# T/C Maxiball 54 Caliber



## CROC (Sep 12, 2007)

I am running low on my preferred bullet the T/C Maxiball in 54 caliber. I haven't been able to find any and it LOOKS like they have been discontinued. Anyone else ran into this issue? They still make it for the 50 but I have been told that the 54 is discontinued. I have T/C 's # but it's a Monday - Friday thing. :doh:


----------



## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

I've the same problem with my .45. You'll have to get a mold and cast them to be garenteed a supply. Ebay has .54 maxi molds from time to time. I got a .45 maxi ball mold from there just last week. My brother shoots a renegade in .54 and has had good sucess with a hornady Great Plains; he orders them from cabelas; I've seen them in stock. The powerbelts shoot well too for him but are pricey. Otherwise I'd just hunt with a patched ball; it's heavy enough for all game in Utah. He has a 1/48 twist if that helps you any.
Good luck


----------



## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

It's a dang good thing I didn't shoot too many yesterday.

Here is a pic of three at 50 yds with a .54 cal Thompson Center Renegade, an older one with regular iron sights, single trigger, steel butt plate. 90 grains of Pyrodex RS. What a shoulder pounder!!


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

That 90 grain load is a push over. When I first bought my Renegade I was trying to shoot those same maxi balls over 110 grains of powder, now that was a shoulder buster. I settled on 90 grains and have taken a dozen elk and a few deer with it. One thing about those 430 grain maxi balls is that once a animal is hit with them they know that they have been hit and don't go very far. 

I have never bought a factory one but have been molding my own for years now. That is part of a muzzle loader that I do enjoy. I do see a few boxes of them sitting on store shelves in out of the way areas but if you want to shoot them you need to start collecting lead and and mold and going to work


----------



## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Croc, You buy a mold, we have handles and a melting pot and I have lots of pure lead you can have! Just mold me up a few too. My gun likes those bullets as well as the ones I prefer.

You talked about a shoulder pounder, when I first was introduced to the Great Plains 425 grain bullets, the paperwork in the box recommended 120 grains of ffg behind it. I loaded up the recipe just like they suggested.

I spread out my thick blanket and took a prone position shot! When the cap popped and the smoke cleared I was laying there holding what I thought was a busted collar bone! I was done for the day!

After much practice I finally settled on 90 grains and it has been working ever since.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I just checked and there are molds on Ebay and if you don't want to go that route there is a guy on Gunbroker that is selling them lubed or unlubed.


----------



## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

Prone? Ouch! I couldn't even imagine a prone shot with only 90 grains.


----------



## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

Looks like you can still get them from Track of the Wolf
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/129/1
But I ordered some .45 maxi's from them last month and was not impressed. They over charged me for my order; when I contacted them they told me I hadn't been charged and was still on back order. I had to argue with them to convince them I had the bullets in my hand and they had indeed over charged me as I could see their name on my CC statement. They did finally admit I was right and fixed it but I'm not impressed. Also they were poorly cast lots of wrinkles and chunks missing out of the skirts. And were very hard so they were nearly impossible to load after two shots I had to hammer them down so accuracy was crap with the nose all mangled. I promptly purchased a mold on ebay and now cast my own. They load easy and shoot fairly well; I need to spend more time finding the right load.

Looks like Dixie's got them too. I've not ordered from them.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_99_311_313&products_id=1364


----------



## CROC (Sep 12, 2007)

Thanks, for the help Mavis13!!!


----------

