I have a .54 caliber plains rifle that shoots very well and is a pleasure to hunt with. Mine is half stock, 2 wedges, no patch box. I stocked it in walnut. If I were to do over, I would go with the tapered barrel, probably 32-34" long.
Jim here, just wanted to introduce myself. This is a great forum. Appreciate all the great info. I have built three rifles, with a fourth in process now. Have learned a lot from this forum, and still have much more to learn.