What would be the most efficient cal.?

[Three Hawks]

Funny thing....they probably require a smoothbore in a flintlock, but it's also probably legal to shoot sabot slugs in 50 cal and maybe even a rifled shotgun
Having lost sight of the objective, governments often redouble their efforts.

In WA. west of SR9  to Puget Sound on the mainland and in the islands  the only legal arm is a shotgun with slugs or buckshot.  Same for black powder, smoothbore only, single round ball or slug or buckshot.   Choice of ignition system is determined by whether or not you're in a primitive game mangagement unit.   The reasoning is that because it is a heavily populated area the slug or buckshot rule limits range.  A 10 gage roundball, being round, has no more range than a 20 ga roundball.

Three Hawks

[medbill]

Here in NY there is some state land near by that is shotgun only but rifled muzzleloaders are fine.  Got myself a nice buck out of there this year, was like cheating, walked in late and was out in 2 hours with a deer.  Just meat, hardly hunting but had fun and my .62 Sharon didn't let that deer run far.  As long as it keeps making run in the direction of my truck I'm a happy man.

This year I'll be bragging about my .62 Zihn's flint and caplock.

[Three Hawks]

Yes,  and a round ball from a rifled barrel has no more range of travel then one from a smooth bore.
Again, I fail to see their point.

Maybe it is simplification of regulations.  I don't know.   Have you ever dealt with the public?  I have, and some people are so skullcrushinly stupid that I have no idea how they manage to breathe on their own.

Three Hawks

[mark davidson]

Not only do they breed and vote but many of them become game wardens here in the South! :-)

[James Kelly]

Old Stuff:

The US Army, known for being pretty good at the job, chose .54 cal for round ball rifles from about 1803 through 1855. Standard charge for the 1841 percussion rifle was 75 grains of rifle powder, for a velocity of 1850 fps (Springfield Shoulder Arms, Claud E. Fuller).

A lot of the rifles in Flintlock Jaeger Rifles, by Erhard Wolf, are in the range .54--.58 caliber (14--15mm)

Personal Unsubstantiated O-pinions:

Me, I only kill hanging steel targets these days. .40 would be nice, as I am one of those guys thinking "smaller balls shoot flatter" yes I know the math but I don't like pain. 45 better in some wind, decent velocity w minimal pain.
I happen to have a Zihn pistol & a Pedersoli Jaeger in .54, and have acquired considerable predjudice in favor of that caliber. Along with early influences--the H. Aston pistol Dad bought me when I was 12 is .54 cal. Shot it some as a teenager. Nice size ball.

Once y'all figure out the ideal caliber, we could discuss the best brand of whiskey, car, ideal woman & breed of dog? I'm sure we can come to agreement about these subjects as well.

[Kermit]

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened." Winston Churchill

I think of this whenever my hubris begins to show. I expect I fit into the category of "most of them." Experience gives me little reason to think otherwise.  

[mark davidson]

"ideal"  and "efficient" are not always the same thing. We will NEVER all agree on what is ideal because it can  mean so many different things to so many of us for so many different wants and needs. Efficient on the other hand, at least in theory, can possibly be more defined, proved and possibly even agreed upon. Not likely, but possibly. For shooting game, any caliber will work under perfect circumstances with perfect shot placement. However, there is likely some caliber that is a really good compromise between too little and too big with recoil that is manageable but not severe and trajectory that is acceptable with energy that is plenty adequate even under less than perfect conditions.  I'm not sure we will ever all agree on just what that caliber is but if the criteria is "efficiency" then the subject becomes more objective and less subjective.

[Kermit]

Ah, compromise. The bugaboo of all things human--politics, religion, ethics, economics...and now ballistic efficiency. Ain't life grand? So many questions, so few absolutes.  

[James Kelly]

In modern guns two of the most popular/ideal/efficient calibers are .22rf and .30-'06. The one only kills little things & paper, but is widely available, economical, accurate and pleasant to shoot.
For those who like to kill Big Things .30-'06 does right well. Amazing variety of bullets & developed loads, accurate.
If you are looking at muzzle loaders in similar fashion, might be good to look at what mix of paper & flesh you wish to pierce, are economics and shoulder damage a factor? Round ball or minie?
If I wanted to kill a large animal that could do me harm, if it so chose, I sure would like that .62 caliber. And Round Ball rather than minie for more effect on the beast. That last was British big game hunting experience, I believe.
For paper or steel depends on range, how serious one is, and shoulder condition. No doubt a big ball at highest tolerable velocity can make excellent groups with good retention of velocity.
Is not .50 caliber popular for chunk gun shooting these days?
In a lighter offhand rifle, some of us more fragile types prefer a rifle in the .36--.54 caliber range, for a More Pleasant Shooting Experience. My Grandfather told me he could shoot the head off a pheasant with his ~.36 halfstock percussion. He did some other things that made me inclined to believe him. Won a lot of turkeys at turn-of-the-last-century matches. Didn't use it on black bear, though, & I suspect he got pretty close to that pheasant/groundhog/whatever.

I like Jameson Irish whiskey . . .

[Kermit]

This one would be my preference if I was contemplating truly dangerous game! Eight-bore and TWO musket caps.  

http://underhammers.blogspot.com/

The first part relates to the African Zephyr; the rest is underhammer stuff.

[Kermit]

Oops, sorry--this is "flintlock territory."