.54 PRB elk load

[Atticus69]

Looking for suggestions to work up a good load for elk hunting. Rifle is a Lyman great plains rifle, flintlock. It takes a 530 roundball. Does great on deer at 70gr, but I'm guessing something stouter may be required to do a good job on elk. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[user 36911]

For decades I used a .54 for elk. My load was 80gr of Swiss 2F and never failed me. If you use Goex you'll have to up the load to be equal to Swiss. Maybe 90-95gr.
Keep in mind I like to sneak in close and will only take a double lung shots. You don't want to hit a shoulder on an elk with a PRB.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Probably good right there. What is your accuracy at max range? Where your groups exceed your personal tolerance is the range you need to plan for. I personally use 80g FFFg with the Hornady .530 PRB. Have taken several elk and elk sized animals, no problem. I will shoot up to 100-yards on elk considering accuracy and performance.

 

[azmntman]

Mnt Man has good advice. Double lung. Your load is good as is for PRB. NO shoulder shots, if this is a concern shoot conicals and 80 gr powder, they will blow through.

 

[longcruise]

I would work upward from the 70 grain load and go as heavy as it will shoot accurately. It's not a limbo contest about how low can you go. Load it up and hit em hard.

 

[Atticus69]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will not be taking shots over 100 yds and am glad to hear that I don't have to load up to 100 gr or over. My rifle isn't accurate ( might be the shooter) with that heavy of a load. Good to hear that several of you have taken elk with 70-80 gr loads. I've done best with this gun between 60-80gr.Swiss is hard to find around here (rural NW Ohio). I shoot Goex, recently picked up some Old Eynesford but haven't tried it yet.

 

[user 36911]

OE has almost the same power as Swiss. I talked to Goex about OE when it came out. He told me their goal was to match Swiss. His words were.......We came close but not quite. A lot of guys love it.

 

[tenngun]

Recall that Ball slows real quickly( talk about bad sentence construction)
1600 fps or 2000 fps both slow to almost the same speed at a hundred yards.
I’ve taken one elk at about thirty yards. So I ain’t the experienced guy. But any ball shot on a big animal needs to be close

 

[Atticus69]

So essentially,

Recall that Ball slows real quickly( talk about bad sentence construction)
1600 fps or 2000 fps both slow to almost the same speed at a hundred yards.
I’ve taken one elk at about thirty yards. So I ain’t the experienced guy. But any ball shot on a big animal needs to be close

So essentially, try to get into bow range?

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have killed a pile of elk over the years three of them were with a muzzleloader. Elk are tough! Guys that have never actually shot them have no idea just how tough they are. I have seen them shot multiple times with Large cartridge guns and stay on their feet.
I personally use paper patched conical's. You're asking about PRB and I am going to admit that I have no personal knowledge of using PRB on elk. I have hunted with guys that have used them. Your idea to use a minimum of 54 cal is a good plan. The guys that have said to get close as you can is a solid plan. Shooting through the lungs and staying away from the shoulder is probably the best advise.
Using as stout of a load as you can is a good plan. That said too much powder could negatively effect accuracy. I would shoot the stoutest load that you can and keep good accuracy.

The most important info I can give is waiting for the right shot. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get the right shot. If you call the elk in it will be quartering to you or straight on. Both of these shots are bad with a PRB. Waiting for the elk to turn and give you a side shot or a quartering away is the best bet.
Good luck on the hunt.

 

[Idaho Ron]

So essentially,

So essentially, try to get into bow range?

In my opinion yes

 

[tenngun]

So essentially,

So essentially, try to get into bow range?

That’s my rule on ball anyway, get close, ball is a crappy projectile that looses energy quickly.
ML with ball is archery on steroids.

 

[user 36911]

The ball does perform better than the ballistics shows. Not that's it's powerful but it does get the job done when the ballistics says it shouldn't.

If I didn't love traditional hunting i'd never use a PRB. However, it has never let me down because i've stuck to my rules of getting close and taking only double lung shots. It's not always possible to take the double lung shot but a PRB hunter needs the discipline to pass up shots. Not easy to do if it's the last day of the hunt or you've paid a bunch of money to do the hunt. I believe some hunters might be better off to use a conical.

 

[hanshi]

Never shot an elk but have taken what's going on toward a couple hundred deer. I've never used anything but round ball and never needed but just the one shot. But then I'll never shoot at an elk.

 

[user 36911]

Never shot an elk but have taken what's going on toward a couple hundred deer. I've never used anything but round ball and never needed but just the one shot. But then I'll never shoot at an elk.

I bet you'd love the meat.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Also never hunted elk but have killed a few deer with a .54 - 80gr. 3f goex .530 swaged ball 15 thousands patch, the last one was a huge white tail buck at 90 yards double lung complete pass through, the deer went about 45 yards, I believe on a elk I would want it as close as I could get it for the shot. Any way good luck on your hunt.

 

[McClura]

I have taken three elk, 2 cow and one small bull with flintlock and pure lead round ball cast by myself. Two of the roundball went through and one stopped against the hide on exit side. It expanded to approx 60 cal after one rib and both lungs. I shoot 90 grains of 3F GOEX in my flintlock. All shots where from 30 yds to 60 yds. One cow jumped a ditch at the time I pulled the trigger on my flintlock and I hit here upper shoulder and into the spine. She fell right there and had to use a second round to finish her.
I have built several .54 Hawken rifles for friends that live in SW Colorado and they have killed many Elk with my cast roundball and I sighted them in with 90 grains of 3F at 100 yards because the barrels were 1-66 twists for roundball. I'm pretty sure they hunt with 100 grains of 3F and one of them changed to 2F.
I drew my first elk tag in 1992 in SW CO and found they had a .54 cal limit so I ordered a new barrel, installed a tang, sights and installed it on my flintlock that normally wore a .50 cal. Worked up load with 90 grains of 3F, .540 round ball I cast and .015 patching.
Good luck
Mike

 

[user 36911]

I drew my first elk tag in 1992 in SW CO and found they had a .54 cal limit so I ordered a new barrel, installed a tang, sights and installed it on my flintlock that normally wore a .50 cal. Worked up load with 90 grains of 3F, .540 round ball I cast and .015 patching.
Good luck
Mike

You make it sound like Colorado had the .54 PRB law for elk in 1992. It didn't start until 2018.

 

[Snydly]

I use a PRB with 80gr. of FFg in my 54 caliber flintlock. It is what I recommend but in the past I have gone as small as a .45 PRB for elk in the 70s. Only took shots 50 yards and under. It worked but you better be a good tracker because they don't go down right away.... and it is hard to tell if you hit them.

 

[hanshi]

I bet you'd love the meat.

Actually a friend killed a huge bull in Kentucky and gave me some of the meat. The only time I've had elk meat and it was quite good.