What is safe to hunt with a 1858 Remington

[bezoar]

Interesting that it doesnt have enough power for a deer. Im in michigan and last year my local paper had an article on some pistol hunters who were using steel copies of the 58 Remington to cleanly harvest deer at 50 yards. They guys interviewed claimed the deer dropped sooner, and went shorter distances than they have seen when using a modern highpower rifle to shoot deer.

And ive found articles in wich gentlemen who had been in the army out west in the late 1800's had found Remington and even Colt muzzleloading revovlers with a round ball to be good buffalo killers at short ranges.

 

[Dixie Slugs]

Seems like the poster was asking if you could use the Remington for deer, not what was legal in what state.
With that in mind......Yes, I have killed deer and hogs with an original Remington 1858 years ago. I used the gun as a backup, but there were times that both deer and hogs were killed out to about 30 yards or so. Lately I have been hunting both deer and hogs with a Uberti 1858 Remington Carbine (18" barrel) loaded with pure lead .454" round balls and 25.5 grs (by BP Volume measure). I have not run that load over the Chrony, but it's deadly at any yardage you would bow hunt from a tree stand, etc. As with all hunting, care about shot placement is the rule!
But.....don't underestimate the tissue damage from the .454" round ball. Round balls do seem a little more accurate than conicals, but that just might be my gun........James

 

[jim gray]

I'm pretty sure that my Colt Dragoon would have plenty of power for deer. I think that I could confindently take deer at archery ranges and a little beyond with a full power load and a 180 grain conical.

I do think that the legality issue is pertinent to the thread, though.

 

[riarcher]

You don't think a .44 with a heavy 3Fg. load would slay a Bambi at 30 yds. ? The heavier "Ballets" & Triple-7 even improves on that too.
Seems a .44 "1858" New Model Army probably done that and more when the "callin'" came in a "time of need."
I don't know, But I'll bet they'd be effective within "Bow Range" on anything you can hit the "kill" with for range. :imo: :m2c: eace:

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I have shot cap-n-ball revolvers for many years, and generally speaking the conicals have never shot nearly as well as the round balls. Individual guns might give different results.

The swaged lead .452" diam., 230gr Speer bullets (normally used in the .45ACP) work as well as anything I've found, and you can buy them much cheaper than specialized "muzzleloading conicals".

The hardest thing to do, (and probably the reason they aren't as accurate), is getting them square against the chamber mouth when starting to seat them. A little off to one side or the other can make a difference.

They are harder recoiling, (they weigh an extra 90gr) and probably "harder" on the gun as well. Round balls are my projectiles of preference.

As far as hunting? It's not legal to use on deer in West Virginia. At the muzzle, the energy is about like a .45cal rifle's energy at 125yds--though muzzleloaders always do better than "paper ballistics". I do have one Remington replica that is accurate enough to take small game at 25-30 yds and has worked on groundhogs (woodchucks) out to 50-60yds. It is an exceptionally accurate revolver!

Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly