Newbie

...Oddly enough though I read some where that some original Hawkens were made with the 48 twist. Why would that be? They surely weren't meant to shoot conicals, were they???

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The rifling grooves on the Hawken's with the 1:48 twist was deeper than modern barrels with that twist.

I think some of it is our concept of accuracy vs theirs. A shooter in the early 20th or late 19th wrote that his Hawkin would shoot well up to 1:1loads, 220 grains behind his ball. Stated the recoil was less then a 45/70 and shot well out to 200 yards.
We strive for clover leafs, they were happy with in the blacks. Three inches from point of aim wont get you a ribbon at the nationals, or at a local shoot, but will put meat on the table. During the Napoleonic wars the British army published several targets of 100 yard rifle shooting that were not as good as 50 yards for my fusils. Not winning targets for sure, but each shot would have been an incapicatated enemy.

Statistically, the PRB sheds energy quicker and the conical holds onto more energy at the same range, all things being even.
I think that whatever way you go, get a bunch of bullets and powder and head for the range. I'd spend enough time there to select an accurate load for elk, (remember you only need minute of elk to bring one home).
If you go with a conical then I would certainly experiment with a greased over powder wad; it seems to increase accuracy.
With the PRB there seems to be more variables; ball size, patch type, patch size on top of the variables with a conical; powder load and grain size.

Both PRB and conical have and will bring home elk, so make an informed choice and git to the range.

Good luck and make meat!
ET

One thing I have noticed with a 1/48 twist is that it works ok with the .54 caliber pretty well with the shorter barrels of 28" or so because it's hard to get the velocity over 1800 with loads clear up to 100 grains.

The .54 needs a longer barrel to utilize a slower twist where a .50 with just 32" of barrel will reach 2100 fps. with loads that are at the recommended maximum. I know a lot of people don't want or concern themselves with velocity but my feeling is that if you want velocity and accuracy in the .54 get a barrel at least 38" long. It will reach 2000 fps. with 120 grain loads and be very accurate with a slow twist and groove depths of at least .008 for ball.

My 38 inch barrel Green Mountain .40 cal is 1/48 with .012 deep rifling grooves and off of the bench I can shoot 5 shot one hole groups with it at 50 yards. I have no doubts that a better shot than myself could do it off hand with this same rifle as well. Never shot conicals, and probably never will. With accuracy like that you just simply do not need them.

mtmanjim said:

My 38 inch barrel Green Mountain .40 cal is 1/48 with .012 deep rifling grooves and off of the bench I can shoot 5 shot one hole groups with it at 50 yards. I have no doubts that a better shot than myself could do it off hand with this same rifle as well. Never shot conicals, and probably never will. With accuracy like that you just simply do not need them.

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What is the powder charge you are using?

Well, anywhere between 40 and 60 grains of 3f Goex and there is no change in point of impact. Once I go above 60 grs the groups begin to slowly open up a little bit. A 70 gr charge will shoot a two inch grp at 50 yrds.

It would seem that for a 48 twist 70 grs is the magic number. That is what most of em seem to like best.