What is safe to hunt with a 1858 Remington

[hobbittcop]

I own a 1858 Brass Frame Remington. I love it and what a shooter! Just wondering what size game could I effectively shoot with it. Would it work good on fox, coyotes, etc. How about small deer at 15-25 yds (aiming at the heart lung area). Just wondering peoples thoughts. BP is really fun!

hobbittcop

 

[musketman]

I own a 1858 Brass Frame Remington. I love it and what a shooter! Just wondering what size game could I effectively shoot with it. Would it work good on fox, coyotes, etc. How about small deer at 15-25 yds (aiming at the heart lung area). Just wondering peoples thoughts. BP is really fun!

Check with your state laws on the deer hunting with a revolver, it may not be allowed...

You can email them here... PENN Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Rabbits with a revolver is the greatest...

 

[Rebel]

It should be ok for stuff up to coyote size, but being a brass framed model, you can't(or shouldn't) use the heavy loads in like a steel framed one. With a steel frame and heavy loads, and maybe a conical bullet, taking into account that you are able to shoot accurately, it should work on deer at the ranges you listed. I wouldn't try it much past 25 yds. though, and like musket man said, you need to check the game laws for you state.

 

[cayugad]

I am sure it would work on a deer at close range but you better be a good tracker. I think that deer is going to test your skills.

I use my New Army 1858 .44 caliber on squirrel and snowshoe rabbit and lots of target shooting but leave the bigger game for a rifle....

They are accurate as you said.

 

[Markwhiz]

I do agree with leaving the larger game for rifles........for the benefit of making humane kills.

But these Cap & Balls can be very deadly.
Three years ago my son took a 125lb boar with my Pietta 1858. Using 180gr conical with 30gr of 3fg Goex, he punched a hole right thru his shoulder/chest cavity and the bullet continued downward and went thru the opposite leg as well - excellent penetration. Here's a couple pics:

Shooting

Trophy

 

[cayugad]

Mark.. where do you get the conicals for that revolver? Do you mold them from a mold like a LEE R.E.A.L.? The reason I ask is I am shooting some 200 grain RN pure lead bullets in .451 diameter out of mine. The accuracy is good but no where near what I get shooting a plain old .451 roundball and 25-30 grains of Goex FFFg. I am always looking for something that shoots better....

thanks. :thumbsup:

 

[Rebel]

Buffalo Bullet company makes a .44 conical for revolvers.

 

[cayugad]

thanks Rebel.. I will look for them. My revolver is really fuzzy about the diameter of the projectile. I see from my LEE Chart that they make a 185 grain .44 caliber REAL and a 235 grain .44 caliber REAL. In .45 caliber they make a 200 & 250 grain. I was curious if it was one of them.....

I was thinking if worse came to worse a person could cast them and then resize them to fit.

 

[Rebel]

Cayugad, well, actually the Remington is technically a .45 cal. and not a .44, since it shoots a .451-.457 rd. ball, so the .45 cal conicals might work good in it.

 

I own a 1858 Brass Frame Remington. I love it and what a shooter! Just wondering what size game could I effectively shoot with it. Would it work good on fox, coyotes, etc. How about small deer at 15-25 yds (aiming at the heart lung area). Just wondering peoples thoughts. BP is really fun!

hobbittcop

With what you said.... small deer at 15-25 yds (heart and lung area) this gun would be capable of killing an adult deer at this range IF you hit it in the heart or lung area :imo: and if it is capable of killing a deer then a "Yote" is a given.
By the way Penna. Game Laws say you ARE allowed to hunt deer with a hand gun. You will need to have a permit from the county sherriff and a state hunting Lic. to be legal in doing so.
Woody

 

[Maynerd62411]

In Illinois,for deer, you can only use a singleshot muzzleloading handgun not capable of loading from the breech end of .50 cal. or larger , capable of producing 500 ft.lbs. of energy at the muzzle. :m2c:

 

[Markwhiz]

cayugad.....

It was indeed the Buffalo Bullet conicals that I used. They shoot as good as .454" ball out of my 1858.........although the full 30gr powder load is probably on the hot side for that brass frame - I only use it for hunting something that big.

 

[jim gray]

By the way Penna. Game Laws say you ARE allowed to hunt deer with a hand gun. You will need to have a permit from the county sherriff and a state hunting Lic. to be legal in doing so.

The permit is not required for your gun; they are only required for cartridge handguns. The hunting license will still be necessary though.

I wouldn't do it myself or even recommend it,but I knew someone who hunted deer with a Buffalo Revolver (12" bbl & adjustable sights). I know he killed a few deer, but he took pretty close range shots and didn't get very many one shot kills.

 

[patrblum]

I was told by the game commission that your not allowed to hunt with the black powder pistols. I was told they don't think there is enough power there. This info. was relayed to me second hand though. So a phone call would clear it up for sure.

Pat B. :m2c: :sorry:

 

[jimeckersley]

Just hunt things that can't bite or run over the top of you.

 

[jim gray]

hobbittcop,
Here is a quote from the PA Game Commission Code.

http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/058/chapter141/subchapCtoc.html

(b) It is unlawful to:

(1) Hunt for big game birds or animals with arrows or crossbow bolts other than those tipped with broadheads of a cutting-edge design.

(2) Hunt for deer or bear through the use of any one or more of the following:

(i) A muzzleloading handgun.

(ii) A muzzleloading firearm that is not .44 caliber or larger

And this is from the section on small game hunting.

http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/058/chapter141/s141.22.html

 

[hobbittcop]

An interesting question. What is the PA. Game Commisions definition of a muzzleloader. Personally 1858 Remington is a black powder revolver. I don't load mine through the muzzle. I load it through the cylinder.

Just a thought.

hobbittcop :m2c: eace:

 

[jim gray]

ahh, why'd ya go and complicat things like that. I'm stumped, I can't find that definition. According to the text in onew of the sections ddefinitions are in Chapter 102, and there's no chapter 102 in the online table of contents, :hmm:

 

[Maynerd62411]

I would think PA has a specific definition somewhere. Government agencies are good about over complicating the simplest things. :shake:
Illinois issues a new booklet each spring with hunting regulations. There's always new regs. each year. ::

 

[blackpowder shooter]

In my opinion, not enough energy to cleanly harvest a deer.
Great for small game. Would suggest a fairly close shot for coyote