54 Cal Question
- Thread starter Salmon
- Start date
All I can say is try it on the range. Since you have 600 of them, start shooting and see if you can hit accurately. Hitting the target is half of the battle. You can shoot over a chronograph and get the velocity then run some ballistics to see if it has enough energy. Just guestimating, you are probably looking at 1550-1600 fps which will give you ~1460 ft-lbs @ 100 yards. If you zero at 100 yards and using a very generous BC of .18, you will be about 2 feet low at 200 yards. You will also have about 1050 -ft lbs of energy. Wind drift in a 10 mph cross wind is 16", and time of flight is about one half second. I don't think I would take the first shot at a bull at 200 yards with this setup. If he is wounded and going away, I would drop the hammer.
Idahoron
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,980
I am not a fan of the maxiball. I like Hornady great plains better than the maxiball or the maxihunter. I think the the TC bullets are way too soft. I have a hardness tester. The TC maxi's are butter soft. The Hornady Great plains bullets are a pinch harder but still very soft. Those bullets will deform substantially at the shot. Especially with a 120 gr load. Here is the simple truth. I don't think those bullets have what it takes for 200 yards on elk. Under 100 yards is where I would keep them. I have tested a lot of bullets. I would NOT shoot an elk with a TC Maxi of any kind. TC's quality control is just not there. Look at this bullet I found in a box.
The 54 has a poor selection of bullets and even worse selection of moulds. Good luck. Ron
The 54 has a poor selection of bullets and even worse selection of moulds. Good luck. Ron
FrontierGander
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,018
415gr maxiball will have what it takes to take down an elk at 200 yards.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
Thanks guys for your answers. The 415 gr Maxi=ball I use were hand poured by myself out of an Old Lyman Mold. Haven't ever had one come apart or fragment. FrontierGander, you think energy wise they will still penetrate etc for a kill? Friends/myself has killed probably 15 elk with them over the years but 100 yds was about max.
FrontierGander
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,018
Yes, and i bet if you go for a double lung shot, it will still exit even at 200 yards. Just get out on the range and practice placing your shots.
FrontierMuzzleloading.com
FrontierMuzzleloading.com
FrontierGander
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,018
Elk are not hard to kill, i got a cow at 140 yards with a simple charge of 80gr pyrodex rs and a 223 grain round ball in a 54 sidelock i had. A 54 shooting a 425gr conical is easily a 200 yard bullet.
My elk load this year involves a 250gr conical and 200 yards will be easy on an elk.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
My elk load this year involves a 250gr conical and 200 yards will be easy on an elk.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
Idahoron
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,980
To anyone that has killed elk. DO you consider elk to be " not hard to kill"? So you got lucky and killed one cow with an unethical shot. Do you want us to pat you on the back?
That does not make you a expert on killing elk. I am sorry but you need to get some real world experience. Your response shows your lack of knowledge on killing elk. Ron
That does not make you a expert on killing elk. I am sorry but you need to get some real world experience. Your response shows your lack of knowledge on killing elk. Ron
FrontierGander
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,018
lol nothing unethical about my shot, even doc white puts the 54cal patched ball deadly out to 175 yards. Elk are killed with 100gr 243's, its all about shot placement. My cow had both of her lungs taken out with spider web "cracks" around the main hole. Blood was easy to follow.
Some like to make elk hunting harder than it is. The biggest challenge is finding the elk and getting into position for the shot.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
Some like to make elk hunting harder than it is. The biggest challenge is finding the elk and getting into position for the shot.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
txhunter58
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 8,590
LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 08:14PM (MST)[p]"Elk are not hard to kill.......... 200 yards will be easy on an elk" LOL
True in a perfect world. I don't live in that world.
Salmon, I consider the maxiball to be fine out to 150 yards. If I ever get drawn in Utah where I will max out around 200 yards with a 1X scope, I would probably move up to a Barnes type bullet or nosler partition, etc.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
True in a perfect world. I don't live in that world.
Salmon, I consider the maxiball to be fine out to 150 yards. If I ever get drawn in Utah where I will max out around 200 yards with a 1X scope, I would probably move up to a Barnes type bullet or nosler partition, etc.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
deadibob
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,067
I had a Knight mk 85 in 54 cal. After 125 yards that thing dropped so quickly that making a lethal hit was guess work at best. I have a .45 cal that I've made several kills between 200-225 and would feel confident out to 250 with the right conditions.
That 54 caliber will kill an elk at 200 if you can make a good hit, but I think that'll be a big challenge.
That 54 caliber will kill an elk at 200 if you can make a good hit, but I think that'll be a big challenge.
