Larger calibers for target shooting/big game

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Justin:  I bought a .60 cal barrel from Chambers last winter and installed it in my Virginia (Mark Silver) Chambers rifle.  I am enjoying it immensely for target, and haven't used it for hunting yet, but am confident it will do the job.  At Cache Creek in October, I used it on their trail and missed only one target - the playing card on edge - so for target, using 80 gr. FFg and a .590" ball and .021" denim patch with water sol. oil and water, it was deadly...something else to consider?

[mgbruch]

I currently shoot a .50, a .58, and a 24 gague.  in the past a .54 as well.  The .58 was my only gun for many years, and I love it.  With moderate loads (70 grs 3f) it's a thumper!

[Daryl]

Yes - I had forgotten about the .62, Justin.  A .50 for target/rendezvous, deer and blk. bear would be just fine.
You might like the English gun so much, the long rifle will only be used for target shooting.

[hanshi]

Gotta say that the two rifle plan makes a great deal of sense.  I live solidly in moose territory.  But I've never in the past and still have no desire to hunt any big stuff.  But I like the .54 even if it's not necessary for whitetail.  I no longer own a .58 but do have a .62 smoothbore.  Both the .54 and .62 have killed deer exactly the same; that being they fell in place DRT.  So, IMHO, you can't beat a .45 or .50 backed up with a .62 for the big stuff.

[AZshot]

If you are not hunting from a stand or ambush, I would not want to carry all the weight of a 44" barrel rifle in small/medium calibers.  Too much metal around the bore and weight.  I'd get something .50 or above to keep it down.

[Tilefish]

I have taken several elk and a black bear with a 54cal. That being said. I just sold a 54cal to build a 62cal. In my adventures the 54PRB just does not have enough weight for the bigger game. But just my opinion.

[Jeff Murray]

My n50 cal. is my all around shooter and has cleanly harvested 3 nice bull elk.  A larger caliber does offer some advantage for novelty targets such as tacks, cutting cards and string, and splitting your ball.  Your sensitivity to recoil over a day's shooting might also be a factor. A 54 cal. is the minimum for elk in some jurisdictions so that might influence your choice.  Your winter build project should handle a moose nicely.

[Daryl]

We had a muzzle loading hunter from Kansas (I think) he was.  We (several of us) were gutting & cutting up a moose further up in the same logging block that had been shot by another hunter.
The fellow with the muzzleloader was using 100gr. 2F & .530" commercial ball in his .54 TC rifle. The shot was made at 170yards from the moose. The ball struck a rib going in, holed both lungs and
the heart and came to rest against the hide on the off side. The moose bolted for approx. 40yards & dropped dead mid stride.
He's the green hat'd guy kneeling, bottom right in the picture.  I would suggest from this experience, that a .54 is a decent moose or elk calibre. I do personally prefer larger bores for moose, but
will admit they are not necessary.  I like my .69 and my buddy really likes his .75 as they both tend to drop the moose in his tracks.