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Pistol for hunting

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Well another old guy with a comment. Marine pistol shooter, All this talk of velocity, ball size FPS/FPE on and on is good reading for all of us no matter what our experiences are-----But what she comes down to is bullet placement. The pistol is a hard taskmaster, and most folks don't shoot enough to get good with them, especially the bigger bores. Best pistol shot I've ever seen was a produce manager in a warehouse. Every day at lunch he ate it at range 1/2 mile from work. Fired 100 rounds of .22 LR EVERY day for almost 20 yr. Most can't do that but the word is PRACTICE.....Tom USMC
 
Zonie said:
I know you were joking but please don't mention (even jokingly) the use of any smokeless powder** anywhere around a muzzleloading firearm.

There are people new to the world of black powder and muzzle loading and there might be a few who don't know you were joking.

Needless to say, a load such as you mentioned would probably kill the person who loaded it in his muzzleloader.

**This is especially true of a powder such as Bullseye which has been known to blow up high strength modern firearms with just a slight overload.

For anyone with inquiring minds who might want some addition information concerning Zonie's warning here...

Often its underloads and the attendant improper or inadequate ignition that causes fragmentation of MODERN high pressure firearms. And this is in modern high strength firearms designed for high pressure smokeless loads. This was extensively tested by a major modern firearms manufacturer to find put how handloaders were blowing up so many of their revolvers.
This phenomenon (making the gun into a grenade) is virtually always caused by incorrect or inadequate ignition of ANY smokeless propellant due to the use off too little or due to an improper primer. Traditional MLs and caps are NOT designed to properly ignite smokeless powders so not only is there the danger of a 2-6 times over pressure (from max obtainable with black) but the the very high probability that the powder will be ignited in a way that disables the burn rate inhibitors. This then turns the smokeless into a high explosive with a "burn rate" that will cut steel beams when properly applied. This has been proven to occur in improperly loaded cartridges in modern firearms with Bullseye, Red Dot and various IMR powders specifically to my PERSONAL knowledge 3031 with reports of 4831 and Phil Sharp reporting from the late 1930s that IMR powders were known for this from Dupont's own testing.
So as Zonie states DO NOT use smokeless powder in ANY amount in ANY firearm not SPECIFICALLY designed and intended for it's use. This prohibition applies to ALL traditional MLs and large capacity cartridges originally loaded with BP in either vintage or modern replicas of early brass suppository guns.
Shooting smokeless powder in a firearm not specifically designed for it is similar to playing Russian Roulette with a hand grenade.
Many years back friend of mine found the remains of a "blown" Remington 1858 on his property along with 6 corroded cartridge cases that had been dismantled for the powder and bullets.
There was no way to tell the extent of the injuries to the shooter.

Dan
 
Just have to say I was hunting one year a little doe stepped out behind me. I had a cva mountain pistol 50 cal loaded with 40 grains 3f. Shot her with that because she was close less then 20 yards, and it was an akward angle to get my rifle gun in to postion. Went through and through, and she dropped quick...That did happen to be the last year I carried a pistol with me. That was in '93or4. Much of the thinking then was anti pistol for frontiersmen. Since then we have come full circle, but I got out of the habbit of carring one.
 
Just picked up a 62 caliber rifled barrel pistol with a ten inch barrel
Trigger pull is not to hateful.
Yet to shoot it though.
 
Looking at the picture a very nicely "gut" shot deer, bet it was lot of fun to clean and smell while doing so.
 
Richard Eames said:
Too close to the stomach for me.

DO-DO occurs. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Anyone that tells me every animal he ever shot was hit just like he wanted makes me wonder how many he has shot. Critters move as the sear breaks, with a FL this can be a problem got the deer anyway was holding at the base of the throat and as the sear broke she turned to her right. They see the flash of the pan and move if staring at the hunter. Sometimes things just don't work the way we want. Sights get bumped, I broke a shoulder on a deer at 60 yards when I was shooting for the lungs. I shot a deer in the lungs and ended up with a chest cavity with green stomach contents in it when I shot the end off part of one stomach that had insinuated itself through a hole in the diaphragm and well up into the chest from an old bullet wound that had broken a rib and holed the diaphragm but the deer was healed up and from all appearances perfectly healthy when I shot her. Probably a light bullet 243 or 22-250 etc. Found a lot of bullet jacket in some hamburger.
If the angle was right the shot pictured is a very good shot placement. But I was not there, don't know and frankly its none of my da#ned business. Nor it it my policy to insult people for no good reason.
Looks like a one shot kill to me.

Dan
 
Dan Phariss said:
Looks like a one shot kill to me.

Agreed. Looking at the blood on the inside of the forelegs, as well as the shape of the visible hole approximately over the last rib, I'd bet dollars to donuts that's an exit hole from an angling impact further up on the opposite side.

You're right on another count, too: None of my darned business.
 
I just noticed that "Claude" had sometime ago posted a very handy link at the top of the forum's page on ML Hunting Regulations. Somehow I'd overlooked this nifty link and perhaps others have as well. Looks like all the state game & fish, natural resources, or whatever they are locally called, are linked. May take a bit of digging to get to the ML info, be his link makes it an easy place to start.
 
There are many weapons a good man can use to take game, including ML pistols, if you follow a few simple rules.

1. Learn to hunt, so you can approach an animal, or have them approach you within suitable distance.

2. Learn your weapon thoroughly and completely.

3. When sport hunting, follow the laws, rules and regulations for your area.

4. Last but not least, like the man said, "A good man knows his limitations"
 
Yeah, it wasn't until he got the potshot treatment than I looked closer. Again, not my business. He's eating venison and we're all punching keyboards, so all is well in the world. :thumbsup:
 
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