.50 or .58? Mostly target, some hunting?

[longcruise]

The 50 will do it all based on what you plan to do with it. The only reason for a bigger caliber would be hunting regulations that require it. And a 54 is better when hunting elk size game but you already have that.

That said, I no longer have any 50 caliber guns. Mine are 45, 54 and 58. I did everything with a 50 for many years but now I hunt with 54s and the 45 does all the plinking, small game and. Match shooting. I got no excuse for the 58s.

 

[tnlonghunter]

Thanks for that. Ive got a nice .40 for plinking and small game, I think I'm covered there.

 

[William Sublette]

Need is irrelevant, you can buy physical sustenance at the grocery store for way cheaper than any wild game hunt.



This is a question of want.


What does your heart want?

 

[FiremanBrad]

The only right answer is.....

One of each!

 

[tnlonghunter]

The only right answer is.....

One of each!

You're not wrong!

 

[Art Caputo]

For the shooting requirements you describe, I believe personal preference plays the determining role, and don’t think you could go wrong with either choice. My most used rifles are 50cal which are usually compatible with different rifle styles. They generate more then sufficient energy/ballistics for hunting or targets at my max range, 125 yards. I also appreciate the lower recoil, making them easy for me to shoot very accurately off-hand. My go-to, whether targets or hunting, is a 38” swamped barrel,early Colonial style flintlock that weighs 7 1/2 pounds.

 

[Tinhorn]

I own one barrel bored .50, and another barrel bored .58.
The .50 shoots .495RB
The .58 shoots .562RB
Both are dead accurate, but the everyday 'shooter' is the .50, due to needing half of the powder needed for the .56 ball to fly the same. I shoot about 40 paces offhand at small 2-3" targets, no hit, it's a miss. No 'almost' for me, so the .50 gets the nod. 50g FFG, 180g RB, about .22 velocity. Bump the .50 up to 90g FFG and it's a 100yd ripper, for certain.
One day I was fooling around out by a hay barn, and shot a can of tomato juice off a fencepost at 25yds or so, just to impress my buddies with the 'red mist', if you will. So they were suitably impressed, of course. And the next day, I noticed a .50 hole through the roof of the hay barn, which was 50 yds behind that now-red corral fencepost. I kept my mouth shut about it, and always checked my backstop after that little escapade. Is this tale any help, TN? Tinhorn

 

[joesmoe3]

Totally agree with the want. Had an interest in the War Between the States growing up, and when circumstances allowed, I purchased a reproduction Richmond 1863. Sine I was in the neighborhood, I also acquired along the way a TC pre-fire Scout in .58, and then a TC Firehawk in .58. All of these are for fun, and they're really three different firearms, because .58 isn't .58 necessarily. The Richmond takes a .577 projectile, while the Firehawk shoots a true .580.

The other BP firearms are all .54, including a Lyman brand Deer Stalker back when they still offered it in stainless. With a faster rate of twist, it can better stabilize modern sabot rounds and is my go-to for muzzleloader season.

 

[user 36911]

With a faster rate of twist, it can better stabilize modern sabot rounds and is my go-to for muzzleloader season.

It's better to not mention that here. This is a traditional forum.

 

[ZUG]

Since you already own a .54 and that will cover MOST all of North American game I would forget the .50 and get a .45 for your target needs.

 

[tnlonghunter]

Since you already own a .54 and that will cover MOST all of North American game I would forget the .50 and get a .45 for your target needs.

I'm not opposed. What do you like about the .45 over the .50? I have a .40, as well, so I'm curious what a .45 would get me that might be better for target shooting over a .50 cal.

 

[Grenadier1758]

You have a lighter ball (45 vs 50), flatter trajectory, in the same profile barrel a stiffer barrel and with a bit more weight in the barrel, hold on target might be better.

 

[joesmoe3]

My apologies -- this is a Flintlock forum and I don't have any. :-(

 

[tnlonghunter]

My apologies -- this is a Flintlock forum and I don't have any. :-(

It's all good! Thanks for the perspective, nonetheless. I don't have experience with anything above a .54, so anyone who does is a step or 20 ahead of me.

 

[user 36911]

My apologies -- this is a Flintlock forum and I don't have any. :-(

Easy to fix that. Go buy one.

 

[smo]

I guess it really depends on the size of the target .... I've seen many times where a few thousandths of an inch made all the difference in the World.

Plus for hunting purposes, especially shooting a round ball ... The bigger the hole the quicker they will leak out!

My choice was an easy one...

 

[ZUG]

I did not know you had a .40 cal which is a great target caliber as is the .45. The .45 can also be used in most all states for hunting deer size game where as the .40 can not. The .45 can be used effectively on those 100 yard gongs with the wind effecting the ball less. I have both calibers and will pick the .40 for paper targets out to 50 yards and I will take the .45 for everything else including the paper targets out to 50 yards such as when on a woods walk

 

[hanshi]

I've never cared all that much for the .58. A "one rifle owner" would do well to chose a .54 as it will do anything that could possibly need doing in the USA. Again, the choice should be between the .50 and .45. I've owned/used both extensively with the nod going to the .45. Either of these calibers will excel at any job you come up with.

 

[nkbj]

tnlonghunter,
With your stated intents, if it was me it'd be an easy choice. Here's why.

For target shooting with a flintlock I'd want good accuracy without needing heavy charges. That means I'd not get a (so called) slow or round ball twist. Wanting accuracy with heavy charges I'd get (so called) deep rifling. And if I wanted to have the hole card of being able to accurately shoot bear boppin' moose floppin' heavy buffalo bullets, why that capability would already have been built into the gun.

So if I was choosing between 50 and 58 it would be 50.

 

[Bighorserider]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned, but 50 will kill targets just fine while using a lot less powder and lead and probably easier on your shoulder.