Pistol deer hunting??????????????

hanshi · Jul 6, 2019

As far as energy goes - now this is just my opinion but think about it - There is NO wasted energy when a ball/bullet exits a critter. The thing that drops a deer is the damage caused by a bullets passage through the viscera. A bullet that stays inside doesn't "dump" energy; energy is a mathematical equation and math kills nothing,well, except maybe the odd high school student.

When a bullet exits, its work is done and any remaining "math" is irrelevant unless it hits another target. Some refer to something called "dwell time". Okay, try surgically implanting a bullet/ball into a critter; can't beat THAT for dwell time. And it will kill nothing, zero, nada. Shoot accurately and the lethal damage is done. Don't go looking for the bullet so you can save that energy. Damage kills, not numbers. Once a ball sails through the boiler room the job is done whether or not the ball exits.

I do prefer pass throughs on live targets; but they were never necessary for a clean kill or even a blood trail. In conclusion, don't worry about "wasted energy", "dwell time" or any high sounding hypothesis, just shoot accurately in the correct spot and carry home dinner.

Britsmoothy · Jul 6, 2019

hanshi said:
As far as energy goes - now this is just my opinion but think about it - There is NO wasted energy when a ball/bullet exits a critter. The thing that drops a deer is the damage caused by a bullets passage through the viscera. A bullet that stays inside doesn't "dump" energy; energy is a mathematical equation and math kills nothing,well, except maybe the odd high school student.

When a bullet exits, its work is done and any remaining "math" is irrelevant unless it hits another target. Some refer to something called "dwell time". Okay, try surgically implanting a bullet/ball into a critter; can't beat THAT for dwell time. And it will kill nothing, zero, nada. Shoot accurately and the lethal damage is done. Don't go looking for the bullet so you can save that energy. Damage kills, not numbers. Once a ball sails through the boiler room the job is done whether or not the ball exits.

I do prefer pass throughs on live targets; but they were never necessary for a clean kill or even a blood trail. In conclusion, don't worry about "wasted energy", "dwell time" or any high sounding hypothesis, just shoot accurately in the correct spot and carry home dinner.

Perfectly explained. Far to much is placed on a set of numbers.
I knew a feller that was so amazed by the amount of "energy" in ft/lbs his rifle produced he thought that one shot would only ever be required so he never bothered to reload quickly. I think after several deer got up and left in a hurry while he stood there mouth wide open he stopped thinking numbers and concentrated on shooting!

Tb54 · Jul 6, 2019

In my grandpa’s day, deer were killed regularly, and reliably with .22’s (shorts that is),(a .22lr develops about 120ft/lbs) and the most powerful rifles were the 30-30, and 30-40 krag. A .54 PRB at 1300fps develops roughly 2/3 the energy (850ft/lbs) as the good ‘ol 30-30, yet today, both are seen as lower power rifles, because of what’s available, and who’s shooting them. IMO, if you can put the shot where you want it to go, it’s an adequate gun. If you can’t, you got some powder to burn.

...of course, legality in your state is a different issue.

45man · Jul 7, 2019

I might have been the one that mentioned "dwell" time but not the originator, it came from a world famous hunter. It means as a bullet slows in passage, enough energy is placed inside before exit. Something a ML is very good at.
I have experienced the reverse with too hard a bullet going too fast where I got a clean hole through both lungs that were still pink when I found the deer, well over 200 yards. No blood trail for over 100 but I knew where it was going. It was laying up and I jumped it again for another 100 yards+.
I have taken many, many deer with everything that can be shot but find it hard to do better then a RB or Maxi.

tenngun · Jul 7, 2019

No matter how hard you load a .50 caliber ball it will be subsonic by a hundred yards. Once subsonic it keeps it velocity fairly well. A 2200 FPS ball will slow to 350 FPS range at 300 yards while an 1100 FPS ball at the muzzle will slow to about 325 at 300 yards.
My kills are all less then fiftyyards, most in twenyfive yard range or so. I’m shooting a smoothie.
A big bore pistolshould at 30,40,50 yards be on par with a rifle at 100-125.

brazosland · Jul 7, 2019

Just remember Newton and his pesky laws.

Whatever “energy” your bullet strikes with is also equally applied to the shooter.

I don’t see anyone falling over dead because of all the “energy” they just got hit with when they pull the trigger.

My dad always told me “let out a lot of warm blood,and let in a lot of cold air.” He liked exit wounds. So do I.

wiksmo · Jul 12, 2019

I just bought my first BP firearm this month, a .50 CAL Trapper pistol. Your plans are most interesting, and from all the reading I've been doing, they are quite doable. I'd look forward to seeing how your "taking up the challenge" turns out this fall.

Wanted to share this one video I watched just this week. From my view, this is the PERFECT deer harvest in all ways, in every aspect of the day this fellow enjoyed. I would have liked to been there to see it. Hope you enjoy.

BTW, here is our Missouri regulation for hunting with a muzzleloader: "Muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms, .40 caliber or laarger and capable of firint only a single projectile at one discharge. In-lines and scopes are allowed."

Skychief said:
Greetings all!

Summer is here and it seems like a great time to ask about deer hunting with muzzleloading pistols.

I plans to take up this challenge this Fall, so I'm hoping to here your thoughts but especially your experiences regarding subject.

Any and all information will be absorbed, including loads, caliber, projectiles (round all, conical) blood trails, effective ranges, the good, the bad, and the ugly (hopefully not much ugly).

Here in Indiana, in their infinite wisdom, the DNR has deemed the following legal for muzzleloading pistol deer hunting..."single shot, 50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least 44 caliber and having a barrel at least 12 inches long".

I can meet those specs with a bit of work, and plan to.

So, please chime in and let me hear anything you may offer about searching for deer with a muzzleloading pistol. I've four and a half months to get things squared away equipment -wise. Your input is looked forward to.

Best regards and thank you, Skychief.

hanshi · Jul 12, 2019

Excellent video! It shows just what a well placed shot can do even with a .45.

Skychief · Jul 12, 2019

wiksmo, thanks and thank you for posting the video. Seemed like a very kind and appreciative hunter that I would be happy to share the fields and woods with.

On a side note, the gentleman mentioned that he had trouble taking his "safety" off. Anybody know what he may have been referring to???

Best regards, Skychief.

wiksmo · Jul 12, 2019

You are welcome, Skychief. Yeah, like I said it would have been great to have been there. He said many things about the land, his work and appreciation in having that place to hunt, and especially his strong focus on a humane harvest. The video is in my favorites folder, and I do plan to watch it again.

I also heard the fellow's brief comment about an issue with the "safety." I don't know what that was about, and I look forward to hearing what an answer might be. Glad you asked the question.

Take care...wiksmo

Skychief said:
wiksmo, thanks and thank you for posting the video. Seemed like a very kind and appreciative hunter that I would be happy to share the fields and woods with.

On a side note, the gentleman mentioned that he had trouble taking his "safety" off. Anybody know what he may have been referring to???

Best regards, Skychief.

Poboy · Jul 13, 2019

Silly boy, deer don't use pistols!!!!!

Tb54 · Jul 13, 2019

It sounded to me like he eared the hammer back twice, as in once to the half cock safety, then one more click to firing position. Two separate distinct clicks. I took it at the time as an attempt to cock the pistol with out spooking her. Maybe that’s what he meant by trouble with the safety. That would suggest he had the hammer resting on the cap, not the half cock position.

Loyalist Dave · Jul 13, 2019

hanshi said:
As far as energy goes - now this is just my opinion but think about it - There is NO wasted energy when a ball/bullet exits a critter. The thing that drops a deer is the damage caused by a bullets passage through the viscera. A bullet that stays inside doesn't "dump" energy;

Exactly. It's not an opinion. The "energy" for projectile A to impact and move through the deer, and stop just inside the skin on the side opposite the hunter, is The Same for projectile B to reach the same point in the same way. If projectile B then continues on through the skin, the "energy" of the two projectiles was identical, to get to the same spot, then B had a bit more momentum to exit the animal. The projectile that remains in the animal doesn't radiate "energy" into the animal body when it stops. It stops because it's out of momentum.

Now people can argue that my pass through shot used too much powder, if you think my pass through shot was not necessary. But there is no magical transference of "energy" from the projectile that stops within the animal than from the projectile that passes through.

LD

Britsmoothy · Jul 14, 2019

We get this from airgun hunters in Britain.
They maintain that a pellet that remains in the quarry dumps all its energy into the critter. ( Remember, our unlicensed airguns must not produce more than 12ft/lbs).
The funny thing is the moment the same folk migrate into other types of firearms they seem to not worry anymore about pass through!

If a ball is decelerates so quickly it stops in the flesh it is likely not tearing blood vessels as much as a ball passing through at high speed.

ppg1949 · Jul 23, 2019

Skychief said:
Greetings all!

Summer is here and it seems like a great time to ask about deer hunting with muzzleloading pistols.

I plans to take up this challenge this Fall, so I'm hoping to here your thoughts but especially your experiences regarding subject.

Any and all information will be absorbed, including loads, caliber, projectiles (round all, conical) blood trails, effective ranges, the good, the bad, and the ugly (hopefully not much ugly).

Here in Indiana, in their infinite wisdom, the DNR has deemed the following legal for muzzleloading pistol deer hunting..."single shot, 50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least 44 caliber and having a barrel at least 12 inches long".

I can meet those specs with a bit of work, and plan to.

So, please chime in and let me hear anything you may offer about searching for deer with a muzzleloading pistol. I've four and a half months to get things squared away equipment -wise. Your input is looked forward to.

Best regards and thank you, Skychief.

Skychief, your absolutely correct when you say "the Indiana DNR in their infinite wisdom". Our state deer herd is over populated but it took the DNR and state legislators for ever to even authorize a muzzleloading season. Once upon a time Deer Creek Products in Waldron Indiana sold an Indiana Buck Hunter. It looked like a Traditions Vortex Pistol with a 13 inch barrel. I checked them and did not see it listed anymore. That's a shame. You might take a look at YOUTUBE under Wm. Hovey Smith's "Bouncing Betty" video. He used a 16 inch barreled single shot pistol to deer hunt. It may give you some ideas. Keep us posted on your progress. I for one would like to see what you come up with. Thanks and Good luck!

Carbon 6 · Jul 23, 2019

Skychief said:
So, please chime in and let me hear anything you may offer about searching for deer with a muzzleloading pistol. I've four and a half months to get things squared away equipment -wise. Your input is looked forward to.

Best regards and thank you, Skychief.

Hunt as if you were using a bow, and start practicing now. Square your gun away on the range then practice like you will hunt.

Dan Masson · Aug 19, 2019

This isn't a new pic, but I am new to the forum. :ghostly:

I was in a tree hoping for a deer to come by, (actually almost asleep), and the rustling of leaves brought me out of La La land. I looked up and this coyote was trotting by at 20 yards or so. I threw the pistol up and thumb cocked at the same time, and BOOM!
Nothing but smoke, I thought I missed. No critter running or yelping.After the smoke cleared there it was, right where I pulled the trigger. The 54 round ball put it down instantly. Entered left shoulder and exit at right base of neck.
I have also killed a big fat doe with this pistol, with a rested 50 yd shot using a REAL bullet, that was a hoot too!
Thanks for listening! Dan

45man · Aug 19, 2019

I have killed deer without two holes and it sucks. Dead is dead but you need a blood trail from the holes or you can lose a deer. There is nothing worse then finding no blood with a good hit. Weak bows that an arrow stopped is as bad.

Dan Masson · Aug 19, 2019

45man said:
I have killed deer without two holes and it sucks. Dead is dead but you need a blood trail from the holes or you can lose a deer. There is nothing worse then finding no blood with a good hit. Weak bows that an arrow stopped is as bad.

I agree 10 percent! Two holes to leak from is best.

hanshi · Aug 19, 2019

You did great, Dan.

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