How Many Hunt Only With BP Weapons?

[stinkyfeet]

Not I, I love bowhunting to much to ever think about giving it up. But then again I am about to build my first flinter so we will see maybe I will get the bug. Right now I like duck hunting to much as well, and its easier with a modern scatter gun. I have to many toys to just give up on them all together. But maybe time will tell.

 

[sleeperNY]

Black powder only from around 1976. Flintlock only from around 1978. My son just went with his first flintlock only season last year and was disappointed he didn't get a shot. Not because it wouldn't fire but because he didn't see any deer with an acceptable shot.

Jim

 

[Roguedog]

I would love to waterfowl hunt with my blackpowder double but I don't want to use steel shot and I can't really afford the lead substitutes.

Jeff

 

[ebiggs1]

Deer hunting is pretty easy with a muzzle loader, flint or percussion. Not a great deal more difficult than cartridge hunting. But, here in Kansas we have this bird, the pheasant, :hmm: and it is much more difficult to hunt with a muzzle loader. :grin:
So, I have been using my Wingmaster to get some birds and than switch to my Pedersoli double or New Englander for fun. :wink:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I still have my 870 for waterfowl shooting, but since I haven't gone for ducks or geese in about 5 years..., then I don't hunt anything with modern ammunition. Deer, rabbit, squirrel, ground hogs, fox, quail, chukkar, pheasant, and dove, all with black powder. I even went for moose once. :grin:

LD

 

[Robert Egler]

For a bunch of years I hunted BP only, then for various reasons I've drifted back to shooting more modern guns, lever guns mostly, but a couple semi-auto pistols. I now hunt with about half and half, .22 lever action, 30-30 lever action, 12 gauge, or .22 pistol sometimes, .54 smoothbore flintlock and .44 Remington cap and ball sometimes. Depends on what I feel like taking out given what I'm hunting for and where I'll be hunting on a particular day.

 

[Roguedog]

I must say, I do love the looks and the feel of a good lever gun. A very useful tool. But I guess I love the look and the feel of a beautiful full stocked flintlock even more. Believe me when I say I am not judgemental of anyone for any choice they make when it comes to hunting. We each have our own reasons for the tools that we love to use.

Jeff

 

[vthunter52]

Living where I do on L. Champlain where the duck hunting is fantastic, I have actually had more success with my perc. 20 ga. SXS, than when I hunted with my 870. Steel shot has not been a problem I my gun. I use 70 grs. ffg with same measure of #2 steel. At out to 35 yds. it has proven deadly, to the point of scoring 2 doubles on mallards this season. I now really enjoy waterfowling much more.

 

[Roguedog]

Orion,
What make and model of shotgun are you using? I have a Pedersoli. I have heard that steel shot is safe in them but then I've also heard that it could harm the barrels. Since I love my shotgun, I don't want to harm it.

Jeff

 

[vthunter52]

My shotgun is a simple but strong Belgium made, imported years ago. Your Pedisoli is one of the better ones and is definatly strong enough. One thing to keep in mind with a sxs, is the choke of the gun. Steel shot should not be shot through full chokes, even in modern shotguns. I've opened mine up to improved cyl. and am very happy. You can get tighter patterns with a mod., but I also shoot prb thru mine and ic works best all around. Steel shot generates a higher pressure curve so don't try to heavy load it for more range. I also find that the faster steel patterns better with a moderate load. Good luck, bp and ducks are definatly a kick!

 

[Roguedog]

I think I will try it. Our season runs through the end of this month. We have been doing pretty well lately. I hope I can get another time or two before the season is over.

Jeff

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use traditional bows (two I am using were made in 1966 and 1968) and wood arrows for bowhunting large and small game. The rest of my sport hunting is blackpowder whether flint rifle or flint fowler.

But when shiny eyes glint back from the barnyard or a coyote lopes along the property it's killing with centerfires or rimfires and very little like hunting at all.

 

[jamesthomas]

Flintlock for deer only for the last 7 years, no small game hunting at all, but that will change when the .40 cal. is finished. Rabbits an squirrels watch out!. I went an casted around 180 .395's yesterday only had 10 rejects, all the rest were between 92grns an 93grns

 

[VEARL]

BP rifles for hunting.
You mean that there is another way to hunt?
What is a Center F

 

[flyfisher76544]

Big game I have switched to using nothing but my flinter for the last 3 seasons. Now....once I get a smoothbore..lol :thumbsup:

 

[Roguedog]

Yeah Vearl,
I hear tell that they now got these new fangled contraptions where you take this metallic looking thing and stick it in the gun near the breech. They say it goes off and fires a bullet downrange. What you reckon they'll come up with next? Probably some kind of thing to stick on the top of the gun to help em' aim. Who knows? I ain't never heard of such doings as this.

Jeff

 

[hanshi]

Let's see; I went all bp about nine or ten years ago. Previously I'd switched back and forth during the season. I sold most all my modern guns to finance a few flintlocks. All hunting, small and large game, is now done with bp. Back in the 1960s I was exclusively bp but over the years allowed a few modern guns to corrupt me. But I'm back.

 

[Spikebuck]

First 30 years bow only...much of that with traditional gear. 10 years ago added traditional BP. Did hunt one gun season years ago with a .44 mag because I thought a revolver hunt would be fun. Never took a shot and never used it again. Just didn't trip my trigger.

 

[graybeard]

I shot my first deer with a .44-40 Winchester 1873. I was hunting with my grandfather and it was his rifle. For years I hunted with his 12-bore L.C. Smith, which was built early in the 20th century. For a rifle I had a .30-30 Winchester model 94. I shifted to a caplock rifle for deer, but did't have anything to shoot birdshot except a modern gun. Then I bought a flintlock rifle and left the Winchester in the case. Last fall I bought a musket, patterned it, and hunted with nothing but flintlocks. Truth to tell, I can't hit much with the musket, but my score on birds has gone down enormously no matter what I shoot. Old eyes and slow reflexes I guess. Most of the deer I shot with the Model 94 were within easy blackpowder range and I got one a year ago with the flintlock at about 35 yards. One of the few advantages of getting older is that there are always guys who will volunteer to drag the deer out of the woods for you. graybeard

 

[juancho]

I shot a squirrel last year with my 12ga.It was the 3rd or 4th time I took it hunting since I bought it in '93.I got it with 100 shells , and I still have like 20 or so left after almost 20 years.We all need a .22lr and a 12 ga.
The rest was traditional archery and flintlocks