.50 cal. Traditions Trapper Pistol for deer??

[gordy317]

I bought a used .50 cal Traditions Trapper pistol at a local shop with the intention of using it from a tree stand for deer.
The max. load recommended by Traditions is 45 gr. Other manufacturers say 60 gr. with the same barrel dimensions. I get decent groups at 25 yd offhand with 30 gr. Goex 3F and a 320 gr. Lee REAL conical. The twist is 1:20, 9.75 in. barrel. I haven't tried heavier powder charges or different projectiles yet, but plan on trying 40 gr. with the same bullet, and seeing how the accuracy holds up. I'm also going to try the 225 gr. Buffalo Bullet sabot.

Most of the shooting lanes from my stands are 60 yd. or less, with the longest lane about 100 yd from one stand.
My intent is to carry the pistol into the stand along with a rifle. The pistol has a suede holster. I won't use the pistol past 35 yd. - which I have paced and marked from the stands.

Does anyone else do this with any ML pistol? What are ethical loads, range, for this gun on deer-sized game? What about small game loads with PRB?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

Here's some feedback.
: I suspect the velocity with that load is approaching 900fps. At 50 to 60 yds. this is plenty for deer, given adequate accuracy as you've stated. You can try for more power, but it really isn't necessary. You are running about the same power level as a heavy loaded .50 Special from Linebaugh for power. Ross Seyfried mentioned he would take elk with that round and gun at the range you've specified so there's no problem for you with deer, given the required accuracy. Reducing the bullet dia. with a sabot is counter productive, I feel. The .50 will smack harder than any .45 pistol bullet.
; For a .50 cal pistol, 20" twist will work very well with patched round ball, as this is a common twist for .45 to .50 ML pistol barrels. 25gr.3F should give around 1,000fps.

 

[shmrck1]

NYgordy,
do the deer a favor and use the rifle. use the pistol if you find him and he's not quite meat yet :imo: :m2c:
snake-eyes

 

[GrayBear]

I guess it all depends on how many deer you're willing to wound before you manage to get one. You'll be shooting less than half of the powder my grandson uses in his .50 CVA Bobcat and it will be fired from a barrel maybe one-third as long?

It's just my personal opinion, but I feel it's not enough load to be fair to the deer you're trying to harvest. I'd not try to stop any visitor who did that in my deer camp but he'd better be successful the first try or he'll quietly not be invited back next year.

BTW, I've had a plains pistol for many years and the only deer meat it's ever tasted is to use it as Snake Eyes suggests.

JMHO,

GrayBear

 

Being the owner/shooter of said gun. I'd agree with snake eyes and GB.
This thing is not a deer type firearm in anyway!! the 9" barrel has nothing for beyond 10yrds reliable accuracy/knock down power for big game.(period)! Carried as a "second-shot" back-up for wounded down game in a close situation, then yes it may be viable to the sportsmen.(yet, most "sportsmen" bp shooters will reload their rifle prior too"finding the trail" or down game.)

It's a fun little plicker,,and good fer treerat's an such I guess if ya like ta hunt,,but,,ballistics,,twist,,powder charge and ball size and Greenhill formula all aside,,,ain't now way,,it's not a deer hunting firearm.
Go head,,blast away at my comment,,anyone that does has far different hunting ethics than myself,,IMHO, I'll not defend further. :results:
luck too ya,,

 

[gordy]

As others have said,it would be a borderline situation.Unless You are an exceptional shot with handguns.good bullet placement might be difficult firing from a treestand? You may want to check the NYS law on carrying Your pistol,I thik it's considered a "handgun" and You would need to have it licensed as such to use it hunting.I would suggest just useing it to dispatch a wounded animal. eace:

 

[Rat]

Well I'll weigh in on the yay side.

I think it would work at 35 yards, and with a slug...but I really think you need to consider some heavier powder charges. I would consider 40 grains an absolute minimum with any kind of projectile...and then I'm thinking/hoping you would do a LOT of target practice with the load...run at least 100 rounds through it.

Also, at 35 yards max a round ball may work well...the cost in velocity for bullet weight with a slug, from a 10" barrel might not work out....? Laws of diminishing returns.

It would be nice if you could chronograph your pistol with both round ball and slugs. As long as you could duplicate .45 Colt ballistics, or better, I think you could take a deer with your pistol. Again I hope you do a lot of target practice.

kne

 

[Keith]

Gordy is correct. I didn't even pay attention to where you are from. In NY you can possess a BP pitol w/o a permit until you have the components to shoot it. It is then a regulated firearm and you must have a pistol permit. Obviously, if you are hunting with it you need a permit. Failure to have a permit is a misdemenaor, read CRIME. I'm not trying to jump all over you , but withou possessing a permit it is not worht the trouble to go afield with that thing.
As to your original question. I think it is pretty light for what you are asking. Near as I can figure if you get 850 fps from that thing you are doing well. :imo:

 

[Rat]

Hmmmm...is it worth the trouble to live in NY, if you have to get a PERMIT to possess a BLACK POWDER, SINGLE SHOT pistol???!!!!!!!

Go West young man.

No offense...I was born in Lockport NY. But here in Washington, Idaho, Montana, etc. you can own, carry openly, have any kind of pistol you want without no "stinking" permit. Heck if you have no criminal record you can carry the darn thing concealed with you 24-7.

Come West young man. Flee the slave-states!!!

:sorry:

Rat

 

[JKVirginia]

Or South...

The Old Dominion also possesses unregulated open-carry and shall-issue concealed in most jurisdictions. Though that obviates the original question as BP pistols aren't allowed for big game (Can shoot all the squills and bunnies the bag limit allows with 'em tho)

Part of why I left Illinois.

Jon.

 

[Stumpkiller]

. . . is it worth the trouble to live in NY . . .

Short answer: "no." My excuse is that I was born here and I'm not a quitter.

I look around and I think we ought to institute a "breeding license" program before we worry about guns in the wrong hands. It's not all that hard to get a pistol permit if your nose is clean.

Once we inturred the worst social elements in New York City the rest of the state improved dramatically.

And their are high points: 5.1 bucks/ sq mile harvested in the county I hunt. The Catskills, Finger Lakes & Great Lakes for boating & fishing. The woods in Fall. Apples. It's not California.

 

[gordy317]

Living in NY does have tradeoffs. Regulation is one minus, but I've also got 20% of the world's fresh water running past my area, good rivers, Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, big smallmouth, big salmon, bears moving North from the Catskills, and South from the Adirondaks, a trap line in my back yard, etc. etc. When most people hear "New York" they think 'Manhattan', but more than 85% of this State is forest and farmland.

To the topic - There's a raging debate where I work on whether I need a Pistol Licence to use a single shot muzzleloader. I called two different Department Of Environmental Conservation folks. - - two different answers:
1/ On pp. 22-23 of the 2004-2005 NYS game regs, it indicates that I'd need the pistol licence to hunt during the muzzleloader season, but NOT need the licence to hunt with it during the regular season. (I know, it doesn't make any sense to me, either.)
2/ The second Officer said I'd need a Pistol Licence to hunt with it at all during any season, but that target practice with it was OK. This is different than what Keith had posted above.

I'm going to try to get a definative answer on this, and if I can't get one, I'll leave the pistol in the house.

 

The difinitive answer, or close to it- is that the pistol developes enough "power" with either round ball or slug.
The .50 pistol developes more killing power than does, for expample, a .357 mag. My 9" bl. .54 developes 1,200+fps with patched 220gr. round ball with 35gr. 3F- and the .50 will with it's 175gr. ball as well. This is enough for the range.
: The 'other' questions have to be answered now. It's capability, your ability, and the law.

 

[Keith]

1/ On pp. 22-23 of the 2004-2005 NYS game regs, it indicates that I'd need the pistol licence to hunt during the muzzleloader season, but NOT need the licence to hunt with it during the regular season. (I know, it doesn't make any sense to me, either.)

The exact quote is, "If you hunt with a single shot muzzleloading pistol, you must have a NY pistol license."
No reference to season, but it is under the heading muzzleloaders which is directed act that season primarily.

 

[gordy]

NYGordy:I wasn't implying that Your pistol with the proper load,wouldn't dispatch a deer,at a reasonable range.But !unless You've got exceptional "natural"ability with a handgun,it takes much practice to become profieceint and confident enough, to be able to hit the kill zone of a deer,even at ranges as close as 15 yards.As to the handgun law ,unless You have a pistol permit,with that gun on it, a Barney Fife Deputy could cite You for a Felony.Unless the law has been altered,there were only two types of handgun permits issued in NY State,premises,and concealed.As Stumpy said if You have a clean record (and the local Sheriff's Dept.don't have the viewpoint that most people don't need handguns)You can obtain a permit.Technically They can't deny You the permit,but they can make the process take months or even longer.It's been years since I had permits in NYS,but I don't think they made it easier to obtain them. ::I had a small gunshop many years ago,I had an FFL,NYS Gunsmith Lic, NYS Dealers Lic., and a concealed weapons permit.For ea.Lic. it was nessasary to be fingerprinted and photographed and background checked.Thease prints are not only on file with NYS, but also with the FBI.They have more of My prints then they had of John Dillenger. Don't let My ramblin keep You from applying for Your permit,The more that have one the better! Good Luck in the woods! eace: :: :redthumb: