1 in 48 twist 54 cal mold choice?

[bearcove]

Finally got a 54 cal all I've had is 50's. Want to pick a mold that will work well for larger game like moose. A PRB will do for anything smaller probably and for the moose too.

Don't want anything too heavy, Tom will make anything I want, what ya'll think?

[54bore]

I'm no expert by any means but my vote goes to the TC maxi ball, or the maxi ball hunter. I have a TC new englander and it has the same 1 in 48 twist, my dad gave me the gun and told me it shot the maxi balls REALLY good! Now I own 4 of the TC molds! lol, addicting habit this has become for me! I'm sure there are several other great molds out there with a whole lot better availability than the old TC's, I have a Lee REAL in 380 grain, I also bought the Lee improved mini just because? I plan on doing a bunch of playing this spring, good luck to ya with whatever you choose!

[C. Latch]

Lee makes the REAL in 2 sizes, I think 300 and 380, and if I was having a mold cut it would look a lot like a REAL, but closer to the smaller size than the larger (320-340 grains) with wider driving bands than the Lee.

Being .54 caliber and cast from soft-ish lead the meplat size isn't going to matter much.

[bearcove]

I agree soft and 54 cal and it will get the job done. I will look at the TC maxi ball.

Thanks, Rod

[bearcove]

I have a 50 cal REAL mold and it does shoot well in my CVA

[mooman76]

You might look at the T/C maxi hunter. Looks somewhat similar to the REAL but thicker bands and allot of people rave about it. It's hard to find especially in 54 but if you're able to have one made.

[triggerhappy243]

look at accurate molds #55-450 close to a maxi-ball.

[scattershot]

Maxi ball for me, it was designed for that twist, and shoots like a lazer beam.

[bubba.50]

Lee R.E.A.L.s shoot good & the moulds are only 18 bucks at midsouth

[bearcove]

The Lee is probably where I'll start . A mold I can buy is better than one I can't

[bottomline]

The Lee R.E.A.L was the best in my .50. I tried many, many others including T/C maxi. I had convinced myself that factory bullets had to be better. But after years of working on it, I came right back to my own cast Lee's.

[Geezer in NH]

120 grains 2fg, 230 rb at 30 yards drove the PB through a bull moose that dressed 675 pounds in Moluncas ME. RB kills moose no problem. I have a video of steam coming out both sides of him and his nose and mouth after he went 10 yards.

[koger]

I have had great success with a .54 TC Hawken 28"barrel on a Renegade stock, took over 40 deer with that Maxi Hunter and Hornady Great plains. The TC Maxi Hunter casts a 430 grain slug upsets nice an shoots the lights out. I could never get a lee Real slug to shoot as good. I shot 105 grs of 2FFg black powder and a light under the slug wad for the TC slug. With a scope to work up loads, shot a clover leaf at 100yds.

[quilbilly]

From my observations in the field, a 54 cal PRB worked just fine on elk out to 75 yards. If memory serves, loads were around 85 gr of 3F and none of the elk went far. They weren't my elk but I helped dress and get the meat out.

[Good Cheer]

Finally got a 54 cal all I've had is 50's. Want to pick a mold that will work well for larger game like moose. A PRB will do for anything smaller probably and for the moose too.

Don't want anything too heavy, Tom will make anything I want, what ya'll think?

I'd be real tempted to try something like the Lyman 542622 traditional pointed minie with the thick heavy skirt wall.
But, that said, it's not a light weight bullet. With a 48" twist you could probably adjust the base plug to be flat with no cavity and shoot it with over powder cards wads. And with a sizer to 1/1000 under bore it could be paper patched to make a very streamlined velocity retaining bullet that goes splat when it plows through to the hillside beyond...
But here I am blabbing about something I'd like to try.

[white eagle]

I have a 54 cal real mold from Tom @ Accurate
360 gr I think it is very accurate out of my 54 1/48

[OverMax]

54 bore is in my opinion without a doubt the best caliber for the taking of really heavy weight big game animals. (moose/elk/black bear) Maxi's are the ticket for success in such purposes. T/C mold or a Lyman. Either Maxi is up to the task. Lee's REAL boolits are simply a hybrid Maxi with the ability to engrave itself going down the bore verses the usual coming up & out the bore engraved. I happen to have a Renegade that is a dedicated Maxi ball shooter. Its sighted to 100 yards and has a decent 3-1/2" grouping all day long. I can cast either a Lyman or a T/C Maxi's for my purpose's and found neither Maxi has out done the other in accuracy from my rifle. It too having a 1-48 twist. I have yet to try a REAL boolit in that Renegade to see if there is a major difference between it and the others I already use. I do know first hand how devastating a Maxi is when making contact on a deer. Especially so on a 200 lb plus Bucks front shoulder bone structure. After that experience. I now shoot a 45 cal Hawken. My preference for the 45s projectile> Patch Rd ball. Little 126 gr. ball gets the job done most of the time and always leaves me some meat for the freezer. Than again that 54 Renegade with its Maxi is used as a back-up when a little lack of confidence in the 45 ability takes place. Overly big Bucks will do that to a fellow occasionally. Bring on those thoughts. Especially so when big antlered deer are observed from a stand. (10 point & larger) Or I'm out and about on the scout and observe something moseying along thru the brush the size of a Roan horse.
Neither rifle will ever become a safe queen. Each has a special purpose in my hunting camp year after year. If I were to offer some advice. Honestly I think a Lee REAL Maxi boolit would serve your need quite well. Always have heard good comments nothing disparaging ever about those Lee REAL's.