First deer with 54
 

Hello everyone, I've browesd this forum a few times looking for BP info and now that I have broken in my 54 this weekend I had to post my impression of it on deer. The only other BP rifle I've shot deer with was years ago with an american knight in line in 50 and I believe I was shooting something like a 385 conical. But, it pails in comparison to what happened to a very unfortunate doe this last saturday with the 54. I've had the 54 which is a lyman trade for a couple years but just took it once in awhile, this year I've decided to use it as my main rifle. My load is 90gr of FF goex behind a 390gr Great Plains, tried it with a fiber wad and without and the without won my vote so that's what I'm using. Now for the first 20 minutes I hunted opening day. A good mature doe walked out about 50 yards crossing a creek and once she was on the other bank I fired. Expecting to see her make a short run, instead it ranks as maybe the most dramatic dropping of a deer I have had. She didn't take a step, she looked like she got hit with a taser, tightened up, arched her back and instantly fell backward into the creek. Now I know the Great Plains are overkill for deer, but conicals are all I have to shot through this rifle. After seeing the damage they did to her I'm wanting to see what a roundball would do. The shot hit her in the upper half of her ribcage taking out about 4" of one rib on entry, hitting the spine taking out one vertebrae there and punching a quarter size hole on the off rib and stopping at the hide. The 50 I had shooting 110gr of pyrodex and a 385gr never did this kind of impact. I am very impressed with the 54 and have to say if it keeps up this kind of drop em in the tracks performance I doubt I'll ever own a 50 again.

Congrats!!!

Im with you on the 54, for most of my hunting i would rather have a 54 than a 50. I dont have any side locks but the little fast twist 54 carbine from Cabelas is hard to resist.

I've shot quite a few with a 54 cal Renegade with 435 gr Maxiballs and 100 gr Pyrodex. IMO it is perfect for deer. Some drop, some do not. Your shot obviously affected the CNS and dropped the deer. Your next shot with almost the same point of impact could result in the deer running a good ways. It has happened to me. The 54 round ball is also a good load, but I would not switch to it because the conical is "overkill". In all my ML hunting, I prefer to get a passthrough. Maxiballs have done that for me on all but end-to-end type shots.

Years ago all I used for deer was a 426 grain Buffalo Bullet .54 caliber conical bullet. Until I shot a buck in the shoulder with that and basically ruined the whole front end of the deer. After that I just used roundball and it did them in just fine.

Congratulations on the deer.

I haven't shot anything with a solid conical but I doubt it'll do as much damage as the hollow point. Because I knew what these hollow points could do I'm limiting my shots to ribs only and not risking any weird angles or shoulder shots. Speaking of shoulder shots can anyone tell me what kind of damage they have had with roundballs shot through shoulders from a 54? Thanks for the replies guys.