54 cal conicals

kbeers said:

Im not happy with a two inch group ,the hornady great plain bullets shot a lot tighter than that! Maybe Im expecting too much?I wanna tight group!

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Two inches at most with some right on top of each other. This .50 barrel is a fast twist and the REAL bullets give me the tightest groups. I haven't tried those type of bullets in my .54 but this has a 1:48 ROT and I get 1 inch groups using PRB at 50 yards shooting from the bench, so that's all I need for shooting a match or for hunting. This barrel handles the Great Plains bullets pretty well but the groups are never better than about 3 inches or so.

A lot of deer have been killed with 12 ga smooth bore shotguns shooting slugs that would not group better than 2 inches. If you want better groups try the 6 o'clock hold, felt wad over powder and different bullets/powder charges.
I've found that heavier charges work best for me with conicals.

My TC 50 cal Hawken has shot groups as small as 3/8 inch center to center. I can count on it to shoot groups less than 1.5 inches with the 385 grain Hornady great plains bullet and 90 grains of triple seven 2F loose. Those great plains bullets start real hard in this rifle, but it is worth the effort for a load that drives tacks.

With the hornady great plains bullets in 390gr 54 cal at 50 yds I shot 1 inch groups or better.Same with my 50 cal just cant get them any more Im just kind of frustrated because I found somthing that works and I cant use it anymore.Wish they made a mould for the hornady great plains.Oh well just have to try something else thats all.Hey things are looking up though I found a half a box in my hunting stuff buried underneath ! lol !

Toughen up dawg.

I shoot all of my loads with 100gn 2Fg. It saves confusion in the field. I shoot the plains bullet out of a Lyman GPR off the bench. It's not that bad. In the bush you don't feel it at all.

One word of advice, don't just use accuracy ad your only criteria in choosing your bullet. The Hornady GPB fly beautifully out of my rifle but they are not good penetrators (in my limited experience).

Kapow said:

One word of advice, don't just use accuracy ad your only criteria in choosing your bullet. The Hornady GPB fly beautifully out of my rifle but they are not good penetrators (in my limited experience).

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That's not what I have found with the Hornady Great Plains bullets! They always poke two holes in the hide unless you try to shoot them end for end.

Hornady does offer a heavier conical in the Great Plains for the 54 caliber. Has anyone tried them?

trying the 420gr bullets is on my to do list ! lol

I have only had the one bad experience but it does make it hard to have confidence in them. Two shots side on into a whitetail size deer. Virtually no penetration, I was lucky to recover the animal. Load was 100gn FFg and 425gn Hornady GPB. I'll persevere with them and see what happens.

It's still sound advice. Accuracy is not everything.

Did you recover those? Would like to see pics if you did.

Two Hornady Great Plains bullets recovered from two different elk shot at around 100 yards, .54, 100 grs poopodex.

That doesn't make much sense. Looks like it should have buried in deep or passed through. Larry

I found them under the skin on the opposite side.

That's exactly what I would've expected them to do. I shot a broadside deer in the ribcage and he ran off. Found him half hour later very sick. Hit him again in the rib cage. Never found the projectiles. The entry wound was large with smashed ribs but no exit wound. Only penetrated one lung. Absolute mystery.

If it only happened with the first shot I would write it off as one of those things, but both shots?? And this deer was nothing like an elk. I can only try them again and see what happens. I like the projectiles only have no confidence in them after that.

I wish they weren't hollow point.

hornady great plains bullets arent 425gr ,They are 385gr and 390gr.Maybe you were using lyman great plains bullets!I have had good luck with the hornadys no complaints at all.

I wish they weren't hollow point.

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And, there's the problem when projectile designers try to imitate the performance of modern rifle projectiles that must expand to provide a wound channel. Many of the moderns do not exit either!

Several of my hunting partners had the same experience with those bullets. One on an elk and the other on a mule deer. Both had decent placement.

Some homework for you :wink:

http://www.hornady.com/store/54-Cal-c-675/

I think you were looking at .50cal.

OK sorry 425gr is the new conical 390gr discontinued thats what I shot for the longest time ! Thought maybe u meant the lyman bullets cause they make a 420gr. My bad sorry!

kbeers said:

hornady great plains bullets arent 425gr ,They are 385gr and 390gr.Maybe you were using lyman great plains bullets!I have had good luck with the hornadys no complaints at all.

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Correction: The 385 grain Hornady great plains bullets are 50 caliber. The 285 grain Horandy great plains bullets are 45 caliber and may not be offered any longer. The 390 grain HP great plains bullet is a real good 54 caliber bullet which also may no longer be offered. On page 306 of the Midway master catalog #34 is the Hornady great plains 425 grain HP bullet. Have also seen them offered in other catalogs as well.

The shoot best with a felt wad over powder and heavy charges.

I know I shot the 390gr 54 cal for the longest time.Thats why I started this topic because I was trying to find an alternative to the 390gr 54 cal conicals.It was just a missunderstanding on my part.I shoot the 50 cal 385gr hornadys out of my lyman deerhunter,they shoot well.Wish I had a mold for the hornadys!

I have been told that Lee will make a custom mold if you ask them. Maybe you should see if they will make one like the 390 grain great plains bullet.