Looks like I'm headed to Canada for a black bear hunt. I have a 54 cal Remington 700ML that I've had for years. The bears where I'm headed can run up to 400 lbs. I've shot a few bears with the 45-70 and 280 Rem. They aren't that tough to kill if hit right - but if they get into the bush any distance it makes for a tedious track job.

I've shot lots of Powerbelts but I've seen them stay inside deer if weird angles or large bones are hit. I'm a bit leery on big bears or elk.

What are my options for a 54 cal if bears, and an elk in the next year or two, are on the menu?

Well I run the same rig and shoot a Berger 325 HP in the sabot first shot, next load I stuff the bore with a Knight sabot that takes .500 S&W 325 JHP in front of 100 grs. of FFg with #11 cap. Works good on everything I shoot out to 100 yards.

54 cal. 535 gr No Excuse bullet over 100 grs of 777.

Gunner

Berger 325 HP?

Never heard of those. You got a link to them?

Barnes or MMP 54x50 sabot. They are both made by MMP but the Barnes (red) is a little tighter fit in my 54cals than the MMP (purple). IMO its a little bit tougher too.

54x50 300-325gr Barnes Expander MZ or the 50cal XPB pistol versions. Whichever one shoots good for you.

Speer 50-325gr UniCor HP is a good bullet but it expands quickly at high fps. The smaller 50-300gr Deep Curl actually holds up a little better. Rainier makes a good 50-335gr JHP too and they are cheap at MidWayUSA. Its as tough as the Speer 300gr but still expands well.

Hornady makes a 50-350gr JHP too IIRC and several friends prefer them.

Remington 50-385gr CLHP is a beast of a bullet and about 66cents each. These are popular in the 50 B&M Super short custom rifles. You should be able to get very close to the same fps in a ML.

You cant go wrong with a 500gr+ conical either. Big slow lead works great on nearly any NA game.

Make that 95gr of ffG BP.

Ed

LOL, didn't figger he would use HOLY BLACK in an inline.

Gunner

Have some 460 .50 cal no excuses to try out and am thinking 90ish of 777. May order some 460 grain .45 for some longer range dinking around. Solid lead and 100 grains of 777 would do fine though.

Gunner, shot any more deer with the recurve lately?

Once you go black, you'll never go back!

Substitutes are just that. A substitute. Not the real thing.

I shot Holy Black in my Knight Disc after I tried Pyrodex, 777, and Blackhorn 209. None of them could equal the accuracy I got with BP.

Ed

Good info from you guys. I called several folks yesterday to discuss MZ bullets. A plug for Harvester Muzzleloading - they are sending me a FREE sample pack of their Scorpion PT Gold and Hard Cast products. Did I mention FREE. I was pleasantly surprised.

Also talked to Ty at Barnes; he recommended the Expander in either 275 or 325 grains. Knight didn't really have anything for my 54 cal. Their Bloodline is designed to fragment which I'm very leery of. The folks at Precision Rifle recommended their Dead Center in 300 grain. I'm leery of this product as its pure lead.

I'm going to try the Harvester and Barnes products and see which shoots best in my gun.

Anyone have any experience with the Scorpion PT or Barnes Expander on Elk or bear?

Thanks for all the help.

Still trying to recover ANY no excuse bullets I've fired at game, be it in 45/50/54 cal, granted only on deer and pigs so far but those bullets are straight line punching plows, and also load very easily in a fouled barrel for a quick second shot if needed.

Still only one little doe from last year, need to practice more and add to the LB kill list.

Gunner

LOL, I may draw some heat from this Ed but, a syn stocked, camo, stainless barreled scoped inline is not a real muzzle loader to me, therefor 777 or BH-209 is ok with me on these JCL rifles.

Real Black for me is reserved for flinters, side lock percussion and Sharps rifles.

Don't forget the [b][color:#3333FF]Hornady Great Plains[/color][/b] bullets...no sabots to worry about..

I had a Rem 700 ML .54 that I gave to my uncle. It LOVED the 390gr.(discontinued) Hornady GP bullets over 100gr 777, and the dirtier it got, the better it shot with these bullets.

Hornady still makes the .54's in 425 grains..

The TC Maxi Ball with any loose powder you choose....

It's getting pretty hard to find .54 maxi's.

Unless you use the ones TOW casts, or make your own.

I may have said Berger, but I mean Barnes, to many bullets on the brain. My mistake!

I am experienced in hunting cow elk in Idaho.I Use a 50 CAL plastic inline. Please try NO EXCUSES If you can. They are the real deal! I am so impressed by their accuracy,knockdown and service. I cannot speak highly enough of them.

54 caliber pure lead slugs over BP have been killing big critters for a very long time now. why re-invent the wheel???

I think no excuses are pure lead.

Out of curiosity, still trying to get my SxS shooting, and it's doing better the slower and heavier I go.

a 413 gr Maxi-ball, or 410 gr minnie both seem to go best at 70 gr but that's using pyrodex, which I'm using up while I get the kinks worked out of casting and sizing.

Based on other published info, I'm thinking a conservative 1100 fps at that charge, which should be adequate for most herbivores, dontcha think?

Going to run some more loads with FFg tomorrow. Do any of you guys realize better accuracy with BP over subs?

Real BP is very consistent. That's what you want for accuracy.

The best part of BP is the clouds of white smoke, and the wonderful smell. It even has a nicer boom to it.

You will get more fouling, so be prepared to swab more, but that's what muzzleloaders are all about.

If you liked the easy loading Black Belts, then try the .54 444 grain flat point, or go with the 535 gr No Excuses. Over 100 grains of your choice powder, you won't recover the bullet. These are pure lead and dont need a hollow point to expand and have enough mass to penetrate at modest velocity. My guess is the BB that stayed inside your deer were the 295 gr hollow points. Waaaay to light for that diameter bore. Seems muzzleloader hunters today forgot what our ancestors learned 150 years ago. If it's a baited hunt then it's not long range. You're shooting a .54 muzzleloader not a 7mm Mag......... forget those itty bitty pistol bullets clad in plastic you have to hammer down the bore. No very opinionated, am I? Just another DWB

Baited hunt? If you're going to challenge yourself with a primitive weapon. Forget using bait. Get your boots on, and go hunt.

Depends on where in Canada the OP is going. In the bush of the eastern half there's not many other options.

True and slightly off topic but, when I went to hunt elk in Wyo. my Bud had to go with me as a guide , he's a resident and said it is the only legal way for me to hunt.

Gunner