S Tx Buck with my 1841 and round ball. Some graphic pics...

[brazosland]

Was hog hunting on a friends south Texas ranch while traveling on business this week. No hogs. But got a clean shot on a nice 9 point that needed to be culled.

The rifle is a Zoli 1841 that was defarbed by Lodgewood and fitted with a Benton screw sight. For hunting I use a .570 ball, 65 grains of GOEX 3F and a .015 patch.

Had the wind in my face and I was hugging a tree along a fence line about 50 yards from the feeder with only a few minutes of legal light left. Wind is everything and with that advantage I watched five doe and three bucks around the feeder. This guy dropped in to see what was going on and then headed out right in front of me. Stopped twice broadside in front of me...he was pushing his luck doing that with G2s like those! And as it turned out, bad things happened!

 

[brazosland]

Shot was at about 40 yards (I paced it off later) and the deer dropped where he stood. In fact, I heard the ball when it hit over the sound of the rifle. Really was suprised by that...may have something to do with the fact that the ball hit right on the shoulder and a bit high.

The buck was facing to my right almost broadside, I pulled the shot in low light a bit high and right. You can see in the pic below the entrance wound. In the pic in my first post you can see the ball under the skin on the left shoulder...more on that in a moment.

He lifted his head twice and that was it. I always try to make a clean kill on game, I was happy with this situation.

After getting the ball out and cleaning the deer I came to a few interesting conclusions. Below are two pics of the ball. The front of the ball took a beating, there are several major gouges and the ball is flattened (It is a Hornady swaged product BTW). Very interestingly given the abuse it took the ball never turned sideways.

The pic of the backside clearly shows the imprint of the patch fabric. In fact, the deer was quartering away just a bit and the ball went strait through on that line. If you look at the patch imprint on the ball you can see the center is clearly off to the left...just as the ball entered at an angle since the buck was quartering a bit away. That’s a lot of energy, and at an angle, and yet the ball plowed strait ahead.

This is the first ball I have recovered from game. I always try for broadside lung shots behind the shoulder so I never get a ball, just two big holes. My .54 and .62 rifles also normally use 75-90 grains of powder for hunting. The 65 grain load here is just what the rifle likes. Plenty of horse power here with that big .570 ball.

 

[brazosland]

When I saw where the ball hit when I walked up to the buck I immediately regretted that the meat in both shoulders was likely ruined.

That was really the biggest surprise. Almost no meat lost. This hit with any modern rifle pulps both shoulders and pretty much makes them unusable.

In the pic below you can see my thumb in the hole through the left shoulder. That’s the entrance wound my thumb is poking through, the ball came from the direction of the camera. Amazingly the meat even right around that clean, round hole is not blood shot at all.

The ball pushed through, busted hard stuff that it hit and kept going. Bones were shattered but almost no meat was “destroyed.” Really surprising.

I may start using this shot to anchor deer. It also sort of explains how folks shot with lead balls and bullets from black powder weapons had a survival rate that seems higher than expected given no modern drugs. The balls just don’t do the same sort of mass trauma that modern projectiles do.

 

[rusty]

congratulations that is a nice looking animal you got there.

 

[tallpine]

Good shooting Kevin and a nice write up.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Great report!

 

[Idaho Ron]

Congratulations, I use the high shoulder if I have to anchor and animal right now. Most of the time it is because I can't let an animal get on private land. Or an elk into a deep canyon makes a bad pack out.
The Bull I shot this year was a high shoulder shot and dropped him in his tracks.

 

[Spikebuck]

Congratulations! Very nice buck...I can see why he got in trouble!

I shot a deer in the same spot only it was quartering into and below me. .530 PRB and I had a LOT of meat trimming. It wasn't "ball" damage, per se, but the shoulder bone fragments, both large and very tiny, were everywhere driven inches into meat along the path. The meat actually looked fine when viewed casually, but was full of bone on close inspection.

 

[Boomerang]

Nice job! Congrats!

 

[Notchy Bob]

Great posts, brazosland! That's a fabulous buck taken cleanly and ethically with a great rifle. Your conclusions are also interesting, and we appreciate your taking the time to post them.

I think that M1841 Mississippi Rifle, whether in the original .54 caliber or the "converted" version in .58, may be underappreciated now. People sure did like them back in the day. None other than Christopher "Kit" Carson said, "Whitney's Rifle [the M1841] is the best rifle to cross the plains with" (C. Hanson, The Plains Rifle, p.27). I have an original New Haven model in .54 caliber that I believe is in shootable condition. I wanted to hold off on shooting it until I could get a better assessment of the bore, but my brother bought a bore scope and brought it over recently. We checked 'er out from muzzle to breech and found a lot of pitting, but the rifling is strong and I believe it ought to be safe.

Mine also has the original sights... a miniscule blade up front, and a simple, low bar with a tiny nick in the rear. Hard for an older fellow (that would be me...) to see clearly. I'm admiring the improved sights on yours, which would also be authentic for the .58 "conversions."

Anyway, you have a fine buck there, taken with a nice rifle. Good going!

Notchy Bob

 

[Roundball2319]

Nice buck. I bet it will taste great. Great hunting and and thanks for sharing.

 

[JeffG]

Nice buck, fine rifle. Congrats!

 

[Tom-in-Pittsburgh]

Nice buck & write-up. I, too, have a Zoli 1841. Mine is in .54 caliber, has been relined by Bobby Hoyt & defarbed by Steve Krolick. Still working up loads for it & haven't had it afield yet - looking forward to that!

 

[ravenousfishing]

Nice deer Brazos and thanks for the heads up to check this thread out. Been considering this shot under certain circumstances

 

[hanshi]

That is a true mouth-watering monster you dropped. I've had a US M1841 "Mississippi" rifle for nearly 20 years that I ordered special from Euroarms in the original .54. The walnut stock and metal are fitted together as nicely as custom rifles that I've seen. So far that rifle has killed only one deer and that ball blasted all the way through, dropping the large doe right in her footie prints. I've fired the rifle a fair amount but haven't hunted with it in years because it is heavy at 10.5 pounds! But it is a beauty and crazy accurate.

These are actually .45 & .50 balls taken from deer.

 

[brazosland]

Those are great looking rifles!

There is something about the Mississippi that just draws you to it.

And while it’s heavy, it just feels Right. Hard to describe, but it’s sturdy, solid, reliable and yet smooth and easy handling at the same time. Some horses are made for the pasture and some for riding...this horse is for riding.

My other 1841 is an original barreled .54 with a great bore and an original lock dated ‘49, the stock is new but most of the furniture is original. It shoots better than I can hold with ball.

The barrel was drilled for the long range sight, I think 1500 at Harpers Ferry had this upgrade, and it had a windage adjustable skirmishers front sight on it when it came to me.

I really enjoy the looks of the 1803 too. It doesn’t balance as well in the hand like the ‘41 but it’s almost as handsome.

 

[Rodd Boyer]

Congratulations on a nice buck!
Good, clean shot placement puts them down quickly.

 

[Notchy Bob]

There is something about the Mississippi that just draws you to it.

And while it’s heavy, it just feels Right. Hard to describe, but it’s sturdy, solid, reliable and yet smooth and easy handling at the same time. Some horses are made for the pasture and some for riding...this horse is for riding.

I could not agree more! I'm glad to have mine. My dad had an original when I was a youngster. It was in excellent condition, but had been reamed smooth. I remember shooting it a few times with shot. Somehow, that one got away from us and it is no longer in the family.

It is a heavy rifle, yet well designed and pretty well balanced.

The barrel was drilled for the long range sight, I think 1500 at Harpers Ferry had this upgrade, and it had a windage adjustable skirmishers front sight on it when it came to me.

If it's not too much trouble, I would like to see some close-up pictures of those sights. I would not consider modifying my original, but if a nice repro comes along at the right price, I might just consider it.

Much obliged,

Notchy Bob

 

[FishnRod]

Thanks for all the info. Great write up.

 

[Smokinfeathers]

Congrats on nice buck n good write up