.36 cal revolver for hunting...

[FSCGunslinger]

...what?

What can I use my Colt Navy to hunt? I've been told "all small game and some mid-size", but how big is too big? What kind of animals would be considered "mid-size" and ok to shoot, then what would be not ok (as in, probably not a good chance of a one-shot kill)? I'm in WV, if that helps you to know what game are around.

Also, for purely creative curiosity, is it theoretially possible to kill a bear with one by shooting it in the eye? I'm writing a period short story and have a scene where "our hero" takes down a black bear by shooting it through the eye and the ball lodges in it's brain, bringing it down where he stabs it through the neck with his knife, killing it. This is not something I intend on trying, just so you know. haha

 

[BrownBear]

I'd probably draw the line at fox, or maybe close coyote. No sweat for rabbits or squirrels providing you can hit them.

As for theoretically possible for bear? Sure. One old geezer up here killed a Kodiak brown bear with a single shot from a 22 Colt Woodsman. Of course what they don't tell you is that he bought the Woodsman new, way back when it first came out. He also had it so long that he couldn't remember when the front sight fell off. He could also head-shoot ptarmigan with it at 20 yards with no front sight. Beware the man with one gun, as they say. He had shot it so long it was a part of him, and the missing sight didn't matter. He never used them anyway.

I'd say that if you shot your 36 for the next 50 years or so and got to the point you could hit ptarmigan heads at 20 yards while point-shooting, yeah. It's theoretically possible.

 

[jim gray]

Never rule out the possibility of the lucky shot, or a point blank range shot. It's your story write it the way you want. Nothing is impossible.

As far as what the .36 cal. can reliably kill, I think it could handle a raccoon at close range. Wild Bill Hickock used a .36 cal. Colt Navy to kill Dave Tutt at 75 yards with a roundball (or so the story goes).

 

[Flint50]

Just dont shoot me in the eye, and we will all get along...

 

[Bearbait2]

Many moons ago, my ex-brother-in-law and I were on an extended camping trip and stopped off at an old dump to do a little rat shooting before geting to where we were going. Anyway, there was an old Desoto we decided to have a go at. He fired his S&W (4in barrel).38 loaded with military ball directly into the front door from a distance of about 10 feet, as I recall. The slug dented the steel door but failed to penetrate.
Loaded my 1851 Colt .36cal (2nd generation) with a max charge (21 to 23gr?) of 3F and RB. Fired from the same distance (at a different spot) it passed through the outer door metal, inner panel and the inner panel of the opposite door before coming to a rest. Respectfully request one does not underestimate the potential power of these old cap & ball revolvers.
Best Wishes
P.S. Have another anecdote involving an excessive amount of beer and another's 1851 but am probably boring you enough already.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I shot a bunny that was balled up and facing me with a .44 Ruger Old Army, and it was not a pretty sight. As I was gathering it up my friend came over and asked "Why are you skinning it?"

I said: "I'm not! I'm just gathering the pieces up."

The ball had hit the forehead and cored the spine, flipping the bunny inside-out! That pistol would also group 1-1/2" offhand at 25 yards and the sights were centered on the bull at that range.

Anyway, I remember reading that one of the old shool, I think possibly Jeremiah Johnson, would shoot a bear with his rifle, empty his '51 at it and then finish it off with a huge belt-knife.

The '51 Navy is a weak pistol, great design, a gas to shoot, but weak. No one in his right mind would purposely go for bear with only that as a weapon unless starving to death. A sharp stick for a spear would be a better weapon. I don't know of anyone now who hunts bear with a .38 Special, which is a tad more powderful that a .36 Navy.

Call your dog and watch his eyes, and then imagine trying to hit one of them as he approaches at a bear's speed of 35 mph. Not a chance.

As for small game. The range you can hit a ping-pong or golf ball 4 out of 5 times is the distance you should hunt squirrel or bunny with head shots. I don't know about yours, but my '51 hits about 12" high at any range I might hope to accomplish that, so it's about useless as a hunting tool. And a golf ball is also about the size of a bear's eye. You've got a better chance of jamming the pistol down his maw and waiting for him to choke to death.

Lots of fun to hip-shoot or finger-point at cans, and it is about ideal for man-size targets where speed and pointing (as opposed to target aiming) are called for.

I'd grab my recurve bow and a broadhead arrow WAY before the Navy for hunting bear.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Stumpkiller,
Have to agree with you in that a .36 Navy would not be my choice of weapon, be it Black Bear or Grizz I was looking for. Do hope to use our Long Bow for a Grizz one of these days. So far, the right shot just hasn't presented it's self.
Best Wishes

 

well, the .36 BP pistol is somewhere between a .22 and a .38 in power, I'd guess. I read somewhere that every game animal on earth including elephant has been killed with a .22--probably an exaggeration, but the elephant part is true. The Eskimos have been known to kill Polar bears with .22s--what they don't tell you is that they fill'm with lead from a kayak, paddle off and let them bleed to death. In any even the .36 is prety weak and I wouldn't on purpose hunt anything bigger than varmints with it. But could you accidently kill a bear with it? Sure. :m2c:

 

Have killed lots of coons, coyotes and similar sized varmints with an Uberti 1860 Army. Also had a couple of clean misses but nothing that I did manage to hit has walked away. I once finished off a deer caught in barb wire - one neck shot at 10 yards or so was all it took. I would not choose voluntarily to go hunting bear with a '51 but if attacked, I would sure try to put all the loads into him before I got trampled. Better than throwing it like a rock...

 

[BUERICH]

are the old cap and ball revolvers considered muzzlelaoders since you don't load them down the barrel? i was told that on public land designated muzzleloader hunts that these would not be legal weapons to carry. that was just by someoen i was talkin to though, not by a parks official or anything, so i was wondering if there was any truth to that. if they are legal i'd be interested in getting one of the old army .44's or a colt navy .36. maybe even a signle shot traditions to go with my .54 hawken.

Erich

 

[Stumpkiller]

They are not muzzleloaders. Some states and/or counties also require you to have them on your pistol permit if you wish to hunt with them.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I'm from West Virginia as well (see my screen name), but I'm not sure how the WVDNR classifies a cap-n-ball revolver for hunting small game???

FOR SURE, your '51 Colt Navy is a multi-shot weapon and that DEFINITELY disqualifies it as a "muzzleloading deer season" gun.

I would contact the WVDNR and ask them "specifically", and have that reply sent to you in writing and keep the document on your person while hunting... just in case!

As far as your "bear story", it is improbable, but NOT impossible... so go ahead and write it that way. I would not want to find out how hard it would be to do either. I carry as big a knife as practical when hunting.

I'm curious as to "Who" told you that the .36 cap-n-ball would work on "ALL small game" and some "mid-size"???

Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Plains99]

I packed a little Navy Arms Reb .36 brass frame revolver for YEARS, high and tight against my kidney in a belt holster. Shot many a raggit with it, a few possums, coons, and a skunk or two. Loaded 25 grains of FFFg as I remember. Mine was quite accurate out to 30 yards or so. Lots of fun and a real decent trail pistol. I didn't shoot a deer cause it isn't legal. I did put the final goodbye touch behind the ear of a very sick cow. One thing for certain it certainly proved to me that a brass frame revolver can be fired A LOT of times with no apparent stress on the brass.... at least with a .36.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have a cherished little .22LR single-six that has been over hill and yon and has taken many, many squirrels and rabbits. The grip shape & "pointability" of that pistol was lifted directly off the 1873, which was almost unchanged from the 1851. I still need the iron sights to get 'em in the head or chest.

My point on small-game was not that the .36 lacked power for the little critters. My Navy lacks the accuracy in my hands for small game. It is the only handgun I own that shoots better if you don't aim. If you focus on the target and point it like a sightless smoothbore or an arrow from a traditional bow it's not half bad, but not what I want for a hunting weapon.

But then mine is "stock" and I never took the time to file the "V" on the hammer nose down or add a higher front sight to get it sighted in at 25 yards +/-, so it's mostly my fault. It points well enough that at 15 yards it will keep a soup can rolling all 5 shots.

Sadly, my Pietta went out of time after a couple hundred rounds and now spits as much lead as it throws, and has a 10 lb trigger pull. :curse: The pawl and sear actually wore away to round, and I did not abuse the poor dear by fanning, dry firing, etc. I understand they have better steel lately.

 

[Rat]

For serious small game hunting you might pick up a REMINGTON Navy in "36"...acutally .38", as y'all know.

I got one for a small game/grouse/survival gun/sidearm while hunting big game, and for the coup-de-gras on downed big game, if needed. My gun (Uberti) shoots to point of aim, and will do 1.5" at 20 yards. She's a sweetheart.

What suprised me, after shooting an 1860 for umpteen years, and thinking that the .36's were "weak sisters" was that the .36 does indeed pack a good punch. Now I'm not going to get into the bear discussion, (actually more than a few Alaskan brown bears have been shot and killed by "eye shots" with .22's) but in a starvation situation, I believe a guy could take a deer, at bow-range, with a heart or brain shot with a full cylinder of powder, and a round ball from a Remington Navy. It's definately not a bad "people gun", and personally I'd rather be shot with a slow moving .38 Special .35" slug, than that fast-stepping, pure lead .375 or .380" round ball. The Desoto did not lie! It is only "paper ballistics" that say the .38spl is more powerful. I'm thinking that in real life, the .36 packs a bit more punch.

However, the .36 Revolver is in kind of a strange place, or "power zone", it's very powerful for a small game gun, but not powerful when you start getting into medium or larger game. Really you are best off sticking to grouse, patridge, and wabbits I believe.

Rat

 

[crockett]

If you are writing a story and you want to get it right, you would probably do better to have the shot go between the eyes. The eye itself doesn't offer much resistance but there is a lot of bone in the socket area. You may be better off having the shot go between the eyes and a little higher up on the forehead, that's the spot the Indians aimed for with their stone tomahawks. As big and tough as a bear is, their weak point is the top of the skull. On a lot of average sized black bears you could probably crack the skull with a good wack with a 2 X 4. Of course if it is a griz, brownie, etc- that's a different story.