Anyone hunting with a Musket or similar Civil War rifle?

[Bowhunter57]

I'm about to purchase a traditional muzzleloader, for hunting deer and general "quail walk" type events.
I started out considering the typical Southern Mountain rifle and/or Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifles. There are an endless amount of options out there to suit anyone, which is a good thing.

Typically, you don't see photos of hunters posing with their kills or targets with an 1842 Musket or smoothbore Musket or 3 banded Musket. It's entirely possible that "Hollywood" has had too much of an influence on the type/style of weapons that we could be using for hunting purposes. Jeremiah Johnson, the old Daniel Boone series with Fess Parker and any other number of movies could be an influence....OR there could be a practical usage.

In any case, does anyone hunt with a Musket (smooth bore or rifled) or similar Civil War rifles?

 

[hanshi]

While I no longer hunt I've killed deer with an early American smoothbore flintlock and an M1841 US rifle.

 

[Texas Gil]

I hunt deer with .62 cal smoothie trade gun and 1861 colt contract .58 rifled musket for longer ranges

 

[tenngun]

Not WBTS but since 2000 my smoothbore has been my go to. A flintlock fusil de chase. A .58 minnie will put paid to moth North American game.

 

[Sooty Scot]

I've hunted with a .50 SMR and plan to hunt with a Fusil de Chasse I got recently. At what I consider reasonable hunting ranges, it's proving to be accurate enough (provided I get enough practice in).

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I'm about to purchase a traditional muzzleloader, for hunting deer and general "quail walk" type events.
I started out considering the typical Southern Mountain rifle and/or Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifles. There are an endless amount of options out there to suit anyone, which is a good thing.

Typically, you don't see photos of hunters posing with their kills or targets with an 1842 Musket or smoothbore Musket or 3 banded Musket. It's entirely possible that "Hollywood" has had too much of an influence on the type/style of weapons that we could be using for hunting purposes. Jeremiah Johnson, the old Daniel Boone series with Fess Parker and any other number of movies could be an influence....OR there could be a practical usage.

In any case, does anyone hunt with a Musket (smooth bore or rifled) or similar Civil War rifles?

I enjoy hunting with BlackPowder. Very Very much.

For small game, upland game, I use a Brown Bess Carbine, and my Fusil de Chase. I will also use one of my .40 calibre rifles loaded with a .375 PRB, or a .380 PRB. I also have a wonderful little Pedersoli Upland 20 gauge double, from the 70’s, and a Pieta 10 gauge…both are solid on quail, pheasant, & doves, etc…the 10 gauge, and the Bess, are amazing on water fowl.

For Deer or Antelope, I have a .50 calibre Pedersoli Alamo Rifle that was my GOTO gun for many years. I now have a sweet little Dixie Southern Mountain Rifle, I have rebarreled to .45 calibre, and shortened to 36” barrel length. My .45 calibre TVM Southern Mississippi Poor Boy with a 42” barrel has finally been made to shoot 3.5” groups at 100 yrds, it is a very nice carry in the field.

For Elk, my GOTO gun for many years was again my .50 calibre Pedersoli Alamo Rifle. But after seeing the vast improvement in my .32 calibre Dixie Southern Mountain Rifled, rebarreled to .45 calibre…I couldn’t help but go find the same gun in .50 calibre, and rebarrel it to .54 calibre, with a 36” barrel. I’ve been shooting this gun around twice a week since mid-March…cannot wait to take it hunting for Elk.

 

[Bowhunter57]

Rock Home Isle,
You're about twice as far north from Denver, as my twin granddaughters are south of Denver, as they live in Colorado Springs. Sounds like you have a decent collection of smoke poles to get the job done, no matter what the game. After I make this next purchase, I may look into a fowler of some sort. Possibly a 20 gauge/62 caliber, but I need to settle in on what this next rifle is going to be and get it ordered. I'm starting to lean towards a Colonial Kibler kit. Otherwise, I'm up against purchasing a production rifle, like a Pedersoli, which isn't all bad.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Rock Home Isle,
You're about twice as far north from Denver, as my twin granddaughters are south of Denver, as they live in Colorado Springs. Sounds like you have a decent collection of smoke poles to get the job done, no matter what the game. After I make this next purchase, I may look into a fowler of some sort. Possibly a 20 gauge/62 caliber, but I need to settle in on what this next rifle is going to be and get it ordered. I'm starting to lean towards a Colonial Kibler kit. Otherwise, I'm up against purchasing a production rifle, like a Pedersoli, which isn't all bad.

Just drove through Colorado Springs, Saturday evening…amazing rain storm just as we hit town.

I have a 20 gauge stocked as a Early Virginia style. I call it my American Fowler. The Early Virginia Stock makes the gun a little weighty, at around 9.5 lbs.

My Fusil de Chase is such a nicely balanced gun, very easy carry, fun to hunt with in the field. I’m putting together a quick dove hunt to eastern Colorado in the next week or so, Eurasian Doves (Collared Doves) can be hunted year round…I’ll be lugging the Fusil.

Your choices are well thought out. I’m looking at the Kibler Colonial Rifle, myself. The .58 calibre smoothbore would make a nice 24 gauge. And your other option, getting a Pedersoli, great quality…I really have come to appreciate their products.

I predict that You will be happy with your choices.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

My first flinter was a 54 cal 1803 Harper's Ferry. It blew big chunks every where.
Use a 45 cal now.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

About 30 years ago I took a nice buck with a .58 Zouave. The minie ball worked just fine, however my hunting has been with round ball guns ever since. A good many horses were killed by minie balls during the WBS.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I’ve shot deer with a 54 calibre 1863 Sharps, worked fine.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

As an all-round calibre…I really like the .54 calibre. It’s so hard to beat.

 

[Muley Gil]

I've known quite a few North-South Skirmish Association members who have taken deer and bears with their ACW muzzle loaders.

 

[Gamechaser]

I have a 72 cal. Potsdam( original) that ive taken small game with. I would love to take deer hunting this year, but one heavy son of a gun to be toting around

 

[PastorB]

My original 1861 Colt Special Musket (mfg. 1862) has been my deer rifle for many years. I use the standard 60 grain load (volume) of 3fg, or the equivalent of Pyrodex P or Triple 7. Bullet is a traditional Minie of 510 grains, sized to .580, that I purchase from a fella named Pat Kaboskey, aka the Civil War Bullet Man. Kills deer and bear dead. When I still hunted small game, I used a smoothbore original 1842 musket loaded with shot for doves, bunnies, squirrels, etc. Also killed a few deer with it using a PRB. I'm too big a sissy any more to shoot critters, except one buck a year, and it is even getting hard to do that anymore.

 

[MountainSmoke]

My original 1861 Colt Special Musket (mfg. 1862) has been my deer rifle for many years. I use the standard 60 grain load (volume) of 3fg, or the equivalent of Pyrodex P or Triple 7. Bullet is a traditional Minie of 510 grains, sized to .580, that I purchase from a fella named Pat Kaboskey, aka the Civil War Bullet Man. Kills deer and bear dead. When I still hunted small game, I used a smoothbore original 1842 musket loaded with shot for doves, bunnies, squirrels, etc. Also killed a few deer with it using a PRB. I'm too big a sissy any more to shoot critters, except one buck a year, and it is even getting hard to do that anymore.

When this thread got started I thought of that picture and was hoping you would post it. I'll say it again, that is an awesome picture! It don't get no better than that.

 

[SDSmlf]

Have carried an original Smith deer hunting a number of times, but have never had the opportunity to take anything with it. Have debated using it with an original paper wrapped rubber cartridge, but have just saved the original cartridges so far. The thought of using a cartridge that was loaded over 150 years ago to take an animal is intriguing, but once it’s been shot....

 

[PastorB]

Hey there MountainSmoke, here are a couple of more pics of my Colt Musket out in the woods. Just kind of cool, too me, to use a rifle that 160 years ago could have been at Shiloh, Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, or any other number of battles. I realize, of course, it may have been in a warehouse for over 100 years too, never getting within hundreds of miles of a battlefield. It has just the right amount of wear and tear that it might have seen action somewhere. I have never sanded it, it still has good clear cartouches, but I have applied more boiled linseed oil to the stock as necessary. I've had the musket for decades now, it did have rust on and in the barrel, but I carefully removed it without stripping away the aged look. I know, stripping away collecter value and history, but I never plan to sell it, so I wanted a functional rifle. Not rebored, just removed some rough spots. Shoots great, straight on for windage, albeit 6" high @50 yards, 11" high at 100, zeroed at 160, and 14" low at 200 yards. I know my ranges and where I need to hold, it keeps all shots in a 4" -5" circle at 200 yards. Longest shot on a deer was 140 yards, complete pass-thru, and smacked a sycamore tree 50 yards or so behind the deer. Heard the thump, and went and found where it still had enough power to fully bury in the tree. Boring details for sure!

 

[LawrenceA]

Musketoon works well

 

[MountainSmoke]

Thanks Pastor that gun looks like it belongs in the woods. I have hunted many times with WW2 rifles and always found it fascinating thinking about it's history and what it had possibly been through before I got my hands on it. Bringing an old gun like that back in to service not just to shoot targets but actually using it to put meat on the table is a very satisfying experience.