Hunting time draws near

[Idaho shooter]

drew a cow elk tag this year in Idaho and am wondering about using my .54 Hawken. It has a slow twist, like one turn in 66inches, and is designed to shoot patched round balls, which I do. My question is this : should I work up a good hunting load for patched balls, or perhaps try shooting some conical, like power belts. Don’t know if they will even shoot well out of this gun. Thanks!

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

I would work up loads for both. May even try a Lee real bullet.

 

[troy fairweather]

id would use what shoots best and put the bullet/ball in the right spot.

 

[midland man]

balls will work fine just get as hot but accurate load you can find with roundball!!

 

[Patocazador]

.54 caliber round balls are plenty big enough for broadside shots on elk. Wait for the right angle and put your round ball through its lungs.

There are lots of folks who have tried PowerBelts in inlines and had poor results. Shoot what the barrel was designed to shoot.

 

[midland man]

.54 caliber round balls are plenty big enough for broadside shots on elk. Wait for the right angle and put your round ball through its lungs.

There are lots of folks who have tried PowerBelts in inlines and had poor results. Shoot what the barrel was designed to shoot.

AMEN!!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I vote patch and ball.

 

[expat_alaska]

When I lived in Alaska years ago (dating myself: 70's-80's) I hunted with a good buddy who shot a .54 Hawken of some make and I had a CVA Hawken .50. We hunted as a team in the same hidey-hole, with the .54 taking the first shot and, if needed, the .50 would be the second shot. Back then, moose were thick as all get out

We used patched round balls with large loads of 3F BP. We almost always came home with at least one moose, and we did not care if it was a cow or bull, and we had permits/tags for both. If hit in the lungs or heart we did not chase it far and we were butchering it.

We were not looking for antlers or head mounts, just meat for the freezer. Don't pass up neck meat or lower leg meat as it makes great hamburger. Just add enough beef fat to the hamburger (15%) for a great meal. If you get a caribou add 20% beef fat as caribou are so lean.

He had an 1894 Winchester in .38-55 (actually a .40 caliber) that I was most impressed with and that was for serious work.

Sorry to ramble.

Jim

 

[Armored farmer]

Fwiw the 1:66 slow twist seems to work best with prb.
If you get good accuracy from your with prb, then i would continue to use them.
Having taken a couple dozen whitetails with my .54 hawken, i would love to try my luck with an elk.

 

[Idaho shooter]

Thanks for the input guys. I will start working up a good hot, accurate prob load!

 

[ThomasT]

I killed my first elk with a 54 Cabelas Hawken using a Lee Improved Mini but a PRB would have killed it just as well. The shot was only 40 yards away. Just about anything would have killed that elk. Round balls do impressive work and have for a couple of centuries. Put the bullet in the kill zone and you will be fine.

 

[expat_alaska]

Fwiw the 1:66 slow twist seems to work best with prb.
If you get good accuracy from your with prb, then I would continue to use them.
Having taken a couple dozen whitetails with my .54 hawken, i would love to try my luck with an elk.

That should be easier than taking an 800-1000 pound moose. We used to have many elk here in our area in SW WA but with the extensive logging and the hoof-rot disease with the cows, we have not seen them in over 4 years here.

We used to have 2 40+ animal herds of cows/spike-horn bulls every winter year that would eat and bed down on our 14-acre hayfield. That's OK because I detest the local road-hunters who drive around looking for them with loaded rifles in the easy-rider rifle rack, do not ask permission to hunt on private land (trespassing), and shoot from the road, which is illegal here. When I grew up you got your butt in the woods and did the work. Hunting!

Thanks for the input guys. I will start working up a good hot, accurate prb load!

Good luck to you, sir! The only thing I would add is if you run across a black bear, don't pass it up! As they have a fairly thick hide, skinning it out is not fun, but IMO the meat is to die for! I have not had any since the 80's. Just make sure you cook it well as blackies can harbor trichina worms (much like wild and some domestic pork) and you do not want to contract trichinosis. Many years ago I had a friend that insisted his meat was grilled less than pink and he found out. Not a good outcome. As long as it is thoroughly cooked above 170* you will have no problem.

Good luck with your hunt, sir!

Jim

 

[J-Bar]

My TC Hawken .54 owner’s manual lists the maximum powder charge as 120 grains. Mine shoots its tightest groups with 85 grains of 2F Schuetzen. I don’t think the maximum charge is needed for hunting; I would use my 85 grain load with PRB for elk as well as deer, even though I have not been elk hunting. It works fine on deer.