If I am a good shot how far out do you think my max should be? I shoot a traditional 54.cal. How much powder should I use max if my groups stay good? Round ball or TC maxi ball?

just try a bunch of dif. powder carges ranges and projectiles to see what shoot best and then you can see your max range but with a traditional i would go to much more then 175 or 200 maybe if you are very confident and have good groups but i think personally 150 should be about your comfortable max.

wow 150-175-200 yards with a traditional. man you are alot better of a shot that i am. i would stay under a 100 yards myself.

Conical bullets of course have much more long distance down range thump, but don't over look the roundball. In the hands of a good shot a .54 caliber roundball is deadly. I know a person that has shot a couple deer at or near 125 yards. None of them dropped in theri tracks mind you, but he did retreive all of them.

When someone asks what is my max distance I usually tell them to base it on their accuracy with the rifle first. If you can hold a 5" group you can kill a deer. Then if you have a good projectile you can also figure on the distance. I personally would hold a roundball at 100 yards and no further. My eyes can't shoot further then that. And I really would have to have every thing PERFECT to even attempt that shot. With a conical, I might stretch that if my eyes would allow it but since they do not, I will not. When I animal is 100 yards, I want it standing still, relaxed, and broadside.

Keep your powder charges 80 grains or more with a roundball and 100 yards is in the ball park with your .54 caliber. They can and often do shoot further, I just don't. You be the judge of the distance. In your mind if something tells you, not to shoot.. listen to your thoughts.

I ALWAYS USE THIS EQUATION WHEN I TRY AND
DETERMINE HOW FAR CAN I TAKE AN ACCURATE &
KILLING SHOT. MY TIME WITH ML+MY TIME AT THE
RANGE HAVING ACCURATE SHOT GROUPS=THE DISTANCE
I CAN HARVEST THE ANIMAL IM LOOKING FOR.
JUST MY 2-CENTS

pse-archer,
As a bowhunter you should already know the answer to your own question. The answerlies with'n your capabilities with the weapon you choose to hunt with.