Navy arms Buffalo hunter .58 carbine accurate

[Thekingd93]

Considering getting a navy arms Buffalo hunter .58 with a 26 inch barrel. I'm not all that familiar with civil war replica rifled muskets but comparing it to my Thompson Center Hawken rifle what kind of accuracy can I expect with that barrel length shooting .58 cal round ball or mini balls? I have dabbled with casting lead bullets for my Hawken and I could aquire a mold for .58 mini balls but I am not familiar with bullet sizing or the process of sizing a bullet to a particular bore/rifle. I would probably just shoot .570 patched round ball to get started.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

When I was a kid, 13 or 14, I hunted everyday after school with a CVA Mountain Rifle…my best friend, down street, didn’t have anything to hunt with so he’d use my dad’s Navy Arms .58 calibre Buffalo Hunter. We hunted prairie dogs and jack rabbits mostly.

That sights aren’t the best, but I could hit a pop can at 60 yrds with it, using a .58 calibre PRB.

 

[sheriff john]

I have one, a "project" gun. Using .575 hollow-based, sized minies, it's about a 75-yard deer gun at best for me. Fun to shoot, hits metal gongs with great vigor, but not the most accurate gun in my safe.

 

[Howie1968]

i owed 2 of them mine prefered patched cround balls i dont shoot long range at all all my hunting is done 50 yards or less and thats how far i practice from i sold mine whe i got my 2 tc big boar 58s i like my big boars better for 600 gr maxi balls

 

[Thekingd93]

I have one, a "project" gun. Using .575 hollow-based, sized minies, it's about a 75-yard deer gun at best for me. Fun to shoot, hits metal gongs with great vigor, but not the most accurate gun in my safe.

You think my Thompson Center Hawken with a 32 inch green mountain barrel is more accurate than a .58 cal rifled musket? I've never shot one of those .58 cal rifles before

 

[sheriff john]

You think my Thompson Center Hawken with a 32 inch green mountain barrel is more accurate than a .58 cal rifled musket? I've never shot one of those .58 cal rifles before

Well, first, the Buffalo Hunter's not a musket nor an accurate copy of any military-issued firearm that I know of. Short barrel, crude sights, etc. It was a creation of Val Forget of Navy Arms to fill a market niche and precision target shooting at long range was not "it".

Yes, your rifle is probably more accurate at various distances than my Buffalo Hunter, especially past 60 yards. Forget used his to kill an assortment of African game animals which is pretty neat. Now, dedicated, SERIOUS shooters using rifled muskets are a different story. Some will give you a run for your money, for sure. Not me.

 

[Fastleo]

I believe this is the same barrel on a different gun. Its a navy arms box lock in 58 cal. Ive not fired it so i don't know its accuracy potential but it has a beautiful bore, smooth and shiny.

 

[hunter thompson]

Well, first, the Buffalo Hunter's not a musket nor an accurate copy of any military-issued firearm that I know of. Short barrel, crude sights, etc. It was a creation of Val Forget of Navy Arms to fill a market niche and precision target shooting at long range was not "it".

Yes, your rifle is probably more accurate at various distances than my Buffalo Hunter, especially past 60 yards. Forget used his to kill an assortment of African game animals which is pretty neat. Now, dedicated, SERIOUS shooters using rifled muskets are a different story. Some will give you a run for your money, for sure. Not me.

EXACTLY not a musket..if you shoot compitition ..then you need a muskt

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I believe this is the same barrel on a different gun. Its a navy arms box lock in 58 cal. Ive not fired it so i don't know its accuracy potential but it has a beautiful bore, smooth and shiny.

The Buffalo Hunter has a heavy ROUND barrel, not an octagon. You may be confusing it with the "Hawken Hunter" that Val Forgett of Navy Arms had made & also used in Africa. As others have said, the Buffalo Hunter is not a repro of any gun, but is based on the Zouave with major modifications to the stock & barrel.

 

[Fastleo]

The Buffalo Hunter has a heavy ROUND barrel, not an octagon. You may be confusing it with the "Hawken Hunter" that Val Forgett of Navy Arms had made & also used in Africa. As others have said, the Buffalo Hunter is not a repro of any gun, but is based on the Zouave with major modifications to the stock & barrel.

Ok good info, sorry for the confusion.

 

[Thekingd93]

Well, first, the Buffalo Hunter's not a musket nor an accurate copy of any military-issued firearm that I know of. Short barrel, crude sights, etc. It was a creation of Val Forget of Navy Arms to fill a market niche and precision target shooting at long range was not "it".

Yes, your rifle is probably more accurate at various distances than my Buffalo Hunter, especially past 60 yards. Forget used his to kill an assortment of African game animals which is pretty neat. Now, dedicated, SERIOUS shooters using rifled muskets are a different story. Some will give you a run for your money, for sure. Not me.

I thought the Zouave style rifles were considered to be rifled muskets or a musket with shallow rifing for easy loading? Civil War era type military rifles and reproductions.

 

[Stantheman86]

I thought the Zouave style rifles were considered to be rifled muskets or a musket with shallow rifing for easy loading? Civil War era type military rifles and reproductions.

The Buffalo Hunter has the shallow Minie rifling and a 1-48" twist

They are simply a "sporterized' Zouave rifle with a faster twist.

 

[bang]

I shoot mini in mine with 65 of fff. Pretty accurate.

 

[cositrike]

My smoothbore version is accurate to about 50yds with .565 ball and a 15 thou patch. 65 grains 2f and no 11 caps