Hunting rifle likes out of the herd

[BrownBear]

You mention you will be walking 2-4 miles when hunting, I'd keep the rifle's weight in mind whatever you decide on. Having to drag a deer 2-4 miles out the little known physics law of mass and weight increase takes effect, i.e. the further you have to carry the rifle and drag the deer, the more each will weigh the further you have to go.

Excellent.

I also hunt terrain that calls for long walks and long drags. My prize 58 cal is a GRRW Hawken that's about as authentic as you can get, right down to the 12+ pound weight. At the other extreme are my guns in the 8-9# range like the TC Big Boar. Guess which ones do virtually all the hunting?

Whatever the weight, with long drags on the agenda you'll prize a slip-on sling almost as much as the new gun.

 

[Ron LaClair]

A lot of my huntin guns have slings for that very reason that sometimes you need two hands. My Jaeger originally had a leather sling that I made myself. It plum wore out after 30 years or so, now it has one of them fancy store bought slings.

 

[LANEY REECE]

NICE SET UP!

 

[BrownBear]

For me a whole lot depends on the terrain. We have a mix of everything from open terrain to brush so tight you can hardly squeeze through. The right gun for one is totally wrong for the other. And guns that will do both are scarce. In general terms I decide on which terrain is most likely to hold deer in any weather and choose my rifle accordingly. Yeah, I choose wrong now and then and either go home or make do.

If there's such a thing as an "all arounder" for our country it has a barrel around 28" and hosts a larger hole in the middle than true "deer" calibers in honor of the great big furry critters that also live in our hills. And speaking of hills, the terrain is often so steep you need both hands and a suction cup on your belly to go uphill and antilock brakes on your butt to go downhill. And you often have to cover a lot of it, so make sure your wonder gun is something you're willing to carry 4, 5, or 6 miles in a day.

Rattle all that around in a tin can and call it good, and boil it out as my ideal, one gun for all jobs. It's the equivalent to a TC Big Boar 58 caliber with a removable sling. If you want to build one, do it in 62 or 69 caliber for more geewhiz on Big Furries. Pack in enough powder to flatten trajectory for 100 yard shots with a 75 yard sight in. Make sure the sights are such that they can be seen in bright light and dim light, even with old fuzzy eyes. Sight in, then never go near a benchrest again.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I am curious what you guys prefer for hunting rifles. Let's say you got a few between 45 and 58 caliber or so. I'm also brainstorming my next build after the 45 cal early Virginia is done.

I have my choice today, from .40 caliber up to .75 caliber. Since most of my deer are harvested at 50 yards or less, my .65 caliber and .75 caliber muskets are part of the mix.

So I got Trudy, used. (Short for Gertrude, which means "strong spear"). My criteria was both in function and appearance as I was going to hunt, and use it in living history venues...,

Very simple rifle,
Might have been possibly used as early as the F&I, was available for the "long hunts" between the F&I and AWI, and would not be out of place at all for the AWI....
Brass hardware, and simple so not much and no engraving...,
Single Trigger,
Bridled lock of good quality,
Shorter, swamped barrel such as that on an "Edward Marshal" rifle = 38" (but not shorter, so no Jaegers) and .54 caliber (though a .50 or .58 would also have worked for me)
Wooden patch box lid...,
Properly shaped stock but without much if any carving...,
MUST be accurate,

I looked for more than a year, then I found it for sale on the TOW site, and bought her. What I ended up with was a Pennsylvania Mountain Rifle from Cabin Creek MuzzleLoading. http://cabincreek.net/revspecs/pennsylvania-mountain-rifle/ The wood was almost plain, with a tiny bit of curling. No patch box, no butt plate nor toe plate, nor side plate or nose cap, and no carving. A .54 caliber Colerain barrel, 38" long and a single trigger. Mine was finished armory bright, and had patina'd with time. No touchhole liner in the barrel.

Now since I got her, I found the only things I would change are cosmetic....so..., it would be more likely that the very basic rifles of the time period would have had a butt plate and maybe a sideplate and probably a patchbox. Well..., she shoots better from a bench than I can in the field, and has harvested a lot of deer. This past season's deer was only at 33 yards. She has a tiny crack up by the nose near the muzzle, and a tiny chip on the toe of the stock, so I might reinforce the nose with a brass band, and I might add a brass toe plate. Especially as they will look properly fitted but an afterthought. I think rifles aged and changed over time with use as did their owners.

LD

 

[Elkeater]

Colorado recently upped the minimum round ball bullet for elk to .54 cal.. I don't care much for minimums. I fitted a Renegade stock to me and traded for a Hoyt bored .58 26" barrel. It's at the smiths having a simple Skinner peep sight tapped in.

 

[Sparkitoff]

My hunting rifle is a .54 caliber half-stock flintlock. I like .54 caliber because I have had better performance on game than when I used a .50 caliber. This is with PRB. My rifle has a 34" barrel because that is what I found to be long enough to get good velocity and to stabilize the rifle without being hard to manage in heavy woods, and without excess frontal weight. I like not having to carry or deal with caps. My sights are a square rear notch and a bead on a post for the front. The size of the sights lets me see enough of a 5.5" black circle at 100-yards to keep a good group on it. My rifle also has a flat butt-plate. I have some lead weight added to the stock to balance it. I also like set triggers than can be fired set or un-set. For distance precision and especially with a rest I use the set trigger. At very close range when circumstances dictate I might use the trigger un-set. I am blessed to have a very accurate rifle with a moderate load. I like half-stock because I travel a lot for hunting and can put it in a smaller case and in the car trunk or truck. I like the flat butt-plate because I stand the rifle on the butt in some situations and like more surface area on the ground. I have a twin rifle in caplock. I got lucky and it shoots as accurate as the flintlock. The reason I got this twin was so I could use BP substitute if/when I am out of black powder or I cannot get BP where I am going. Sometimes on a trip the outfitter or a friend can find Pyrodex or Triple-7 but not real black powder. If they can get that, I usually have them get a tin of caps too. When that happens, I know the exact load to use so I am still sighted-in. The rifle feels, looks, carries and sights just like my flintlock so I really don't have to think of anything once it is loaded. If I could have any rifle I wanted I would probably get a .62 caliber and keep everything else the same. My type rifle in .62 would be slightly lighter. Other than that, I like the energy and the blood trail I have witnesses from .62 PRB on game. I would pray it is as accurate or moreso than my current .54's. If I cast my own balls or had a local source for .62 balls I would make this desire a reality. The caliber increase is not a need but rather a want. I am not a pure traditionalist nor a reenactor. I just really enjoy the traditional style black powder rifle and get slightly more joy out of a well-tuned flintlock than a caplock. I do try to use traditional tools and I do not use a lot of modern clothing or accessories out of personal preference, but I am not trying to imitate anything or anyone.

 

[Rat]

Bird Dog 6 made me my perfect rifle....built ground-up for that purpose. I prefer big bores, as I hunt bear, elk, deer in grizz country. A grizzley recovery area in fact, as I've mentioned two billion times. I did have trouble choosing between .62 and .58", as I love the minie ball rifles, love that caliber, but decided in the end that bigger was better, and the barrel would be lighter with the bigger hole. If Colerain made a barrel in that size and weight, in a larger caliber I would have gone with that, but .62 is as big as that barrel gets, and weight is important to me, as I trek far from truck or camp. So going to a heavier barrel was not an option. It was built as a "working gun", nothing fancy, just all business. Everything about it is ideal and perfect for me, weight, (8.25) length, stock has cast off, rear sight is set in a perfect location for my eyes, etc. We only strayed from true Jeager form by adding a nose cap, and toe plate, in order to stand up to rough handling better, if such a situation (such as a survival scenario) ever arose. Also the reason it does not have a delicate patch box on it. And of course, having said all that, I handle it like a new born baby. !!!

 

[Bad Karma]

View attachment 5363 Bird Dog 6 made me my perfect rifle....built ground-up for that purpose. I prefer big bores, as I hunt bear, elk, deer in grizz country. A grizzley recovery area in fact, as I've mentioned two billion times. I did have trouble choosing between .62 and .58", as I love the minie ball rifles, love that caliber, but decided in the end that bigger was better, and the barrel would be lighter with the bigger hole. If Colerain made a barrel in that size and weight, in a larger caliber I would have gone with that, but .62 is as big as that barrel gets, and weight is important to me, as I trek far from truck or camp. So going to a heavier barrel was not an option. It was built as a "working gun", nothing fancy, just all business. Everything about it is ideal and perfect for me, weight, (8.25) length, stock has cast off, rear sight is set in a perfect location for my eyes, etc. We only strayed from true Jeager form by adding a nose cap, and toe plate, in order to stand up to rough handling better, if such a situation (such as a survival scenario) ever arose. Also the reason it does not have a delicate patch box on it. And of course, having said all that, I handle it like a new born baby. !!!

What a beautiful rifle... that’s exactly what I like in an elk hunting rig.

 

[BrownBear]

View attachment 5363 It was built as a "working gun", nothing fancy, just all business. Everything about it is ideal and perfect for me, weight, (8.25) length, stock has cast off, rear sight is set in a perfect location for my eyes, etc.

I'd be proud to hunt with it. Perfect match for our conditions.

 

[Rat]

Hasn't missed yet.

 

[Howie1968]

For me I love a .58 especially with roundballs when I use them. I love my .72 Kodiak double problem is it weighs 12 lbs. I mainly hunt big wild hogs and by far I like conicals when hunting for them. a white mountain sized .58 would be perfect for me. I specifically hunt the hogs at night maximum distance 25 yards most of the time 15 yards is the norm id want at least a 1-48 twist or a little faster to use the maxi-bullets from TOW they are 600 grains. and id like this in percussion. Nothing against flintlocks as the one I have I dearly love but when im on the ground and a big boar is within feet of me I prefer percussion

 

[Howie1968]

Gotta know what you're hunting and where. I have compelling reasons to like the 58 even more than the 54- not because I'm foolish enough to hunt brown bears, but I hunt around them. Heck, they even come into our yard now and then. Sure I can get a lot smaller than 58 for deer, but....

The more elk or moose you have on your agenda, the more the lean to at least 54 and maybe something bigger.

There's also the factor of just liking to launch a big old hunk of lead. Something to be said for liking, too.

I have to agree I mainly use one of my 7 .54s I love that caliber but I really love a .58 if I could get one that felt like my white mountain carbine 54 everything else would probably collect dust. I love a .58 with roundballs pass throughs are almost a given with conicals the 600 maxi from TOW they hit hard. the only other caliber id like is .72 I love my Kodiak double but carrying it around the woods is not fun to long and bulky a .58 in a white mountain sized gun would be perfect. Ive got a TC renegade .54 sitting next to my computer desk many times ive just about sent it off to mr. Hoyt for a re bore to .58

 

[Darkhorse]

What I wanted was a better balanced rifle. One that was easy to shoot and easy to carry and didn't feel like it was going to tip out of my hands in an elevated deer stand. But what really got the project moving was when I decided to do a ML hunt in New Mexico. So I did a good bit of research and once decided I ordered a bunch of parts and built me a rifle. It has a Lancaster pattern stock, a "C" profile .54 caliber Colrane barrel, LH Large siler lock, peep sight, and a really light single trigger.

A few years later I decided I needed a smaller rifle for squirrels and turkeys, and to shoot paper. This one has a stock as close to the .54's as possible, a "B" profile .40 caliber Rice barrel, LH Large Siler lock that I balanced with the mainspring and frizzen spring, Set triggers from Davis.
Both locks have been thoroughly polished to remove friction. Both rifles have seen extensive testing of patch,lube and ball, said testing is still going on. Both rifles will shoot one hole groups at 50 yards if I do my part.
I built that .54 20 years ago and it's still my perfect hunting rifle, except I would like to add a similar rifle with a "B" profile .50 caliber barrel.
This is the .40 caliber...

 

[Rat]

Nice rifles. I have an original "southern type" long rifle in .40 caliber that I would love to hunt turkey with, but the state I live in only allows smoothbore, ML or modern.

There is "something about" a .58", and again, I could have gone that way with the Jeager, but I thought: "bigger ball, less weight, win-win!"

 

[30338]

Lot of great looking rifles on this thread.

I have been using a right-handed Hawken type rifle in 54 for the last few years. Kept wanting to find something left-handed. Found this 58 caliber Hawken recently and with only a 1" wide barrel, it sure carries and shoots fine. This will be my elk/deer/bear/antelope rig.

 

[Einsiedler]

For hunting? Jägers for me. I have one for just about all needs. Including my interpretation of an "American" rifle. Not based on anything. I just wanted another .40 caliber!



So I have em from .40 thru .62 calibre.

Loyalist Dave!

I have a "Gertrude" too!



.54 calibre

 

[hanshi]

I've killed deer with rifles in .45, .50, .54 and a .62 smoothbore. But most have fallen to a couple of .45s with .50s coming in second. So my current three deer guns are:
.62 smoothbore.

.45 Lancaster.

.50 early Lancaster style.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I prefer the .54 caliber with round balls. Have two flintlocks in that caliber, a TVM Lancaster w/42in straight octagon barrel, the other is a Lyman GPR.. I've killed two deer with the Lancaster so far.

 

[8 BORE]

Lot of great looking rifles on this thread.

I have been using a right-handed Hawken type rifle in 54 for the last few years. Kept wanting to find something left-handed. Found this 58 caliber Hawken recently and with only a 1" wide barrel, it sure carries and shoots fine. This will be my elk/deer/bear/antelope rig.

I would get it off that barbed wire fence.