WildBillJr

I have been reading this forum and decided to join to seek advice. I have been into muzzleloading for about 7 years. I had a Traditions BuckHunter Pro, .50 cal, with a 1:32 twist barrel. I always used conicals, with a sabot in a speedloader as a follow up shot. I had to sell the gun and i am wanting to get back into muzzleloading. I am wanting to take a more traditional approach. Here is my dilema. I am looking seriously at the Cabela's Sporterized Hawken rifles. I like the looks and the compact size of the carbine, but like the longer sight radius and sling swivel option with the full size. I want a .54 cal that will shoot conicals well as I will be hunting everything from wild boar to moose and a possible trip to africa. The full size rifle has a 1:48 twist barrel, and the carbine has a 1:24 in twist barrel. What are your opinions on which one will best suit my needs. Sorry for such a long post. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Big Z

1:48 will do the trick with the right conical, plus give you a good boost in velocity with that slow burning powder. A sling is a man's friend. If I were to get one, I'd go full-size. But maybe you're in situations where a shorter, handier rifle is the better choice.

Semisane

Welcome to the forum WildBillJr.

If you decide to go with the longer barrel 1:48 twist (a good choice in my view) you should consider the Lyman Trade Rifle from Midsouth.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...u=000156032126

If you decide on a carbine there's always the Deerstalker to consider if you want the 1:48.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...u=000156033141


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WildBillJr

Thank you Semisane and big Z, I appreciate the advice. I didnt notice the Lyman Deerstalker. Looks like it could be right down my alley. It is shorter than a full size (which is perfect because I tend to hunt tight woods where no one else want to). And it also has sling attachments. What kind of quality and reliability does the Deerstalker posses? Will it accurately shoot conicals?

Big Z

Lyman makes a great product, I wouldn't hesitate to consider!

cayugad

If your shots are close... say 75 yards and under, that little carbine might be a better choice as it would shoot conicals. I would get it in .50 caliber if I wanted to shoot conicals. Seeing you might go after moose. But a .54 caliber will do the trick as well. Its just that conicals are more common in .50 caliber over .54 caliber.

I hunt in thick stuff also and shoot a Lyman Trade Rifle in .54 caliber and never had a problem getting it to my shoulder. I have no idea if the deerstalker will shoot conicals. All of them are made by Investarms of Italy.

I have shot powerbelts out of my Trade Rifle but the few conicals I tried, I was not impressed. Because it is a .54 caliber I normally hunt with 100 grains of 2f and a patched roundball. That is all I need.

WildBillJr

Do you guys know if the Deerstalker will shoot conicals well? WOW Midsouth has a good price. Are the Lyman rifles worth the price? Thanks again!

Semisane

Yep, worth the price.

I agree with Cayugad regarding caliber. If you want to shoot conicals I would recommend a .50 because the bullet selection is much, much better than a .54. A .54 patched round ball is cheap shooting and mighty fine for the "tight woods" you hunt.

WildBillJr

Thanks for the advice Cayugad. I liked my .50 cal, but just thought a .54 would give me a little more confidence on big game. I am fortunate enough to have family in Alaska, and family who owns land in Ghana Africa. My .50 with a 1:32 barrel shot conicals nicely, but I am worried the 1:48 .54 might not like them. Is it true that the bigger the caliber the slower twist rate you can get away with with conicals? I am not that worried about local availability of bullets, there is always the internet.

WildBillJr

Semisane, what about terminal K.E. with the .54 round ball? Even if its accurate, I want stopping power for a humane kill. BTW, please forgive my ignorance as I have no experience with RB.