do any of you hunt with your black powder cap-and-ball revolvers?

[Jay Templin]

In Texas, a percussion revolver is not a "muzzleloader" and cannot be used in "Muzzleloader" seasons for hunting. I guess in regular season anything goes.

Same here in Virginia. You can use a modern plastic rifle with piezoelectric ignition firing smokeless powder in muzzleloading season if it stuffs from the front, and the General Assembly just approved guns that load propellant sticks from the breech, but Heaven help you if the warden sees you using a cap and ball revolver in muzzleloading season...
Jay

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I bought one of the Pedersoli Bounty Hunters and was totally frustrated with it. The trigger was set up at the wrong angle where it contacted the sear, and the trigger pull was probably at least 10 lbs !! I have a friend that is a great muzzleloader builder and he played with it some and actually got the trigger down to about 5 lbs......but could only do that with an extremely long creep before the hammer dropped. I played with it some and got so frustrated that I ended up just giving it away to a friend of mine.

Thanks for the "heads up"

LD

 

[PastorB]

I've killed many deer with my cap and ball revolvers. I use a brisk charge of powder (enough to get 1000+ fps in my .44's) and limit my shots to can't miss range inside of 20 yards or so. Kills them dead. A hunk of lead, be it a round ball or conical, going through vital organs does the job, not foot/lbs. of energy.

 

[Patocazador]

I don't hunt with a mzl pistol on purpose but use it if the situation is right.

 

[Macon Due]

In my younger years in the 1960s I hunted rabbits in west Texas with a brass frame Navy replica. Running rabbits often required the full cylinder to nail one, but if I caught one sitting it would only take one shot. Completely wore out that Navy revolver after which all my guns were steel frame. Here I was practicing with my then-new steel frame 1860 Army after getting rid of the worn out brass frame gun.View attachment 69775

Yep, my Dad use to carry a replica 51 Navy in each back pocket of his overalls when squirrel hunting. Saw him put 2 balls into a squirrel leaping from one branch to another one day.

 

[Pa-brushbuster71]

I love the idea of .44 cap and ball for backup while woods walking or hunting. It’s currently impossible to find one in stock!

 

[longcruise]

I carried my 1860 one year for grouse while elk hunting. Problem is accuracy. A hit but poorly placed is hard on the camp cooking. So it's counter intuitive, but head shots are easy with the 54.

 

[Treestalker]

Yep, my Dad use to carry a replica 51 Navy in each back pocket of his overalls when squirrel hunting. Saw him put 2 balls into a squirrel leaping from one branch to another one day.

You all have got some tough squirrels!

 

[Treestalker]

I don't hunt with a mzl pistol on purpose but use it if the situation is right.

View attachment 70102

View attachment 70103View attachment 70104

No Ducks? Just kidding, LOL!

 

[nightwolf1974]

I used to take my ROA with me deer hunting. Wasn't legal during ML season, but carried on my pistol permit. Then during non-ML season it was 100% legal to hunt with, kept for a added kill shot if needed.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Years ago I read a story in one of the muzzleloading books about a guy that used his cap&ball revolver to hunt muskrats...sounded fun to me at the time, though I have never done it.

I have taken rabbits with my .36 calibre Navy revolver.

 

[Hermit Tim]

View attachment 69718I've shot a few here and there with pistols, but I have no interest in revolvers. This one was with a .40 prb and I've nailed some with .54 and .62 prb also.

That is a nice looking pistol.

 

[Stony Broke]

That is a nice looking pistol.

I had that one custom built for me about 10 years ago...just for a plinker !

 

[Pete453]

Just now found this thread, how did i miss it? Anyway, ive hunted with mine, shot a **** or two, possum, big doe with the 58, 35gr 3f, and a conical. 34 yds. Last year i shot a smaller doe with the ROA with 35gr 3f and a conical at 75-80 yds. But the best ones were a couple red squirrels! One was at about 1.66 to 2.0 yards. I was up a tree and it got curious. I don't make eye contact or move, but when they start that chirrrr, chirrrr, i let em have it before they can get very vocal. 58 rem with a conical is adequate for red squirrel, although barely. What can I say, I like to live dangerously...
Im currently setting up an Uberti 1860 for deer hunting with conicals. I hope to be able to report back this winter.

 

[hrt4me]

Just now found this thread, how did i miss it? Anyway, ive hunted with mine, shot a **** or two, possum, big doe with the 58, 35gr 3f, and a conical. 34 yds. Last year i shot a smaller doe with the ROA with 35gr 3f and a conical at 75-80 yds. But the best ones were a couple red squirrels! One was at about 1.66 to 2.0 yards. I was up a tree and it got curious. I don't make eye contact or move, but when they start that chirrrr, chirrrr, i let em have it before they can get very vocal. 58 rem with a conical is adequate for red squirrel, although barely. What can I say, I like to live dangerously...
Im currently setting up an Uberti 1860 for deer hunting with conicals. I hope to be able to report back this winter.

what's your favorite recipe for squirrel?

 

[Ozark Mtn Muzzleloader]

I intend to hunt small game with my ROA & my Lemat

 

[Rifleman1776]

I used to carry my ROA for cous d' gras and protection from bad two footed critters.

 

[pab1]

Not a cap and ball revolver but I've hunted with a cap and ball using a handgun. I use a .54 cal Lyman Plains Pistol I built from a kit. I use a .530 ball, .018 patch lubed with either Bumblin'Bear Grease or Trappers Pure Mink Oil and 25gr of 3F Goex.

Here's a link to a post I did here in 2016 Casting Ball Over Fire Snowshoe Handgun Hunt It was one of my favorite hunts. As the title states, I cast ball over fire, then used one of the balls to take a snowshoe hare later in the day.

Here's a pic of the snowshoe hare from that hunt.

Here are a couple cottontails I took with the same pistol and load in 2014.

Two Grouse taken with the Lyman in 2011.

 

[wganz]

I may carry and shoot smaller pigs, but always have a backup due to the > 800# up to Chernobyl sized boars on my farm.
Here is an 853# boar killed last Christmas Day. Not estimated, but actual weight per scale. Took 10 rounds of .308Win from 20' above it to put it down. No place for a .36 pistol pushing a LRB with 25grains of FFFg. Unless you're into a lot more excitement than I particularly care to have at 66 years old.

 

[Pete453]

what's your favorite recipe for squirrel?

Grandma used to make a stew/casserole, it was excellent. In jambalaya is great too, even though I wasn't the cook, but I will be this year.