Poll: Best all around muzzleloader caliber

[Andy54Hawken]

Something to consider if you are wanting a muzzle loading rifle for targets / plinking and the like.

While many small bore rifles can be quite accurate with round ball....
Small bore here being .45 caliber and less...
We have gongs out to 100 yards at our club...
And during a match or rendezvous a small caliber round ball is tough to spot or hear out at 50 yards to 100 yards.

With that said....
A rifle of the same caliber , firing a conical or Minie Ball ...is a whole other thing....way more lead to make 'em ring.
Andy

 

[solv3nt]

.54 is the one for me.
My favorite rifle is in this caliber.
I have taken :
Grouse
Coyote
Antelope
Deer
Elk
And Bear
With my .54 caliber Hawken Rifle.

Beyond personal bias....
In some states .54 is legal for Elk and Bear...whereas .50 and lower is only legal for Deer.
( Or at least used to be...its been awhile since I looked at out of state regulations )

.54 Hawken made by Doc Brown

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 8, 2021

Lock close up of my Hawken

• Andy54Hawken
• Jan 4, 2018

End cap close up of my Hawken

• Andy54Hawken
• Jan 4, 2018

Andy

Is that an old or new Hawken?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Is that an old or new Hawken?

It was built in 1997 by Loren "Doc" Brown.
( See post # 7 )
I bought new in '97 and been shooting it almost exclusively since then.
Andy

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I can't vote cuz I don't know enough about it. Only have .45 and .44 pistols. One thing I like about .44 revolver though is you can shoot 45LC with a conversion cylinder. This is helpful cuz I can't find the right percussion caps anywhere and still haven't found any real black powder. I did find 777 substitute though.

 

[CountryGent]

I liked the .54-caliber. I had a Hawken pattern in said for a while.

 

[Capn Jack]

My first rifle build was a .50. Then the pistol kit was a .50, so I just figured, "What the Heck", and stuck with the .50 as I didn't want to get into any more molds.

The Matchlock and the Blunderbuss both shoot .63 glass marbles.