Years ago when I first started out with muzzleloaders, friends and I all hunted with .54 caliber Renegades and Hawkins (believe this or not the .54 caliber was at one time very popular as compared to the .50). We all loaded the Thompson Center Maxi Balls because they were Thompson Center rifles and shot them very well.

I had a nice little six pointer pop up at about 50 yards one afternoon and cut loose at his shoulder with an angle towards the other shoulder. He dropped like a rock of course. When we cleaned and skinned that little buck you could have just about cut him in half and thrown the front half away. I have shot lots of different calibers and rifles but never saw that kind of damage to an animal. That maxi smashed both shoulders and the blood meat that was on those two shoulders, after we cut that off, we might as well have thrown them away.

After that we started shooting only roundball. Years later is when I settled using the REAL conical in 300 grain in the .54 caliber. Nice accurate shooter and no too much damage. After all we do want some sausage out of them shoulders....