where are the 54's

buckleydux · 11-17-2003, 05:31 PM

spent the last few days looking for a 54 caliber inline for my wife but have struck out so far.It seems the manufactures have gotten away from the .54 in favor of .45 & .50. Any ideas or anybody seen a .54 lately? Prefer new Knight.

kenai · 11-17-2003, 05:56 PM

Have you considered the Lyman Great Plains rifle? It's not an inline but it does come in .54 and is an excellent shooter. Plus you get the advantage of being able to shoot in the rendezvous, which are a gas for muzzleloader fans.

Lured In · 11-17-2003, 06:30 PM

Buckleydux, while I can appreciate your desire for a .54 cal muzzleloader (I own one also), the reality is the .50 and espcially the .45 (where legal) have much better ballistics at ranges beyond 100 yards. This is especially true in Washington since we can shoot sabots. You get to shoot a .45 cal round (sabot) with at .50 cal charge behind it. If you are just looking for a meat gun, my .54 cal lays them down NOW inside 75 yards. :grin:

Just some food for thought. Good luck.

buckleydux · 11-17-2003, 06:51 PM

haven't done much research on the .45 or .50
ballistics wise just wanted to stick with the .54 because I have two traditionals and one inline now in this caliber, just to "keep it simple". I don't really want to start another suitcase sized bag of accessories in another caliber,but I appreciate the input, and may do a little research on the sabots. Have never used them probably should get educated.

fishncliff · 11-22-2003, 07:33 PM

I agree with the 50's.I have one.
I am having a problem though. It doesn't want to fire anymore,without priming the ******.I have changed to a larger ******, and different powder.Nothing seems to help. Any ideas? :whazzup:

fishncliff · 11-22-2003, 07:34 PM

ok hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, seems the censor doesnt understand the ****** is the thingy that holds the cap

.Censoring a hunting site,interesting.

Big TULE · 11-22-2003, 07:41 PM

WHat do you mean by priming the NIP? After cleaning i run oil down the barrell, well a little bit. In the morning before i hunt, i take a dry patch on the push rod and fire 3 caps off. I have never ever had a problem with a miss fire, or no fire...

fishncliff · 11-22-2003, 07:57 PM

I too have tried that.
If i take out the ******, prime it with powder and screw it back in, it will fire.I have brushed it out,oiled it, blow-dried it,begged it,slept with it :shocked: ,ok well in the camper :grin: , I give up.

Big TULE · 11-22-2003, 08:03 PM

What kind of ML is it???

Lured In · 11-23-2003, 06:29 PM

FC...for what its worth, you may be having an issue because of your cleaning method and/or not settling the powder in the barrel/bolster. (I am assuming this is a sidelock style).

If you don't have one, get a good CO2 discharger so you don't have to shoot your gun to unload it. It will also ensure a clean path for the cap when fired. As far as "cleaning" (not between shots), be sure you are saturating the inside of the chamber and bolster with cleaning solution (****** off). Additionally, make sure you 'tap' out any residue between shots if you are using a bore brush. Good luck.

I've got dinner · 11-24-2003, 08:44 AM

I was having the same problem with mine after I used oil for the first time. I put the barrel in the bathtub and ran hot water through it and was amazing at the amount in gunk that came free. From now on, I am sticking with cleaning with hot water and using bore butter exclusively.

periwinkle · 11-26-2003, 12:47 AM

Is the ****** word n-pp-e?? Darn censor!! Once it wouldn't let me refer to a house cat as a p---y cat!!!!! :depressed:

Bounty Hunter · 11-26-2003, 09:27 AM

Hey Lured (or anyone else that knows).

I am going to dust off my 54 caliber Thompson for the elk season in Washington the next three weekends.

What ammo/charge would you recommend for elk? I am going to be shooting pyrodex, but I am confused about the best option for the projectile. I have never shot sabbots in a muzzleloader. What do you prefer for elk?

ScottD · 11-26-2003, 12:48 PM

Bounty Hunter: What twist barrel do you have on your Thompson? My Renegade shoots the 348gr Powerbelt bullets real well with 100 gr of 777. It also does well with Maxi Balls in 425 grain. I don't have any experience with sabot bullets because up until a week ago I thought they were not legal in Washington.

Lured In · 11-26-2003, 01:00 PM

Mine is a Hawken replica (Cabelas), with a 1:48" twist. Max charge is 100 grains of FFg or equivalent. Be sure to check your manual for what your max charge is.

For some reason mine really doesn't like conicals, especially those over 400 grains. I have found that a 365 grain TC Maxihunter with a wonder wad (round wool patch) give me good groups out to 100 yards. That is about as far as I care to shoot.

Other Hawken replicas and those ML's with faster twists (1:36, 1:28, etc) seem to shoot the heavier conicals better than mine. I hope that helps.

Bounty Hunter · 11-26-2003, 01:14 PM

Yes that does help. Thanks guys. I will have to double check the twist becuase it is a pretty old rifle and I don't remember it offhand.