Minimum FPS for deer hunting?

[Bnt55]

The hardest lead I have at the moment is water quenched WW, I think it is around a 10-11 BHN. So if I am correct, I will be around the 800fps range using whatever boolit I can come up with that shoots accurately. From what I am gathering, finding the correct boolit type will be a challenge with the newer marlin 1894s

[versa-06]

Boolit diameter is going to be your best friend for accuracy, most marlins have a micro-groove barrel & you will need a boolit just a little larger than your bore. Example, if your bore slugs at .451, a .453 boolit will probably be your friend. There are a lot of molds out there & a 250gr. & up boolit will do the job quite well. The right powder charge for accuracy &, or range will make your 45 complete.

[Bnt55]

I slugged my barrel at .4525" so I should be looking for a .454 CB? I don't believe this barrel is micro grooved, pretty sure it is Ballard rifling. The grooves are relatively large.

[megasupermagnum]

I slugged my barrel at .4525" so I should be looking for a .454 CB? I don't believe this barrel is micro grooved, pretty sure it is Ballard rifling. The grooves are relatively large.

If you already have the .452" sizer, it's worth trying. I would think .454" would be a good choice in your case. Some say it's best to go by throat diameter. I do for revolvers, as it is super easy to check them. In a rifle, I just try both sizes and see. Normally I see no difference. In a precision bolt gun, maybe. In a 45 colt lever gun, I'd just size to .453" or .454" and run it. Again, if you already have a .452" sizer, you very well might find it shoots really well with that.

[Bnt55]

If you already have the .452" sizer, it's worth trying. I would think .454" would be a good choice in your case. Some say it's best to go by throat diameter. I do for revolvers, as it is super easy to check them. In a rifle, I just try both sizes and see. Normally I see no difference. In a precision bolt gun, maybe. In a 45 colt lever gun, I'd just size to .453" or .454" and run it. Again, if you already have a .452" sizer, you very well might find it shoots really well with that.

I dont have boolits for this gun yet. I will be ordering some today if I can find any in stock

[Hickok]

I can give you some first hand results.

Ruger New Model Vaquero 4 3/4" barrel, 876 fps @ the muzzle. 50 yards and under, complete pass-throughs, double lung shots.

When I owned a Marlin Cowboy 45 Colt rifle, 250 gr RNFP @ aprox. 1300 fps., shot deer out to about 75 yards and complete pass-throughs. Just never got a shot at any further distance in the woods with this rifle/caliber.

To be totally factual,... for shooting deer with revolver or lever action, .44 magnum or .45 Colt, 250 gr cast boolits @ about 900 to 1600 fps (.44 Carbine), I can't tell much, if any difference.

Behind the front leg, thumb-sized hole in, thumb sized hole out, brief run from 30 to 50 yards and down. High shoulder shot will most times flatten deer on the spot.

Others may have different experience, but I am only relating my findings.

[R-71]

I haven’t been able to shoot a deer with my revolvers yet but I try to get my 44 special, 45 colt and 480 ruger in the 900- 1000 FPS ballpark. I shoot the RCBS versions of Keith bullets in the special and colt and a 350 grain 477640 bullet that I got from a group buy here. I won’t shoot past 50 yards or so.

[RickinTN]

The hardest lead I have at the moment is water quenched WW, I think it is around a 10-11 BHN. So if I am correct, I will be around the 800fps range using whatever boolit I can come up with that shoots accurately. From what I am gathering, finding the correct boolit type will be a challenge with the newer marlin 1894s

I don't think I would be looking for the hardest lead I could find. Half and Half wheel weights and pure air cooled work pretty well. Add a little tin if you like for malleablity.
Rick

[Harter66]

Maine actually calls out 25 ACP as a minimum cartridge for deer ......

The TKO does weird things and I don't get it but numbers don't make themselves up so it is what you get out of it .

I lived most of my life with a 1000ftlb at 100 yd rule , so that's my goal in a rifle .
Pistols had/have a bizarre description that in it's black and white form makes a 256 Win Mag and 30 carb legal for Elk but not a 327 Fed . It also makes a cowboy load in a 45 Colts legal but not a 44 Special ........

Tissue disruption and the correct tissue is the answer to the question .

At a 1050 fps a 135-180# hog will take a 250 gr 45 Colts through about 3' of it from 3-50 yd . Load it up to Start Ruger levels 18-20 kpsi and you can run a 350 gr bullet over 1200 fps MV . In a 16" Rossi 92 the Lee 458-340 sized fine and shot well with 900 fps loads , unfortunately these were only applied to steel plates and paper .

Here's the fly in the oinkment .
That same rifle is equiped with a 1-32" twist barrel .
The 250 &257 gr NOE version and round groove Lyman 454424 at a 1240 fps MV go subsonic between 78&82 yards and begin to tumble owed to the lack of sufficient gyroscopic stability . At 75 yd I'm whacking golf balls and have holes through the soft scapula , 1.5" of shield , 2" of hide , hair , and fat making up a 24" pass through on a 135# boar , 2 ribs also . At 90 yd a 5 gallon bucket has only a 40% chance of being hit and at 110 yd the bullets were hitting about a 55 gallon drum 9' high 15+ left 20 consecutive shots with witnesses .

So a short 300-325 gr 45 cal bullet will stabilize in the slow twist .
You have to decide whether you want to get it to the point of impact still supersonic or keep it subsonic all the way .

[Jeff Michel]

A good bullet is the 250 gr. WFN from NOE, in my Marlin I size to .454. The Lee 255 grain FP isn't anyone's poor relation either. Don't over analyze this fps stuff. I've killed a pile of deer with nothing more than the Lee 255 and 8.5 grains of Unique. At 100 yards, they won't stand a chance if you hold up your end. Good luck.

[Bnt55]

Thank you gentlemen for the load of information...I should have joined this forum a long time ago, I think I would have been that much wiser and a whole lot poorer. I am on the prowl for a .454 mold at the very least I can try the larger size and use a sizing die to go smaller if needed. I wish Lee made a .454 mold, since they are economical but the largest I found was .452 for the 45 Colt

[Geezer in NH]

Anyone that says 1000 foot pounds just stopped ALL Archery hunting IMHO.

[ABJ]

Thank you gentlemen for the load of information...I should have joined this forum a long time ago, I think I would have been that much wiser and a whole lot poorer. I am on the prowl for a .454 mold at the very least I can try the larger size and use a sizing die to go smaller if needed. I wish Lee made a .454 mold, since they are economical but the largest I found was .452 for the 45 Colt

Do yourself a favor and go to Accuratemolds.com. Tom the owner can guide you on your quest for about the same money as a lyman and you will know what size it will cast from the beginning. I have over a dozen of his and they are a joy to cast with. Send him an email and tell him what alloy, what gun and he will reply back usually the next day.
Tony

[versa-06]

Tom @ Accurate Molds Is an excellent craftsman, He's done a few for me & they are all precision molds. He doesn't talk on the phone because he doesn't hear well, but he sure knows what he's doing. A real pro.

[Bnt55]

^^ Awesome, thanks for the link. I have a few designs coming to me in the mail to see what this gun like to shoot. This should be a fun/interesting process, I'm not sure what I'm going to do once I have this marlin sighted in

[megasupermagnum]

^^ Awesome, thanks for the link. I have a few designs coming to me in the mail to see what this gun like to shoot. This should be a fun/interesting process, I'm not sure what I'm going to do once I have this marlin sighted in

In that case, let me recommend a mold. I'm not much of a 45 shooter. I do have this mold, and like it a whole lot. NOE molds drop plenty big, mine drops .455". It's going to be tough to find a more versatile mold for a bunch of cartridges. With the large hollow point, it works really well in 45 ACP, although I wouldn't use the large HP for deer. It flattens out into a coin. As a solid, it will work good in almost anything, and would be a great choice for deer. If it was me with a 45 colt rifle for deer, I'd cast of 20:1 allow with the cup point. Get the Lee bushing sizer kit, or the NOE bushing kit if you prefer. Either works. Lee sells a .454" standard, has a .453" in stock, and can make you a bushing in any size you want custom order.

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop...rg2-cavity-pb/

[HD.375]

sooooo- I just purchased my first Compound Bow.............

game changer

[Lloyd Smale]

ive killed a pile of deer bear and pigs with 44s and 45s using a 250 at 900 and found little differnce in speeding it up. Id say a good minimum with a hard cast bullet with a decent metplat (lfn, wfn swc) would be 800 fps.

[starnbar]

I would go with what Hickok recommends I have seen him shoot.

[versa-06]

I think a great 45 cal mold for the money is the LEE 452-255-RF, best I remember they are less than $29.00 @ Midway USA. I use them in my 454 casull rifle with a powder coat & they perform as good as a bullet from a $160.00 mold. It would be a great place to start. Molds are an investment that last for years, most of us have a collection, & are still looking at more.