoit]

I know in my head that this little rifle will down a deer. My experience (which is nil) has to ask. Is it ethical to even try or should I stick to squirrels and rabbit with the nifty little gun. now I am talking about 50 to 75 yards tops.

[Buckshot]

I know in my head that this little rifle will down a deer. My experience (which is nil) has to ask. Is it ethical to even try or should I stick to squirrels and rabbit with the nifty little gun. now I am talking about 50 to 75 yards tops.

..............Thanks for asking. No state recognizes anything smaller then a 45 cal for deer. We've all heard about deer being taken with a 22RF or the Eskimo's shooting Polar bears with a 25-35. Yet for the vast majority of us, we don't HAVE to use anything less then a recognized minimum amount of power.

My personal take is that as a sport hunter we're not in dire straits and on starvation's thresh hold, nor will our family suffer if we end the season empty handed. Since it is a sport, we need to be sporting and pass up questionable shots, and to use enough gun so that a well placed shot results in as quick a kill as possible. We need to treat the game animal fairly.

A RB is a notoriously inefficient ballistic shape. It looses it's velocity very fast, and without mass (momentum) behind it can penetrate poorly. I really don't think it would be somehting to do.

..............Buckshot

[Howdydoit]

Thanks Buckshot,

Im only asking out of curiousity? MO's minimume is 40 cal. But I have never been one to overgun. I realize it is questionable but I had to ask that question. Hope you understand.

[StarMetal]

I don't know what Buckshots interpretation of "recognize" is, but here are all the states muzzleloader requirements. Arizona doesn't even have a caliber requirement.

http://www.cva.com/company/regs.htm

Joe

[woody1]

I don't know what Buckshots interpretation of "recognize" is, but here are all the states muzzleloader requirements. Arizona doesn't even have a caliber requirement.

http://www.cva.com/company/regs.htm

Joe

Just a note to say these regs. may be outdated. Oregon is incorrect. Check with ODFW. Regards, Woody

[StarMetal]

Glad you pointed that out. It's alway best to check your state's hunting manual. TN has some very crazy gun regulations. Like in handguns. The law use to be 38 spcl and up for deer, which I feel 38 is even too light. Now they went and changed it to 25 cal and up with 4 inch barrel or longer. Jesus!, if you can find a 25 or 32 auto matic with that length barrel it's legal here!!!! We all know that's nuts. With rifle they have it 24 caliber and up. Now that I agree with, although there are no restrictions on the rifles. Example: you can you an M1 Carbine here. Again, we know this isn't a choice deer caliber.

Joe

[Howdydoit]

Wow Starmetal,

i agree with you. a 25cal pistol is unnerving. But as far as rifles go MO lets you hunt with 22 cal. So a 223 can be used, any 22 so long as it is not rimfire. So even a 243 is marginal. I know I could use it effectively but this caliber is more designed or at least used by younger hunters who's shot placement is not so refined.

[Buckshot]

..........I suppose I should have put in there "I believe" that any state recognizes a barrel under 45 cal. Some states even stipulate ignition, as I think Pennsylvania's BP hunting regs specify flintlock only. Other have wierd little deals that you have to dig to find. A couple years ago Colorado outlawed muzzle loader bullets over 2 calibers long. That hobbled the guys shooting Whitworths and Volunteers to shorter lighter slugs then the 45 cal 520gr ones normal to them.

............Buckshot

[9.3X62AL]

I suppose the 1-48" twist in my Traditions Crockett might stabilize an elongated boolit--but yer still only working with about 100 grains and a real small frontal area. I wouldn't try such a thing on deer--regardless what the regs specified. I might whack a coyote with a 32 RB, but not a marginal angle shot or very far off the muzzle. The 32 M/L's are rat zappers, deer and large game would get the Hawken x 54 and its 285 grain RB.

[Howdydoit]

I know the 32 is marginal. But I tell you the little gun really zippes the boolits out there. On another forum a 70 gr FFG load pushes a prb over 2200 fps. I would never load that high but it sound like decent deer medicine. I dont even think a 30-30 is over 1800 fps and a 30 cal bullet. Now I am shooting 115 gr Pure lead bullets with a .wad and they seem like real zappers. I do want to get a coyote with it that would be the ultimate preditor hunt. Around here most shots on coyotes are 100-150 yards.

[versifier]

Howdydoit, the .30-30 bullet you're talking about at 1800 is a 170 grainer, and a slow one, at that. (150's, too, up to 2200.) Your 115gr might be adequate for coyotes, at very close range, but at 150yds there's no guarantee at all of a clean kill, and for me it would not be ethical to even attempt such a shot. Even a .36 I'd have serious doubts about. A .40 maybe, or better still a .45 would give me the confidence out to the ranges you are talking, and I'd use a maxi-ball, too, given the option, though I'd be confident with a rb out to 100 or so. Just because you can shoot it accurately on paper out to longer ranges, that doesn't make it right to shoot it at game. It doesn't take much retained energy to put a hole in a target, but it does to assure a clean kill in a large dog, and IMHO those rodent loads just don't have it beyond pistol ranges. Now, if you can call the bugger in to within 25yds, that's a whole nother ballgame and it might just be worth a try... in which case please post pictures!

[Howdydoit]

versifier,

I think you miss understand. I dont want to shoot a coyote at 150 yards with a 32. I was only saying it would do the job at 50 to 75. 150 is about the normal shoot for rifle shooter in my state. And this post is hypethetical. I wanted to know if my little 32 could do the job at close range. Again I am not trying to do this I hunt with my 50 cal but I really like this little 32 and wondered if it had the jewels to do it. Ethicaly I wouldnt try hypethetical I wanted to ask the more experienced if it would. thats all.

Thanx for your input and keep it coming.

[Newtire]

versifier,

I think you miss understand. I dont want to shoot a coyote at 150 yards with a 32. I was only saying it would do the job at 50 to 75. 150 is about the normal shoot for rifle shooter in my state. And this post is hypethetical. I wanted to know if my little 32 could do the job at close range. Again I am not trying to do this I hunt with my 50 cal but I really like this little 32 and wondered if it had the jewels to do it. Ethicaly I wouldnt try hypethetical I wanted to ask the more experienced if it would. thats all.

Thanx for your input and keep it coming.

I think it all "depends". If the animal has enough stamina, a 250 gr. (weighed) boolit may let a stubborn coyote run a couple of hundred yards with one lung hanging out. .444 Marlin 429244 going at close to 1800 fps. Some things don't make very much sense. I'll bet a .32 maxi-ball could drop a little whitetail if you hit it in the right place. The T/C Cherokee is twisted right for those things. Always good to have enough power I think.

[BigAlofPa.]

There is no caliber restriction in Pa for big game. Just has to be center fire. I think it is dumb. For black powder there is though. I think 44 and bigger.

[charlie b]

In NM you can use any firearm to hunt cougar and javelina. You can even use a compressed air gun.

Deer and other big game the minimum is .22 centerfire or .45 muzzleloader. Yes, that means it is legal to hunt elk with a .45 PRB or a .22 hornet, heck, even a .25acp in a pistol. Just because it is legal doesn't mean you should do it.

Guy I knew used to hunt everything with a .45 PRB KY style flintlock. He was also a very capable stalker and killed most of his elk and deer at less than 25yd. He and his son always filled their tags.

[dk17hmr]

13 years later hahaha

[koger]

Here in KY I think it is .45 and up. Having said thus, I know a feller who took a CVA Squirrel rifle .32, 1-48 twist, and a using a .32 slug killed two deer between 30-40 yds, neck shot them and they dropped in their tracks. He made it known if you shot anything bigger you were just getting your brains kicked out needlessly, and then went on to wound 3 big bucks in 2 seasons. Now this fella wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer with a low IQ, but a pretty good hunter. He never could afford more than one gun, of a type. There was 2 local fellers, who are die hard bow hunters, and manage their two property's they own for trophy deer, joins each other. Seems the 3 big bucks he wounded and was later found dead, was on their property, which he had no permission to hunt. These two gentleman went and paid him a visit, and in no uncertain terms told him he needed to get rid of the .32 for deer hunting, or they would turn him in to the F&W. They also told him if he wanted to remain healthy, he better never set foot on their property again. His .32 turned up in a LGS about a week later. The point is, if everything is right, you might kill a deer with a .32 prb or conical, but you are just as likely to wound and lose a deer, so why even go there, and risk losing a deer, doe or buck, and probably make it suffer a long while in any event. I like to think that ML's in general, especially traditional ML's, are better than this, but it is up to you!

[OverMax]

I'm not starving nor am I a license purchaser that has to kill something to justify that license purchase.
It's been a privilege for me to observe Mother Nature at her seasonal best year after year.
As far as shooting a 32 B/P projectile at deer? Even if I were assured of the animals recovery >I wouldn't shoot. As I
rely heavily on my common sense reasoning aka Sportsmanship.

[indian joe]

I think it all "depends". If the animal has enough stamina, a 250 gr. (weighed) boolit may let a stubborn coyote run a couple of hundred yards with one lung hanging out. .444 Marlin 429244 going at close to 1800 fps. Some things don't make very much sense. I'll bet a .32 maxi-ball could drop a little whitetail if you hit it in the right place. The T/C Cherokee is twisted right for those things. Always good to have enough power I think.

Thats a no - was in 2005, still is no now --32 round ball is a squirrel gun - jackrabbit ok - maybe a fox if n ya get him close - coyote at 25 yards maybe - bambi ? forget it !!!

[KCSO]

Can you kill a deer with a 32, yes you can if you can get close and put the ball in just the right spot. Is it a hunting round for deer or is it ethical, NO. Just not enough bullet mass or energy for a less than perfect shot. Just like using a 22, it has been done but it's not right.

From a stand at 20 yards or so with shots placed behind the ear a poacher I know killed 5 with a 32 before he got caught. He lost his hunting privlidges for 5 years!