Is there a best caliber for a Hawken style black powder rifle?

New member checking in here- I`ve been using the `SEARCH` feature and doing a good bit of reading and learning a lot.

In the near future I`m planning to buy a Hawken style rifle, in percussion, and learn about shooting patched round balls. (I`ve been shooting cap and ball revolvers for a year or so and would like to expand my black powder shooting)

I`ve always wanted a Lyman Great Plains rifle since I was a kid so that`s the brand and model I`ve decided on.

Lyman offers their rifles in .50 and .54 caliber.

I`m not planning on hunting, just paper and steel targets.

Does one caliber, for my purposes, have an advantage over the other?

Welcome to the Forum. There is a lot of great information available here and knowledgeable folks. (Much more knowledgeable than me.) Also, be sure to check out the many sub-topics such as media related materials, camp cooking, reenacting, etc. They really add toenjoying this hobby.

I have a GPR in flintlock. Great shooter. Since I don't hunt anymore it is just for targets so I chose the 50 caliber. The round balls, probably .490, are easy to find and I've learned the 50 caliber is big enough to knock down any steel targets I'm likely to hit.


Jeff

Boils down to your choice.
A .50 will be a little kinder to your budget for lead. That is getting to be a bigger and bigger consideration almost every day recently.
The .54 will give you a bit lighter gun to carry and handle.
For paper, both will require aprox. the same size charges, 50 to 60 gr. of real black powder.
If you do decide to hunt, the .50 will be great on deer size critters.
For larger animals, like elk, moose, black bear, the .54 would be a better choice.
Let us know what you decide.

.50 is easier on lead and powder and plenty big enough for steel.

Any caliber goes clang on steel IMHO Any 8 inch group at 100 should be OK for steel IMHO.

Paper requires much more precision. I know I suck as steel shooting is the greatest challenge for everyone now-a days.

Actual scores on paper counts, where on paper toward center and all. Yep it is hard for many reasons.

.54 bucks the wind a bit better too. Yer choice :idunno:

i'll join the consensus: if you want to have a lighter rifle, which 'hits harder,' then you should go with the .54, whereas if you want something a bit more conventional, go with the .50...

I have a .50. a .54 and a .62 smooth (but in the Thompson Center Renegade, not the Lyman) ”¦ I like the .62 smooth best, but that's just my personal preference.

As to the target shooting theoretical, a lighter projectile will usually lose velocity faster than an heavy one, so the choice of a .54 might give you a slight advantage, especially if you are shooting in a crosswind.

You can shoot Bambi with a .54, but I would be hesitant to go after elk or large beasties with a .50.

As regards the additional cost of the lead for a .54 versus that of a .50 (while I will concede that I have no actual data) I would hazard a guess that this is a de minimis cost ”¦ I cast my own, so I get many shots from the same bit of lead, after it has been remelted and added to the other bits of lead, and then turned into a new bit of lead. clear?

In either case, I wish you the best of luck with your new rifle. You might want to consider Dutch Schoultz method(here's a link)
http://blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

We usually shoot steel knockdowns. Ringing steel doesn't count unless it falls over.

Well the Lyman GPR is a slow twist, so your cost per shot is a tiny big higher with the .54, but the weight of the rifle is less. You're not hunting with it so carrying it really isn't that much of a concern.

Steel and paper targets, no real advantage unless you regularly encounter strong cross winds, and then the higher mass of the .54 should give you a little less trouble. NOW if you're doing more than ringing steel and you need to knock the steel over..., more mass from the .54 will help too.

One thing not mentioned is travel. If you think you're going to drive to different ranges, maybe for staged target events, you might want to see what the others are shooting. It's kinda nice if you get someplace and OOPS forgot the box of round ball, you can get some that will work from another person. Years ago at a match a feller had a beautiful half-stocked plains rifle in of all things..., .52 cal, and he forgot his projectiles. My .490 RB's were too small, and other folks' .530's were too large.

LD

The absolute best caliber I have ever shot is the one that I have in the truck on the day I go to shoot...
And like the day, almost every one of them is a bit different than the last. Buy one of each!!!!

DCVJR said:

Does one caliber, for my purposes, have an advantage over the other?

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Welcome to the forum.
This topic has been under contention since before the first week of this forums existence.
Short story is a 54 will out shoot a 50 every day of the week, all year long. And do it year after year.
The only other story you will see are from folks that only have 50's and they'll say a 50 is good enough.
(not better, just good enough)

I own three T/C Hawkens, a 45, 50 and 54. All great shooters, I have bookoo lead and cast my own so ammo is not an issue. The 54 is my favorite. It is also the heaviest. Not sure why so many think it is lighter. The 54 is the one inch barrel.

I have 2 - GPRs, one in .50 the other in .54. Both shoot accurately if I do my part. Can't go wrong with either as your choice. Also two other .54s in the stable, but the .54 GPR is my "go to" for clanging steel or punchin' paper.

torpedo said:

I own three T/C Hawkens, a 45, 50 and 54. All great shooters, I have bookoo lead and cast my own so ammo is not an issue. The 54 is my favorite. It is also the heaviest. Not sure why so many think it is lighter. The 54 is the one inch barrel.

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Hmmmmmm. My TC .54 is not a 1" barrel. It's the same OD barrel as my .50 only bored a bit bigger, and that makes it lighter....
My IA .58 is also the same barrel OD, and it is lighter than either of the TC guns. The stocks on all three are the same pattern and very close to the same weight as well.

When I started in this sport over 40 yrs ago, I wanted to punch paper and hunt. I went with 50 caliber. Over those years I've acquired a total of 5 in 50 caliber. I'm only hunting Whitetail and modestly sized pigs (I don't want to shoot a 300 lb'er...smaller is better eating-wise.)
50 is great for that, and punches paper, steel, whatever on the target range just fine. For a "Hawken style" rifle dedicated to ONLY punching paper I'd look for one that someone has put a 32" 40 caliber barrel on. They can be a little hard to find, but they're out there.

torpedo said:

I own three T/C Hawkens, a 45, 50 and 54. All great shooters, I have bookoo lead and cast my own so ammo is not an issue. The 54 is my favorite. It is also the heaviest. Not sure why so many think it is lighter. The 54 is the one inch barrel.

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I believe they were referring to the Lyman GPR, which many consider to be a little on the heavy side. Both the .50 and .54 barrels are the same 15/16" barrel, so the .54 will be a tad lighter. I personally like the .54 and find it a little more versatile.

a 54 will out shoot a 50 every day of the week, all year long. And do it year after year.

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:shake: Respectfully, that is nonsense. No one caliber is more accurate than another. I'm sure a contest between calibers would prove that. If memory serves me correctly, when I competed at Friendship and other big events, the .50 was, by far, the favorite with buffalo match (X sticks) shooters. At the Hawken range .45s and .50s dominated. Bigger calibers might buck wind better but until you start shooting a 100 yards and better that is almost not a factor.

Rifleman1776 said:

a 54 will out shoot a 50 every day of the week, all year long. And do it year after year.

Click to expand...

:shake: Respectfully, that is nonsense. No one caliber is more accurate than another. I'm sure a contest between calibers would prove that. If memory serves me correctly, when I competed at Friendship and other big events, the .50 was, by far, the favorite with buffalo match (X sticks) shooters. At the Hawken range .45s and .50s dominated. Bigger calibers might buck wind better but until you start shooting a 100 yards and better that is almost not a factor.

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Totally agree :thumbsup: The OP has selected two calibers that are so close for his use that it will not effect the outcome which ever one he chooses - both are great calibers :hmm: . What will make a difference is how well he shoots them and practice will determine that :v :wink:

DCVJR said:

New member checking in here- I`ve been using the `SEARCH` feature and doing a good bit of reading and learning a lot.

In the near future I`m planning to buy a Hawken style rifle, in percussion, and learn about shooting patched round balls. (I`ve been shooting cap and ball revolvers for a year or so and would like to expand my black powder shooting)

I`ve always wanted a Lyman Great Plains rifle since I was a kid so that`s the brand and model I`ve decided on.

Lyman offers their rifles in .50 and .54 caliber.

I`m not planning on hunting, just paper and steel targets.

Does one caliber, for my purposes, have an advantage over the other?

Click to expand...

No.

Yes.

.54 with a slow twist for round balls.