Favorite Hunting Gun, Load, Cal. Etc.??

[Doc Will]

With hunting season fast approaching; what is your favorite hunting gun? If it is dove, upland birds, deer , bear or elk let us know what your favorite gun is for the type of hunting that you do. ::
My favorite hunting is for deer and squirrel. For deer I use a T/C Rengade with a 54 cal Green Mountain round ball barrel. 90 grains of 2f with a lubed pillow ticking patched .535 hand cast round ball. Does the job on white tail. Load will punch all the through at 75 yards for a quick humane kill.
For squirrel I use a .32 cal side slapper. 20 grains of 3f with a lubed .010 cotton patch. Hand cast .310 round ball.

Doc Will
Keep Yer Powder Dry :thumbsup:

 

[54JNoll]

Lets see ...

Small Game (wne shooting a single ball): I use a .45 cal percussion full stock with 34" barrel shooting a Hornady .440 ball with .015 pillow ticking patch, lubed with Lehigh Valley Lube or spit, propelled by 30 grains 3F Goex, ignited by a #11 RWS cap.

Deer: Same gun but I load with 70 grains 3F.

Small Game (with Shot) and Quail: I use my SXS double barrel 24ga flintlock with 60 grains 2F Goex, over powder card, 1/2 vegitable fiber wad lubed with crisco, 1 oz #7 shot, and an over shot card. I prime with 2F.

 

AUGH MAN I WISH YOU HADN'T DONE THIS!!!!!!

Now I'll have to stand in front of the gun safe and start deciding what I need to shoot, and what I shoot best, and what has the best energy figures and does the accuracy outweigh the power, and do I really want to take the new Lancaster I just finished out to the woods and scratch it up!!

Last year I would have starved if three of my friends had not come over and found me standing there with my eyes glazed over, dehydrated, emaciated.

And I just got married this year! What is my new wife going to think?

All of the pacing around and mumbling, cleaning and recleaning. All of the trips to the range to check everything before opening day. Then the last minute change of the decision that I already made and changed a dozen times. The true vision of the unstable man she has allowed into her life!!!

OH GOD, I BUILT TWO NEW GUNS THIS YEAR!!! WHAT DO I DO????

:: :: :: :: :: ::

I know, I'll buy a new truck, a bigger truck! One that will haul them all! I'll take all of them and stay until I get to shoot something with each one so none of them will feel left out. That will end this constant decision making process.

I'll even let the new wife help! She likes to shoot and mabe she will not realize that I have no decision making power!!!

I do fine everywhere else, it's just this first of the season which gun thing that gets me! Is there a 12 step program for this?

 

[musketman]

Easy question for me...

Brown Bess
120 grains of GOEX FFg, .715 round ball, .020 pillow tick patch lubed with wonder lube... (and that's just the squirrel load!!!) :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

 

Moose rifle- .69 cal X 1 1/8" Green River Barrel, English Sporting Rifle stock- English/Claro walnut stock.
: .684RB weighing 484gr. charge 165gr. 2F GOEX .022" patch as well as .684", 466gr. WW ball in paper ctg. same load of powder. Max range 150 yards- never had to shoot beyond 100yards with any rifle including a locker full of moderns, magnums and wildcats.
: The bush here is reasonably heavy, but we're able call Bulls in to 15 to 60 yards generally, later in the season, it's a stalking game with same results -dead moose, but longer distance packing of meat, generally, & shots 20yards to 100 yards depending on terrain and visiblility. There sometimes is an opportunity to shoot across timber slashes, very long range, but I've never had to. I've been able to stalk to within 100 yards of the moose or deer.
: Today, my favourite shooting is now for gophers at 300 to 500 yards using my .17's and .22's with 20X to 32X scopes. My big game hunting is almost over due to physical limitations.

 

Musket man,

I've been to Ohio, the squrrels ain't that big!

Blowing the tree out from under them is not fair and tears up the forest!!!

:imo:

 

[roundball]

I'm ready!!

Doves
.12ga SxS perc/80grns Goex FFg/wonderwads/1+1/8oz #7.5's

Deer
.58cal flintlock, 100grns Goex FFg, wonder wad, .018" pillow ticking/Hornady .570

Squirrels
.45cal flintlock/40grns Goex FFFg/wonderwad/.018" pillow ticking/Hornady .440

Turkeys
.62cal smoothbore flintlock, 80grns Goex FFg, wonderwads, 1+5/8oz #6's

Now if the doves, deer, squirrels, and turkey will simply cooperate with me, I'll have a great few months ahead!

::

 

[Stumpkiller]

My standby M/L is a T/C Renegade .54 with 90 gr FFg & 0.017" tic patch for whitetails, and I use the same gun loaded light (42 to 60 gr FFg) for squirrels. I just sold my Bess (* sigh *) and the flintlock longrifle I have on order won't be done in time for hunting this Fall. :cry: I've been playing with a T/C New Englander I usually use only during regular gun season with conicals to see if I can't get a round ball load to work. I'm almost happy with 82 gr FFg and 0.017" patch but the accuracy is still falling off with anything over about 60 gr. :curse:

For upland game I still pull out my Ithaca/SKB 20 ga SXS breechloader (lovely engraving and ejectors). Sorry guys. It's just too sweet to leave on her own, and is THE grouse gun.

For Elk, I guess I'll have to use my bow. Otherwise, the zoo staff hear the shot and get there too quick. ::

 

[dodgecity]

.62 cal Tulle for everything (deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, upland birds, and varmints). My standard roundball load is a patched .600 ball with 80 grains fff. Shot loads vary with the application. I have a few others, but, "Bodacious" is my bestest friend.

 

[Keith]

T/C New Englander, my first blackpowder gun. I have, so far, never shot anything but PRB's in it. I am going to experiment with conicals this year. Why? Because, I want to with this 1:48 twist.

Stumpy, how does yours load with those thick patches? I use .490 balls and .010 patches. Thicker patches load to hard in mine. Those thin ones can blow out easy, especially since I have started using FFFg, so I'm trying wads next time out.

 

For squirrels and other small game I have a .32 Tennessee style percussion rifle custom made by a friend of mine--typically load her with a .310 ball and 24grs fffg. For deer the choice is tougher: either my old .45 percussion PA stlye longrifle or my newer custom .50 early style southern flintlock rifle. I made the .45 back in about 1978 and it shoots real good with 65 grs fffg and a .445 ball. Don Bruton made the flinter and it shoots 70 grs fffg and a .490 ball. I also have a 20 gauge English flintlock smoothie of a ca. 1750 style that I am still developing loads for, but most of my bird hunting has been with modern double shotguns. I am building a "bear rifle" now with a .54 Getz barrel and Chambers lock...for next year!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Stumpy, how does yours load with those thick patches?

Lube 'em good and push like stink. In my .54 (0.530" ball) I don't even use a short starter, but I do admit to using a "stub-starter" in the .50 (0.490" ball) But then, that .54 is twenty some years old and has probably had 7,000 balls run through it.

Moose Snot or Wonder Lube. Check out the Lube Wars #1 thread in the Accessories category by clicking on the link below.

Lube War #1

 

Well for deer and elk it

 

I will never qualify as one of those "fear the man with one gun, he probably knows how to use it" types. I'd most likely be better off if I did.

Small game rates one of my 36's. Either a Southern Mountain flint with 35 grs. of FFFg or my Mowery, Ethan Allen with 20 grs.. PRB in both. Bigger game is hunted with a 54, either a TVA Leman flint or a Gun Works Hawken. PRB in both over 100 grs. of FFg.

I own an old Stevens, break action 12 ga. with exposed hammers and I have been known to load up some paper hulls with black and 1 1/4 oz. of whatever shot is appropriate. I'm about half in the market for another muzzleloading SXS as I sold my old CVA.

During regular rifle season I carry one of two Shiloh Sharps, a Ballard, an E. M. Reilly double rifle in 500 BPE or an E. Goldman, German double rifle in 43 Mauser.......or one of a dozen or so others. It ain't the work....it's those damn decisions!!!!

Vic

 

[16gauge]

CVA St. Louis Hawken (caplock), .54 caliber loaded with 90 grains FFg and a home cast round ball and .010 patch. This is what I hunt deer with. I shot a bison with this gun once...used T/C maxiballs over 100 grains of FFg for that chore.

 

[bob1961]

with just my T/C hawken being my only gun at the time for muzzleloading thats a real easy one....and a new g4 maple stock to boot....................bob

 

[silverfox]

For deer CVA mountain rifle from kit my first ml and maybe one of their first kits. Does a good job on deer and targets. Second choice from garage sale magoney cased English double 50 cal. makes second shot if ever needed nice to have. So far not a neccesity. For birds a belgium barreled 20ga ml from DGW that I got about 35 years ago. Shots better that modern. I ran 9 straight on doves one season. Dont think that will happen again.
The best gun is the one in your hand when the game is in range. luck be with you :imo:

 

[cayugad]

For small game I have been using my Tradition's Woodsman .50 caliber with 70 grains of FFg and a patched roundball or a .44 caliber black powder revolver.

Deer was always my old T/C Renegade cap lock shooting 80 grains of FFg and a patched roundball. Due to new additions in the family.. :: I will be using a number of different rifles to take the three deer I am allowed this year.

I want to try the .62 caliber smoothbore, the .58 caliber GMB with roundball, and a more modern black powder rifle also....

good luck to all this hunting season.

 

[squirejohn]

I use my .62c smoothbore NW trade gun for both deer and snowshoe hare. For deer 70g 2f , .60 ball and .015 patch. For rabbits 70g 2f and 11/2+ oz. #6. For patridge I take my I/O or S/S modern shotguns for a walk.

 

[JerryToth]

Hi Stumpkiller,

I noticed that you mentioned that you're working with a T/C New Englander trying to make it work with RB.

I have a T/C New Englander and it's my most accurate frontstuffer. Mine shoots 70 to 82 grains of Goex 2F as it's best loads. Mine shoots best with a patch of .0075 compressed thickness. I use a 7:1 ratio of water soluble oil. (If any of this sounds familiar, it's the Dutch Schultz system.)

I routinely use those 2.5" or 3" square "post-its" for targets. (You know the office supply yellow pad things.) I can routinely hit them. I shoot at 75 or 80 yards. (This is bench rested.)

Just a suggestion of what might work in your rifle... my understanding is that T/C cuts their barrels pretty consistantly.

If you'd like to try a batch of my patches, email me offgroup. My email is [email protected].

Good luck,

Jerry.