.54 cal shot placement options for Elk

[longcruise]

The Great Plains I'm talking about is not available for purchase. Ya gotta get the mold. This is the mold

Lyman Great Plains bullet mold

I too am of the LBT school and have found the concept to be applicable especially to ML conicals.

 

[4given]

I don't want to get into bullet casting right now. That sure looks like a dandy bullet!

So you don't know anybody who sells these eh?

 

[4given]

Hornady .54 Great Plains Bullet

Above is a link to picture on the Hornady website. Here is the testamonial that accompanied it:


Category: 54 Cal

Product: 54 Cal 425 gr HB-HP

Shooter: Tom

Posted: Sep 22, 2011


I've attached photos of 3 Hornady Great Plains bullets (.54 caliber, 425 gr.) that I've recovered from elk I shot, using 100 gr. of ffG black powder. Two of the bullets each broke both shoulders (one spike bull and one adult cow) and lodged under the hide on the off side. Final bullet weights were 340 gr., 345 gr. and 400 gr. respectively. Excellent performance!

Whatcha think? Am I worrying over nothing?

 

[Kapow]

I don't have a definitive answer just a very miserable experience with them. Maybe I need to try them again but I did fire two shots into the ribcage of that deer and neither projectile penetrated more than a few inches. Same load, 100gns Ffg. And as they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.

The Lyman Great Plains bullet is a different story altogether.

 

[4given]

WOW they didn't work very well for you!

I would rather use the Lyman Great Plains Bullet if I could get my hands on some.

 

[longcruise]

Gotta be some one here with the mold who would run a few off for you.

As far as getting into casting, don't let it scare you. Very little equipment needed. A coleman stove - a ladle - a small steel pot and a mold. I have saved hundreds of dollars over the years by casting my own bullets and balls.

A friend of mine had an experience similar to Kapow's with a .54 HP conical. I think his was a Buffaloe Bullet. Hit a mulie head on in the throat and the bullet failed to penetrate all the way through the spine. Deer dropped on the spot of course, but would not have wanted to hit a big elk in the shoulder blade with that bullet! :shocked2:

 

[Vaino]

My first elk rifle was a .50 cal TC Hawken and used a 410 gr HP Buffalo Bullet in front of 100 grs 2f and killed one elk w/ it. This rifle then was used by my son and killed 3 elk using the same load. All the elk were shot in the lungs and didn't go far. I switched to a .54 cal. using a .535 RB and 120 grs 2f and shot a few elk and they didn't go far either. Both the PRB and the Buffalo Bullet performed equally well and no elk had to be trailed.....Fred

 

[Big John]

I've used my 50cal T/C w/80gr. of 3f and the T/C minie ball on 3 stags and 2 buffalo (1,000lbs and 2,500lbs)Minie ball is devastating out to 130yds. 3in group and 1.5in group at 100yds.

 

[4given]

Gotta be some one here with the mold who would run a few off for you.

That would be great! Is there anyone out there who would sell me a few to try?

 

[hoochiepapa]

Stick with what you have. I have killed four bull elk with the Hornady Great Plains in HOLLOWPOINT and have collected every one within short yardage, except one. He went about 100 yards, after two through the boilerroom . Why he didn't go down right away only the hunting gods can say.
One bull was shot at about 110 yards, and he dropped withing 20. I used Cabela's Hawken in .54, 100 grains of powder.

Would you say that this is good expansion?? One at 70 yards, and one at about 100.

 

[4given]

There we go, someone who has "been there done that"! Looks like you really got good performance with them! :thumbsup:

Shoot 'em through the lungs?

 

[Kapow]

Like I said, maybe I need to give them another go, but I would still proceed with caution. I have heard of others gettin bad results also. Then I have heard of others getting the type of results you have. I don't know what the difference is.

I need to take them out pig hunting and shoulder shoot some big boars with them. If they get through them they will work on anything. If not they can go in the melting pot.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Yessir, lung shots. The bull that went the farthest I shot at about 70 yards, he was quartering towards me. He whirled and showed me his other side, stood there long enough for me to reload, and I let him have it through the boiler room from the other side. He ran downhill for about another 50-70 yards, and piled up. Both bullets were found under the skin on the opposite side. Great performance. I hunt with a roundball now, but I swear by that bullet. The top one you can see imprints of the ribs.

 

[4given]

Sweet! I hear they are pretty accuate bullet too. What kind of groups are you getting?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Any of the cervids, from sitka deer to moose, have been taken with the lung(s) shot, and such is considered one of the most reliable areas for shot placement. The question is getting the projectile into at least one, and preferably both lungs. The bigger the cervid, coupled with the range, the more the bullet needs to have when it arrives, either in mass or in velocity. One can aid the performance of the patched round ball on elk or moose, by going from all lead to a harder alloy (assuming a good mv and reasonable range to the animal). I would submit this would include the brass round ball launched from a .58 barrel discussed in another thread. The hole is big enough..., the other part of the exercise is to get the hole deep enough.

LD

 

[hoochiepapa]

It has been a long time, but if I remember correctly, I was getting 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards off the bench. Plenty accurate, but if I shot more, there was more fouling, and it was a big problem with that rifle-and the pyrodex I was using.

 

[Rat Trapper]

As I have often posted here I have had very good results from the Hornady Great plains bullets in both my 50 & 54 TC Hawken rifles. I've taken a number of deer with them. I see no reason for them not to work great on bigger game as well. I have always driven them hard with Triple Seven 2F too.

 

[4given]

So do you use pyrodex while hunting or black powder?

 

[4given]

Good to know! Triple seven, you igniting that with a 209 primer?

 

[hoochiepapa]

I used pyrodex in the beginning, but have repented of my sins and now use true black.