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50 vs 54 cal.

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arnold3175

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I'm new to muzzle loading, I want to know the difference between shooting a 50 cal vs a 54 cal. I'm sure the 54 cal kicks more all things considered but is 1 inherently more accurate than the other. I'm guessing from a hunting stand point, the 54 cal would be a better fit for large game. I'm just trying to learn more about muzzleloading and black powder hunting.
 
Welcome d dale.
You come to the right place to learn. :thumbsup: For deer here in the SE I like a .50 however the .54 will usually be a little lighter to carry and knock a bigger hole. The .54 may shoot a round ball in the wind with less drift than a .50 cal. Just dive in and read all you can ,enjoy the ride. Good Luck & Good Shootin'
 
I have .50's and .54's. I bought and use my current .54 as the rest of the rifle's characteristics were what I wanted. Plain, durable, swamped barrel, and if she'd a been a .50 I still would've bought her.

I have an advantage with the .530 round ball as that's what my dad shoots in his rifle, and it's what my hunting buddy uses in his rifle and his smooth bore..., so if somebody forgets his ammunition, one of the others can share.

I know out to 110 yards, the round works great..., That's the farthest shot I can take, and really wouldn't want to shoot farther than that.

LD
 
what do you plane on hunting? for white tail in a wooded thicket even a .45 would do good out to 80 yards. in more open I want a .50. out to say 100. me I hunted elk so I whent with a .54 depending on your load depends on the kick... my taget load my 7 year old niece shoots my flint lock (blue ridge rifle.) with 40 grains of FFg goex and a .530 cast ball. same load for my hawken. for a hunting load out of the hawken I loaded up to 80 grains of FFg. same ball. never got anything with it. for elk I use a 380 grain R.e.a.l. bullet and 90 grains of FFg. it dose kick. but it's like a mild 30-06 sprn. not to bad. but the .54 hit a elk like a mac truck!!! as larry would say it will get ur done!
 
Something to add that I don't see as being answered is the question of one size ball being inherently more accurate than another. It's pretty much accepted that size doesn't matter (in this case :haha: ) when it comes to round balls and accuracy. Accuracy is a matter of controlling all the variables involved (and there's a bunch), and diameter and weight of the ball is not a factor. That's the general consensus, and my experience also.

My personal thoughts between the two calbers is the .54 is the better size. It will take small deer, and large elk. I wouldn't shoot an elk with a .50. Even if you never hunt large animals like elk, the .54 isn't too large for a small whitetail or mule deer, and will only do a better and quicker job of taking its life. Bill
 
I doubt you'd notice any difference in kick or accuracy between the 2.
The .54 would probably be the better choice for game larger than deer but size won't trump a well placed shot.
The .54 is my preference between the 2 for no real reason other than I just like 'em better. I have never hunted a critter bigger than a Illinois whitetail but, ya never know, a chance could come up some day.
 
If you plan to shoot and hunt with patched round balls then the 54 would be my choice. If you plan to hunt anything larger than deer then the 54 would be the way to go. As for accuracy I think you will find more differences between rifles than caliber. Both will shoot real good with the right load. Many like 45's and 50's for deer and I think in the end either the 50 or 54 will do you just fine on a deer hunt.
 
For deer sized game they are both good choices. Now if I was building a deer hunting rifle for me and those were my two choices I would probably go with the .50.. Its more of a weight thing than a caliber though. A b-weight swamped .50 is lighter than a c-weight .54 and will make for a lighter rifle to carry. If weight is not an issue or you prefer a bit heavier gun I would go with a .54. :v
 
For hunting anything in the south there is no difference in effectiveness between the .50 and .54. There's nothing here a .50 won't take care of and there is the advantage of less weight with a swamped barrel, less lead/powder for the same killing power. The .50 is all you need.

Having said that if I were to get a rifle for everything - deer through elk & buffalo - I'd go for the .54 at least with a nod toward the .58. I own a .54 percussion but it no longer sees hunting use. I've used the .45 for years and it was all I needed. I've got a new rifle coming and it's a .50. This is because of some large bears inhabiting my hunting area.
 
A little more downrange energy maybe with the 54. As far as accuracy that rests entirely on your shoulders as both are capable of great accuracy. I solved this delimna with a TC Hawken and 50, 54, and 58 caliber barrels....range and terrain determine which I might mount that day..:surrender:
 
Roy said:
For deer sized game they are both good choices. Now if I was building a deer hunting rifle for me and those were my two choices I would probably go with the .50.. Its more of a weight thing than a caliber though. A b-weight swamped .50 is lighter than a c-weight .54 and will make for a lighter rifle to carry. If weight is not an issue or you prefer a bit heavier gun I would go with a .54. :v

In kind of a "reverse twist" on the same reasoning, I came up with a 54 rather than a 50. In my case I'm comparing my 50 and 54 cal Lyman GPR's, both with straight 15/16" barrels. There's less steel in the 54 cal for less weight, so I like its carry and balance better than the 50. But comparing B to C swamped, the situation changes.

As for power on game? Either is great, and you just won't need any extra power gleaned from a 54 down where you are.

Recoil? I don't really notice the difference between them until I get into hot powder charges over 100 grains. That's pretty theoretical and even pointless for me, because I only hunt with 80 grains in the 50 and 90 grains in the 54.
 
BrownBear said:
In kind of a "reverse twist" on the same reasoning, I came up with a 54 rather than a 50. In my case I'm comparing my 50 and 54 cal Lyman GPR's, both with straight 15/16" barrels. There's less steel in the 54 cal for less weight, so I like its carry and balance better than the 50. But comparing B to C swamped, the situation changes.

That's always been my reasoning as well. If you base a rifle on a specific outside diameter straight barrel, then bigger caliber is lighter. I base most of my builds on a 1" straight barrel, so with the goal of lightening a rifle in mind, over the years I went from .50, to .54, and now I'm at .58. I'd better stop there, or I could end up with a bore that is bigger than the outside of the barrel. :hmm: Bill
 
Its a rare thing for me to build a gun around a straight oct. barrel these days so I always think of them as being swamped, straight tapered.. oct to round.. :haha: :thumbsup:
 
Roy said:
Its a rare thing for me to build a gun around a straight oct. barrel these days so I always think of them as being swamped, straight tapered.. oct to round.. :haha: :thumbsup:


I hear ya! But we have so many around here, mostly factory versions, that my wife has decided we need to thin the herd a bunch before more interesting versions appear. Considering how many we have on hand right now, I think "cropping" may be a better term than thinning, though. :rotf:
 
Recoil is not really much of a issue between .50 and .54, especially with target loads. P.S. I am recoil shy! I prefer bigger calibers for deer hunting than some. I consider .50 to be the minimum. Why? Because I like a fairly large exit wound on deer sized game. Leaving better blood trails for easier game recovery. Accuracy wise you won't see any diffierence between .54 and .50. BJH
 
If you are new to muzzle loading then take a look at the availability of components for either caliber in your area. If one is scarce and the other plentiful then that should help you make your decision. A well placed shot with either one will quickly kill anything you are likely to encounter in North America. The .54 will give you a slightly longer effective range but using a muzzle loader for hunting is about getting close to your game and not long range shooting. Having said that I prefer the .54 because it is less common around here and components for it are a little less availble. You can get anything you need for both calibers at any online store though.
d.dale said:
I'm new to muzzle loading, I want to know the difference between shooting a 50 cal vs a 54 cal. I'm sure the 54 cal kicks more all things considered but is 1 inherently more accurate than the other. I'm guessing from a hunting stand point, the 54 cal would be a better fit for large game. I'm just trying to learn more about muzzleloading and black powder hunting.
 
When I started I bout a few .50 cal's ... All were OK. I soon graduated to the .54. Ballistically it is superior in every measurable way, I have total confidence in my hand made round balls to kill deer and elk to 100 yards (MY ability with open sights), and one must ALWAYS ask "What would Jerimiah Johnson have wanted?"
 

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