to 58 or not to 58, that is the question

[deerstalkert]

all these years i have only gone as big as 54 cal . have an offer of a 58. not sure yet all the details of what the rifle is but am wondering just what benefits i would get from 58? what is if any the down side?
thanks and keep smoking!

 

[Crow-Feather]

all these years i have only gone as big as 54 cal . have an offer of a 58. not sure yet all the details of what the rifle is but am wondering just what benefits i would get from 58? what is if any the down side?
thanks and keep smoking!

Depends on the 58. I had a 58 military rifle that shot the mini. Accurate but the front sight is hard to see in the woods. Only reason that I got a deer was because it was looking over it's shoulder when I pulled the trigger and I hit it in the head.

Then I had a 58 round ball rifle (think it was a Mowrey). It beat the snot outta me. Plus the lead that I had to carry really weighed on me. (chuckle). I finally figured out that I wasn't going to find a grizzly bear around the next corner and dropped back to a 54. Unless you run lead, finding round ball in rare calibers is getting to be difficult.

 

[mooman76]

Aside from the obvious, you'll go through lead and powder faster, I like the one I have. Shoots good. Mine is a Cabelas Hawken with a 50 barrel also. It would be a good big game rifle for Elk or Moose and it's not as heavy as one might think.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

The .58 is merely a stop on the path. I shoot a .62 rifle; when you care enough to send the very best, send one ounce of soft lead.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[deerstalkert]

lead i can see a increase in but most of the time i keep powder under 100g's so i would imagine that would stay constant. what about recoil? is it much more then the 54? my old bony shoulders are starting to tell me i need to down load my 45-70's so that is a consideration .

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

In properly stocked (fitted) rifle, shooting reasonable (not weak, by any means), it is a big push; it recoils no more to me than a fifty, or fifty-four, or fifty-eight. I have shot TC Renegades in .54 that I thought would take my head off; the .62 TVM Rifled Fowler is a joy to shoot, all day.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[tenngun]

lead i can see a increase in but most of the time i keep powder under 100g's so i would imagine that would stay constant. what about recoil? is it much more then the 54? my old bony shoulders are starting to tell me i need to down load my 45-70's so that is a consideration .

On a crescent shaped with a narrow butt it’s going to hit you harder. A broad flatter butt like early American or German style it’s not comfortable. I had a Leman style .54 beat me to death, even with a light charge like 70 grains. Only an inch and a 1/4 wide and was in a upper arm hold. On the other hand my early Lancaster and TFC are hardly noticeable.

 

[Semisane]

I'd offer an opinion but don't feel qualified because I have only three .58's.

(Life is not complete without a fifty-eight.)

 

[rich pierce]

If I had to choose one caliber, a.54 is probably the most efficient caliber. We just entertain ourselves with lots of calibers. I’ve got a .58 that’s fun to shoot. It’s an early rifle with a wide flat buttplate. It kicks less than my .69 fowling piece.

 

[deerstalkert]

when i was young i thought life would be complete if i had a firearm of every caliber. during middle age i was able to achieve that, from 2mm to 54 at least. now i just want a muzzlestuffer of each bore. if i do one a year it may keep me alive another 5-10 years if i include smoothbores/shotguns. seems reasonable to me. now i have to convince that Scot's woman i am married to.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Oh get it. I haven't shot my .44 Magnum in years but I like having one.

I have a .58, first flintlock I ever bought. I haven't shot it yet but I found a box of TC Maxi balls for it, 555 grains each. I think a patched round ball would be fine for any deer I'd ever shoot with it.

 

[TNGhost]

I have a couple .58 rifled muskets, a Pedersoli Cook and Brother Carbine and a Zoli Remington Contract Rifle. Both will shoot Minies or round balls well. Love the carbine for hunting. Light to carry and quick to bring on target.

The way I see it it isn't a matter of either/or, but a case of the more the merrier. Lots of projectiles and molds out there for the .58, because there are so many guns in that caliber. If it is not the most prevalent caliber, I'm guessing it has to be the second most, what with all of the War Of Northern Aggression style arms out there. So there has probably been as much or more load development and experimentation as with any other caliber as well.

Yes you are going to use more lead per projectile, but seeing as none of us are headed to Gettysburg or into the Rockies for a season, I can't see the amount being carried as adding that much weight to your kit.

As far as powder, mine shoot well with as little as 40-50 grains, and the service load was around 70 grains. The larger projectile provides plenty of punch and gives you a lot of flexibility.

 

[brazosland]

The .58 is merely a stop on the path. I shoot a .62 rifle; when you care enough to send the very best, send one ounce of soft lead.

ADK Bigfoot

Love the .58, but I carry two different rifled .62 round ball guns. No such thing as a marginal hit...

 

[Capnball]

all these years i have only gone as big as 54 cal . have an offer of a 58. not sure yet all the details of what the rifle is but am wondering just what benefits i would get from 58? what is if any the down side?
thanks and keep smoking!

I shoot an original 1861 Bridesberg .58
It's really alot of fun to shoot and the 60 grain FFG recommend powder charge isn't terrible to shoot (cash or kick) . It'll shoot minnies or round ball and I can hit the paper at any range up to 100 yards. People always come over to see what you're shooting. Jump on in, the waters fine!

 

[rednexx]

I always thought I wanted to try a 58 cal front stuffer, but never seem to find one I like or can afford, I'm talking a round ball gun , however a Whitworth reproduction or 3 band Enfield would work in a pinch.

 

[Capnball]

Whitworth hexagonal is on my bucket list of guns is either like to own or just shoot.

 

[shorthair]

I'd offer an opinion but don't feel qualified because I have only three .58's.

(Life is not complete without a fifty-eight.)

Big balls are fun.

 

[BillinOregon]

Most of my shooting experience with the .58 has been with a Pedersoli Kodiak double rifle. A charge of 120 grains FFg under a patched round ball was quite tolerable, but there is a lot of weight out front in a double that is absent in a musket barrel. The musketoons and Buffalo Hunters that passed through my hands had such poor sights and triggers that I simply lost interest. A well-built and balanced English sporting rifle style with good sights and trigger might be the berries.

 

[dave951]

I'll play. I have more than a couple 58s, all military guns that are tuned for N-SSA competition. Bambi don't walk away from a solid hit from 500gr of lead that has a starting diameter the same as the expansion of a modern bullet. As such, a military gun is designed differently from a civilian one. A 58 with narrow but and metal but plate is going to hurt on both ends. In my avatar though, I'm popping rounds through a 69cal 42 Macon.

 

[deermanok]

I once owned a Zouave 58 carbine. Fairly heavy as I recall but it shot very well.
Sorry I ever parted with it.