What's the future for 54 caliber

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Dutch

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In a recent topic we were asked if we were asked what ML and what caliber we preferred. I was surprised to there were several folks who chose 54 caliber.

The 54 is my favorite for several reasons. However this has not always been the case. I just feel that there are a lot of new reasons to take another look at 54.

Almost all of you posting here are well above average muzzle loaders. I am curious to here everyone's opinion on the 54 as a caliber. Do you think it has any potential to experience a rebirth in the ML world?
 
Dutch said:
In a recent topic we were asked if we were asked what ML and what caliber we preferred. I was surprised to there were several folks who chose 54 caliber.

The 54 is my favorite for several reasons. However this has not always been the case. I just feel that there are a lot of new reasons to take another look at 54.

Almost all of you posting here are well above average muzzle loaders. I am curious to here everyone's opinion on the 54 as a caliber. Do you think it has any potential to experience a rebirth in the ML world?
I think it rules in Sidelocks but definitely not in inlines . I have no use for a 54 inline myself . Yet its the caliber i prefer for traditional guns .
 
I would like to say yes however it would take one of the major manufactures to come out with one and promote it. I look at it like this I have my 45 Elite it is my 0-200 yd. gun. My KRB7 .50 is meant to be my 300 yd. gun however I have not tested it so I don't attempt shots that far however the load should perform at that distance. My 54 is my 150 yd. I want it dead now gun. I refuse to shoot anything lighter than 325 gr. from it. My dad has a MK-84 in 54 cal. thanks to me and asked my why I chose bullets in the 325 to 400 range. My simple answer is my 50 will shoot a 300 gr. just as well. Plus having lived in a shotgun only state for a long time I'm used to using shotgun slugs that are 385 gr. in weight why not ally that to the 54. It is one hell of a large game gun. I'm wanting to try some of the Lehigh 350 and 385's out of mine.
 
My gut says the .54 is obsolete. That's why I have a MK-85 and a Renegade. It would be nice for someone to come back out with .54 & even .58... but I doubt it happens. Seems now days the masses want basic and cheap, over quality and diverse. So the manufacturers cater to that. Personally if I was running Knight, I would have a semi-custom division that could assemble rifles in .45, .50, .54, .58... with the options you wanted. I think people would gladly pay extra to get what they want.
 
I started in ML with a .50....but in Colorado scopes are a no no for ML season, so 150 yards and in is what I am looking at and that is the .54s glory range and the .54 is a tank...DRT...so its been all .54 for the last few years.

I am a Bigger is Better kind of guy and the retained energy of the .54 is Elk medicine...I know the .50 will do it too....but the .54 is the way I choose to roll
 
The bullets (conicals) I want to use in our muzzy season only come in .50.
 
I have 2 54 caliber muzzleloaders. One is a T/C Hawken, and the other is a Remington 700MLS . I shoot Sabots in the Remington, and the bullets I use (.451 cal.) could be used in a 50 caliber just as well. I have tried .500 pistol bullets in sabots, but they don't shoot as good as the .451's. So, I don't see any advantage over a 50 caliber in an inline using sabots.

In the Hawken, the heavier bullets could be an advantage if used on big game such as elk or moose, but I have no plans to use it for that purpose.

Several years ago, I bought enough 54 caliber sabots to probably last me the rest of my life. If I was to buy a new muzzleloader, i'd go with a .50 or even 45 because of the availability of bullets and sabots for those calibers.
 
Green Mountain 54-120 LE Brush Gun 1 of 250 made in SS.

GMB54-5.jpg


Mine shoots several 50cal bullets very well and the Barnes 458 SOCOM bullet in the Harvester 54x45 sabot well also. The Rem 50-385gr CLHP is a monster load in this rifle. Recoil is very stout.
 
GM54-120 said:
Green Mountain 54-120 LE Brush Gun 1 of 250 made in SS.

GMB54-5.jpg


Mine shoots several 50cal bullets very well and the Barnes 458 SOCOM bullet in the Harvester 54x45 sabot well also. The Rem 50-385gr CLHP is a monster load in this rifle. Recoil is very stout.

GM, you didn't post up how much you wanted for it....


:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
ohiostate 12 said:
like to see knight make the ultra lite in 54 cal... WORM
Even thought I would like to get a UL in .45 with a 1 in 20 tw, I have to admit that if they released one in 54, I would have to get one. :wink:

Unfortunately I don't think we will be seeing any manufacturer come out with a 54 or larger caliber in an inline. :( I think they may focus more on bringing out a 45. I think that this is going to be more because they are only focusing on what is selling the most, or appears to be the most desired among the mass once a year hunter that is most likely where the most market share is. I sort of think that when the Sidelocks got over run in sales by the inline, that the .54 got lost and the do it all .50 cal became king. Not having a lot of different good modern bullets back when the inlines started did not help. This is all shame since we have so many more good bullets out now thanks to calibers like the 500 S&W or 50 AE etc. I know when I got my first .54 cal (MK-85) it was a bit more due to good price and that I just did not have one. When I opened the first box of .500 diameter Speer bullets and saw that big wide meplat I really got excited, could just imagine the Thump it would have. :D 8) Then it was just amazing how well those big wide bullets and the caliber really shoots. Heck I liked it so much that I got a bit nervous, with all the hording, that I would not be able to get bullets so I got a mould made. :D

I would also like to see Knight, or any other Mfg, have a true custom shop so you could order up a different caliber ( .32, .40, .45. 50 .54, etc) or custom stock or other options. I think that if they were to do it, even if it takes several weeks to turn out the order, that it could pay them to keep a couple smiths employed. There are plenty of guys (Maybe not the mass once a year shooter) that will pay up for a high quality rifle in a caliber/twist they want. I've seem a few guys that would order something like that just so they can have something the others in Deer camp don't. :lol:
 
I think it's dead in inlines. I wish Knight would have pushed the .54 instead of that .52 but whatever. I have two inline .54's (LK-93 and 700ML) and love 'em. But I'm old school: real black, #11's, full bore lead.
 
I really like the 500 S&W bullets in my 54. If I were to have a custom ML built I would strongly consider a 50 set up to shoot the 500 bullets sabotless. The S&W shoots the same velocities as strong loads in a ML. I believe the bullets are thus designed to perform at these ML velocities. There is something cool about 50 cal bullets going down range. Maybe that's why I loved the "Ma Deuce" so much in the Corps. I also got to shoot the Barret 50 cal once. It was cool.
 
I really like the looks of your gun, all business.



GM54-120 said:
Green Mountain 54-120 LE Brush Gun 1 of 250 made in SS.

GMB54-5.jpg


Mine shoots several 50cal bullets very well and the Barnes 458 SOCOM bullet in the Harvester 54x45 sabot well also. The Rem 50-385gr CLHP is a monster load in this rifle. Recoil is very stout.
 
dbowling said:
I really like the looks of your gun, all business.

Thank you

It came with a nice laminate stock but i prefer the composite for hunting. Green Mountain used one of the better Knight triggers and a jeweled bolt. I added a Lehigh bare 209 conversion. It is my favorite smoker for hunting
 
I would like a 54 bolt action. I looked all over for awhile trying to find one of the GM's. Couldnt. Thought about a custom but couldn't find anyone that made a fast twist. 54 barrel do have up on the idea for now. If i can ever find someone to build the barrel for a reasonable price I'd like to have one.
 
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