35 or 45?

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ray1377

ray1377

Member
Jul 1, 2015
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New Albany, Mississippi, United States
Seriously thinking about diving into airgun deer hunting this fall when season opens. Undecided as of yet which big bore is right for me. Our state allows .35 cal. and up.
Most of my shots would be between 50 and 100 yards. I know the .45 slings heavier lead but does it have drastically more of a drop than a. 35 cal?
Should I go with the FPE of a .45 cal or the .35 cal for those shots past 50 yards? Actually thinking about mostly head shots on doe's to try and save messing up the meat.
Would really like some real world input from some of you fellows who have hunted and killed whitetail deer with a big bore.

Thanks
Ray
 
Don't get a 35 for.deer... A 45 cal with the right slug will shoot just as flat. A 45 cal with even a light 230 to 260 grain slug will still.shoot flat and leave a larger hole. Better blood trails. If you go to other states you are definitely legal with 45. I use a .510 Texan and its not too much. There's some real good deals on big bores now. I'd probably stick with American Big Bores.
 
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Reedmosser said:
Don't get a 35 for.deer... A 45 cal with the right slug will shoot just as flat. A 45 cal with even a light 230 to 260 grain slug will still.shoot flat and leave a larger hole. Better blood trails. If you go to other states you are definitely legal with 45. I use a .510 Texan and its not too much. There's some real good deals on big bores now. I'd probably stick with American Big Bores.
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That's good to know. I just assumed the .35 would shoot flatter out to 100 yards. I've also been watching tons of video's and reading reviews lately. Have seen a good amount of information regarding the Texan's being hard to get a good shot pattern out of. And they are pricey. But they do what they do on a lower fill pressure than most others on the market. Thanks for the info.

Ray
 
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Head shots past 50 are beyond what most are capable of, especially when the projectile starts to fall. These things fall like rocks. Go with a .45 or .50 so they will bleed out faster if you take a double lung shot. You can still head shoot them at 25 to 50 if you get the chance. I have only shot pigs with my Dragon Claw, but if it can kill a pig, it can kill a deer.
 
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Shoot heart and lungs, .35 will do fine. Anything shooting as flat as 35 is a freakin tank. You can get 200fpe relatively easy with a bulldog or aea challenger pro. Both are great shooters, the challenger is more accurate out of the box and not picky on pellets or slugs. Both will easily tale a deer to 150yds in .35. If you can halfway track, they dont go far with no lungs and you dont spook them. If not, stay with a closer shot. My state allows .35 so it works, any other state is getting a 6.5cm just like my regular permission to hunt, no shots under 150yds, but never had to track with it no matter how far the shot. Lol
 
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45 cal has slug weight options from180 grain to over 500 grains..It definitely is flexible and all weights are okay for medium game to 100 yards.. I have a .510 but the 45 seems to be pretty perfect for medium game. 180 grain low recoil.flat to 100 yards. 500 grain spire point for a once in a lifetime buffalo hunt for example...
 
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Nomadic Pirate 66 said:
Yeah if I go .50 a rather go with the .495 cal then the .510
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Wonder why so many different calibers? 9mm, 35, 357, 45, 457, 50, 510.....etc......
Is it hard to get into casting your own .45 cal. lead bullets? And then I've read about powder coating the bullets.
Would like to get a big bore and a small compressor then start casting my own ammo.
That's the end goal in all this. To be self-sufficient when hunting season rolls around.
Ray
 
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Its marketing on all.the different diameter s... Western Bushbuck .451 Airforce Texan .457... Game doesn't now the difference... Some cals have more cheap molds if they over lap pistol or black powder molds. So.if you get a .457 Texan the molds you buy are for cast 45-70... So if that makes any since to you. Lee equipment will get you casting very affordable..2 cavity molds with handles $25.00... 451. and 457 have slot of good molds.. You have to slug your bore and buy a mold over.that size. Then size down ...lube traditional... or powder coat...lead is cheap..if you are mechanical inclined... You will enjoy and love the process...25 lbs of cast lead makes.alot.of slugs
 
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i've about tried them all that are offered, from bushbuck, badger, texan, qwacks, bulldog on & on !!
best that works for me is the .457 piledriver.
i cast the same bullet for my 45/70's, .457 smokeless/sabotless muzzleloader, .458 socom
and for the piledriver.....
a sized .457 405gr lyman RNFP delivering 720FPE at the muzzle.
its taken plenty deer and hogs out to 80yrds very accurately.
mostly my shots are less than 30yards, so itsa cake walk...... 🤘
 
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gendoc said:
i've about tried them all that are offered, from bushbuck, badger, texan, qwacks, bulldog on & on !!
best that works for me is the .457 piledriver.
i cast the same bullet for my 45/70's, .457 smokeless/sabotless muzzleloader, .458 socom
and for the piledriver.....
a sized .457 405gr lyman RNFP delivering 720FPE at the muzzle.
its taken plenty deer and hogs out to 80yrds very accurately.
mostly my shots are less than 30yards, so itsa cake walk...... 🤘
Click to expand...
WOW,......now that is quite an endorsment for Hatsan !
 
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Nomadic Pirate 66 said:
Just to put it in front of the Bushbuck alone is saying something indeed.
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i never had a real positive reaction with the bushbuck because of its accuracy
with its signature projectiles. i dont have time to shop and shoot and compare.
the person i sold it to was much like you....complained about the gun until i made it
right $$ wise.
i dont know if it ever shot within a given spec.
its past me now and i'm glad
 
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gendoc said:
i never had a real positive reaction with the bushbuck because of its accuracy
with its signature projectiles. i dont have time to shop and shoot and compare.
Click to expand...


gendoc said:
*****the person i sold it to was much like you....complained about the gun until i made it

right $$ wise.*****
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OK I do I respond to that ? ....I was actually complimenting you and you turn it that way :rolleyes:

Since you brought it up let's talk about that;

The Sniper .50 you sold me had the airtube severly rusted ( even after I try clean it I had to send you pictures because how bad it was ) then the magazine was broken and the barrel O-ring was missing, that is all I remember at the moment but probably there was more,
anyway a gun should never be sold in them conditions unless very well specified.

that same gun is now in Jeff ( @Privateer ) hand when I sold it to him after fixing it it was in pristine conditions and some with some cool mods to ad ( as he could tell us ) and that is how guns should be sold,........so Yeah I complained, and was in my rights 1000%
 
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ray1377 said:
Wonder why so many different calibers? 9mm, 35, 357, 45, 457, 50, 510.....etc......
Is it hard to get into casting your own .45 cal. lead bullets? And then I've read about powder coating the bullets.
Would like to get a big bore and a small compressor then start casting my own ammo.
That's the end goal in all this. To be self-sufficient when hunting season rolls around.
Ray
Click to expand...
Also if you want to start with cast bullets Matt is a great guy and casts some great stuff in .357 .452 and .457

I've used him for years, great price, great product and great service.


500 Smith & Wesson

www.mattsbullets.com
 
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