I got an itch
#1
I got an itch
OK all you 54 cal fans I have some questions. You all know that I've been shooting 50 and 45 cals for years but I have a hankerin for a 54.
I have an old barrel laying around in 50 that I am planning on getting reamed and sleeved to 54 cal and want to shoot big conicals out of it. I can also cast bullets cause I have lots of lead. So you can recommend a mould. I was leaning toward a big 380 gr Lee REAL or 410 gr Minnie.
So my question is: What is a good big conical bullet or bullet/sabot combo and what rate of twist would you recommend for it? (I can get any twist rate I want)
I have an old barrel laying around in 50 that I am planning on getting reamed and sleeved to 54 cal and want to shoot big conicals out of it. I can also cast bullets cause I have lots of lead. So you can recommend a mould. I was leaning toward a big 380 gr Lee REAL or 410 gr Minnie.
So my question is: What is a good big conical bullet or bullet/sabot combo and what rate of twist would you recommend for it? (I can get any twist rate I want)
Last edited by bronko22000; 02-05-2011 at 07:00 AM.
#2
1-28 should be fine with those weights. A 1-24 will handle larger ones better without sacrificing accuracy with the lighter conicals if they are not pushed too fast. My 1-28 has shot 400gr Maxis just fine and will even handle the big Parker conicals within "minute of deer".
Usually shooting a 54cal conical too fast isnt a problem after you get tired of the extra recoil.
Usually shooting a 54cal conical too fast isnt a problem after you get tired of the extra recoil.
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
Can't help you there Bronko. All of my .54 shooting has been with slow twist rifling and round balls. I'm just guessing here, but I would think something like 1:30 twist with fairly shallow rifling.
#4
The minnie ball ... I would not recommend unless you get the rifle barrel. I have a LEE minnie ball mold in both .50 and .54 I would part with. That is how much I dislike the minnie. Now if you were shooting a military rifle that might be different. The minnie is under sized and so until your rifle is filthy the accuracy for me in a 1-48 twist, never happened. Perhaps a slow twist they would shoot well.
If I were going after a conical shooter it would be a 1-24 twist. And for conicals, I would shoot the maxiball (not the maxi hunter), the Great Plains Conical by Lyman, or a custom slip fit conical might work real well also. If you ever see Lyman Shocker Conicals... run away fast. I have yet to find a rifle that shoots them. Also the Buffalo Bullet is normally a good conical but they are hard to find.
If I were going after a conical shooter it would be a 1-24 twist. And for conicals, I would shoot the maxiball (not the maxi hunter), the Great Plains Conical by Lyman, or a custom slip fit conical might work real well also. If you ever see Lyman Shocker Conicals... run away fast. I have yet to find a rifle that shoots them. Also the Buffalo Bullet is normally a good conical but they are hard to find.
#5
bronko22000
Number one thing to know - I do not know much about conicals!!! What i do know is that Bull Shop Dan makes some of the best conicals you can get and sizes them to most any bore. I believe some of his best bullets come from a mold built by Mountain Molds....
http://mountainmolds.com/home.htm
http://mountainmolds.com/menu.htm
I think one of the better styles is 'MTNEx' style mold.
The one that i shoot here is the .503/460 grain MTNEx. It shoots very well from my 1/48 Renegades and is outstanding from my 1/28 GM - LRH barrels.
I have a couple of 54's that i did try to shoot Some of Dan's 54 conicals out of, but they are 1/48 twist. I really could not get the heavier - therefor longer coniclas to shoot that well from it. So for the 1/48 they will need to be short style I think.
The 1/28 twist will work for the longer heavier lead conicals but I am thinking if I had my choice I would go for the 1/24 twist that Doc White used... one his favorite bullets to shoot was a 600 grain lead concical and the 1/24 handled the length of that bullet just fine. I have shot a lot of Dan's short 400 grain conicals from my White, even the 1/48's, the shot great. The UC short is probably the better all around... for all bores...
Remember - I am not even close to any type of conical shooter...
mike
OK all you 54 cal fans I have some questions. You all know that I've been shooting 50 and 45 cals for years but I have a hankerin for a 54. I have an old barrel laying around in 50 that I am planning on getting reamed and sleeved to 54 cal and want to shoot big conicals out of it. I can also cast bullets cause I have lots of lead. So you can recommend a mould.
http://mountainmolds.com/home.htm
http://mountainmolds.com/menu.htm
I think one of the better styles is 'MTNEx' style mold.
The one that i shoot here is the .503/460 grain MTNEx. It shoots very well from my 1/48 Renegades and is outstanding from my 1/28 GM - LRH barrels.
I have a couple of 54's that i did try to shoot Some of Dan's 54 conicals out of, but they are 1/48 twist. I really could not get the heavier - therefor longer coniclas to shoot that well from it. So for the 1/48 they will need to be short style I think.
So my question is: What is a good big conical bullet or bullet/sabot combo and what rate of twist would you recommend for it? (I can get any twist rate I want)
Remember - I am not even close to any type of conical shooter...
mike
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Yucca Valley,Ca
Posts: 2,496
OK all you 54 cal fans I have some questions. You all know that I've been shooting 50 and 45 cals for years but I have a hankerin for a 54.
I have an old barrel laying around in 50 that I am planning on getting reamed and sleeved to 54 cal and want to shoot big conicals out of it. I can also cast bullets cause I have lots of lead. So you can recommend a mould. I was leaning toward a big 380 gr Lee REAL or 410 gr Minnie.
So my question is: What is a good big conical bullet or bullet/sabot combo and what rate of twist would you recommend for it? (I can get any twist rate I want)
I have an old barrel laying around in 50 that I am planning on getting reamed and sleeved to 54 cal and want to shoot big conicals out of it. I can also cast bullets cause I have lots of lead. So you can recommend a mould. I was leaning toward a big 380 gr Lee REAL or 410 gr Minnie.
So my question is: What is a good big conical bullet or bullet/sabot combo and what rate of twist would you recommend for it? (I can get any twist rate I want)
#7
I have a gentleman here in PA that reamed out an old T/C 50 cal Hawken barrel and put in a 50 cal sleeve and rifled it to 1:28. I haven't got a chance to shoot it yet cause everywhere is iced up and deep snow so I can't get to my shooting area.
Anyway, you can't even tell there is a sleeve there as I assume he welded it in place (or silver solder) and reground the muzzle and put a slight crown on it. All I did was cold blue the muzzle and it looks as good as new.
When I asked how much and if he wanted the money up front he told me $150 and he would bill me when he sent the barrel back (trusting soul). Well he had the barrel for about a month and shipped it to me at a cost of $100 + $10 shipping.
Send me a pm and I will give you his name and address and phone number.
Anyway, you can't even tell there is a sleeve there as I assume he welded it in place (or silver solder) and reground the muzzle and put a slight crown on it. All I did was cold blue the muzzle and it looks as good as new.
When I asked how much and if he wanted the money up front he told me $150 and he would bill me when he sent the barrel back (trusting soul). Well he had the barrel for about a month and shipped it to me at a cost of $100 + $10 shipping.
Send me a pm and I will give you his name and address and phone number.