Big and slow, or small and fast

[jason]

I know there is a lot of controversy about big and slow bullets, or small and fast bullets.
I was just wondering whats the science behind big slow bullets, and small fast bullets.
People have said, some times big slow bullets have more energy than a small fast one.
I was just wondering how every one's views on this is. My father and I muzzle load, he is switching from a 180 grain to 290. Which should be very effective for deer! How big of bullets do hunter use for elk and moose out of a muzzle loader?
What do all of you people shoot for bullets and grain weight? How do you find them to preform? And last question, remington is making cor-lotk bullets for muzzle loaders, what is the advantage of cor-cotk? All's I know they use it in there bullets for high powers.
Thanks and good hunting!

Jason V

 

[GunnerJon]

Jason
I use 90 grains of Pyrodex and a 240 grain Hornady in my Knight. This combination falls under the "big and slow" category, I guess, but I have found it to be absoultely devastating on deer with all kinds of ranges. I have yet to shoot one at a really long distance at all....and this year I plowed a doe at only 4 or 5 paces....talk about knock down power! Over the 6 years or so of using this powder and bullet combination, the farthest I have tracked a deer is maybe 60 yards or so. I have had a few passthroughs, and have also pulled a few bullets out of my deer and they have a picture-perfect mushroom, peeled back look. I am not at all into the "faster is better" thing. I think as long as you know your load, and know where your shots hit...go with it.
Good luck and good hunting!

-GunnerJon

 

[moosehunter]

hey jason
you should toss out all the stuff about big and slow, small and fast. Most important is try different brands and weights of bullets and match them with the amount of powder you would like to use. I always had good results with Hornady 240 gr sabots and 150 gr of pellets out of my Knight disc. I switched this year to Cabela's 250 gr polymer tip and am shooting 3 inch groups at 100yds. All the different weights offered are more than enough to plant a whitetail if placed right so I'd be more concerned about shooting straight 1st. Two years ago I was on a hunt in Alaska and switched to a 340 gr sabot for more punch but sacrificed range. Around here 100 yd shots is likely so accuracy is #1 in my book. good luck and shoot straight.

 

[Shovelbuck]

I lean to the slow and heavy side. I shoot 460 grain Hornady Great Plains bullets in front of 100 grains of 3FFF in my Kodiak double rifle. I've never weighed the .715 round ball I shoot from my smoothbore, but there are 12 balls to the pound so it's very heavy. I just like shooting lusty lumps of lead.

 

[scout]

jason, your question seems to be directed to black powder gunning. So I'll stay with that. I accept the comments above, they all have merit. I would add that the basic principal is momentum when you compare the two. Was it Isac Newton? "Things in motion tend to stay in motion" the loftier bullet will retain its momentum, thus penetrate deeper. There are a bunch of factors that create wide exceptions to these rules, mainly bullet type.
The best thing light fast bullets can offer is flatter flight path. (faster means lighter weight or more powder) Fast also creates "hydro-shock" by creating a quick transfer of high energy. (this is good on thin skinned things)
One thing that has helped me is to type out your bullet/loads trijectory on a small piece of paper then tape it to the stock with clear shipping tape. A quick reference makes for a confident shot. It keeps you from guessing when moving from the 243 coyote load to the 30-06 deer to the ML bear load.

 

[BugleMIn]

I have a Knight Wolverine and use the same setup as Gunnerjon, 90 grains of pyrodex and 240 gr hornady. I have shot deer at 20 yards and out to 132 yards. The 132 yarder went 20 steps and fell over. My most common shot has been about 70 yards. Scope is set for right on at 100 which is about 2 inches high at 50 yards.

Good enough for me. (A guy who despises long shots, I prefer to get intimate with the animal, i.e. close, hence my true passion is bowhunting.)

 

[M Salow]

:I shoot a Knight Wolverine with a Tasco 3x9x50 scope. I use 100 grns ffg black powder and a Nosler 240 gn HP have stopped deer from 8 to 140 yrds with this setup . the 140 yrd shot was a head on shot bullet went in at the base of his throat patch found it in his right rear ham dropped in his tracks.