Need New Bullet for my .54

[Rafsob]

I have this Hawken carbine that I really love shooting. It has a 1 in 24" and I use it primarily for hunting deer. I shoot a Barnes Expander sabot, but want to start shooting conicals. I molded some R.E.A.L bullets and can not get them to shoot in this gun. They are all over the place. I shoots TC Maxi hunters and balls fair to midlin. I would love to try some miniballs, but don't know anyone who shoots them around my local area.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can start my search???

 

[buttonbuck]

I would ask how much powder are you using and have you tried an underpowder wad under the REAL. That Rate of twist is fast but some people have good luck even with a patched round ball out of 1 in 28 twist. They were shooting like 50 grains.

 

[Walks with fire]

For what it's worth my 1/28 twist RMC flinters have a GM barrel and they both shoot the .50/385 grain Hornady Great Plains bullets into about the same hole at 75 yards. These same barrels will not shoot the 350 grain TC Maxi hunters well enough to hit an 8x12" copy paper at 50 yards though.

I don't know but if it were me I would try the longest conicals I could find for the 1/24 twist barrel; 70 grains for the carbine barrel would be fine and would see little need for more than 80 grains of powder.

Another thing I might try is 1 wrap of a paper patch to snug them up in a clean barrel if needed; I have found this to work very well in some instances.

 

[BrownBear]

I have a couple of fast twist 54's and neither liked the REAL's until I put a lubed felt wad or button between them and the powder. Then groups really shrank.

Hornady Great Plains is a very good choice, as is the Lyman Plains Bullet if you're willing to cast your own. Both profit from the same lubed felt between them and the powder. Hard to tell which is more accurate when they both shoot better than I do.

 

[Rat Trapper]

My go to bullet in my TC 50 cal Hawken is the Hornady great plains 385 grain bullet. I use 90 grains of Tripple Seven 2F with a felt wad under the bullet. This load will shoot one hole at 50 yards out of my rifle. The REAL, Maxi ball & Maxi hunter bullets are ok, but not as good as the Hornady great plains bullet out of my rifle.

 

[buttonbuck]

I used to shoot the hornady great plains bullet before I started casting and they would touch and overlap at 50 yards without trying too hard, awesome expansion. I wish there was a mould for them.

 

[Tony Logan]

check with Bob Parker at Parker Productions. He makes lots of different bullets but he makes some very accurate traditional bullets.

 

[BrownBear]

Holy cow! At $2 each for cast bullets, I hope he gives back rubs for free.

A 10-pack of his cast bullets buys you a LEE mold. Three 10-packs buys you a Lyman Great Plains mold. Buy five 10-packs and you get an electric furnace along with your LEE mold.

 

[William O.]

My fast twist barrel shoots the REAL bullets the best while maxi types are all over the place, even with the addition of a lubed wad. If the REAL bullets don't start out a little tight in your barrel then they are too undersize to engrave the rifling, so you might try a little larger diameter in those if that is the case. 85 grains of 3f Goex gives me the best groups from my 1:24 50 cal along with the 320 grain Lee REAL bullets. I have only tried the Great Plains bullets in my .54, 1:48 twist which gave okay accuracy. The addition of a lubed wad, in my case a caliber sized Wonder Wad, tightens up the groups of any type and weight of conical in my experience.

 

[Rafsob]

I would ask how much powder are you using and have you tried an underpowder wad under the REAL. That Rate of twist is fast but some people have good luck even with a patched round ball out of 1 in 28 twist. They were shooting like 50 grains.

I was using from 60 to 85 grains of Goex 2F. I would shoot three shots and then clean the barrel with a wet patch and then dry patches. I would shoot in 5 gr increments, three shots each.

As to the lubed felt wad. I never thought of using one, but from what many have stated I will try and see if that helps with the R.E.A.L bullets.

I have not tried the Hornady GP bullets in my .54 cal. I have used them in my .50 and they have worked fine. I will try them. I was hoping to try some miniballs, but can't find any.

Have not heard of Parker Products, but will check them out.

Thanks for all the help so far guys, but if all this fails I may end up buying a GM barrel and go PRB.

 

[BrownBear]

...but if all this fails I may end up buying a GM barrel and go PRB.

Before spending the money, try the RB in your barrel with a real tight patch. In my experience RB accuracy suffers more from the very shallow rifling than from the fast twist rate. You might find pounding on the ball to start it too troublesome for hunting accuracy, and that's good enough reason to buy the new barrel. But if RBs are mostly range fodder for you, pound away.

 

[Mike 56]

I have T/C White Mt. 54cal carbine with a 22 inch barrel. I am thinking it is a slug gun but it sure likes PRBs with 70gr Pyro RS. I do need to get some bullets to try.

Here is a pix of a target i shot off a bench from 50yd with PRBs. I shot over 6 balls though that hole.

 

[rabjr]

I've used the .50 cal versions of the Ultimate bullets made by Precision rifle. Full caliber lead, very accurate and are like sledge hammers on deer. :thumbsup:
http://www.prbullet.com/ul54.htm

 

good math bear.

 

[Rafsob]

Ok, i have found some Lee mini balls and a mold if they work. I also found some 460 gr. buffalo bullets. I will be taking them to the range and have some more fun on Wednesday.

I also got my hands on some felt wads for these bullets. I will try them on them all with the exception of the mini balls. I will post my results.

 

[white eagle]

I cast my own reals and I get fantastic accuracy
in my stock plain jane T/C hawken 54 cal
I use 80 gr charge of pyrodex (don't know if that is a dirty word)
here is a pic of a 4 shot group at 50 yds

and double checked the load so it is not a first time event