58 maxi

[410-er]

I think I'm going to use my TC 58 Big Boar for bear this year.Wasn't sure if I wanted to use RB's or Maxi.My RB's give me 3/4" groups off the bench with 120 grs of FFg using .020 pillow.Not a big fan of maxis but thought I'd try them.They are big at about 570grs.Used 100 grs of FFg and a wad.When loading they slid down real easy.I was concerned that if I use them while hunting,I'd better keep that barrel pointed up.Shot a 5 shot group.Grouped 1 1/2" at 50 yds but 6" lower than my RB's.Kicked like a mule.Yea,they grouped good but I think I'm going to stick with my RB load.Our bear here in PA run anywhere from 100# up to 600# or better.

 

[BrownBear]

You confirmed my best guess! I'd kind of figured those big 58 cal maxis would whack you around with heavy charges. I'm yet to kill anything with the two 58 cal Hawken-styles I picked up this year, so it's all supposition. But right now if I don't think a 58 cal ball will do the job I'll likely go for a bigger ball rather than simply switching to a maxi in the 58's. No beef from me cuzz their's quite a history of conicals in 58 caliber. I'm just looking for more excuses to move up in calibers. I'm not a longrange shooter, so the extra ranging potential of a conical is pretty academic for me.

Thanks for reconfirming my prejudice!! :hatsoff:

 

[kevthebassman]

Shooting my old .50 cal with conicals could get abusive. My fillings shudder at the thought of a .58 caliber conical! If a .58 round ball can't make it dead, I don't figure I have much business trying to cause it's early demise!

 

[jtmattison]

Patched roundball will do the job. Put the ball in the boiler room and Yogi won't go far.

HD

 

[roundball]

I think I'm going to use my TC 58 Big Boar for bear this year.Wasn't sure if I wanted to use RB's or Maxi.My RB's give me 3/4" groups off the bench with 120 grs of FFg using .020 pillow.Not a big fan of maxis but thought I'd try them.They are big at about 570grs.Used 100 grs of FFg and a wad.When loading they slid down real easy.I was concerned that if I use them while hunting,I'd better keep that barrel pointed up.Shot a 5 shot group.Grouped 1 1/2" at 50 yds but 6" lower than my RB's.Kicked like a mule.Yea,they grouped good but I think I'm going to stick with my RB load.Our bear here in PA run anywhere from 100# up to 600# or better.

IMO the .58cal .570"/279grn ball is far more than enough for a black bear...from the point of view of a killing heart/lung shot, they're basically the same as a deer with shorter legs...they don't have any significantly larger/stronger bones or tissue to deal with than a whitetail.

Remember that a long proven cartridge for black bears is the .35Rem/200grn RN out of a short barreled Marlin 336 with a MV of barely over 2000 fps.

The big .58cal .570"/279grn balls are already physically much larger & heavier than a .358" bullet when they reach the target and only need the 1600 fps mv that they get to blow through a heart/lung area...any of these would do the job, and I bet have done so many times over during the past few hundred years:

A .50cal/.490"/180grn ball would get it done;
A .54cal/.530"/230grn ball would be outstanding;
A .58cal/.570"/279grn ball would be serious 'whompability'.

Wouldn't hesitate to grab my .58cal Flintlock for black bear hunting.

 

[rabjr]

A well placed .58 round ball will ruin any bears day.

 

[tg]

If the Bear is 175 yds away and facing the other direction I would go with the maxi, but for the shots you will likely choose the ball will work fine.

 

I shot a 300 lb bear with my yeager (58), 100gr, ffg goex with a hornady rd ball,There was just an hughhhh, dropped on the spot,the only problem was my taxi dermist was going to charge me extra to patch up the crater(joking)the hole was big ,get up close an whack em hard

 

[gjkershul]

I had projectile movement problems in the bore with various .58 Minie projectiles when riding with my 1861 Enfield Musketoon on ATV s or mules. Hornady makes a 525 grain Great Plains Bullet in .58. I have used them for the past week looking for Elk with no bullet movement after loading.

 

[longcruise]

My HiWall weighs a bit over 10 pounds and a 550 grain bullet on top of 70 grains of ffg puts out some pretty serious recoil. What's that .58 weigh? 7.5 pounds maybe? Go with the roundball it'l kill the bear and the recoil won't kill you! :haha: