Great Plains

[megasupermagnum]

This is a design I've heard nothing about, except for a few who really like it. I am seeing two distinct versions. One is the Lyman solid, which appears to cast too small. The other a Hornady hollow base which has mixed reviews. My 54 caliber really likes a maxiball which is .550" on the top band and .540" on the bottom two. In particular I am interested in the Accurate molds 55-430M, with the same dimensions. My concern with the maxiball is that the design looks like it would mediocre for hunting, at least for the recoil you have to endure to shoot it. This great plains style looks to me like it would work great, assuming it would shoot good. Are any of these great plains bullets worth trying?

[Good Cheer]

For me they're all worth trying.


Guess it just depends on what you want to do.
Experiment for enjoying a hobby? That's loads of fun.
Develop loads and target shoot? That's difficult mastering myself.
Want to kill something? That's real easy.
Any how, those are my thoughts. When I get time I'm going back to the GPR experimenting with hollow bases. A thick skirted minie can be slammed hard enough to seal the bore but you're walking that fine line towards over powering the skirt.

[charlie b]

The commercial version shoots well for me, but, I have to use a wad under it and size it to bore instead of engraving when loading. Then use a large enough charge to upset it into the rifling. For my Lyman Great Plains Hunter that was 100gn Pyrodex Select. I could get 2" groups at 100yd with the 32 twist barrel.

I shot it just sized with the factory lube and I also sized it a bit smaller and paper patched it. Shot about the same for me.

PS mine is the .50 cal version

[LawrenceA]

I use the Lyman 425gn mold and 80gns FFFg behind it in my Great Plains Hunter. Shoots great!
Was hitting a garden stake at about 60-70 paces with it.

[megasupermagnum]

I figured what the heck, I ordered the 55-430M from Accurate molds. I have a bunch of molds I need to post for sale anyway, what's one more if it doesn't work out. What I want is something that shoots as good as the maxiball, but kills as effectively or more so than a round ball. I just don't like what I'm seeing as far as hunting with the maxi ball.

[charlie b]

I think you will like them. They cut really nice round holes in things ML version of a SWC.

[Chill Wills]

What I want is something that shoots as good as the maxiball, but kills as effectively or more so than a round ball. I just don't like what I'm seeing as far as hunting with the maxi ball.

I used the maxi in my GP 54 shooting a few mule and one elk. I had the round ball twist. Maybe 1 in 60 or 66"? It shot amazingly well in the slow twist.
A few game animals is too few to base my opinion on.

I would be interested in what you are seeing you don't like about the way the maxi ball kills.

Thanks.

[megasupermagnum]

I used the maxi in my GP 54 shooting a few mule and one elk. I had the round ball twist. Maybe 1 in 60 or 66"? It shot amazingly well in the slow twist.
A few game animals is too few to base my opinion on.

I would be interested in what you are seeing you don't like about the way the maxi ball kills.

Thanks.

I have the TC 1:48" twist, and it shoots a maxi ball really well. I've tried to make a round ball shoot as well, but have not so far.

For how popular the maxi ball is, I'm not seeing a lot of description for hunting. This is usually a bad sign. The few I have seen, including pictures, pretty much show a 1/2" entrance, a 1/2" exit, and nothing spectacular in between. Now before someone jumps on me about how it's all I need, let me explain my thinking. This is a 435 grain (one ounce) slug, moving at about the same speed as a one ounce shotgun slug. It is not a pleasant recoil, but I'll take it for the accuracy I'm getting. The problem is for all that recoil, your getting 357 magnum handgun performance on game, of course with much increased penetration. The extra penetration means nothing to me, as I hunt medium size game, whitetail, black bear, etc.

There is absolutely no way an animal is going to walk off a good hit from a maxi ball, I make no mistake about that. But if I'm going to shoot a 54 caliber rifle, I want 54 caliber performance. Unless I find a round ball load that shoots good, I'm either going to be using a maxi ball, or the Accurate 55-430M great plains.

[Good Cheer]

TC used to have an advertisement showing their maxiball and maxihunter.
The claim to fame for the maxiball was penetration. Expansion for the maxihunter.

[megasupermagnum]

I thought about the maxi hunter, but there just seems to be no source. They are no longer made, and I have never seen a 54 caliber maxi hunter mold, assuming they existed. The maxi ball is far more available, I have a TC mold on the way as we speak. I did have the idea of hollow pointing the maxi ball. That is something I will try if they end up shooting the best. It would be no big deal for me to take a dozen a year to a lathe to drill hollow points.

[Chill Wills]

Ok. I am with you.
Also thinking hollow pointing if you think it is needed. Lead drills gummy.

Really, I have little first hand experience but I will say you are right, in my few head of game taken, no massive expansion hole like a 30-06 180 would do.
Basically, what I remember about hitting one deer too high with an offhand shot at about 125 yards was that the Maxi-ball went high in the chest and scooted under the backbone and I was bummed I had shot a hole through the tenders. A thumb sized hole with very little bloodshot meat around the hole though and I got lucky I did not ruin much.

I did not give the bullet performance much thought as the mule deer dropped without a step. Soft pure lead, who knows the speed at impact, in the right side and out the left. That was that.
My thumb wears size extra-large glove so I would guess about an inch hole ???? The performance on the one elk cow I took was also one shot, 20 or so stiff leg steps and down she went. Cleaning her I had Really bloody lungs and chest cavity. There was no doubt she bled out fast. I don't remember the details but I most always try for center of chest.

I guess all that was for the what it is worth department.

The crown on my Lyman was worn and I replaced the barrel with a drop in faster twist. Maybe Hunter barrel? I had a hard time finding accuracy with the Maxi and found a Lyman 533 476 hollow base and it shot better from the get go. Not as good yet as the Maxi ball in the old slow twist barrel but I am still working on it.

Hunting is great - good luck and have fun. Do you get a chance for Moose?

[megasupermagnum]

No, MN shut down the moose hunting a few years ago. Elk hunting is just a single herd up in Grygla. I hear not as many as you would think apply for the elk tag, but it never interested me. For us common hunters, we have no big game here. The biggest we have is whitetail and black bear.

It sounds like you had good luck, a 1" hole is impressive to me. What I was hearing was half that maybe, kinda, sorta. Chances are I'll end up shooting a maxi ball, HP maxi ball, and great plains into wet newspaper and seeing for myself what I feel comfortable with.

[triggerhappy243]

No, MN shut down the moose hunting a few years ago. Elk hunting is just a single herd up in Grygla. I hear not as many as you would think apply for the elk tag, but it never interested me. For us common hunters, we have no big game here. The biggest we have is whitetail and black bear.

It sounds like you had good luck, a 1" hole is impressive to me. What I was hearing was half that maybe, kinda, sorta. Chances are I'll end up shooting a maxi ball, HP maxi ball, and great plains into wet newspaper and seeing for myself what I feel comfortable with.

megasupermagnum, do not underestimate the maxi-ball. It packs close to a ton of muzzle energy. Hit shoulder bone with that and it will knock it's winkey into it's watch pocket. I load and shoot it with 90 gr. Pyrodex and she shot this group at 100 yards. 3 shots off a bench with iron sights. no over powder wad.

[megasupermagnum]

I would never purposefully take a shoulder shot, and while it sounds like Chill Willis had good results, everything else I'm seeing on animals is adequate but not spectacular. I do not believe in energy dump at all either. While mine hasn't shot quite that good yet, it is not far off.

I got my used TC maxi ball mold in the mail today, and cast some great looking bullets with it right away. Unfortunately I think I got a dud. The rear bands are only dropping .535" and the top band only .540". Thinking it might be a casting problem, I measured the base band of the mold as best as I could. My smallest bore gauge fit well enough, and it measured .5362". So I'm already getting spectacular fill out. I might as well try and shoot them, but I can already guess this one is no good.

I was thinking ahead about a week ago, when I contacted Arsenal molds for making a maxi ball mold. I believe he is currently working on one based on my dimensions. Can you do me a favor triggerhappy243? Could you measure your bullets for me?

[Good Cheer]

Being a TC mold it's aluminum. Gonna try lapping it?

[megasupermagnum]

I think it is beyond lapping. I would need to lap the top band .010".

[triggerhappy243]

I think it is beyond lapping. I would need to lap the top band .010".

are you casting with pure lead?

[megasupermagnum]

Yes, but as I said, the cavities are not even big enough. Obviously I can't get a bullet bigger than the mold no matter what alloy I use.

[triggerhappy243]

you could insert the leading band into the muzzle to see if it slips in by hand.

[megasupermagnum]

It does, it is basically a slip fit, just a hint of rifling engraving.