Muzzleloader story

[WRussell]

Maybe others will chime in with stories of muzzleloaders versus "modern guns".

Here's my story.

Too many years ago I had a friend who was into pellet guns, and invited all his friends who had pellet guns to come over to his suburban house to pop away at the pile of old Christmas tree ornaments he had been saving for years.

We soon discovered that the pellets, instead of demolishing the glass ornaments, just punched a neat hole through them. Ho hum. Well, I had recently taken an old 11 gauge double, sawed it off, mortified the stock, soldered up the breech and added percussion nipples to make it into a muzzle loader pistol. I had brought it along for show and tell, so I loaded one barrel with a little powder and some birdshot, aimed at the ornaments and boom - all gone.

 

[cayugad]

One of my best muzzle-loading stories I am known for is it was during our modern deer season. I was hunting hard but having some bad luck in my area. A friend and I were talking that evening at a local tavern. He said he had a stand with tons of deer at it and actually wanted some of them thinned out. I told him I could shoot a buck and a doe or two does, so he told me to come hunt with him the next morning because he always saw at least 15 does.

We arrived at the walk in area and took our rifles out of the cases. Needless to say he was shocked and even a little upset I think because I pulled out my .54 caliber T/C Renegade loaded with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and a round ball.

As we walked in he kept saying how he thought I came here to hunt, and didn't I own any modern rifles. I assured him this rifle would do fine.

We arrived at a stand where he placed me. He told me to watch where three deer trails crossed approximately 70-80 yards in front of the stand and he was going to walk around the outside of the rim of the hollow I was in.

He no sooner walked back up the trail and got over the rim when I saw a deer coming down the trail. I got out my binoculars and looked at it. It was a nice little buck. At this stage of the season I was ready for anything so I took my eyes off the deer, put my binoculars away, quietly cocked the Renegade and took a good solid rest on the stand.

I placed the peep sight right behind the front shoulder of the deer, hit the set trigger, let out some breath and squeezed the trigger.

As the smoke cleared, I could see two deer down in the trail. I had no idea where the second deer had came from. The Buck was not moving at all but the one behind it was thrashing around. I then started reloading as fast as possible.

After reloading, I walked towards the deer watching the one behind real close. I then noted the back was broke. It was a nice big doe actually. She could kick her back legs but that was all. So I walked up, and for some reason felt really sad about what had happened. It should not have been this way. And I chewed myself out for not looking closer. To end her pain, I took out my knife and cut her throat.

I then heard my friend yell out... "Buck or doe?" I answered, "Yes." He yelled again, "buck or doe?" I again answered, "Yes." As he walked down the hill he said, there are two deer laying dead? I told him that was correct. He then said he only heard me shoot once. I told him that was also correct. He then said I was too lazy to drag out my own deer and wanted to make sure I had help. I only smiled.

I then explained I had committed the sin of not checking behind my target. He then said you have two tags, what's the problem? I told him it was an accident. He refused to believe me.

I loaded the deer finally after the two mile out drag into my truck. He headed out before I did and went to a little tavern where we all hang out and also register our deer. There he told everyone how I was too cheap to waste powder and ball and let the deer line up and then gang shoot them. Needless to say they had a good laugh, and to this day they think what I did was intentional.

 

[arcticap]

Some years ago I bought a Navy Arms/Pedersoli mule ear lock rifle that had a lock malfunction after it was loaded with a Buffalo Ball-et. The hammer wouldn't release unless it was being fully pulled back while the trigger was simultaneously being depressed. The only problem was that I wouldn't be able to aim the rifle while doing that. So I asked another shooter at the range (Pete) if he wouldn't mind holding the hammer back for me while I aimed the rifle with the trigger depressed and to let it go when I said "Now". He agreed and at the appropriate time he let the hammer go. With a stroke of luck the Ball-et hit the center spot of the 4 inch target at 25 yards. While I'm not classifying the result as a minor miracle, the shot took 3 hands and 2 people to make. It was inspiring enough that I hung that 1 shot target which was mounted on a paper plate on the wall of my kitchen for quite a few years afterward. It just goes to show that much like the old Beatles song, "You can get by with a little help from your friends!" :winking:

 

[guncobbler]

My son and I walk into our stands in the dark. After I put him on his stand one early morning and walked to mine I attempted to cap my rifle. Capping was sort of easy as there was no hammer to draw back. Some where in the almost mile long walk in to the stands the hammer had come off. Looking into the hammer pivot I could see the stub of the screw. The screw had broken and let the hammer fall off. Not wanting to make any more noise or walk back to the truck I just sat on my stand all day with a lighter in my hand to cook off the cap on the odd chance that a deer came by. Did not get the chance to find out if that would have worked. On the way down late in the afternoon I found the hammer in the middle of the trail. A call to TC netted the right screw and we were back in business. Anyone fired a flinter or capper while hunting using other than the provided cocks? GC

 

[Stumpkiller]

I believe it was non other than Squire John who fired a flintlock with a lighter . . . and tatooed his fingers with the blast.

I just sat on my stand all day with a lighter in my hand to cook off the cap on the odd chance that a deer came by.

Think of that percussion cap and the blast out of it coming back at your face with the same speed the ball is leaving the barrel. You could have lost an eye with that method. :nono:

Better to remove the cap and fill the nipple with powder. At least then the cap won't become a shirken heading at your eyes & forehead at 2,000 fps.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I never knew Navy Arms or Pedersoli had ever made a mule ear lock rifle?

http://pioneerarms.tripod.com/id3.html

 

[Leonredbeard]

I once fired a flinter by stuffing the flaring head of a barnburner match into the pan. Got a red streak across my right forefinger for the effort.

Then I once enptied the barrels of a double twelve by striking the caps with a tack hammer. Oh, I removed the shot load first. Couldn't get the over powder wads out so I had to fire them. It worked great. I didn't get injured in any way.
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[arcticap]

The Navy Arms mule ear rifle was the original rifle that they called the "Country Boy" and it was made in the later 80's I think. (Their latest model with that name was an inline made in China.) The Pedersoli version (also available in kits) was called a "Squirrel Rifle". They were available in .36, .45 & .50 (not sure about .32). It has a 26 inch barrel that's 13/16ths across with a large diameter #11 nipple and it has very fast ignition (as long as the hammer works!). :kid: