.50 or .54 for elk?

[elkonastick]

My dad and myself are going to hunt elk with muzzle loaders next year. We are buying Hawken percusion rifles but are not sure which caliber to buy. We want to use Maxi-Balls or maybe another conical lead bellet. My hunting buddy uses a .50 and says it will smack an elk dead. Although I

've been shooting all my life I'm a newbie to the muzzle loader. We will probably also use them for deer at some point. I'd rather be over gunned for deer than under gunned for elk. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks

 

[RJR]

Elkonastick, welcome to the forum. As far as your question, .50 cal PRB will take down anything in North America, so it's going to boil down to personal prefference. Getting hit with a .50 PRB is like getting hit with a 10 lb. sledge at full swing in the chest, it's going to take it down. You are talking using conicals so that is even heavier. Good luck on your decision. Take care, Rick.

 

[Jay Gardner]

Just a side question for the Forum, but do any states not allow conicals for elk? I hear more and more states are making hunters use more primative guns and sights.

 

[Zonie]

This is just my opnion so take it for what it's worth:
First, I would recommend the PRB over a conical because it's higher velocity will produce a flatter trajectory out to about 110 yards making the aim point less distance sensitive and the "shock value" to the game higher than a conical.
If you use a PRB the .54 has 2 things going for it over the .50. First the .54 is going to poke a hole which has 17% more area of tissue destroyed at the entry point than the .50. Second the .54 weighs 230 grains compared with the .50 cal's 180 grains.
Figuring a hunting load of about 1/2 powder to lead weight (85-90 grains for the .50 and 100-105 grains for the .54 (most people consider these loads about max)) the velocity will be about 2100 FPS for either gun. Sense the velocity will be about the same, the 28% increase of the lead weight will increase the muzzle energy from 1764 FtLbs to 2254 FtLbs. This plus the 17% increase in entry hole and wound channel size makes the .54 my choice for Elk.

 

[elkonastick]

Thanks for the welcome, and advice. I'm in Oregon and the regs say round ball or conical lead or lead alloy bullets only. No jacketed or sabot allowed. Also no pelletized powder or scopes or fiber optic sights. No center fire primers. Which is all fine with us. I want the experience of the hunting like it was in the early 1800's.

 

[tg]

".I want the experience of the hunting like it was in the early 1800's"
That would pretty much dictate the use of a round ball. I found the .50rb to be plenty on a couple of Oregon Elk at 35 amd 55 yds but the .54 would give an edge and be a better choice if you are buying new guns, but I would still suggect 75 yds as a max. range, that gives you a little "wiggle" room if you see one a bit farther out than your pre-set "limit." Leave the modern bullets to the centerfire guys you really don't need them for what you are doing.

 

I lived in Wyoming for a few years....here's my tried and true recipe, .54 cal, 100 grs. FFg and a 230 gr. PRB. Never failed...

Vic

 

[Tim]

Both my brother and I have been hunting elk for the last 10 years using .54 cal rifles. He uses 85 grains and I use 80 grains of pyrodex. Of the elk shot (8 so far, fortunately all one shot kills), 7 of the 8 slugs were recovered under the offside skin, distances were 35 to 75 yards. The only shot not recovered was the 35 yarder. The last elk I shot was at 55 yards and quartering away. The slug hit behind the last rib and was found under the hide just behind the left front shoulder. I figure the slug travelled about 24 inches of elk. The recovered slugs measured diameter was 1.45 inches and the weight was 410 grains. According to my brother, he says the skin stretech out about 8-10 inches at my shot.
Good luck!