Help my inner Jeremiah Johnson... just got a new muzzleloader

[elkantlers]

It’s a great elk load.
Shoot a creedmore if it’s too much for you.

Thats is frowned upon during muzzleloader season. Lol

 

[Bullshot]

.54 patched round ball is fine for both deer and elk to 100 yards. I use 100 as the max just based on my comfort level shooting a muzzleloader in competition and hunting. If your eyes are better, then maybe up to 125 or 150.

David
NM

I would do as David does with RB and limit it to the distance you can absolutely hit broadside double lung. Energy is pretty low after that, trajectory gets bad, and margin of error gets slim. You should be hunting with the intent to get inside 100, maybe even well inside. A conical gives a little more confidence on an angled hit, or heavy bone, and might buy you a little extra range (those 25-50 yards if you confidently can do it) but trajectory is not your friend and you need to know your specific load.

As for loads, nothing wrong with many suggestions so far.

RB with 100 grains +/- 777FF

No Excuses Conical (on lower end of the weight spectrum due to twist, stability in your rifle) with 80 +/- 777FF. Personally, I’d prefer the conical on elk.

Clean after every shooting session with near scalding hot water and dawn dish soap. Don’t forget to remove and clean the nipple and use pipe cleaners in the flash channel. Lube barrel when dry to store. Best to remove lube or shoot a fouler for 1st shot accuracy /consistency.

 

[elkduds]

My .02. from Lyman hawken-style .54 Deerstalker.

Ghost ring sight w flourescent front post. Systematically test each selected bullet for accuracy with graduated loads from 60-80 gr for PRB, 90-110 gr for conicals. Those are volumes of powder, some guys like to weigh their charges, I never tried it. I used Goex FFg for years, tried 777 and never went back to FF. Less fouling, more consistent. My rifle preferred Maxiballs and Maxihunters, I felt comfortable to 100 yds w that load for deer and elk. Conicals penetrate better than PRB. A hotshot nipple and CCI magnum caps gave consistent ignition. Fired gun to unload every 2-3 days while hunting, more if weather was wet.

My Lyman needed a fouling shot to get consistent, even w 777. Start of range session, I fired just a cap on nipple with barrel pointed right by a plant, if gas from cap blew the leaves I proceeded w loading. I fired a PRB to foul, always @ 100 yds once I had sights set. After fouling shot I swabbed w a patch with rubbing alcohol after every 3rd round, that gave consistent loading and accuracy.

A final pro tip. Remove ramrod before firing.

 

[Bullshot]

A final pro tip. Remove ramrod before firing.

I concur…. Through experience….

 

[Sytes]

Why? Eh, asking for a friend? Heh. What's this experience i would rather learn from others than myself...

 

[Bullshot]

Why? Eh, asking for a friend? Heh. What's this experience i would rather learn from others than myself...

Although few things make you feel so alive as coming close to blowing your face off (or almost getting eaten by a bear for that matter), I still can’t recommend either be experienced first hand. Call me selfish!

I will share the more technical takeaway that shooting a full power 1500+ grain (or whatever it was) dual projectile out of a caplock is both bad for your shoulder, and good for ease of loading thereafter, since caliber of your bore may be slightly enlarged. . Also a good catalyst for retiring that barrel. Only real lasting regret is not finding the ramrod.

Regarding the bear… I’d rather not talk about it anymore, and lets just forget the whole thing.

 

[Sytes]

Ohhh... haha! I was thinking the comment was to remove the ram rod from its designated storage location before shooting and i was trying to figure out what the heck might happen as I've never had an issue... haha!
My bad. I often read from a very literal position - flew right over my head. Haha!

 

[palmtree191]

So I just inherited a replica .54 caliber Hawken rifle. I've shot blackpowder a few times but have never owned my own or hunted with one. The rifle is in good shape. My friend hunted with it and killed deer with it, but it is lightly used. It's outfitted with a modern peep sight. Montana now has a muzzleloader season and I intend to hunt with it, if I can get acceptable accuracy with it. So what do I need to know? What projectiles should I experiment with?

Mind if I ask what peep sight? I hunt the Montana muzzleloader every year. Best season in the state but don't tell anyone!

I'm shooting an older .50 cal Cabelas Hawken (barrel made by Investarms) with just the stock iron sights. I've taken elk and deer, capping myself to about 60-ish yards with a patched round ball. I do think .54 cal is the way to go though. I'll likely grab one in the next few years.

 

[LIK2HNT]

You can also look for a 50 or 45 cal barrel for it. One of my T/C’s I purchased new years ago I got a 54 cal just so I could use a heavy custom 45 cal Green Mtn barrel. I shoot No-Excuse in both my 45’s and 50’s. 460 grains are my favorite being pushed by Pyrodex P.
When younger with good eyesight hitting an 8” paper plate at 250 yards was easy. Shoot deer and elk from 200 to 250 yards. Never recovered a bullet. Through and through on broadsides shots.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Just recently went down this same rabbit hole. First thing first what's the twist? That'll determine if you're better off going conical or RB. General rule 1:48 for conical and 1:66 for round ball although dosen't necessarily mean it won't shoot the opposite accurately. My 50 cal hawken with a 1:48 twist shoot 370gr Maxi balls with 85gr of ffg very well. As for blackpowder I use Swiss ffg for conical and fffg for round balls. I've found 100 yards to be very doable and I don't have a peep. Only killed one deer with it so far but it dropped like hit by a death ray.

I shoot a TC New Englander 50 cal with 1/48 twist. I have Factory TC Peep sights. At 100 yards is will hold a sub 3 inch group all day. I would hunt any deer or elk out to 125 yards,

Truth be told most of my kills have been under 50 yards

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I shoot a TC New Englander 50 cal with 1/48 twist. I have Factory TC Peep sights. At 100 yards is will hold a sub 3 inch group all day. I would hunt any deer or elk out to 125 yards,

Truth be told most of my kills have been under 50 yards

When I bought this TC New Englander new, I sent the lock works back to TC to have them hone it and give me a real good single trigger with a lighter pull. They did a fine job, and the price was very reasonable. I never had any use for the double set triggers so many repro Muzzle loaders come with anyway.

One pull is too heavy, the other too light.

Plus, there is not really enough room for a finger covered with a thick glove.

The New Englander has just the single trigger and the trigger guard is larger than most. All good news since my muzzleloader season falls during cold weather.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

I've had a TC .54 Hawkins since 1990 and by far the most accurate conical was Hornady Great Plains 425gr. which of course NLA. Added Williams peep sight and globe front. Shoots extremely well. I prefer 3F and it is a thumper at full boat loads. I will never forget first time I killed doe with the GP and she was wrecked. PRB did fine but it was such a difference in terminal performance. Luckily I bought 6 boxes and have enough to keep me happy for a while.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I've had a TC .54 Hawkins since 1990 and by far the most accurate conical was Hornady Great Plains 425gr. which of course NLA. Added Williams peep sight and globe front. Shoots extremely well. I prefer 3F and it is a thumper at full boat loads. I will never forget first time I killed doe with the GP and she was wrecked. PRB did fine but it was such a difference in terminal performance. Luckily I bought 6 boxes and have enough to keep me happy for a while.

The blood trails from such a bullet can be amazing.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

54CAL-300 Double Cavity Mold

Lee Double Cavity Mold produces a 54 Cal. Diameter 300 grain bullet.

leeprecision.com

 

[LDM]

Just recently went down this same rabbit hole. First thing first what's the twist? That'll determine if you're better off going conical or RB. General rule 1:48 for conical and 1:66 for round ball although dosen't necessarily mean it won't shoot the opposite accurately. My 50 cal hawken with a 1:48 twist shoot 370gr Maxi balls with 85gr of ffg very well. As for blackpowder I use Swiss ffg for conical and fffg for round balls. I've found 100 yards to be very doable and I don't have a peep. Only killed one deer with it so far but it dropped like hit by a death ray.

Hello I just recently got a thompson center 54 cal. Side block do you think that would be 1:48 twist ? What would shoot better round balls or conical

 

[BrentD]

Hello I just recently got a thompson center 54 cal. Side block do you think that would be 1:48 twist ? What would shoot better round balls or conical

You may not care for the answer but I started with that rifle and the answer is, it depends.

 

[Dan O]

Hello I just recently got a thompson center 54 cal. Side block do you think that would be 1:48 twist ? What would shoot better round balls or conical

Yes, it is a 1-48 twist. It will shoot both. The question is what do you want to shoot conical or PRB? If you decide to use the conical bullets, then buy a lead furnace and mold. It will pay for itself by the time you get the wind and trajectory figured out.

The problem is cost to shoot a muzzleloader if you just want to buy and go shoot one deer then put it in the closet and forget about it. then buying a 20 pack of slugs sounds good. But in reality you're not doing the gun, yourself or the deer justice.

 

[Dan O]

You may not care for the answer but I started with that rifle and the answer is, it depends.

I think because the rifling is shallower than a round ball barrel to accommodate the maxi-ball. A tight patch is needed to grip the rifling plus stouter loads could create a problem. I've had good luck with PRB in my TC Hawken 50 cal. with up to 80 grains Goex 2f. Also use a 370 maxi-ball with 85 grains Goex 2f.

In my GRRW 58 I have shot up to 175 grains Goex 2f. The instruction book from GRRW has that as a medium load. It will shoot very good, but you have to make sure your lube is sufficient, or the patch gets blown out. I get 1800+FPS with this load over the chronograph. The barrel is a PRB barrel with deep rifling unlike the TC.

 

[BrentD]

I think because the rifling is shallower than a round ball barrel to accommodate the maxi-ball. A tight patch is needed to grip the rifling plus stouter loads could create a problem. I've had good luck with PRB in my TC Hawken 50 cal. with up to 80 grains Goex 2f. Also use a 370 maxi-ball with 85 grains Goex 2f.

In my GRRW 58 I have shot up to 175 grains Goex 2f. The instruction book from GRRW has that as a medium load. It will shoot very good, but you have to make sure your lube is sufficient, or the patch gets blown out. I get 1800+FPS with this load over the chronograph. The barrel is a PRB barrel with deep rifling unlike the TC.

It is still pretty deep rifling. Mine shot patched balls well and also pistol bullets in plastic sabots (it was early in my enlightenment ). Did not mess with cast bullets much and never got them to shoot well, but many others did.

 

[Perlodid]

I think because the rifling is shallower than a round ball barrel to accommodate the maxi-ball. A tight patch is needed to grip the rifling plus stouter loads could create a problem. I've had good luck with PRB in my TC Hawken 50 cal. with up to 80 grains Goex 2f. Also use a 370 maxi-ball with 85 grains Goex 2f.

In my GRRW 58 I have shot up to 175 grains Goex 2f. The instruction book from GRRW has that as a medium load. It will shoot very good, but you have to make sure your lube is sufficient, or the patch gets blown out. I get 1800+FPS with this load over the chronograph. The barrel is a PRB barrel with deep rifling unlike the TC.

I should not have looked up those GRRW 58s

I need one