anyone hunt with a cap and ball revolver?

[robert bw]

just curious if any of yall hunt with cap n ball.since it is the only muzzleloader I own its my go to gun(44 Remington type,10 inch barrel).pros and cons as follows,con-limited range pro-encourages getting close as possible to quarry.i personally find this increases hunting ability.another pro-there are multiple rounds available(I find this comforting when pursueing wild hogs)con-pita to clean afterwards.so what do yall think?any other revolver hunters here?

 

[dhaverstick]

My dad hunts with his old Navy Colt replica. A couple of years ago he killed two deer in one day with it.

Darren

 

[BrownBear]

I've used mine (44 cal knock-off with approx 7" barrel) a few times for head dinking snowshoe hare. I had to do a bunch of filing to lower the sight notch on the hammer to sight it in. Now it's right on the money at 20 yards. Does a pretty good job when I do my part. I only use it in years of high hare abundance with lots of shooting, so I haven't done it justice in terms of really working it out year after year.

Never contemplated deer with it, as much for its 25-30 grain powder charge as for the fact I have so many long guns to use too and only need so many deer. As accurate as it is, I'd have no qualms out to at least 25 yards, but I'm a little hesitant about further. It would do the job I'm sure with the right hit, but with little margin for error. And the older my eyes get, the more margin for error I need!

Bottom line, if you want to use it for deer first make sure it's legal in your state. Then get really good with it. Then figure out your own sensible range limits and have the intestinal fortitude to honor those limits. Deer aren't cast iron and hard to kill- if you put the ball in the right spot. Things get nasty quick when you don't, so it's all on your shoulders and not the gun.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I used to shoot rabbits regularly with .36 cal. 1858 Remington replica. I've also taken a few with .44s. I do carry a .44 Cap & Ball revolver when I am hunting deer. It may be either one of my Remington replicas or a Colt replica. It is there more as a back up and not my primary firearm. It is legal in Kansas during regular and muzzleloading season.

 

[Patocazador]

I have killed several animals with my Ruger Old Army. However, I don't use it as my primary gun, only as a backup if conditions are right.

I shoot close hogs with it because it seems too easy to plunk them with a rifle and I use it on deer if missed or wounded by my primary gun.





I also use it for the occasional small game that presents itself.



Even though I have several BP handguns, the Ruger Old Army is the only one I hunt with due to its construction and its accuracy.

 

[robert bw]

just for hogs here in sw fl very legal.feral animals.farmers and ranchers hate em.on private land no season no bag.allready plugged a 175ish sow.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I shot a cottontail with a Ruger Old Army and blew a lot of the edible portions away. I suppose headshots would have been the way to go but went with smoothbores & shot or rifles instead.

Not a legal implement in NY for deer (not a muzzleloader for that season and not a centerfire pistolm for regular) so I never had that opportunity.

 

[azmntman]

Small game only (no big game legal EXCEPT javalina in the HAM hunt) H handgun A Archery M Muzzlelaoder. I have yet to get the javelina, gave up, bad mojo 3 trips in a row including when my ROA broke at trigger guard and got a new frame, truck broke down in a desert was 20 miles from town, friend shot hole in my hood etc etc.. Not nuff meat to continue and taste questionable?

 

[ZUG]

Nice "buddy" -- :rotf: He'd be the one to leave back at the camp :grin: .

 

[omarick1948]

Not legal for muzzle loading deer season here and you can't even carry a B/P pistol for back up in Nebraska during our thirty day M/L season.

 

[Flintlock]

About 25 years ago or so I lived on a little ranch and carried a very nice Armi San Marco Hartford 51 navy everywhere, shot a bunch of gophers with it and a truckload of porcupines. I'd have to be pretty hungry before I started shooting even smaller size deer with a .36 though.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yeah the requirements in Maryland for deer are a minimum load of 40 grains of powder for hunting with a ML pistol (or revolver) so that means a Colt Walker, or some of the 1st Model Colt Dragoon repros...and single shot pistols of course. Small game though is permitted with the Colt army and navy, and the Remington 1858. .

LD

 

[robinsroost]

They are not legal to use in Indiana. You can hunt with a handgun but it must be a single shot, .50 caliber or larger, with a barrel at least 12" long. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :hmm:

 

[cynthialee]

They are not legal to use in Indiana. You can hunt with a handgun but it must be a single shot, .50 caliber or larger, with a barrel at least 12" long. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :hmm:

in my area there is a powder requirement on top of front stuffer, and an exposed sidelock only rules

If you use a pistol to hunt it must have at least 40 grains of powder. Which is more than needed with my Hawken Pistol. 30 grains and my targets are good and accurate. Anymore powder than 30 grains and the group opens up allot.

 

[Patocazador]

Many game wardens in Florida seem to think that cap and ball revolvers are illegal to use to take game during muzzleloading season.
I wrote to the state (FWC) and asked. They sent me back an email stating that "non-cartridge cap & ball pistols .40 caliber and over are considered muzzleloaders and are legal for hunting."

I copied the email and keep it in my wallet to show any LEO who makes up his own rules. It's odd but ever since I copied it (4 years ago), no LEO has challenged me about it.

 

[BrownBear]

I copied the email and keep it in my wallet to show any LEO who makes up his own rules. It's odd but ever since I copied it (4 years ago), no LEO has challenged me about it.

I'm betting it's specifically because you wrote the FWC. That kind of letter gets circulated, and field staff get "clarified." :grin:

 

[robert bw]

in regard to FWC I call em fish cops.

 

[Robert Egler]

I carry a Remington 1858 as a trapline gun, to dispatch trapped animals, but I don't actually "hunt" with it.

 

[wattlebuster]

I have killed a couple does with my old army an more than a few coyotes an snakes. What I refer to as my back up pistol while deer hunting is my Joe Schell smoothbore flint pistol. It shoots the same ball as my rifle which is a .62

 

[robinsroost]

What I refer to as my back up pistol while deer hunting is my Joe Schell smoothbore flint pistol. It shoots the same ball as my rifle which is a .62[/quote

My #1 son, a/k/a "2 Dogs", just had a 20ga/ .62 caliber, 12" bbl made to hunt turkey and deer, in Indiana. I am anxiously awaiting a report on his success or lack of it. Keep yer powder dry......robin :wink: