54 Cal Lyman GPR RB deer performance

[MIDeerhunter67]

Two holes more blood than one. Larger caliber more blood and shorter trail. I usually use the 58 and take at least one shoulder when hunting in Western NC mountains. A deer than runs even 10 yards may take all day to retrieve...... I’ve seen it happen. The ‘I’m not wasting any meat crowd’ are usually left on their own if they insist on repeating the double lung shot in one of the difficult to retrieve areas.

And I sometimes complain about have to drag a deer 100 yards! Good to hear! Thank you very much!

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

Good thread. My last mulie [Idaho] was huge! He was on a downhill trail. Bang .. front legs buckle .. slid down the trail halfway to my waiting pickup. Dress him out and help him slide the rest of the way down. Well, yes there was a long blood trail. Lyman GPR [my build] .50 with PRB. Polecat

Awesome! That’s good to hear! Looking forward to fall! My tree saddle and GPR are ready to get some meat in the freezer!

 

[Ames]

That's funny stuff right there! My best hunting area is A MILE drag before you can get the truck. As far as large loads punching you too much............One shot and the freezer is full. I can live with it. Not like 30 shots at the range and you are numb.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

That's funny stuff right there! My best hunting area is A MILE drag before you can get the truck. As far as large loads punching you too much............One shot and the freezer is full. I can live with it. Not like 30 shots at the range and you are numb.

A mile!!! That’s a long way! We got it pretty easy here in the ag fields! Round ball loads don’t bother me but those conicals will rattle your teeth a little! But I agree you won’t feel it with a deer or game in front of you!

 

[brewer12345]

I shot a doe last year at about 50 yards with a 54 with a 24 inch barrel using a round ball and 110 grains of powder. I pulled the shot a bit or she moved as I fired and nicked one lung, half the liver and a kidney. The ball exited near the rear quarter. The entry wound was about the size of the ball, the exit was more like a quarter. She ran and left a scant blood trail because I hit a little too high. She made it 75 yards or so and was dead less than a minute after the shot. When I walked up to her it looked like someone had poured a gallon paint can of blood all over the place. Even though I made a marginal vitals shot, she was done. A 54 round ball at a reasonable range will give you plenty of killing power and margin of error.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

That’s good to know, I’m running 110 grains too, my GPR likes the stout load!

 

[Rowdyrooster]

Most of the deer I have taken in the last 14 years have been with the .54 GPR. Most shots were 40 to 60 yards. Most every shot passed through. I shot 5 this last year, 4 with my GPR and one with my 30-30, results were the same with both rifles.

 

[Bob McBride]

A .54/110g/RB will absolutely lay the wood to a Deer. Any in/out into the upper rib cage and you will see it crash if it runs off at all. Shot placement still critical like anything else but it’s a great combo. I hunt deer with a .58 but many like the .54 better.

 

[slaptrigger]

I must be the anomaly in this crowd as I’ve had very dismal blood trails resulting from my 54. I’ve never lost a deer, but I’ve had to crawl on my knees looking for drops of blood. Like previous posts, I’ve never seen a deer catch a 54 prb. But I have had several double lunged deer make it approx. 100 yds with a faint, if not barely existing blood trail. I’ve found the best shot is one that disrupted the central nervous system. That’s where a successful bang flop comes from.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

Most of the deer I have taken in the last 14 years have been with the .54 GPR. Most shots were 40 to 60 yards. Most every shot passed through. I shot 5 this last year, 4 with my GPR and one with my 30-30, results were the same with both rifles.

Do you cast your own? I’m running the hornadys at the moment.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

I must be the anomaly in this crowd as I’ve had very dismal blood trails resulting from my 54. I’ve never lost a deer, but I’ve had to crawl on my knees looking for drops of blood. Like previous posts, I’ve never seen a deer catch a 54 prb. But I have had several double lunged deer make it approx. 100 yds with a faint, if not barely existing blood trail. I’ve found the best shot is one that disrupted the central nervous system. That’s where a successful bang flop comes from.

Interesting, what kind of ball do you use? Do you cast your own?

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

A .54/110g/RB will absolutely lay the wood to a Deer. Any in/out into the upper rib cage and you will see it crash if it runs off at all. Shot placement still critical like anything else but it’s a great combo. I hunt deer with a .58 but many like the .54 better.

Do you cast your own ball or do you use a brand?

 

[Bob McBride]

I mostly cast my own but also use Rush Creek from TOTW and Hornady on occasion.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

I mostly cast my own but also use Rush Creek from TOTW and Hornady on occasion.

Thanks for the information! I get all my components from TOTW too!

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

I mostly cast my own but also use Rush Creek from TOTW and Hornady on occasion.

I just subscribed to your channel! Looks like great content!

 

[Bob McBride]

I just subscribed to your channel! Looks like great content!

Thanks brother! Like I said on another thread, I’m no natural behind the camera, being a ‘way back in the hills’ country boy, but I have fun doing it. I appreciate it!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I’m a new member and I have a question about my 54 GPR and RB performance on deer, pass through, blood trails? How’s the 54 do?

Well you don't need much of a blood trail if they fall within sight of the spot where they were standing when they were hit.

Pass through? Yeah you'll probably get pass through using a 120 grain load, alright.

Granted deer down here are about 30%-50% smaller than you might encounter up where you live, but I get pass-through with 70 grains of 3Fg at 100 yards or less.

As I'm sure you know shot placement on the deer is the key. Here are the two places that I will aim and take a shot on a deer,...

And...,

The only tracking trouble that I had was once when the buck had been flushed from his mid-day hideout by some fox hunters, and he had just slowed down to a walk but was still jazzed-up with adrenalin when I shot him. So he went about 80 yards and then fell over. No blood trail. Pass through, though.

The only two tips I have for you, is a) hunt all day; no break from the woods for lunch. This rings true the best on public hunting areas and places which adjoin public hunting land, and b) Mark where you stood when you took the shot with a cheap, easily replace, polyester blaze orange knit hat. Being able to look back and see where you stood when you shot is valuable in finding where the deer actually was standing when hit.

LD

 

[renegadehunter]

I believe a top of the heart/bottom of the lungs is best with a RB. Make those holes low in the body cavity so it doesn't take much time for blood to fill and start leaking out of them.
I shot one high lungs a couple of years ago with a .54 cal 425 grain conical on top of 100 grns of 2f. The deer went about 80 yards and was done, but the blood trail was non existent. A little at the sight of impact, but then nothing. Shoot them a quarter of the way up if you want a better blood trail.

 

[nkbj]

Deer hit with a well placed .54 round ball can and do sometimes run off and disappear.
I've seen it, south Texas 1991.
Nothing is 100%.

 

[MIDeerhunter67]

Well you don't need much of a blood trail if they fall within sight of the spot where they were standing when they were hit.

Pass through? Yeah you'll probably get pass through using a 120 grain load, alright.

Granted deer down here are about 30%-50% smaller than you might encounter up where you live, but I get pass-through with 70 grains of 3Fg at 100 yards or less.

As I'm sure you know shot placement on the deer is the key. Here are the two places that I will aim and take a shot on a deer,...
View attachment 31733

And...,

View attachment 31734

The only tracking trouble that I had was once when the buck had been flushed from his mid-day hideout by some fox hunters, and he had just slowed down to a walk but was still jazzed-up with adrenalin when I shot him. So he went about 80 yards and then fell over. No blood trail. Pass through, though.

The only two tips I have for you, is a) hunt all day; no break from the woods for lunch. This rings true the best on public hunting areas and places which adjoin public hunting land, and b) Mark where you stood when you took the shot with a cheap, easily replace, polyester blaze orange knit hat. Being able to look back and see where you stood when you shot is valuable in finding where the deer actually was standing when hit.

LD

Interesting! I looked in my load book 110 grains 2f goex! My mess up! I plan on putting in some big time this fall with the front stuffer and my tree saddle! That’s crazy how some deer bleed and other don’t! The way it goes I guess!