The Sherriff got it done!

[azmntman]

Amen! I never met (in person or on a forum) a US Marine that acted like this. In the good ol days a Capt getting ahold of this stuff would ruin a Marines day right quick. We love our Marines and all service folks but if you're sure your the best maybe just be happy with that and don't try to have us elect you top dog on a forum about antique weapons??? My .02.

Thanks for the sermon!!

 

[Dude]

I shot him broadside ... in the shoulder about half way from top to bottom.. when he didn't drop I was dumbfounded.

I've been reading a bunch of Elmer Keith lately and his view is the smaller calibers aren't good for bigger game. He was a guide and had to often drop the game himself after it had been shot with a smaller caliber. He got so he wouldn't guide anyone with a smaller caliber gun. Just because it's got high velocity doesn't mean it'll drop the game. Elmer was a master at all firearms and hunting - you should read his magazine articles.

 

[azmntman]

When the kids were young they dropped many cow elk with a small caliber modern rifle, A magnum wouldn't have killed any of them any faster as all were thru and thru chest shots, double lung seen em fall type hunts. My kids could hit what they aimed at before we even let em hunt tree rats. See your point though. Hard to be over gunned if you can still carry it on your shoulder!

 

[Dude]

Elmer talks about the high speed smaller caliber bullets passing right through and not creating much of a wound. Better to have a projectile that expands and creates a large wound channel. I'm guessing the 'sheriff' being a .44 did that.

It might not be the best weapon for an elk, but a small deer - yeah.

Then there's the thought that a bullet in the heart will do the trick every time.

 

[Terrier]

As previously noted in other posts, it doesn't take a cannon to kill a small deer. I'm wondering how many 150lb (and much larger) humans have been taken down with a 44 BP pistol throughout the years. Thousands. If it'll take down a man, it'll take down a yearling deer. "Tender Vittles"

@Sparkplug Dang nice job! Kudos, and carry on...


*Oh, look... Mr. Appalachian just joined "CN" on the "Ignore" list.
Some people just think they need to control everyone else and know more and better about everything. I can do without that...

 

[gibby]

I was told not to try, but I had to see. My goal this year was to take a deer with each gun I have, starting with black powder. After a summer of working up the load and practicing with my Pietta 1858 Sherrif I knew I would have to have a 25yd broadside shot with time to get a good aim. So, I made the decision to carry it for my secondary as most shots would be around 50yds. Then I would have it with me if the opportunity presented itself.

I didn't get to sit for the season opener due to being in S. Carolina. But I sat all day yesterday and most of the day today. At 1:05 a young buck stepped out and turned up the holler toward me. Once he reached 30 yds I moved from the caplock rifle and drew my revolver. I knew there was a chance of him presenting the shot. Either that, or he would walk another day.

As he approached the 25 yd opening in the fence and turned broadside, he paused. The Sherrif was loaded with 30grains of 777 3F, a dry wad, a cast Lee REAL, lubed with Bore Butter, and a homemade cap. I pulled the hammer from half to full cock, decided on my shot, and let the hammer fall.

The bullet struck high shoulder, in the brachial quadrant, dropping him where he stood. The shot was dead on.

He was small. But my family and I are about to enjoy some fried backstrap. And, I had a clean harvest of a deer. Not to mention, it was my 1st with a pistol. And the Sherrif proved some fellas wrong.

You did your homework, stuck to your limitations and was successful. Sure, the outcome 'could' have been different, but it wasn't.

And for all the naysayers out there, over the years I've seen plenty of deer shot with 'way more than enough' gun that ran off, by inexperienced and experienced hunters alike. Shot placement is the key, but even then, there are no guarantees.

Good on you!

 

[CaptainKirk]

Hmmm. IBTL

 

[Loyalist Dave]

SO..., when this was first posted, I remembered a magazine article decades ago where a fellow named Mark Baker mentioned his hunting load. A .490 ball and 50 grains of powder. Mark is also the author of Sons of A Trackless Forest, was a longtime column writer for Muzzleloader with his column titled "A Pilgrim's Journey". Neither of those two writing credits necessarily gave Mr. Baker any hunting knowledge, but... he was often out with, and shown hunting skills by, men who pretty much lived in the woods with their flintlocks. He couldn't do that if he was "unethical".

Well..., GUYS FREAKED OUT in the chat rooms about how bad that was to hunt deer. Funny..., Mr. Baker NEVER mentioned the distance. At 150 yards, yes for me, that would be too light a load, but at 40 yards, that would likely "get 'er done".

So with the OP's specifications, and the results which proved him correct in his thinking, no harm ; no foul. I couldn't do it, but that's because my state requires a minimum load of 40 grains of powder in a black powder hunting handgun, YET I would be legal with that load and a 90 grain .390 bullet from a single shot pistol.

In fact I plan to do it, but I'm planning on a Pedersoli Bounty pistol in .45, flintlock (they have a 16" barrel folks) and I think I will fashion a shoulder stock on it as well, like an 18th century version of the fictional character Colonel Mortimer.... (HEY the pistol's a fantasy flintlock so the shoulder stock isn't harming a thing)

Lee Van Cleef with a more modern version as Colonel Mortimer .... AH Hollywood, the revolvers were too modern in this movie. It was still supposedly the 1860's

Well the OP had a very nice hunt and a very nice deer. CONGRATS

LD

 

[Dobegrant]

Congratulations on a significant hunt

 

[Muley Gil]

I was OK with AH stating his opinion UNTIL he started name calling. Gentlemen don't do that.

 

[CyrusP]

.44 Lee REAL bullet @25 yards sounds like an equivalent unmentionable load that MANY ethical hunters have used for 150 years to take man and beast.

Anyone who read the details knows the OP did the homework, set his limits, and took the shot when he knew he was within those limits.

Well done!!!

PS: I’ve been following Elmer Keith for more than a quarter century. He was the real deal. He was correct about most everything but remember, at that time with the bullets of the day, he was correct about smaller calibers not being as effective. Todays premium expanding bullets are a whole different animal. Still, a large heavy bullet at moderate velocity placed right is VERY effective.

 

[BillinOregon]

Dave, I have absolutely no doubt your Bounty Hunter will get the job done if you do yours.
This whole thread prompted me to revisit the idea of hunting with a percussion revolver. The first time I heard of deer taken this way was in an article by the late gun writer Robert Shimek, rest his soul. With a cylinder as full of FFFg or Triple 7 as possible under a bullet with a generous meplat, I am convinced useful work can be done at reasonable range. Related to this thread, I posted on heeled bullets for percussion revolvers this morning in the handgun section.

 

[Sparkplug]

Dave, I have absolutely no doubt your Bounty Hunter will get the job done if you do yours.
This whole thread prompted me to revisit the idea of hunting with a percussion revolver. The first time I heard of deer taken this way was in an article by the late gun writer Robert Shimek, rest his soul. With a cylinder as full of FFFg or Triple 7 as possible under a bullet with a generous meplat, I am convinced useful work can be done at reasonable range. Related to this thread, I posted on heeled bullets for percussion revolvers this morning in the handgun section.

I started out trying to get as much power as possible. With that, accuracy suffered. There was no way I could confidently hit my intended POA. So I backed it down to the most accurate load, then did penetration tests to see what the effective range was for that particular load. Then I backed my limit up another 10 yards.

 

[Sparkplug]

@muzzleloadingat18
Here is the thread. There us some info in here.

 

[johnraleksa]

I recovered the bullet just under the hide on the opposite shoulder. Little deformation other that where it hit bone.

I knew it wouldn't have the power for a big buck. But with my aim point it had plenty to drop him at that range.

That load, distance ,and placement would kill any size deer

 

[Sparkplug]

That load, distance ,and placement would kill any size deer

For a double lung shot, yes. But the shot I needed for a drop required going through more muscle and bone (high shoulder). Where I hunt I need to anchor the deer when I pull the trigger.

 

[Rawhide67]

I've been reading a bunch of Elmer Keith lately and his view is the smaller calibers aren't good for bigger game. He was a guide and had to often drop the game himself after it had been shot with a smaller caliber. He got so he wouldn't guide anyone with a smaller caliber gun. Just because it's got high velocity doesn't mean it'll drop the game. Elmer was a master at all firearms and hunting - you should read his magazine articles.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a small caliber to others, but I'm not using a small diameter high speed varmint round. Ive killed bears with the same caliber I shot that deer with. The stars just didn't line up that day. I can live without venison, but I hate wounding an animal..

 

[mikesto44]

Elmer Keith said he killed an elk at 600 yards with a 44 pistol. Even though it was a magnum I don't believe it. But I didn't see him do it either...But

 

[Sparkplug]

Elmer Keith said he killed an elk at 600 yards with a 44 pistol. Even though it was a magnum I don't believe it. But I didn't see him do it either...But

 

[Sparkplug]

From the testing I did, I could never believe it to be a 44 BP revolver. If the bullet would even travel that far, it would have to be lobbed in. I think, maybe, the luckiest person in the world could.