54 cal for elk

[DeX Glenn]

What do you guys shoot in the Hawken 54 for elk? :thumbsup:

 

[R.M.]

80 gr of 3F and a PRB. Goes right on through the chest side to side.

 

[Headhunter]

A most excellent load.

WC

 

[BrownBear]

My particular rifle prefers 90 grains of 3f rather than 80 grains, so I'm shooting that. I'd be just as confident in 80 grains if my rifle shot it a skosh better.

 

[Le Grand]

If you do your job, the patched round ball will certainly do its duty.

 

[MikeChapin]

80 grains 3F and .520 PRB. I shoot a Santa Fe that has a .530 barrel. As R.M. says, it will go through the chest of a large cow at 60 yards, breaking ribs on both sides. The 80 grain load is the most accurate 100 yard load for that rifle. Just find the most accurate load for your rifle and use that. Shot placement is everything.

 

[steve nagy]

80 grains 3F and .520 PRB. I shoot a Santa Fe that has a .530 barrel. As R.M. says, it will go through the chest of a large cow at 60 yards, breaking ribs on both sides. The 80 grain load is the most accurate 100 yard load for that rifle. Just find the most accurate load for your rifle and use that. Shot placement is everything.

I used the same load in my Santa Fe and that load was phenomenally accurate! I never shot an elk with it but that load broke both shoulders easily on whitetail. That rifle "locked" me in as a user of muzzleloading rifles for hunting.

 

[renovato]

85 grains 3F and a PRB has never let me down. I'd prefer a .58 but I've used the .54 enough times to trust it, so...

 

[DeX Glenn]

I love the PRB in my 50 also. Thanks for the replys :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[dyemaker]

I'd go with what plink said. :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

I can't add much to the above other than to get as close as you can,and foucus/practice on shot placement, good hunting and enjoy the journey.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

80gr Pyrodex RS, .015 patch and a homecast .530 round ball took this elk at 140 yards with a single shot through both lungs.

:thumbsup:

 

[laney1566]

Nice hunting bag material you got there!!!
Please tell me you preserved the hide.

 

[Vaino]

Shot 2 elk w/ the .54 and the load is...535 RB, 120 grs 2f and a .020 patch. Both mature cow elk went 40-50 yds after broadside rib shots and didn't need a follow up shot. The distances were approx. 50 yds and the ball passed thru and 107 paced off yds and the "ball" was found under the skin on the opposite shoulder and it was the size of a quarter. Excellent performance from a very accurate Pecatonica "Hawken".....Fred

 

[Wink]

What kind of muzzle velocity and energy can one expect with 80 gr of FFF and a PRB?

 

[R.M.]

Never checked. You can't really do a direct comparison with modern ballistics. The RB at lower velocity just boggles ballistic calculators.
I just know the old RB works, very well.

 

[Dphar]

What kind of muzzle velocity and energy can one expect with 80 gr of FFF and a PRB?

My 38" barreled flintlock makes about 1900 with 90 gr FFF Swiss.
Its a little faster than 100 gr of FFFG Goex.
The rifle has a cupped breech and this is supposed to make higher velocity.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

What kind of muzzle velocity and energy can one expect with 80 gr of FFF and a PRB?

Oh BTW.
Energy level means little in the context of BP firearms. Be it a ML or a 45-100 its really pretty meaningless. Compare a 45-70-405 BP (or a 54 rb for that matter) to a 22-250 etc. Then ask yourself which is the better big game killer.

Dan

 

[Goshawk]

Excellent shooting, or should I say shot! :thumbsup:


.690RB

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu are asking a MOdern Gun question. The question, and the answers are irelevent to actual performance on game.

The Lead Round ball expands even at extremely low velocities. Its a short range projectile working best at shots under 150 yards, because of its poor ballistics coefficient. But that works just fine in rifles that have IRON SIGHTS.

Modern shooters are constantly trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Its NOT GOING TO happen! Leave the scope off the rifle. Shoot real Black Powder, and use Real Pure LEAD Round Balls for hunting game.

Do some penetration testing. You can compare a lead RB's performance to that of cast bullets, and even modern rifle bullets that are jacketed. I did this when I first bought my .50 caliber rifle, and used 1" pine boards, spaced 1" apart. There are better test mediums, but when you understand the the data does NOT simulate actual balls striking live flesh and bone, ever, you use the test information for comparison, only. Use cartridge rifles that you have faith in for killing game for a COMPARISON.

My .50 caliber soft lead ball went through 6 boards and smacked into the 7th before stopping. BY COMPARISON, my .30-06 180 grain Round Nose Soft Point Remington Ammo went through only 8 boards before stopping. I was surprised that my .50 cal. did so well, even at the close range ( about 20 feet) I stood from the "box" to shoot both guns.

My first deer was shot at about 35 yards, with that .50 caliber round ball, and it broke a rib entering the lower chest, went through both lungs, and some of the major arteries about the heart, and broke a second rib before exiting. I had two blood trails on this large, older doe, as she stumbled down the steep side of the ravine to the bottom where she piled up. How Much MORE DEAD can you get??? The exit hole and the break in the off-side rib was about the size of a quarter, BTW. That is very complete expansion of the ball, in only about 4 inches of tissue and bones.

I don't know any .30 caliber rifle bullet that will expand that much, nor kill a deer any quicker with that shot placement.

So, put your ideas learned from shooting modern cartridge guns away, and begin to learn a whole different set of " rules" when working with Black Powder and traditional rifles. We have all had to do this when we started out, so don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Welcome to the forum. :grin: :thumbsup: