Anybody killed deer w/ revolver???

[Skychief]

Would like to hear about any deer hunts with a cap and ball revolver.

Thanks in advance for sharing, Skychief. :hatsoff:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Is that legal in your area? :hmm:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes it's legal in some states. In Maryland you need to shoot a minimum of 40 grains of BP in a BP handgun so that limits one to single shot pistols, and the Colt Walker, or a Colt Dragoon, as I don't think any of the smaller revolvers will take enough powder and seat a ball deep enough to allow the handgun to function.

LD

 

[jamesthomas]

Not that know of, But Cynthialee has killed a Mountain Lion with hers!.

 

[Patocazador]

It's legal in Florida as long as it's .40 caliber +.

I killed a small buck with my Ruger Old Army with a 255 gr. cast SWC in front of 30 gr. of 3F.

 

[BrownBear]

Never a C&B, but quite a few with moderns having similar ballistics. Deer aren't super heroes, and a hit in the boiler room puts them down nicely with loads lots milder than what most folks here use in their rifles.

I'm convinced that "in the day" folks used very mild loads for deer, comparable in many ways to what you can gin up with a C&B at closer ranges. Those folks weren't known for wasting powder and lead in the first place, and their minds certainly weren't clouded by internet fashions.

 

[Supercracker]

I've killed a couple of decent pigs with my 44. They were very close shots though.

 

[Clovis]

In Merryland too. Have used a ruger old army and can get 40 grains in with ball and an over powder wad as well. Finished one, maybe two with it while deer hunting.

Getting the ball in required "some effort" but it went.

Think I used to use a Remington 58 replica that would take 40 grains but I can't recall if I had an over powder wad or not.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Who would know if it had 40,35 or30 grains in!

 

[Patocazador]

In Merryland too. Have used a ruger old army and can get 40 grains in with ball and an over powder wad as well. Finished one, maybe two with it while deer hunting.

Getting the ball in required "some effort" but it went.

I have an aftermarket Classic Ballistx cylinder for one of my ROAs and it will hold 40 gr. with a short 210 gr. conical. With a round ball it will hold almost 45 gr. Accuracy is poor, however.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Who would know if it had 40,35 or30 grains in!

Is that by weight or by volume?
Do we compensate for pyrodex?
Avoirdupois or something metric?
:rotf:
Sorry! couldn't help myself.... :haha:

 

[Grumpa]

I'll let you know, if I get the chance this year. :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I had an acquaintence who used to regularly poach deer with a .44 Rem. Army and round ball.
One of the books about Liver Eating/Jeramiah/John Johnson had him killing a horse with his. Reportedly the ball entered from behind, left rear quartering and exited the right shoulder. Yours to believe or dismiss.

 

[wattlebuster]

I took a doe back in the early 90s with a ruger old army loaded with 30 gr and a roundball. She was close enough any dummy could have hit her. I just happened to be the only dummy standing there :idunno:

 

[coloradoclyde]

If we are going to open the floor to livestock then put me down for a sick cow... :grin: took 2 shots to the head....(cows ain't got no brains)
:haha:

 

[Skychief]

Is that legal in your area? :hmm:

No.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Who would know if it had 40,35 or30 grains in!

If it was a single shot...especially after you fired, nobody, but a revolver....

they would pull the ball and measure the charges. If you really compressed a charge, as the fellow did with the Ruger Old Army...you might be in trouble, for the charge might be so compressed that it was once of the volume of 40 grains in your measure but when crushed, then unloaded....might not measure out to that standard. :shocked2:

Also, in a revolver, say you loaded five of six chambers, and left a chamber unloaded an without a nipple as your "safe hammer rest" location. Well that's five loads and ALL FIVE must measure out to 40 grains...all they need to find is one that's "short" and that's a violation.

Plus, the Colt style, non-dragoon .44's don't have cylinders large enough...just having one with you when hunting deer, even unloaded, might get you cited.

Hey It's called The Peoples Republic of Maryland for a reason folks!!! :haha:

LD

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Them DNR rats better have a weight scale. And be able to show they spilled no particles of any charge.

Compressability of black powder is the reason why volume measure is not a true check for the weight. Went through this with a client some years back.

I have heard some really bizarre ways to get enough powder into a cylinder. Even reaming the chamber a few thousandths larger.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Is there any history of prosecution over this?

 

[rodwha]

How many grains of additional powder could that even give?

I've not read of that bein the reason why it's done, but to bring the chamber's diameter closer to groove diameter.