• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

.58 caliber?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Well, I don't have one either. I do have a .58 caiber smoothbore (24 gauge) that I'll be using for small game hunting this year. If you have a .54 (I do)you're pretty well set for big game. I only see the .58 as a "needed" item if you are going after a grizzly bear or Alaskan brown bear. If neither of those apply to you, you don't need a .58. A .50 or a .54 is all te rifle you're gonna' need to kill whitetails, mulies or elk. And a PRB will do just fine, thank you very much!
 
I went through the same dilemma years ago when I decided I needed more punch than my .50 calibre provided, for hunting elk. For me, it was do I get the .54 calibre or the .58 calibre…I got out tge Lyman blackpowder load manual and did some data analysis. Based on efficiency, I chose the .54…but the .58 still has plenty to offer.
 
A lot of folks shoot Minie balls, a type of bullet, but round balls work very well in a 58 also. The 58cal quickly became my favorite after my 1st one. I bought a cheap CVA 1863 reproduction to try out the bigger bore. I now have 5 other 58's to play with. I cast and shoot RB's out to 100yds with iron sights and they are a blast to shoot! 70-80gr of real BP and you're good to go. They are addictive!
 
In the mid 1970's ,I built my huntin' buddy a .58 longrifle , just to try out the caliber on deer in the Pa. woods. He killed more deer w/that rifle , than I did w/ my .50. Nothin' wrong w/a .50 , but he was a better hunter , and better shot than me. My suggestion, get a .58 round ball rifle , with a turn in 66". You won't be disappointed. .........oldwood
 

Latest posts

Back
Top