Lee 54cal 300gr or 380gr/elk

[Hesp]

I have a Lyman Great Plains 54 cal rifle, 1/60 twist. With the RB it has proved to be more then enough for even large muley bucks. I have never used it for elk. Here in Montana the ML season comes in December after the regular rifle season has ended. If you are not successful in the modern rifle season you may continue to hunt thru ML season. I have molds for the Lee 300 & 380gr Real bullet. The 300gr , being short shoots quite well in my rifle. Due to the slow twist I have never shot the 380gr. Looking for info from anyone who has used the 300gr Lee Real on elk. My elk has always been taken during the modern rifle season , but was considering the ML season. Anyone shot the 380gr in a slow twist like my 1/60 twist. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[ETipp]

I have a Lyman Great Plains 54 cal rifle, 1/60 twist. With the RB it has proved to be more then enough for even large muley bucks. I have never used it for elk. Here in Montana the ML season comes in December after the regular rifle season has ended. If you are not successful in the modern rifle season you may continue to hunt thru thru ML season. I have molds for the Lee 300 & 380gr Real bullet. The 300gr , being short shoots quite well in my rifle. Due to the slow twist I have never shot the 380gr. Looking for info from anyone who has used the 300gr Lee Real on elk. My elk has always been taken during the modern rifle season , but was considering the ML season. Anyone shot the 380gr in a slow twist like my 1/60 twist. Any info would be appreciated.

Interested in seeing the replies in this as well. One thing is for sure, the heaviest conical you can get best accuracy out of would be the best choice for elk.

Getting ready to test some .54 caliber, 375 grain CVA conical. They have a somewhat short bearing surface. My plans are to launch them fast in hopes that they stabilize out of my .54 GPR. I will post my findings after testing.

Heck, been busier than a one-eyed cat trying to watch two mouse holes already today. Said I wasn't going to do any more but now my want bumps are itching to try those conical(s). But I have a new sight suppose to be here tomorrow so I might as well wait.

 

[longcruise]

No 54 1:60 experience but some with 1:48. The 380 shot cloverleaf at 50 and 12 inch at 100. But that means nothing for your combo so take it with a grain of salt.

Mainly I wanted suggest that if the 300 shoots well it's going to be as deadly as you could ever need for elk.

 

[NorthFork]

I have a Lyman Great Plains 54 cal rifle, 1/60 twist. With the RB it has proved to be more then enough for even large muley bucks. I have never used it for elk. Here in Montana the ML season comes in December after the regular rifle season has ended. If you are not successful in the modern rifle season you may continue to hunt thru ML season. I have molds for the Lee 300 & 380gr Real bullet. The 300gr , being short shoots quite well in my rifle. Due to the slow twist I have never shot the 380gr. Looking for info from anyone who has used the 300gr Lee Real on elk. My elk has always been taken during the modern rifle season , but was considering the ML season. Anyone shot the 380gr in a slow twist like my 1/60 twist. Any info would be appreciated.

What does the law say? I would NOT be afraid of a .54 round ball elk hunt IF legal.

 

[Hesp]

Good to hear. Will, just for the heck of it , cast & shoot a few 380gr to see how they react to the 1/60 twist. I have felt the 300gr would do the job. Just hoping to have my feeling confirmed by actual experience with in the field knowledge..

 

[longcruise]

Good to hear. Will, just for the heck of it , cast & shoot a few 380gr to see how they react to the 1/60 twist. I have felt the 300gr would do the job. Just hoping to have my feeling confirmed by actual experience with in the field knowledge..

Confidence and placement will have you standing over your kill. I have a feeling you already know what it takes to get to the point where you have the shot opportunity.

 

[ETipp]

Good to hear. Will, just for the heck of it , cast & shoot a few 380gr to see how they react to the 1/60 twist. I have felt the 300gr would do the job. Just hoping to have my feeling confirmed by actual experience with in the field knowledge..

Terrain should be one of your main concerns, especially in the mountains. The fact of the matter is, many projectiles will kill an elk. However, that does not mean they will fall in short order. Elk can run a long way after being hit. I don't know about you but I do not like having to track or pack out elk that has ran down slope into an abyss. Been there, done that too many times.

There's also penetration issues with some lighter conical, which can directly determine the amount of blood left on the ground. On an evening hunt, especially in the mountains, right before dark would be the worse time to experience such.

Then there's shot distance to be considered. You will increase your chances much better with a heavier conical over a RB or lighter conical on longer shots. On my last elk I put a .50 Maxi Ball through an elk well past 100 yards. Elks was shot in the vitals. It took a couple steps forward and stopped behind a downed pine. It wasn't going anywhere but I reloaded and put it down with the second shot anyway. Only recovered one of the two Maxi's and it was just about to go out the offside hide. I still have that Maxi. If a 370 grain Maxi will not go through an elk from that distance, I have no confidence a lighter conical would.

Hit any kind of solid bone with a lighter concial and your chances just got reduced even more.

Hardness and conical design can make a difference as well, in terms of average penetration. Idaho Lewis and Idaho Ron have both figured that out. They, like some other hard core elk hunters out west now use conical(s) that weigh 500 grains, or close to it.

With that said, you and I both will be limited with a .54 GPR as to the heaviest and most accurate conical we can find. The slower 1:60 twist is going to be the determining factor. I purchased my GPR due to its very good accuracy with a RB. I only hunt deer now.

Good luck to you on your quest.

 

[Hesp]

Thanks. For decades I have taken my elk with a modern rifle. This would be the first consideration to use a ML. Because of the dense forest most shots are under 100yds. Took my deer last season at about 75yds, , my elk at about 30tds. This is just how it goes. Many times I have taken elk at an extreme angle from front or back. But has always been with modern rifles & stout deep penetrating bullets. Trying to get a feel for what would be dependable in my ML.

 

[chorizo]

Terrain should be one of your main concerns, especially in the mountains. The fact of the matter is, many projectiles will kill an elk. However, that does not mean they will fall in short order. Elk can run a long way after being hit. I don't know about you but I do not like having to track or pack out elk that has ran down slope into an abyss. Been there, done that too many times.

There's also penetration issues with some lighter conical, which can directly determine the amount of blood left on the ground. On an evening hunt, especially in the mountains, right before dark would be the worse time to experience such.

Then there's shot distance to be considered. You will increase your chances much better with a heavier conical over a RB or lighter conical on longer shots. On my last elk I put a .50 Maxi Ball through an elk well past 100 yards. Elks was shot in the vitals. It took a couple steps forward and stopped behind a downed pine. It wasn't going anywhere but I reloaded and put it down with the second shot anyway. Only recovered one of the two Maxi's and it was just about to go out the offside hide. I still have that Maxi. If a 370 grain Maxi will not go through an elk from that distance, I have no confidence a lighter conical would.

Hit any kind of solid bone with a lighter concial and your chances just got reduced even more.

Hardness and conical design can make a difference as well, in terms of average penetration. Idaho Lewis and Idaho Ron have both figured that out. They, like some other hard core elk hunters out west now use conical(s) that weigh 500 grains, or close to it.

With that said, you and I both will be limited with a .54 GPR as to the heaviest and most accurate conical we can find. The slower 1:60 twist is going to be the determining factor. I purchased my GPR due to its very good accuracy with a RB. I only hunt deer now.

Good luck to you on your quest.

Excellent accounting of what it takes. I concur on all counts. Killing is one thing, recovering is another...especially in steep terrain and dense foliage. Failure to penetrate through and through with a 375 gr conical solid after hitting bone travelling at a brisk 1200fps (mv of 1435) at 85 yards with retained energy of 1050 is exactly why I started working on the Thumpers. If that elk had gone 100 yards I would have never have found her as tracks were everywhere, her route of escape was dense and as there was not penetration, not a drop of blood to trail her with.

I now am using 485 or 525 grain conicals that have the ability to hit bone and still penetrate the far side out to 125 yards.

375 gr recovered conical

 

[ETipp]

Excellent accounting of what it takes. I concur on all counts. Killing is one thing, recovering is another...especially in steep terrain and dense foliage. Failure to penetrate through and through with a 375 gr conical solid after hitting bone travelling at a brisk 1200fps (mv of 1435) at 85 yards with retained energy of 1050 is exactly why I started working on the Thumpers. If that elk had gone 100 yards I would have never have found her as tracks were everywhere, her route of escape was dense and as there was not penetration, not a drop of blood to trail her with.

I now am using 485 or 525 grain conicals that have the ability to hit bone and still penetrate the far side out to 125 yards.

375 gr recovered conical
View attachment 241083

Its to my belief that I am not the only one on here that's waiting for your hunting report(s) with your Thumpers and projectiles. I have little doubts that if you connect, its meat in the freezer.

 

[ETipp]

Thanks. For decades I have taken my elk with a modern rifle. This would be the first consideration to use a ML. Because of the dense forest most shots are under 100yds. Took my deer last season at about 75yds, , my elk at about 30tds. This is just how it goes. Many times I have taken elk at an extreme angle from front or back. But has always been with modern rifles & stout deep penetrating bullets. Trying to get a feel for what would be dependable in my ML.

Hesp, one thing you might want to consider is if a lighter conical will shoot accurately and a heavier one will not, and if the shot distance is around the 100 yard mark, a hit just in front of the shoulders and/or base of the neck will put a critter down on the spot.

Something to keep in mind anyway. I know I plan on doing that if at all possible when I use a RB. Most of my hunting grounds is steep and thicker than thick. Nothing but briars.

 

[ETipp]

Tested the 375 grain CVA conical(s) out of my GPR. The results was not good. It might can be worked up into an accurate load but I decided to take another road. I'm going to keep my GPR as a RB shooter and perhaps have my .50 New Englander barrel modified to shoot .54 conical(s).

 

[William O.]

I have a Lyman Great Plains 54 cal rifle, 1/60 twist. With the RB it has proved to be more then enough for even large muley bucks. I have never used it for elk. Here in Montana the ML season comes in December after the regular rifle season has ended. If you are not successful in the modern rifle season you may continue to hunt thru ML season. I have molds for the Lee 300 & 380gr Real bullet. The 300gr , being short shoots quite well in my rifle. Due to the slow twist I have never shot the 380gr. Looking for info from anyone who has used the 300gr Lee Real on elk. My elk has always been taken during the modern rifle season , but was considering the ML season. Anyone shot the 380gr in a slow twist like my 1/60 twist. Any info would be appreciated.

If you can put a PRB in the right place within 100 yards then stick to that.80 Personally, I got rid of my modern guns and hunt only with muzzle loaders as I wanted to hunt and not just shoot them. Using primitive, fixed iron sights my self imposed limit is 80 yards and my eyesight agrees. My .54 rifle is sighted in for 100 yards and I've practiced hitting targets at 100 yards and less. If I need something more powerful then I would go up to a .58 but so far there's been no opportunity or reasons to do so.
I will say that at one point I worked up a load for my .50 fast twist rifle that, in my opinion, would go through an elk front to back. The REAL bullet was an accurate projectile when being shot out of a fast twist barrel and while other conicals such as the Great Plains bullets and T/C offerings gave acceptable accuracy, the Lee REAL bullet gave me outstanding accuracy. Using 95 grains of 3f Goex, a lubed fiber wad and a 220 grain Lee REAL bullet I could punch out the bullseye at 75 yards with three shots. Recoil was stout as would be expected but I had no doubt that inside of 100 yards that it would penetrate an elk through and through, even if hitting a bone.

 

[William O.]

I forgot to add that no matter which conical I tried, accuracy improved when I added a lubed fiber wad.