What is the best grain of Black Powder in a Muzzle loader to shoot a Deer dead?

And a Bear?What is the best grain of Black Powder in a Muzzle loader to shoot a Deer dead?
Generally speaking, calibers of 45 and under can use 3F powder. Calibers 45 and above can use 2F powder and when you get into 70 caliber or very large smoothbores, possibly musket powder or 1F. 4F is generally only used as a primer powder for flintlock guns.





Keep in mind, any of these calibers will fire even with 4F but there is a perfect combination or at least a better one that you have to work up to. To use other powders could be a waste of time ( especially 4F)





I have a .54 caliber Hawken style rifle. I use 100 grains of 2F when hunting deer. The bullet I use is called a '; Buffalo Bullet'; conical hollow based and weight 435 grains. It will give your should a pretty good slap.





I imagine it could take a bear but I think you'd really want to make sure you had the ideal load for accuracy, power, bullet weight etc., before going after something as tough as a bear.What is the best grain of Black Powder in a Muzzle loader to shoot a Deer dead?
Need a little more detail: type of rifle,bullet weight in grains, range at which you are shooting.





What did your sighting-in time at the range tell you?

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