.54 PRB elk load

[user 36911]

Actually a friend killed a huge bull in Kentucky and gave me some of the meat. The only time I've had elk meat and it was quite good.

It sure is. I can eat it every day and never get sick of it. I haven't had any in a while. I sure hope I can get one this year. A tasty cow will do just fine.

 

[azmntman]

Ya cows do seem to taste better but the BEST I ever had was sons 6 pt bull. He shot its leg near off with unmentionable and it bled hard 600 yds so maybe the fact it was "bled" was why??

 

[user 36911]

A bull can taste just as good but i've had a few that weren't as good as a cow. Our muzzy season is during the rut and a bull can have an off taste sometimes. Mostly it won't but there's always a chance. Other than shooting the herd lead cow , most cows are good. I've been told a calf is the best meat but I couldn't bring myself to shoot one.

 

[user 36911]

Well, i've decided to not have my Hawken bored out to a .58. I won't bore you all with the details.

So, i'll be hunting for a cow elk this year with the .50 PRB. I shot it today and the sweet spot for accuracy is Goex 90 gr 2F. That will be my hunting load and my max distance is around 50yds. It's a pretty sweet soft shooting load in a 10 lb Hawken. I just wish lugging the gun around the mountains was as sweet. Oh well. A Hawken isn't for wimps.

 

[longcruise]

Hmmmm.., you will need a 54 to be legal with round ball.

 

[user 36911]

I know it. I just said it on ALR. I had a total brain fade and was happy I didn't have to send my barrel to Bobby Hoyt.

It looks like I will after all.

 

[Atticus69]

I have taken three elk, 2 cow and one small bull with flintlock and pure lead round ball cast by myself. Two of the roundball went through and one stopped against the hide on exit side. It expanded to approx 60 cal after one rib and both lungs. I shoot 90 grains of 3F GOEX in my flintlock. All shots where from 30 yds to 60 yds. One cow jumped a ditch at the time I pulled the trigger on my flintlock and I hit here upper shoulder and into the spine. She fell right there and had to use a second round to finish her.
I have built several .54 Hawken rifles for friends that live in SW Colorado and they have killed many Elk with my cast roundball and I sighted them in with 90 grains of 3F at 100 yards because the barrels were 1-66 twists for roundball. I'm pretty sure they hunt with 100 grains of 3F and one of them changed to 2F.
I drew my first elk tag in 1992 in SW CO and found they had a .54 cal limit so I ordered a new barrel, installed a tang, sights and installed it on my flintlock that normally wore a .50 cal. Worked up load with 90 grains of 3F, .540 round ball I cast and .015 patching.
Good luck
Mike

Thanks--gives me loads to try.

 

[Atticus69]

I have killed a pile of elk over the years three of them were with a muzzleloader. Elk are tough! Guys that have never actually shot them have no idea just how tough they are. I have seen them shot multiple times with Large cartridge guns and stay on their feet.
I personally use paper patched conical's. You're asking about PRB and I am going to admit that I have no personal knowledge of using PRB on elk. I have hunted with guys that have used them. Your idea to use a minimum of 54 cal is a good plan. The guys that have said to get close as you can is a solid plan. Shooting through the lungs and staying away from the shoulder is probably the best advise.
Using as stout of a load as you can is a good plan. That said too much powder could negatively effect accuracy. I would shoot the stoutest load that you can and keep good accuracy.

The most important info I can give is waiting for the right shot. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get the right shot. If you call the elk in it will be quartering to you or straight on. Both of these shots are bad with a PRB. Waiting for the elk to turn and give you a side shot or a quartering away is the best bet.
Good luck on the hunt.

Great looking Bull. I'm envious!

 

[longcruise]

I know it. I just said it on ALR. I had a total brain fade and was happy I didn't have to send my barrel to Bobby Hoyt.

It looks like I will after all.

I figured that! FWIW, I had Hoyt bore my old tc Hawken 50 to an RB 54 and it's a great barrel. I also have a Renegade that he did to 58 and it too is a great barrel.

 

[user 36911]

I figured that! FWIW, I had Hoyt bore my old tc Hawken 50 to an RB 54 and it's a great barrel. I also have a Renegade that he did to 58 and it too is a great barrel.

I'm trying to decide if I should keep the gun. Even bored out it's going to be a heavy gun that someone younger should be using.

Sometimes we can't have what we want because we outgrew it. I had to give up fly fishing fast rivers because I don't have the balance for it anymore. I'm thinking heavy guns are in the same category.

 

[longcruise]

I will loan you my Renegade 58 if that would help. It's a percussion but it is what it is. Easy to carry cause of the shorter barrel. I'll weigh in later and see how heavy it is.

I plan on using it for elk this year but my ML elk hunt will be in first rifle in October.

 

[user 36911]

I've had a couple of Renegades. They did well.

I can't borrow a gun though. Thanks for the offer.

 

[hanshi]

This bull my friend killed didn't taste anything but good.

 

[user 36911]

This bull my friend killed didn't taste anything but good.

You should be an actor. You look like Tom Selleck.

 

[hanshi]

You should be an actor. You look like Tom Selleck.

I get mistaken for him all the time. Can't begin to count all the fake autographs I've given.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Looking for suggestions to work up a good load for elk hunting. Rifle is a Lyman great plains rifle, flintlock. It takes a 530 roundball. Does great on deer at 70gr, but I'm guessing something stouter may be required to do a good job on elk. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

I think I would go up 10 grains from 70 to 80 fffg and start looking to see if there is a nice accurate load in the 80-95 range. I would absolutely stick with the best really good grouping load I could find in that 80-95 range, even if that ends up on the lower end of 80-95. You may have to change patch as well as powder to get a good grouping load. Then I think a rule of thumb might be something like range = Powder So if you get a tight grouping load at 85 grains than 85 yards should be your max range at which you will take a shot at elk. It's not perfect by it should get you in the ball park.

 

[Atticus69]

I think I would go up 10 grains from 70 to 80 fffg and start looking to see if there is a nice accurate load in the 80-95 range. I would absolutely stick with the best really good grouping load I could find in that 80-95 range, even if that ends up on the lower end of 80-95. You may have to change patch as well as powder to get a good grouping load. Then I think a rule of thumb might be something like range = Powder So if you get a tight grouping load at 85 grains than 85 yards should be your max range at which you will take a shot at elk. It's not perfect by it should get you in the ball park.

Thanks

 

[Sixgun_Symphony]

No one asks about barrel length.

If your rifle has a short barrel, like the usual 28" factory barrel with 1/48 twist rate, then you really should be using heavy conicals. Try the T/C Maxi-Hunter bullets prelubed with Borebutter.

If you want to hunt elk with PRB, then you need a 32" or longer barrel of .54 or larger caliber and with a slow twist rate.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I get a little uneasy when guys say " I've never shot an elk but my load works for deer "
With all due respect. Elk are 3 to 4 times bigger than deer. Elk are tougher than you can imagine.

 

[FishnRod]

One thing you might try is a hardened roundball. Pour some balls up with added wheel weight. See if your rifle likes them or not.
The hardened ball will travel thru more of the elk, in case something unforseen happens. Elk have big bones and huge muscles, plus a tenacity for life.
My GPR loves a hardened .530 roundball, I use it for everything, feral goats, blacktail deer and elk. One of these days a bear and I will gave a ball also.