54 cal vs. 50 cal

[Stumpkiller]

The .54 round ball carries 27% more mass than a .50


BUT, I have killed whitetail with both and the .50 has dropped a buck for me that collapsed where he stood. My favorite is the .54, but I like the .50 and don't feel undergunned with it.

IMHO the .54 will do everything a .50 will, plus a margin of added energy.

 

[ebiggs1]

Here is what you are looking at. The gun on the top is a 54 cal Lyman. The other is a TC with a GM barrel. By far and away the TC is my choice between the two. That said the Lyman can be made to shoot as well as the TC does. It just takes a little tweaking.

My favorite guns until my last home built. Both are TC Hawken's with GM barrels. The flintlock also has the very good Davis trigger. A must on a Lyman and a nice upgrade for a TC but not really necessary.

I like the 54 cal but the 50 is probably a better all around choice. For one thing you can usually find round balls and patches at Bass Pro or Cabela's commonly.