I finally got rid of my Encore which I could never make shoot (decently that is ).

Now I need a good rifle to start over with.

Want to shoot conical to hunt elk with.

There is a 50-caliber White Whitetail on a website called KSL. I think it is somewhere in Kansas, not sure. The ML is used, but a buy at $250. They are designed to shoot conicals, and use the #11 percussion cap. I have several, and have yet to be disappointed.

White is struggling to remain viable, but parts are available; at least breech plugs, etc.

I was kind of considering a traditional.

Austin & Halleck???

My understanding is that generally speaking the traditional MLs don't handle heavy conicals all that well. They are designed for round balls and the twist is too slow for a heavy projectile, from what I have been told. But I could be completely wrong. (Ask Gato...)

I think Idaho Ron replaced the barrel on his trad. He posts on here quite often. He would be a good point of contact, as he shoots paper patched conicals actually designed for the 500 S&W revolver round.

There are a couple of options. The Lyman Great plains hunter can be had with a 1-32 twist. And the route I went was the TC Renegade's and Hawken with a Green Mountain LRH barrel. It is a 1-28 twist. I do shoot Paper patched 500 S&W bullets. I have seen about a half a dozen animals fall with this bullet. They blow through animals like they were made of butter. I have not seen any animal need a second shot.

I just built a Lyman Great Plains HUNTER in .54, with a new barrel and parts I collected. I am using the Lyman Great Plains bullets as well and my first groups at 50 yards threw me off, I thought they were off the paper, turns out they were all going through the same hole! I haven't begun to work on loads yet, the first groups were so good with 80 grains of pyrodex RS, that there was no point in messing around until after hunting season.

Look at Zephyr, Pacific rifles . They ar neat looking guns.

If you want to shoot conicals just be sure you get one with a fast enough twist to stabilize them. There are some traditional rifles that have a 1 in 66" twist for shooting round balls and they will not stabilize the conicals well. You need something in the 1 in 28" or 1 in 32" twist.

Lyman Great Plains HUNTER=1 in 32"