.54 Lyman Deerstalker & Lee REAL question

[wolfram]

Hello,

I just bought my first muzzleloader recently. It's a .54 cal Lyman Deerstalker. I want to start casting my own bullets being that the cost of commercial bullets is so high. I'd like to cast Lee REAL bullets.

My question is the REAL a good bullet for the Deerstalker? Is its 1 in 48" twist enough to stabilize the bullet? I realize that each gun is often unique to itself when it comes to what bullets it likes and dislikes, but often there are trends within makes. I'd especially like to hear experience with both the 300 and 380 grain to see if the Deerstalker prefers one particular weight over the other.

I plan on ultimately using these bullets for either deer or possibly hogs. I wouldn't shoot past 100 yards with open sights. In fact, I'd probably be shooting closer so I don't require target grade accuracy. However, I'd like it to shoot better than a 00 shot pattern

Carl

 

[jtmattison]

My Deerstalker .54 does not shoot Lee REAL's well at all. I have tried both the 300 and 380 grain. It is however a heck of a roundball shooter. 90 grains of Goex 3f under a .530 roundball patched with drill cloth is the food mine likes. Your rifle may shoot REAL's better but if I were you I'd try roundball first.

HD

 

[Lonegun1894]

my CVA .50 with 1 in 48" twist keyholed on occasion at 75yds with the 320gr REALs, until i worked up a proper load. Then it shot fine, til i quit using the REALs and decided to stay with PRBs. I know it is a different caliber, but the twist is the same and i was using the heavier of the two available REALs. Hopefully that helps you some, but I know it doesnt directly apply to your rifle's caliber. Accuracy with the REALs was acceptable (6 inch plate at 75yds), even if not great, but the PRBs outshoot the conicals in my rifle (3 inches at the same range) and i need all the help i can get. I know 6 inches is good enough for deer, but i want better if i can get it.

 

[wolfram]

HD,

I know a lot of people here do prefer the PRB, but I've read that conicals have better terminal ballistics. If given the choice, I'd rather hunt with a conical. However, I'm new to this, so I could be wrong.

That said, I actually do have some round balls that I will be trying. I have a box of .535 from Hornady and a box of .530 from Speer. For patches, I have a bag of Eastern Maine 0.010 prelubed patches and a bag of Cabelas 0.020 prelubed patches to try out. I got the round balls because they're cheap so I figured that I could get a lot more muzzleloading range time.

Lee molds are pretty cheap, so I was hoping to cast my own bullets to keep the costs down.

 

[wolfram]

Lonegun,

Yes, the calibers are different, but your experience is still helpful. It's kind of confirming the thought that if I were to try the REAL bullet, that perhaps it would be better to try the 300 grain first. I'd like to 380 grain because I think it would be a better hog bullet if the opportunity to go hog hunting comes up, but if they don't give usable accuracy then I just wasted some $$$ on the mold.

 

[Vostok]

Wolfram - I tried Lee REAL conicals in a .50 caliber Lyman Great Plains Hunter with the conical barrel. I was not impressed with their accuracy. I punched a cow Elk through the boiler room at 50 yards and she barely flinched as well.

Since then I switched to the Lyman Great Plains bullet at ~450 grains weight and am happy with the results. Best accuracy seems to be at about 80 grains 2f pyrodex in the .54. I cast these as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[Slamfire]

I believe you'll find the terminal ballistics of the round ball sufficient for ungulants. :v
If yore shootin' at stuff that can shoot back, then I don't blame yuh for wantin' somethin' bigger. :winking:

 

[Lonegun1894]

No offense to anyone, but if i'm shootin at things that shoot back, I am reaching for my FAL, not my CVA or my GPR. Having said that, i'd much rather hunt with either the CVA or the GPR than anything where I dont have to reload for 20 to 30 rds. Primitive weapons make for a much more enjoyable hunt, weather I'm carrying a muzzleloader or a bow.

 

[Lonegun1894]

I dont know what ranges you have to hunt at, but most of the shooting here and from others comments here is easily within 100yds. I know i could put one of the REAls in the vitals of a deer at 75yds. But between better accuracy and just not needing the extra bullet weight for deer, PRBs won. As for hogs, the ranges for those here are usually even closer than deer so no problem with the accuracy there either. The accuracy was usable, it just was much more accurate with a PRB and I figure i need all the help i can get. Also, as others here have said in the past, a round ball is much deadlier than either looks, or paper balistics charts would imply. You'll be amazed at what a simple little ball can do once you compare the effects on flesh to what you'd expect to see looking at charts. Not saying to forget about the REAl just yet. I've thought about getting the mold for the lighter one just to see if it would work better, but havent yet. PRBs have worked very well and i'm getting to the point of if it aint broke, i'm trying not to fix it.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from GE,

I use a Investarm Hawken in .54 with .533410 self cast minie-bullets. The rifle has the same twist as yours and shots the minies with good accuracy, at 60 meters a 3 shot group of 35mm, using 90 grs of Swiss No.2 BP. Mold is from LEE.
You should have a try.

Merry chrismas from Bavaria, GE.

 

[tg]

I would agree that the PRB is quite sufficient for most game in America, the perceived need for a modern bullet is a carry over from the ballistic oriented performance of centerfires we have grown up with, most who have given the PRB a chance do not go back to modern design bullets in a ML....the primitive experience is lost with the modern stuff as well as we are on a different level than when useing all primitive components.

 

[playfarmers]

I have a .50 Deerstalker and an old hunting buddy had a .54 Deerstalker. We tried the Lee REAL bullets at both weights, and even came up with a few loads that worked good. We shot one deer each that year, and switched back to round balls. I saw no advantage of using a bullet in either calibre, and the clean up was easier with the patched ball. A ball in a .54 is big power.

 

[faw3]

Ive shot both weights out of my CVA Mountain and had to work up a powder load for them to go right but they work fine in it and 2 50's I have. Fred :hatsoff: (yu might want something bigger on hogs so far even 400 grs aint knocked these down or 150grs of 2 fr and a 62 ball. :rotf:

 

[spaethjm]

You can order REAL bullets from blackjackhill to try before you by a mould he has very good bullets and are very resonable.

 

[wolfram]

Odinbreaker,

Thanks for the lead. Black Jack Hill is a little pricey, as all commercially made conicals are, but at least I would be able to actually try it out before commiting to a mold. Actually, they're not priced that bad as he's offering a box of 50 rather than a box of 20. So I'm going to order a box of each weight. I figure that if it doesn't work out that I can always melt them down for something else.

Thanks

 

[wolfram]

Hello from GE,

I use a Investarm Hawken in .54 with .533410 self cast minie-bullets. The rifle has the same twist as yours and shots the minies with good accuracy, at 60 meters a 3 shot group of 35mm, using 90 grs of Swiss No.2 BP. Mold is from LEE.
You should have a try.

Merry chrismas from Bavaria, GE.

Kerrmeister,

Hello. I was stationed in Wuerzburg, GE for two years when I was in the Army. When we were on field exercise in the southeastern parts of the country near the Czech boarder, I remember hearing the grunts of wild boars when I laid down for the night. They certainly weren't far I always wished I could've hunted that area.

As for your bullet, I presume that you're using the Improved Minie from Lee? Based on my conversion, you're getting 1.4" groups at about 66 yards. That sounds great to me I think I will grab a mold and try that one out. Thanks

 

[PreglerD]

Hello Wolfram,

so when I was in the German Armed Forces I was stationed in Bayreuth and in Mellrichstadt near Bad Kissingen, if you know these cities. You are right I use the improved minie bullet mold from LEE. Have started to establish ML-hunting in GE. Had my first drive hunt with other ML-hunters on my hunting ground in southern Bavaria, about 40 km south of Munich, if you know these part of GE.

When was your time in Würzburg?

Perhaps send a PT!

Greetings from Bavaria, GE.

 

[wolfram]

Kirrmeister,

I was in Wuerzburg from 1999-2001 minus a seven month deployment to Kosovo. As densely populated as Germany is, it amazed me how much forrested area Germany still has. Especially in Bavaria which is pretty much the only province I got a chance to see much of. I never got a hunting permit while I was there because, as you know, it's rather expensive especially when you're only spending a short time there. It's a hike from where you're at, but the area around the US Army garrison at Hohenfels-Grafenwoehr area is a place to scout out if you're looking for boar :thumbsup:

What's a PT?

 

[PreglerD]

I know these areas in Grafenwöhr and hohenfels very well. I was officer and companycommander of an armored infantry company. I was from 1999 To 2002 in the Bavarian Forest stationed, town of Regen.We often trained in Grafenwöhr and sometimes hohenfels. From May 2000 until Dec 2000 I was in the Kosovo, too, near Prizren.

A PT is a Private Topic. Try to send you one.

 

[faw3]

If you get the REAL mould be sure and heat it as it said to do in instructions, think the bullets get little air pockets from a bad heated mould and throw off the shot. Fred :hatsoff: