replacement barrel

[Sinner]

Is the rifle you are looking at a older plains rifle(one wedge pin)or a great plains rifle(two wedge pins)?It will make a big difference in the barrel needed.I think the older plains rifle will use a trade rifle barrel,but not absolutely sure it is the same,same length and one wedge.The great plains will use the great plains barrel of course.Just a heads up to avoid future problems with fit.
Bud

Mine is the older one wedge pin style. I appreciate the heads up.

 

[stude 283]

I have the same gun.It has a double set trigger and a large patchbox with 2 strips of wood on the sides of the cover.I think this predates the great plains rifle.Mine was made in 1977.Maybe someone else knows for sure if the trade rifle barrel will fit?
Bud

 

[Swampman]

It will

 

[Kentuckywindage]

I'm wondering about a .45 conical at 475g vs. a .54 ball at about 250g. It seems to me the .45 would have a lot more impact, but am only speculating, so appreciate any input.

That 475gr slug carrys a ton more of energy than a round ball. Lets say you shoot an elk or moose with it, that slug is able to plow through shoulder blade from a distance. Doing that with a round ball is like shooting a sheet of 1/2" thick steel, its gonna bounce off and not penetrate. With round balls, you are limited to archery shots.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I beg to differ with you, WADR. Have you ever actually done comparison testing with a .54? Or seen it used on game?

A lead ball in that caliber is going to penetrate game very well- hardly bounce off any animal that eats grass.

I can't say at what distance any .54 lead ball and load will penetrate BOTH shoulders of an Elk, but a lot of elk have been killed with that caliber, using lead balls, and at distances well in excess of " bow range".

That RB is more than 1/2 oz of lead, and once launched, it keeps on going. No, its not a .58 cal. RB, nor a .62 Cal. RB, but its ability to keep on going is eye opening. I have seen wild boar taken with a T/C .54 cal. using RBs, and the depth of penetration was awesome. One shoulder was broken, and the ball cut through lots of internal organs before coming to rest under the hide opposite the entrance wound. A second shot was used to finish it off, because those pigs are tough, but the animal was a walking dead animal that simply was surviving on adrenalin. He would have died in a few more minutes anyway. On that same hunt, another shooter killed a boar shooting a Brown Bess and a .75 cal. RB. Boy, did that ball travel far. But, again, a second shot was used to dispatch the boar, because it simply would not fall down. A wild boar is, IMHO a lot tougher animal to kill than Elk.

At the very most, If I wanted to insure that I could fully penetrate a large bull elk with an end to end shot, I would use hard alloy Round Balls for the hunt, as they are much less likely to flatten on impact- even with bones, and penetration is often 1/2 more than the same ball made of soft lead. I just don't know any reason such penetration is needed on any animal in N. America. I would rather pick my shot, and wait for it, than to take a rear end shot on a magnificent animal like an Elk, or Caribou.

When you do comparison penetration test shooting, Take along a cartridge gun chambered for your " favorite" Elk cartridge, with its best round. I think you will be amazed at how well a .54 RB will do compared to that copper jacketed, soft point bullet. You pick the test medium to use for the testing. I used 1" pine boards, spaced 1" apart for my testing. :hatsoff:

 

[Little Wattsy]

I beg to differ with you, WADR. Have you ever actually done comparison testing with a .54? Or seen it used on game?

A lead ball in that caliber is going to penetrate game very well- hardly bounce off any animal that eats grass.

I can't say at what distance any .54 lead ball and load will penetrate BOTH shoulders of an Elk, but a lot of elk have been killed with that caliber, using lead balls, and at distances well in excess of " bow range".

That RB is more than 1/2 oz of lead, and once launched, it keeps on going. No, its not a .58 cal. RB, nor a .62 Cal. RB, but its ability to keep on going is eye opening. I have seen wild boar taken with a T/C .54 cal. using RBs, and the depth of penetration was awesome. One shoulder was broken, and the ball cut through lots of internal organs before coming to rest under the hide opposite the entrance wound. A second shot was used to finish it off, because those pigs are tough, but the animal was a walking dead animal that simply was surviving on adrenalin. He would have died in a few more minutes anyway. On that same hunt, another shooter killed a boar shooting a Brown Bess and a .75 cal. RB. Boy, did that ball travel far. But, again, a second shot was used to dispatch the boar, because it simply would not fall down. A wild boar is, IMHO a lot tougher animal to kill than Elk.

At the very most, If I wanted to insure that I could fully penetrate a large bull elk with an end to end shot, I would use hard alloy Round Balls for the hunt, as they are much less likely to flatten on impact- even with bones, and penetration is often 1/2 more than the same ball made of soft lead. I just don't know any reason such penetration is needed on any animal in N. America. I would rather pick my shot, and wait for it, than to take a rear end shot on a magnificent animal like an Elk, or Caribou.

When you do comparison penetration test shooting, Take along a cartridge gun chambered for your " favorite" Elk cartridge, with its best round. I think you will be amazed at how well a .54 RB will do compared to that copper jacketed, soft point bullet. You pick the test medium to use for the testing. I used 1" pine boards, spaced 1" apart for my testing. :hatsoff:

DITTO! From Personal Experiance. :thumbsup:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

from personal experience, a .54 is a fine killer but at longer 150+ ranges, the conical flat out out perform a round ball on elk. I shot at elk at 140 yards right behind the shoulder with my old 54 cva i had and while it did a great job, i didnt find any round ball on the opposite side. Where we hunt, short shots at elk are rarely offered.