load for GPH

[Tomm]

Hi all I have been coming here for sometime have asked a few ?,s but this one is what I would like to know I shoot a GPH in 50 cal. I use a 50 cal bore button and 80 grains of 3f powder. I have taken 2 deer with this load one with 370 TC hunter and one with a 410 grain great plains. What I would like to know is this powder charge OK for elk or should I try to find a heaver charge? by the way this charge is what the gun really likes. Thanks Tom

 

[larry wv]

I would rather have a bit more charge. BUT not if it groups worse. 80 grains will get the job done with a hit in the right spot. Larry

 

[Rat Trapper]

I'd want a little more horse power for elk. May be if you work on it you can increase the load some. My TC 50 cal Hawken does real well with 90 grains of triple seven 2f CCI #11 mag caps,385 gr Hornaday great plains bullet and wad over powder. I have a TC 54 cal Hawken that does real well with 120 grains of triple seven and the 390 gr great plains bullet. The 54 has a muzzle vel with this load of 1673 fps. The 54 would be my first choice for elk and I think that load would work just fine.

 

[Tomm]

Thanks for the replays guy's I would like to get a 54 round ball barrall for the gp rifle but can't let the money go just now well thanks Tom

 

[Semisane]

I don't think that anyone in the late 1800's thought that a 45-70 Government round with a 405 grain lead bullet and 70 grains of black powder was underpowered for elk. There's a rumor that people were killing bison with it also. :wink:

 

[Billnpatti]

In my humble opinion, your loads do not produce enough energy (

 

[BrownBear]

I've been in on half a dozen elk kills with 50's and a 54, the 50's with various conicals and the 54 with an RB. Call it coincidence or different shooting skills, but the four 50 cal conical kills all required followup shots, while the two 54 cal RB kills were one shot deals. Maybe write it off to skill, but the 54 shooter is a heck of a hunter and marksman, and made his two kills inside 50 yards, while the 50 cal shots were all over 50 yards and not as well placed.

It's tempting to say that the elk died quick because the 54 RB was more effective than the 50 conical, but as you can see that's not the most accurate interpretation.

I'd say whatever you use, hunt well and shoot straight. If you're feeling a little twitchy about your 50, it's a good thing you're shooting a Lyman. It's relatively cheap to drop in another barrel, and it would be a small thing to switch to 54 caliber for your elk hunts.

As for RB versus conical in the 54, that's a good question for lots of folks to circle the fire hydrant with a leg raised. Based on lots of experience, if you got a 54 cal fast twist GPH barrel I'd be inclined to go with the Hornady Great Plains or the home-cast Lyman equivalent. But I find the 54 cal slow twist GPR and RBs to be a lot more versatile choice. The RBs are plenty for elk at reasonable ranges while the RB is also more useful and interesting for deer and small game.

I'd happily shoot your 50 for elk if that's all I had, just for the joy of being able to hunt elk. But I'd precede the hunt with a whole lot of practice and take extreme care with the shot. I'd also look into the 50 cal Hornady Great Plains or home-cast Lyman equivalent for my elk hunting bullet. But I'd be even happier upsizing to 54 since it's so easy with the Lyman.

 

[JPShelton]

I think the .50 conical is plenty of elk gun at reasonable range -with "reasonable" to me being less than 125 yards.

People in my circle of association who have killed elk with a muzzleloader have pretty much universally done so with conicals fired from a .50 T/C caplock rifle, and none of them are longing for a .54 caliber replacement.

No doubt .54 would get the job done, either PRB or conical, but a .50 conical will kill them dead, too, and I doubt that a .54 would kill them any deader.

I'll be using my own Great Plains Rifle this fall, fitted with a .50 GP Hunter barrel for conical shooting. I'll be using a Hornady Great Plains Bullet on top of 70 grains of Triple Seven, as this delivers the best accuracy from my barrel. I reckon it'll prove to deliver all the thump I'll need.

-JP

 

[Tomm]

Thanks guys I have killed elk with a 50 cal but was using 110 grains of 2ff. I still took 3 shots in the lungs to keep it down. I finily got a T/C big bore in 58 but never got to shoot an elk with it. I hunt elk every year here i Wa. state as they are in my back yard kind of live out in the sticks. Of late I have been hunting with a bow that I made and stone tiped arrows that I made I use wild rose for shafts and make the points. Tom