.54 or .50
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.54 , of course :thumbsup:. I have no trouble finding .54 cal. stuff on the web . I get most of my stuff from Track of the Wolf . I go to thier website , order what I need , and in 7 days or less it's at my door .
I have to agree that for most hunting situations the .50 is fine.However,even though there is only as You say 11% difference in energy,the weight and cross sectional density of the larger .54 ball should impart more shocking power.This argument has been going on for years.If You accept only the ballistical math involved then the difference is not much.500FPE is considered by many to be the min.needed to cleanly havest a deer size animal.Myself,I think shot placement is at least as important,and possibly more so.
more powder
36 Cal.
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Hi there MR fishnhunt i have 45 50 54 flintlock i like the 54 best for targets and hunting but i like big bores.Just ordered a .73 cal. for hunting here in MT. little overkill but i like it.
WV_Hillbilly
45 Cal.
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FWIW, I don't think that once you start hunting game that is deer or boar sized, (or bigger) and (sometimes) dangerous, that there is such a thing as "overkill" with regard to ANY "shoulder fired" muzzleloading firearms.
Not being so completely ridiculous as to imply that a 4-bore gun is required for a black bear or an elk, but within general limits of reason, I would even state that in muzzleloading, "bigger is ALWAYS BETTER than smaller" (or NOT having enough gun for the situation).
I think that we have been trained to believe that faster is always better than slower, which when applied to things like transportation, or getting food at the "fast" food place, or having a lower trajectory with a centerfire varmint gun... then faster is "almost" always better.
When velocity is limited by the propellant we use (black powder), then the ONLY way to produce more energy is with a bigger ball. It's not really just that simple, but then nothing ever is...
While some may say the difference is so slight as to not be noticeable on deer, it may be that way to some perceptions. Neither right or wrong in every instance. But, if there were really no difference, the .54 would never have needed to exist, nor would not exist now. There is a word for that particular situation, a term that escapes my aging mind right at the moment.
I'll remember it sometime later and startle everyone around me by shouting it out. I hope that I do NOT happend to be in a library, a funeral, or a church service when I do yell that word. If anyone knows what the terminology is for "something that has to exist--due to it's necessity"... Kind of like "nature abhors a vacuum" -- but that's not it.
ALWAYS use a BIG enough gun & remember to shoot safely,
Regards,
WV_Hillbilly
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
A .50 won't do anything that a .54 won't do...And this being a "Traditional ML Board" balls shouldn't be hard to find...just pull your bullet mold out of your shooting bag and run a few..
I have a few 54s Percussion Thompson Center Renegade 54cal, & a CVA Gamester Hawken 54cal. The Gamester has a chrome lined bore. I also have a Pedersoli Traditional Hawken 50cal. Even though im sure the 50cal would do fine for Elk, Im definitely going to use my 54cal for Elk & Bear.
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appalichian hunter
75 Cal.
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54 and don't look back.
If you guys had only waited 2 more years, then this thread would have been 20 years old without a response.
appalichian hunter
75 Cal.
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Oh well better late than never.
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
Damn....I've been on here a long time!!!
bronko220002
45 Cal.
I had a 54 but got rid of it in lieu of a 58. At the ranges I hunt anything from the 45 up works for deer. PA requires 44 cal or larger.
I like the effect a .58 round ball has on game
I like the effect a .58 round ball has on game
I have a few 54s Percussion Thompson Center Renegade 54cal, & a CVA Gamester Hawken 54cal. The Gamester has a chrome lined bore. I also have a Pedersoli Traditional Hawken 50cal, that'snot . Even though im sure the 50cal would do fine for Elk, Im definitely going to use my 54cal for Elk & Bear.
Lol wow I didn't even look, to see how old this thread was. It damn near is 20 years old.
morehops52
50 Cal.
You already nailed it. 54 and away you go!
I'm from the 'bigger the better' camp so for me, between the 2 would be .54. I like the bigger projectile and energy that it brings. My preferred hunting gun i currently carry is a .58 lehigh though.
morehops52
50 Cal.
LD I’ve found that it’s easy to miss those little details here. …… like outdated postsWell its only a starting date not the ending. To me its what you want to use or what your State allows you to use. I have never had a problem using my .40 cal. Many Western States have a problem with its size. Shoot it during regular season its never failed to leave 2 holes through the ribs.
I know I have .40 caliber custom cast Maxi-Balls which change the capability of my .40, but some states still prohibit it for deer.
LD
