pedersoli 54 kentucky pistol for boar ???

[silent sniper]

Hey guys I am going to purchase a pedersoli 54 caliber flintlock kentucky pistol. I am really debating trying it out on an upcoming boar hunt. If I keep my shots within 35 yards max and use 50-65 grains of FF powder and a roundball I would say it should do the job. I am very excited about trying out my stalking skills and getting close and personal with a pig. It should be quite a challange. I think a shot to the boiler room would do the job fine. what do you guys think ??? thanks SS

 

[boar]

SS I hope dad is there with the 30-06 or some other gun when the flintlock doesn't go off",you know it could happen. PP Dilly

 

[texcl]

Just bring your flint rifle and your pistol so if you are presented with a close shot you can take it with the pistol. I've never had a flintlock misfire in a hunting situation, and I hunt alot with flintlocks, I'm sure it will happen someday but I'm real careful and know what to expect out of my gun.Even if it didn't I highly doubt you would be in any danger. I would think it would be a good load, it would be at least as powerful as a .38 speacial and maybe as powerful as a .45 auto depending on the velocity you obtain. More hogs have been take in South Texas with .22lr's than any other caliber and many of the shots were boiler room shots, just takes a little long for them to die.We were killing off hogs rooting up our property well before it was popular and all the hype about how dangerous and tough they are, a well aimed shot will bring them down period and that is what you should strive for, if you aren't sure about the shot with the pistol use the rifle, unless you are just killing off nuisance hogs.Good luck and remember the smaller they are the better they BBQ up.

 

[flyfisher76544]

50 to 65 grains sounds like a heavy load for a pistol. Before you buy it, go to the Pedersoli website and see what max load is used for that pistol. From the specs it says the barrel is just over 10 inches.

 

[Don]

I think 40 grains with a RB should be sufficiant as that .54 sphere is over 200 grain weight and probably going near 1000fps with 40 grains behind it. If your still thinking that you need more thump then tinker with some conicals.

Don

 

[Britsmoothy]

Sounds interestn'. I sure could have some fun with one :thumbsup:

brits.

 

[FishDFly]

Per the Pedersoli manual, 30 grains minimum and 35 grains maximum in a flintlock pistol, your load seems to be a bit much at 50 to 65 grains, but then again I am not pulling the trigger.

If I were going to shoot a hog, I would prefer a rifle with a bit more energy, but then again it's not me hunting either, a football size of 25 pounds or mature hog of 300?

The "boiler room" on a hog is much further forward than on a deer, a hog's insides is much different than a deer.

RDE

 

[hanshi]

I have a .50 flint pistol and use 30 grains of 3f as an everyday load and 40 grains if I need to get serious. A pistol of .50 or larger packs a punch.

 

[silent sniper]

So what's the verdict? Can it ethically be done? Will hitting a boar in the heart/lung around with a .530 ball going 800+fps at 25 yards get the job done? Power should be in the same range as the walker revolver except with a much larger ball.

 

[lonehunter]

IMHO, dont risk a body shot, slip up from down wind and put it right in the earhole. They WILL go down on the spot. They are a lot easier to stalk close to than any other game animal, keep quite and move slow with the wind in your favor. You will be surprised how close you can get.
We used .22 shorts, so I think a .54 would do the job if you do yours. :v

 

[Don]

I'd say your all set to humanely kill a boar with a .54 pistol with the load you discribed. I'd have a back up just in case the critter doesn't go right down and blames you for his pain.

Don

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you plan to take a body shot, I recommend using a conical bullet- your choice of size, and weight. Bullets simply deliver more energy to those tought Boar bodies.

If you want to use a RB gun, then limit yourself to taking head shots( through the ears)!

I learned this lesson the hard way- first boar I shot with my .50 cal. RB rifle. Had to shoot it again. Another friend shot his at well under 10 yards, with his .54 RB gun. Had to use a second shot to kill it. Another friend shot his with a .75 caliber RB out of his Brown Bess. Had to take a second shot to kill it.

We were all very disappointed with the effect of our first shots. All three were in the kill zone of the chest of the animals, but none killed the boars outright. We examined the entry and exit wounds on all three boars, examined the internal organs for damage, and degree of ball expansion, discussed powder charges used by each of us, and on paper, those three boars should have been DRT.

No one told the boars, however.

On a later hunt about 12 years after the first, we had two men using MLers and both took our advice and used Bullets. Both had ONE SHOT KILLS, with chest hits. DRT. None of the shots taken were more than 10 yards from the muzzle, BTW.

Don't expect long shots at wild boar. It may happen in some venues, but wild boars tend to stay in forests and thick edge brush, rather than running over grassy fields in daylight. Yeah, they will run out in the open when frightened, trying to escape, particularly when chased by dogs, and those shots do occur, sometimes. But, I think that is the exception rather than the norm.

Expect a short distance, fast shot at a very angry animal. Your best chance at getting a shot in his ear is when he doesn't see, or hear you. Know the anatomy of a boar well before your hunt.

That is the best advice I can give you, based on my personal experience and observations. I do know men who have killed lots of boars in farm lots with .22s, and every caliber of pistol made. But, those animals were confined, so that making that in-the-ear, Brain shot was not asking too much. Its a bit different when locating and shooting wild boar in the wild.

Good luck to you. :thumbsup:

 

[msuspartan]

I used to hunt boar with a boar spear (I am not saying much about my intellect at those younger/dumber years :youcrazy: )
Wild Boar are deceptively fast, sneaky, intelligent and nimble. And if you piss one off(which is VERY likely) you have a couple of choices,
1. RUN VERY VERY FAST......
2. Have a good back up weapon
3. A back up that KILLS it dead
or get in a good shot off the bat. If it gets within 25-30 yards, you better be a very good shot. They close that distance too quickly and they WILL be ******. It is like pissing of a Sherman tank with smarts.
Seen and heard of too many hunters that under estimate a hog. Be a very good shot and practice.

Just my 2 pence worth :thumbsup:

Cheers and Good Hunting,
DonK

 

[GBG]

Water quenched WW lead. JMO.

 

[GBG]

This might be helpful. NOTICE: Graphic Photos http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html

 

[bdhutier]

Beat me to it, GBG... SS, keep in mind how low the kill zone is. Most pigs requiring follow-up shots were probably hit high behind the shoulder like a deer. You're just fine taking body shots if you know where their kill zone is.

And I agree, take something for backup. True, pigs have quite an embellished reputation, but they can still mess you up in a blink of an eye. I use the 1851, even though I should probably add sixty years and take the 1911... :v

 

[pab1]

Have you tested the loads penetration yet? I would at least shoot it into some saturated phone books to see how it performs. If noone is available to provide backup, I would carry a revolver (4" Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag or .45 Colt would be my choice) loaded with hardcast bullets just in case. Good luck!

 

[flyfisher76544]

Can you carry your pistol with your rifle? If you can sneak within range to use the pistol then you could use it, if not...well then you have your rifle. Plus it will be your back up. Just remember that a hogs vision isn't the best sense it has, but its sense of smell and hearing are sharp. Also, hogs rarely travel alone. So it sometimes makes a sneak difficult, you are trying to avoid more than one set of eyes and ears and its usually the smallest pig that'll bust ya!!!
I would definately try a penetration test on that pistol, I have shot plenty of hogs with a .50 cal PRB but my furtherest shot has been 60 yards with a rifle. I guess bottom line, as long as you can make an ethical clean kill.

 

[sbhg]

Water quenched WW lead. JMO.

I think this is some good advice. A hard non-deforming ball would be the best thing to use.
FC Selous advocated the use of them (if I remember right he used mercury to harden them), pure lead deforms too easily and then gives up too much penetration.
BTW Why couldn't he use more FFFg, like 60-70 grs. for more FPS.?
Surely the recoil wouldn't be THAT bad. :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[Supercracker]

Just remember that a hogs vision isn't the best sense it has, but its sense of smell and hearing are sharp. Also, hogs rarely travel alone. So it sometimes makes a sneak difficult, you are trying to avoid more than one set of eyes and ears and its usually the smallest pig that'll bust ya!!!

Carry a turkey call with you. when you start the sneak stick it in your mouth. If they hear you and look up give them a squeak or two. They'll write you off as a swamp chicken scratching around.

Also, shoot the small one. They're better eating and easier to carry out.