.54 caliber patched round ball elk load?

[BrentD]

Never have heard of a patched round ball, pure lead, fragmenting due to excessive velocity. Not much in the way of expansion happening, either, though the ball will deform particularly if it hits bone. I can always be wrong (in fact, am practiced at it), but I don't think I am in this case. Using my 36" barrel, .50 caliber rifle, I hunted with 140grains. Almost without exception the ball would be found, deformed but not "expanded" under the hide on the far side of the critter.

At 100 grains in a GPR, there is about zero chance of getting to 2000fps. Barrel length is key - velocity will top out at the point all the powder burns just before the ball exits. More, and you just make fire out of the muzzle. But in the 32" bbl GPR, one should be able to work above 100 grains before just blowing powder out of the barrel. I don't think you can find any data, published or from a buddy at the range, that will show a .54 at 2000fps out of that GPR barrel. You are correct that 2000 is a hell of a lot for a .54, because it just ain't gonna happen in that rifle with 100 grains of powder.

David
NM

My Flintlock with 42" barrel and 100 gr of 1.5 fg will. That's a longer barrel, but also a flinter with a gaping flash hole and MUCH coarser and slower powder.

 

[David658]

I bought a 50cal Great Plains Hunter this week. 1:32 twist. I'm going to try to work up a load with 385gr Great plains bullets.
I'll probably start somewhere in the 80gr range and work up from there.
Does anyone have any experience with these rifles?

I hope you have a good recoil pad. Those 385 grain bullets push back. Ima wimp.

David
NM

 

[David658]

My Flintlock with 42" barrel and 100 gr of 1.5 fg will. That's a longer barrel, but also a flinter with a gaping flash hole and MUCH coarser and slower powder.

Your rifle is what we would probably call an "anomaly" particularly if you compare with the values above.

David
NM

 

[BrentD]

Your rifle is what we would probably call an "anomaly" particularly if you compare with the values above.

David
NM

I doubt it is an anomaly. Why should it? The rule of physics and chemistry don't change.

 

[David658]

I doubt it is an anomaly. Why should it? The rule of physics and chemistry don't change.

Because getting 2000 fps with only 100gr of 1.5f black powder on a patched round ball appears to potentially violate physics, that's all.

 

[Buckskins&BlackPowder]

... Stop looking at modern day numbers, that shit was made for modern day bullets that need a certain amount of energy to work properly. AKA, copper jacketed, hard lead bullets.

A ball thats almost 9/16" of an inch, is going to cause a ton of damage.

My first muzzleloader elk I took with 80gr Pyrodex RS, .530" round ball, 140 yards, single shot through the lungs.

This bull, 70gr 3fg, .490 round ball, both lungs destroyed, a full exit.



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[Buckskins&BlackPowder]

And besides... Can you really believe this chart? A .530 ball weights 223-224 grains... A .535 should be in a 230gr range, yet they are stating 220..... those numbers do not match.

 

[MTTW]

And besides... Can you really believe this chart? A .530 ball weights 223-224 grains... A .535 should be in a 230gr range, yet they are stating 220..... those numbers do not match.

I am curious how far did they travel after the shot?

 

[Buckskins&BlackPowder]

I am curious how far did they travel after the shot?

the cow made it 60 yards and the bull, maybe 30 or 40.

 

[MTTW]

the cow made it 60 yards and the bull, maybe 30 or 40.

Nothing wrong with that, thanks.

 

[tkhuntsman]

I've hunted and guided elk every year for the last 30 years. I've managed to kill 5 with a 54 cal CVA mountain rifle my most accurate load is a .535 prb w/ .12 pt patch and a lubed felt over powder wad seated on 95 grns of 3f. All one shot kills all between 40-120 yards. None dropped on the spot but none went more than about 50 yards and all bled well. Probably died in seconds. Confidence and accurate shooting kill elk. Round balls are a weird anomaly when it comes to terminal performance. They shouldn't be as accurate as they are or kill as well as they do but it works.

 

[elkduds]

... Stop looking at modern day numbers, that shit was made for modern day bullets that need a certain amount of energy to work properly. AKA, copper jacketed, hard lead bullets.

A ball thats almost 9/16" of an inch, is going to cause a ton of damage.

My first muzzleloader elk I took with 80gr Pyrodex RS, .530" round ball, 140 yards, single shot through the lungs.

This bull, 70gr 3fg, .490 round ball, both lungs destroyed, a full exit.



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Great shooting and some luck. You missed ribs in-&-out, that's a textbook round ball shot for elk.

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

In my TC .54 I use 90gr with a patched round ball for Deer in Iowa.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I would recommend 90-100g FFG behind felt wad Lee REAL conicals If the OP were still around. But he ghosted months ago.

 

[Nate Eller]

I would recommend 90-100g FFG behind felt wad Lee REAL conicals If the OP were still around. But he ghosted months ago.

I'm here, just got busy and the hunt was in question. Got it figured out with the landowner, there was a miscommunication on my end, it will be a bull elk hunt. That and work has kept me busy. I can't find REAL bullets anywhere and I'm not setup for casting

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I'm here, just got busy and the hunt was in question. Got it figured out with the landowner, there was a miscommunication on my end, it will be a bull elk hunt. That and work has kept me busy. I can't find REAL bullets anywhere and I'm not setup for casting

This is true, Lee REALs are hard to find retail. PM me a mailing address and I’ll send you some practice REALs.

 

[BrentD]

This is true, Lee REALs are hard to find retail. PM me a mailing address and I’ll send you some practice REALs.

I think I still have an unused mould for this bullet if anyone is interested in casting his or her own.

 

[Nate Eller]

Unfortunately my financial situation changed rapidly and I was unable to go on my hunt. Sorry to disappoint y'all but hoping to go over the counter in Colorado next year, will probably bring the smoke pole just because. Wish I had some better news for you guys but I did glean a lot of useful information here and worked up a good hunting load for the .54. Going to try to take a deer here in Kansas with it, wish me luck

 

[BrentD]

Unfortunately my financial situation changed rapidly and I was unable to go on my hunt. Sorry to disappoint y'all but hoping to go over the counter in Colorado next year, will probably bring the smoke pole just because. Wish I had some better news for you guys but I did glean a lot of useful information here and worked up a good hunting load for the .54. Going to try to take a deer here in Kansas with it, wish me luck

Sorry to hear you couldn't make it but good luck with the deer. I hope you can find a big one.

 

[Nate Eller]

Sorry to hear you couldn't make it but good luck with the deer. I hope you can find a big one.

Thank you