50 or 54

[tanda]

Hi
Thanks for the info on last post.
My next question is between 50cal or 54 cal round ball.
Getting the gun for hunting whitetails,is there much benifit with the 54 cal.
Looked in past posts and seems like both do the job.
Any experience from hunters would be helpful.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[roundball]

FWIW, average shot distances are always the biggest consideration to me.

If I'm going to hunt a particular stand where I know the shot will be in the 25-50yd range, I'll feel comfortable using a .45 or .50cal.

If shots may very well be 75-100yds, then I'll be more inclined to carry a .54 or .58cal.

If this is your first purchase, the .54cal would have some built in energy / distance advantages.

 

[tanda]

Most the deer i have shot with the inline have ben within 75 yd. and double lung in chest if that helps with opinions

 

[Stumpkiller]

The .54 carries 27% more mass than a .50, and the muzzle velocity is about the same. Using more powder, or course, but muzzleloaders "peak" at about 1,600 to 1,800 fps for efficiency whether a .36 or a .54

You can always load a .54 down and it still makes a bigger hole than a .50 that strikes no bone.

The .54 carries it's energy better. Round balls are not very efficient so the only way to hit hard far is heavier. 75 yards is still well within .50 territory for whitetail.

Ah, I just like the .54 and will always find ways to justify my choice. :haha:

 

[Blue Smoke]

Most my Deer have been killed with 54Cal. Ball.I have a 50Cal. Inline that I've been using 240Gr. Sabots in.

The 50Cal. has more Energy with the Sabots.But I would have to say I'm happy with the way both Rifles put Deer down.

Blue Smoke

 

[Landngroove]

For hunting with a PRB, go with the .54. .50's are O.K., but the .54 gives that little extra.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

The only thing that might influence my choice for a .50 rather than the .54 would be if you found a nice used gun (please check the bore FIRST, if you're gonna buy used). If it was a CVA Mt. Rifle in .50cal versus a Traditions Deer Hunter in .54cal... well obviously I would take the Mt. Rifle first. Most people seem to be voting for the .54 in general and if all else is equal, AND I tend to agree with that. Conicals are a slightly different matter, but you mentioned round ball use, so we'll stick with that.

Velocity will decrease, but the mass of the heavier bullet always stays the same (which means more energy at the target). Try to get as much muzzle velocity as you can while still keeping acceptable accuracy and with the heaviest ball (or bullet) available.

 

Ballistics are what they are. Projectile weight is like cubic inches in an engine, there is no substitute. One caliber is as accurate as the other. For a first rifle to be used for hunting with a PRB to me it's a slam dunk in favor of the 54.

To sound like a real hypocrite, this years deer was taken with a 45....but it was a new rifle and needed blooded. Next year it's back to the 54......unless there's another rifle that needs blooded.

Vic

 

You'll get more muzzle energy and a larger permanant wound channel with the 54 but, if your primary quarry is Whitetailed deer than the 50 will prove to be plenty given you do your part, (proper shot placement). Case in point, a 300 Win Mag will drop anything on the North American Continant, do you really need that for Whunting Whitetails in the Catskills when a 35 Rem will perform the job just as efficiently?

 

[jdixon]

Your choice, the larger you go the more forgiving it will be if you don't exactly hit the mark. Either will work fine inside of 100 yrds. A whole lot of MZ hunters hunt .45's and know some that routinely go out with .40's for deer. You just have to hit 'em right they say with those .40's. Me - I have both .50's and .54's taken deer with both.

 

I see your point J.R. I have 2 54's and 2 50's. I love them all although for hunting in my parts I'm partial to the 50. It's more than enough for what I'm hunting. Proper shot placement is everything!!

 

[LarryB]

I have killed Deer and Elk with my 54. I think bigger is better. They both will work. Shot placement is the most important thing to get quick clean kills. The one you shoot best is the one to use.

 

[chuck-ia]

If it was me, and the biggest game animal I was going to hunt was deer, I would go with the 50. Less recoil would be my main point. For the past few years I have been shooting and hunting with a 45 cal. flinch

 

[Swampman]

Even a .54 is less powerful than a .30-30.

 

[Rebel]

Which has to do with what? Was nothing said about centerfires.

 

[lyman]

oNE THREAD SAID IF ALL YOUR GOING TO HUNT IS WHITETAIL THE 50 IS OK. tHAT IS TRUE, but in several states some seasons overlap and if you run into a bear the 54 would be my choise.
Bob

 

[chix]

As the man said, you can always load a .54 down if you want to take it easy on your shoulder. Go with the .54 for round balls and Whitetail.

 

[Swampman]

The point being is that even a .54 isn't very powerful. Balistically a .50 caliber roundball equals a .30 carbine round which almost everyone agrees is way too light for deer. There is no logical reason to chose a .50 over a .54.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

This has been debated at length before. Everyone has an opinion and most are based on the "bigger just has to be better" line of thinking. But everyone agrees that there is a reasonable limit to the "bigness". I doubt that the difference between .50 and .54 would ever be noticeable in actual use.
The current Lyman BP Handbook shows for 32" barrels,
.50 cal, .490" ball, 120 gr.3f, 2045 fps and 1644 ft.lb at the muzzle, with 525 ft.lb remaining at 100 yards.
.54 cal, .535" ball, 120 gr.3f, 1735 fps and 1538 ft.lb at the muzzle, with 580 ft.lb at 100 yds.
As you see, the .50 has about 7% more energy at the muzzle and the .54 has about 10% more remaining at 100 yards. Hardly anything to get worked up over and certainly nothing to lead one to imagine that "the greater mass of the .54 will help to compensate for imperfect shot placement".
But people will insist on believing that their "big .54" can work wonders.
The three most important factors in making clean kills on game are: shot placement, SHOT placement and shot PLACEMENT. If the flatter trajectory and slightly lessened recoil of a .50 enables one to place their shot just a tiny bit better I'd say that far outweighs just a tiny bit bigger ball. :grin:

 

[roundball]

Not taking issue with your quoted stats...just thought that in addition to the 10% difference, there may also be something to be said for the increased frontal impact area of the larger ball, and the additional penetration from the heavier weight
:v