Copper in a New Army 44?

[dave61965]

Move!

Please Noooo!

 

[SPQR70AD]

why hunt with a BP pistol? what could you hunt not big game. use lead for target shooting and hunt with a BP rifle with copper bullets

 

[Nav]

Well, if you take into account that many deer are regularly taken with an Atlatl in my state. A weapon that is little more than a dart thrown with a lever assist that has an extreme range of about 15 yards and limited penetration. A ML, BP pistol is literally a superweapon delivering hundreds more FP of force at almost an order of magnitude more range, and with six times the volume of fire without a reload. Such a weapon could even be considered unsporting for big game...depending on your point of view!

I would put such a weapon in front of my modern compound bow even if just for the fact that you have six shots without a reload. Although I've never hunted with one, I've taken a dozen with "Malory Archer", my Ruger GP100 in .357 with a Leopold pistol scope. Pistol hunting is fun no matter if you are stalking or ambushing.

 

[Nav]

Are jacketed bullets good do go in CA, or are we talking monoliths? I don't think I've seen monolith pistol bullets. The only solids I've seen are big bore rifle bullets that are lathe turned, and quite expensive. The only people I know who use them compete in ELR competitions. I guess if there is a market someone will start making them though.

 

[SPQR70AD]

Are jacketed bullets good do go in CA, or are we talking monoliths? I don't think I've seen monolith pistol bullets. The only solids I've seen are big bore rifle bullets that are lathe turned, and quite expensive. The only people I know who use them compete in ELR competitions. I guess if there is a market someone will start making them though.

this what I am wondering about jacketed bullets with lead core. federal makes pure copper ML bullets called trophy copper bullets over $6 each. also there are power belt aero tipped bullets 15 for $27

 

[CaptainVane]

I like the way you think.
Be ungovernable.

I live in Maryland. Very restrictive. We learn to adapt.

 

[AlexB]

I gotta ask,is there a person who comes and checks your bullets material?
Powdercoat them rainbow and they have to love it by law.

 

[64Springer]

Tell the projectile nazis that your pure lead self-identifies as beryllium copper.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Shoot what you want and keep your mouth shut.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Fish and Game officers have a wand that they can scan the animal with and it will tell them if lead is present. Last year we had all our ducks scanned.

 

[64Springer]

Fish and Game officers have a wand that they can scan the animal with and it will tell them if lead is present. Last year we had all our ducks scanned.

Nothing tyrannical about that.

 

[Old Grunt]

Fish and Game officers have a wand that they can scan the animal with and it will tell them if lead is present. Last year we had all our ducks scanned.

Hmmm, I thought this all started for ducks and geese back in the 80's because supposedly they was eating shot from bottom of ponds,lakes ext. so wouldnt their bellies be full of lead and give false reading

 

[springfield art]

Are jacketed bullets good do go in CA, or are we talking monoliths? I don't think I've seen monolith pistol bullets. The only solids I've seen are big bore rifle bullets that are lathe turned, and quite expensive. The only people I know who use them compete in ELR competitions. I guess if there is a market someone will start making them though.

There is a new all-copper handgun bullet (for unmentionables) that is solid with a fluted nose; it causes much damage in ballistic gelatin or large game. Can't think of the name right now, but wonder if it's adaptable to using in Old Armies or other .44's.

 

[64Springer]

A modern all copper projectile CANNOT be used in a cap n ball revolver unless the chambers and bullets are matched so precisely that they can be pressed into place while at the same time being retained in the cylinder under the effects of heavy recoil.

A copper ball in a cap n ball revolver is a terrible idea.

Anyone even remotely familiar with cap n ballers and squishing lead balls into chambers, so the lead ball stays there, knows copper can't work.

Not to mention the fact that solid copper bullets raise chamber pressures over lead bullets because copper won't compress as fast and as easily as lead. Look at the Barnes' website and you'll see that starting pressures on reloaded copper rounds should have the powder charge reduced.

I reload a lot of Barnes' bullets. They are longer than lead bullets because they weigh less than lead bullets. Longer creates more friction too. Again, raising chamber pressures.

We're two pages in and the OP is nowhere to be found. Hmmm...

 

[Mikekj]

why hunt with a BP pistol? what could you hunt not big game. use lead for target shooting and hunt with a BP rifle with copper bullets

He didn’t say he was hunting with it.
I believe he wants to carry it WHILE hunting.

 

[Packrat]

Is this a real article, a Atlatl for heaven sake. We are back in the Stone Age talking abput a modern problem, I doubt many peole have seen or even less tried to use aAtlatl
I did once at a rendvous , no luck for me

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Paint 6 lead balls with copper paint

Got one better, Look up "copper wash" Its is what the commies did for years. Dipped steel projectiles in copper. The AFT stopped the import of them because they thought they were armor pricing.
So dont use steel.

Oh yeah here in washingrad they demand you use that was made to be used in them for hunting. I carry mine when carrying the rifle as back up.

 

[Boatncamp]

I would say that your best bet would be to use tin (Sn) or a alloy of such. A few years ago I hit every flea market, garage sale etc around and bought dented unwanted pewter items. Pewter is an alloy consisting mostly of tin. Antique tin did contain lead but they stopped adding that to it over a hundred years ago. It melts at 450 degrees a little less than lead at 621. It is easily cast into round balls. Here in Nanny York historical sites sell cast tin round balls as replicas of lead round balls as selling lead ones would be dangerous as children might eat them.

 

[springfield art]

Is this a real article, a Atlatl for heaven sake. We are back in the Stone Age talking abput a modern problem, I doubt many peole have seen or even less tried to use aAtlatl
I did once at a rendvous , no luck for me

There's a tiny, small, number of fellows who are fascinated with it. A guy in PA tried a few years back to get the Game Comm. to legalize hunting with them and got nowhere.

 

[64Springer]

I would say that your best bet would be to use tin (Sn) or a alloy of such. A few years ago I hit every flea market, garage sale etc around and bought dented unwanted pewter items. Pewter is an alloy consisting mostly of tin. Antique tin did contain lead but they stopped adding that to it over a hundred years ago. It melts at 450 degrees a little less than lead at 621. It is easily cast into round balls. Here in Nanny York historical sites sell cast tin round balls as replicas of lead round balls as selling lead ones would be dangerous as children might eat them.

Tin weighs 35% less than lead.

This means tin has 35% less kinetic energy. A tin ball will peter out much faster than a lead ball. Penetration will be much less with a tin ball as compared to a lead ball.

Effective killing distances will be greatly reduced when a .50 caliber tin ball is pushed using a standard powder charge of, say, 80 grains.

But, there's always a but, with tin weighing 35% less it means you can bump up your powder charge considerably. With zero risk of overcharging the firearm.

Not sure if it's exactly linear, but I would increase my 80 Grain charge 35% and bump it up to 110 grains. This would make for a screaming fast tin ball. It would still bleed off energy quickly, but it would give you a fighting chance at reasonable hunting distances.


PS: Tin balls in a cap n ball pistol would be a terrible idea. Especially for hunting. In a rifle you have the space to increase your powder charge. A cap n ball pistol has limited powder space. Hunting with a tin ball fired from a revolver would be unethical. Unless you have a deer sitting in your lap at the time you pull the trigger.