Alaskan 54 poor boy.

[1:66 twisted]

No problem. As long as they are from a traditional muzzleloader.

Good to know. I was going to show a brown bear taken on a work related issue, so not by muzzleloader. Thank you for responding.

 

[Louisk]

Village Public Safety Officer. 15 years. Plus 15 years in Maine law enforcement. Getting ready for retirement!

Very cool. Please keep us posted on your build and muzzleloader bear hunting adventures. I'm in Fairbanks. I did a little stomping around here after moose with my .54 percussion GPR (Creamer's Field draw hunt) but never got close enough to a moose to feel comfortable taking a shot. Prince William Sound is amazing. I've gone to Maine many times as my parents retired there. Maine has nice woods but I like ours more. I'd much rather deal with an occasional griz than billions of ticks.

 

[M. De Land]

So I have decided to make a heavy 54 cal poor boy. I named it Alaskan 54. Made from a Virginia muzzleloader stock for the thickness, it will have a L&R mule ear lock. The barrel is a Colerain 1;56 twist. 36 inch long. No patch box, just a tapered rectangle hole. Buttplate will be a crescent steel plate tacked in place. All iron furniture. Simple, inexpensive, heavy for rugged bear hunting for here in Alaska.

Do you carry a side arm as well? I think of the Lewis and Clark boys that were using something like .53 cal round balls on grizzly and most of them had to jump in the river after several hits to save themselves.
I bought a Navy Arms Hawken Hunter in .58 cal with a short 26 inch barrel for moose hunting but never used it. It shoots a 620 grain maxi bullet into about 4 inch group at 100 yards with a 150 grain charge of Goex 2F. Me thinks that would be good bear medicine if one could get a good hit. I chronograph it at 1400 fps ( I have my doubts about the reading but that is what the screen said and it was always accurate on everything else) but the recoil will make your eyes water and nose run !

 

[TDM]

Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out, best of luck with the build! Choose your shot well too!

 

[HighUintas]

Do you carry a side arm as well? I think of the Lewis and Clark boys that were using something like .53 cal round balls on grizzly and most of them had to jump in the river after several hits to save themselves.
I bought a Navy Arms Hawken Hunter in .58 cal with a short 26 inch barrel for moose hunting but never used it. It shoots a 620 grain maxi bullet into about 4 inch group at 100 yards with a 150 grain charge of Goex 2F. Me thinks that would be good bear medicine if one could get a good hit. I chronograph it at 1400 fps ( I have my doubts about the reading but that is what the screen said and it was always accurate on everything else) but the recoil will make your eyes water and nose run !

Ya I bet that does recoil a bit and would be some good grizz medicine! I have a gun that flings 405gr .458 bullets about 1450-1500 and it certainly keeps me awake shooting it.

 

[Josephg]

Be careful out there.....

 

[shorthair]

Bear eh? I'd get a 0.72 barrel. I like your build idea though

No replacement for displacement

 

[thompson50]

I had my .62 cal Hawken for my Maine moose hunt this fall. Never got a shot but was a trip of a lifetime. Best of luck on the rifle build and bear hunt.

 

[1:66 twisted]

I had my .62 cal Hawken for my Maine moose hunt this fall. Never got a shot but was a trip of a lifetime. Best of luck on the rifle build and bear hunt.

Grew up in Maine. Norway was my home town. I moved to Alaska in 99. To get away from what Maine has turned into.

 

[1:66 twisted]

No replacement for displacement

I have always liked the 54 cal, it is just the caliber I like.

 

[1:66 twisted]

Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out, best of luck with the build! Choose your shot well too!

Shot placement is the key! I hate spray and pray! Lots of wasted animals out there!

 

[1:66 twisted]

Be careful out there....

Be careful out there.....
View attachment 173180

 

[thompson50]

Grew up in Maine. Norway was my home town. I moved to Alaska in 99. To get away from what Maine has turned into.

I’ve lived in AK as well, and you have the better place.

 

[1:66 twisted]

Proposed patch box (hole).

 

[M. De Land]

Grew up in Maine. Norway was my home town. I moved to Alaska in 99. To get away from what Maine has turned into.

Boy, you must like rain ! I grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan and the Air Force brought me to AK in 1971. I loved it so well I never went back . Been here 51 years this past July and have never grown tired of the place. I work out side though and the cold is starting to bother my hands and back.

 

[1:66 twisted]

My original thoughts

 

[1:66 twisted]

Boy, you must like rain ! I grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan and the Air Force brought me to AK in 1971. I loved it so well I never went back . Been here 51 years this past July and have never grown tired of the place. I work out side though and the cold is starting to bother my hands and back.

True about the rain , not saying I like it . But retirement home is more in the interior. Cold!!! And a little drier.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

40 years in Southeast Alaska, the last 31 living around the Brown bears. I personally know 6 people who were attacked by bears. Two were chewed up pretty bad before their partner shot the bear off them, one managed to kill the bear before it got to him, another shot from the hip and turned the bear which disappeared, and the two fellows in the skiff that pulled up on a beach managed to kill the bear with 9 shots before it got into the skiff. No muzzle loaders for me. I carried a heavy caliber single shot and then a heavy bolt action after I started to get a little nervous after the last attack.
The photo is of the 9' bear that tried to get in the skiff.

 

[Africa58double]

I use a cast of approximately 8Bhn on my .58 in either round ball or Lee Real Bullet. Let me tell you, They are exceptionally accurate.
If needed, Could load both barrels with Double balls for a Quadruple effect of Lead. Approximately 150gr of Swiss 2F will certainly bring a tear to that bear or other large gnarly creatures eye… and yours when you pull both triggers at same time.

 

[1:66 twisted]

I use a cast of approximately 8Bhn on my .58 in either round ball or Lee Real Bullet. Let me tell you, They are exceptionally accurate.
If needed, Could load both barrels with Double balls for a Quadruple effect of Lead.

I would love to have a double rifle! Some day!