Cal. Choice

[macmaster1]

I have been a reader for awhile and I know that I will be able to get some helpful information on my question. I am considering building an Isaac Haines rifle with a 38 inch c weight swampped barrel. I am having trouble deciding between a .50 or .54. It will be used primarily for deer hunting and target shooting as well. The .50 would have a little more weight that would match my .45 cal. Lancaster with the golden age swampped barrel. The . 45 has worked for me but has minimum effect on deer under normal conditions. I have more experience with a .54 cap for deer and that has been very effective. I was wondering on this new build should I go the for the effectiveness of the .54 or go for the balance of the . 50?

 

[Rat Trapper]

If you are going to use patched round balls, I'd go with 54 caliber.

 

[wattlebuster]

I have a Haines 38 inch 54. 1in66 rice barrel. I agree with Rat trapper I would go with the 54. You will love the balance :thumbsup:

 

[hellerodsyahoo.com]

I have a Haines 38 inch 54 swamped 1-66 colerain from Track of the wolf kit--ditto what Rat Trapper and Wattlebuster have said. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have been told by someone asking to look at my rifle at their astonishment of how well balanced and easy to sight my flintlock. The most common thing they say is "Wow, I didn't think this gun would bo so easy to hold up! Is it hard to shoot? Just my 2 cents-Leebbone

 

[rabjr]

When one cannot decide between a .50 or a .54, they should always get a .58! :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

When one cannot decide between a .50 or a .54, they should always get a .58! :grin: :thumbsup:

My thoughts exactly! :thumbsup:

 

[Snow on the Roof]

When one cannot decide between a .50 or a .54, they should always get a .58! :grin: :thumbsup:

Swampy thinks he is Elmer Kieth :blah:
I started this game 40 + years ago with a .45 and used a .62 this year but I have killed more deer with a .530 round ball than any other single projectile. In a Haines .54 would be my choice.

Snow

 

[BrownBear]

...or go for the balance of the 50?

That appears to be the crux of your issue, right?

Balance is soooooooooooooooo subjective that no one can answer the question accurately for you.

I happen to be real particular about the balance I want too, and it's probably different than any 10 other shooters, who are different from the next 10 shooters standing in the balance line.

My answer is in shifting the weight of the gun to accomodate the balance I want. Might be in barrel choice, but also might be in stock shaping.

A perfect example familiar to most folks can be found in production rifles of the same barrel diameter and differing calibers. Lots of examples out there. I'll address the Lyman GPR, since I went to the most effort with that model to get the balance I want.

The standard factory-issue 54 cal is just about perfect for my tastes. The 50 cal stinks for my taste. The easy solution was to thin the lines of the 50 and shift the balance. Did that, and I love it. If things had gone the other way and I had preferred the balance of the 50, I would have gone so far as to add lead to the inlet of the barrel near the forend till I got what I wanted.

On rifles that aren't production, it's usually not possible to handle one each in the calibers that interest you, in order to make an informed choice. But it IS possible to get the caliber that best suits your needs, then adjust the balance to suit yourself. Lead in a recess under the butt plate shifts it back. Lead in the barrel channel under the forend shifts it forward.

No one but you and your hairdresser needs to know the truth. :rotf:

 

[tg]

If for whatever reasons you have had problems with the .45 you should go as large as possible, 30-40 years ago the 45 and .50 were pretty much the standard Deer guns,were you planning on a Haines with a more typical length barrel or the standrda of the industry 38"?

 

[roundball]

Since you aren't considering the .58cal, and you already have a .45cal, my suggestion would be to make a double caliber step...past the .50 to the .54cal.

 

[hanshi]

.54 would be my choice for a specialty rifle for deer, black bear and elk. Since I'll never hunt elk my newest rifle is a .50.

 

[smoothy]

Fifty can do it. Fifty-four would be better, especially if you go for anything bigger than deer. And never say never.

 

[macmaster1]

Looks like .54 is winning out, which is the direction I was leaning towards from past experience.
It isn't that I had a bad experience with the .45, one deer went 45 yards with a good blood trail, which is typical results. But one deer, the ball went in ahead of the shoulder and angled cross the top of the heart taking a knotch out then stopped under the hide on the other side,which is to be expected, but travel well over 100 yards through thick brush without a single drop of blood. If it had not been for tracking in snow, it may have been difficult to locate. This is something I had never experienced with the .54.
In regards to the .58 cal, I do have a trade gun but haven't used it to hunt deer with yet.
Thanks everyone for your input on this subject.

 

[longcruise]

When one cannot decide between a .50 or a .54, they should always get a .58!

Or, a .50, .54 and .58! :haha:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm a fan of the .54 myself. Carries 27% more mass in the ball - which is a nice margin when hunting. For target I don't see much advantage to either. The .54 cuts a tad larger hole (to get you into the next ring . . . barely) and may buck the wind a tiny bit better. Also, because of the mass, carries it's energy farther if launched at a similar velocity.

In practical use though, I have had similar results with the .50 and .54 and they are both dandy.

 

[BrownBear]

In practical use though, I have had similar results with the .50 and .54 and they are both dandy.

Good insight for the OP. I'm happy with both, and in fact I have to look real close and scratch my chin for a while to find any real practical difference between them on everything from effect on game to trajectory and recoil.

In my experience you kind of have to jump two calibers to see real differences in impact on game. A 58 definitely has more pop than a 50, while you're back to chin scratching to tell it from a 54. And a 62 has way more pop than a 54, but not so much more than a 58.

But each 2-caliber hop up the caliber scale really costs you in powder and recoil if you feel the need to keep velocities and trajectories the same. A guy can come pretty close to the velocity of a 50 when he moves up to 54 without all that much cost in recoil. But if he jumps from a 50 to a 58, the recoil of launching a ball at the same velocity is not trifling.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I was looking for a particular style of gun, in either .50 or .54 when I ran across my current rifle in .54. I couldn't be happier with the caliber choice. I have owned .45's, .58's, and .62's, and I prefer the .54 patched round ball.

Another advantage is that I have several friends, who by luck use 28 gauge smoothbores for deer, and we all use the same diameter round ball..., .530..., so if somebody leaves the ammo at home, the hunt isn't postponed for the forgetful one. :grin:

LD

 

[BrownBear]

...somebody leaves the ammo at home....

Say it ain't so, Joe!!!!! :rotf:

That's the way I learned how many patches you have to layer to shoot .490 balls from a 58 caliber! Thankfully it was a range trip rather than a hunt.

 

[Little Wattsy]

I FIRMLY believe in the .54! Balistically its superior to to the .50. Trajectorily its superior to the .50. It slings a wicked round ball and can shoot connicals too if you wish. AND you get past it being a womans or kids gun... :wink:

 

[hoochiepapa]

.54