Hornady Great Plains Bullet

[varsity07840]

Has anyone tried the .54 Great Plains bullet in a .54 Pedersoli percussion Sharps?
I'd like to try it as a hunting bullet. Track Of The Wolf suggests it but I'm concerned that it may be oversize for the .520 bore/.540 groove barrel. The top engraving band on the bullet is .548-549.

Thanks,

Duane

[tacklebury]

I've used the .50 in several guns. Sometimes lube is dried out and needs refreshed, but these have shot well for me. Sub 3" groups at 100 with my inline and 2" at 50 with my traditional.

[wgr]

we have a mold for that bullet. i get good groups with my i:28 twist rifle

[NickSS]

I had a pedersoli sharps like yours and I fired several different bullets in it. The land diameter is .520 but the groove diameter is .540. In addition the ringtail bullet that I mostly shot in it has a .546 lower driving band a .535 middle driving band and a .520 upper driving band. I also shot a lot of cast TC 54 cal Maxi hunter bullets in it and they are just about the same size as the great plains bullet. I personally always shot my own cast bullets in lieu of buying the high priced commercial ones.

[varsity07840]

I had a pedersoli sharps like yours and I fired several different bullets in it. The land diameter is .520 but the groove diameter is .540. In addition the ringtail bullet that I mostly shot in it has a .546 lower driving band a .535 middle driving band and a .520 upper driving band. I also shot a lot of cast TC 54 cal Maxi hunter bullets in it and they are just about the same size as the great plains bullet. I personally always shot my own cast bullets in lieu of buying the high priced commercial ones.

I normally cast my own too, but I couldn't find a mould that cast the kind of bullet I was looking for. I have the Pedersoli modern style mould but I much prefer the Hornady as a hunting bullet. My post regarding a wider metplat on a cast bullet was relative to bullets out of the Pedersoli mould. I remember years back hearing from guys that shot conicals out of muzzleloaders that the T/C Maxi Ball didn't expand enough, hence the later hollow point Maxi Hunter. My dad used the .50 cal Great Plains out of a 1 in 48 twist muzzleloader for years and I was always impressed with its accuracy and the way it thumped whitetails. So, if I understand you correctly you had no issues using the T/C bullet. I did consider that bullet, but then I began to have second thoughts about using either one. Having given it more thought, given the fact that it is .54 cal, perhaps the Pedersoli cast in pure lead will be up to the task as is.

Thanks for the feedback.

Duane