skeeterfogger
member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
- Messages
- 1,280
Never had a 54 but do have 50. What, if any, advantage is there shooting a projectile that is 0.04 larger? Just curious.
Gunbroker is loaded with nice BP rifles that will ship to your door. I have a dozen on my watch list now. Keep an on them you will find one that is just right.Yeah, I have one in 1:28 so it is kind of defeatist to even be concerned about 50, 54 or 58. Guess no new toy.
I've got 45, 50 and 54 so I'm covered for anything except squirrel. Do most shooting with the 45, cheaper, using less powder and lead per shot.I hunted years with 50c but two years ago I wanted something different so I changed totally over to 45c and I love it as I still kill deer just as dead and with less powder and lead! and I only use roundballs!
I've used 45 with shot for squirrels.I've got 45, 50 and 54 so I'm covered for anything except squirrel. Do most shooting with the 45, cheaper, using less powder and lead per shot.
Then these calibers must be overkill for the man-sized targets they were designed for? (To say nothing about the earlier .75 (Brown Bess) and .69 (Charleville) musket calibers.) My God! They must have been thinking of utterly destroying their enemies, and not just killing them.Moving up to a .54 would make sense for elk, and a .58 for buffalo.
Getting shot by any caliber sucks. When I was a kid the neighbor kid thought it would be fun to smack a 209 primer with a hammer on concrete. Before I could run for cover the primer cup struck me in side of my knee. That was enough to put me on the ground and quarter way up a down from my knee was useless numb for several minutes. Anything bigger and with more power would have ruined my knee for life.Then these calibers must be overkill for the man-sized targets they were designed for? (To say nothing about the earlier .75 (Brown Bess) and .69 (Charleville) musket calibers.) My God! They must have been thinking of utterly destroying their enemies, and not just killing them.
Moving up to a .54 would make sense for elk, and a .58 for buffalo.
What would you want to use for moose, woodland caribou, musk ox or polar bear?
Many people shoot for fun, others for serious hunting.
There will be more wallop on both ends of which ever caliber gun that you moved up to, unless only shooting target loads.
There's .54 loads that could provide plenty of punishment for a shooter's shoulder.
.58 conicals can be used to hunt African game.
It depends on what kind of gun, projectiles and loads a person wants to both give and receive punishment with.
If a person doesn't believe that a gun can punish a shooter, then think about how people have gotten a detached retina by shooting one.
There was one poster here who separated his shoulder with a hot .45 PRB loaded to the max. with 777.
Well at least you get a chance at tags. Here it has turned into blood money kill happy. We have state grasslands but it is a pay and hope for draw. Plus 99% of it you can't use any off road unless you are disabled and that requires a permit. So you are stuck walking in and if you get anything, carry it out. Most is also archery only with some muzzleloader or shotgun for hogs. Lumber company land you have to request tags from them. I believe that has turned into the good ole boy system. I'll do a weekend hunt if it's a decent area and price but refuse to pay to kill feral hogs. Honestly their are too many that actually put them on the land then get suckers to pay that blood money to kill them. If was really a problem the govt would make them allow people to thin them out. Most of the time they leave them lay. Most are not fit to eat. Other than that I stick with fishing for most part and perforate paper at the range.There is a significant difference in thump moving up to .54. For some reason, it seems to be a sweet spot of diameter and velocity, fine for deer and adequate for elk. IMHO, .50 prb is not ok for elk, though I have had friends that hunted with a double ball load in .50. Now THAT load will teach you about Newton and actions and reactions! If I were to have one caliber, it would be .54 if I hunted, or .40 if I only hunted deer and such (though in NM we must use only .45 and larger, but I can't ever seem to get a tag....).
Historical background: .54 was the traditional rifle caliber for the U.S. military (.69 for muskets)
I’ve got a few of the maxi balls laying around here somewhere. I thought at one time that they were necessary for big bull elk but over time and with experience, I’ve come to believe that they are equal to, not more than, the patched round ball within 100 yards or so. And as noted, the recoil with 100gr. Powder charges is memorable during practice sessions.I just picked up this anodized aluminum TC .54 Maxiball mold which I figure weighs 430 grains since the weight isn't marked on the mold and that was the Maxiball weight that TC sold at retail.
I wouldn't want to shoot this slug in my .54.
A person could probably shoot through 2 deer with it and kill a 3rd if they were all standing side by side.
I'll stick with the lighter weight bullets and sabots.
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