What is your hunting rifle?

[Cpt Flint]

I find it interesting that deer are being killed with .40 caliber rifles. I shoot holes in paper with them but in this state nothing less than .45 is legal for deer. Obviously it can be done, but a .54 works a lot better. I'm the first one to admit that if a good shot at a deer presents itself while I'm squirrel hunting with a .40 I would take it.

 

[A Wyatt]

I find it interesting that deer are being killed with .40 caliber rifles. I shoot holes in paper with them but in this state nothing less than .45 is legal for deer. Obviously it can be done, but a .54 works a lot better. I'm the first one to admit that if a good shot at a deer presents itself while I'm squirrel hunting with a .40 I would take it.

I understand your reasoning. I have used everything from 40 to 62cal including a 54 for a while. I did not go into using a 40 lightly but I found that within 50 yards or less at high velocity it is effective. My main load is a PRB and 65 gr fff Swiss. I am not recommending it for everyone as shot placement is key and there is many situations you have to let pass. I did experiment with double balling and took some deer that way but I didn’t like the loss in velocity or the extra attention needed to not create an air gap between the two projectiles. I will also say I experimented quite a bit with R.E.A.L. conical bullets and that made it a whole different animal in its self. My personal favorite is a 50 cal for deer in a 38 inch B weight as I think it is the most comfortable to carry and balance while still it packs plenty of power, but the old 40 has put plenty of meat on the table.

 

[Hawk78]

Been thinking of the ideal hunting rifle set up right now for Eastern Whitetail. I was thinking it would be along the lines of .50-54 caliber, 38 inch swamped barrel. What do you guys shoot? Im going to be using my .50 for hunting but with the straight 42 inch barrel it is a bear in the carry department.

How about a 32 inch barrel 50 or 54 cal lyman GPR or a Hawkins?

 

[Hawk78]

.54 flintlock I made in the late '80s...38 inch Ed Rayle barrel, 1 1/16 tapered to 15/16ths...

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Now that's awesome! Congrats

 

[Hawk78]

I’ve been hunting modern migratory and archery deer and turkey. I’m actually out crow hunting with the Jack Brooks Carolina trade gun 20 gauge right now and filming. One down. They’re not cooperating.....

I’ve already filmed the preliminary part of the video, explaining my absence, apologizing, and promising good things to come. I’m also setting up a modern hunting and rural life YouTube channel (Bob McBride Films) so I can get some of my waterfowl, archery, etc a place to be but BPTV will still be my primary channel. I’m also headed to a longrifle show next week in Ohio. I’ll film that as well. This time of year is hectic with hunting kicking off.

I’ve given the e-caller plenty of time off. Let’s see if I can decoy these black rats back over the top of me.

Expect videos coming pretty rapid fire when BP deer starts in just a few.

View attachment 47843

Cool, I think I may have mentioned this previously, but I'm waiting on my action camera to arrive tomorrow!

 

[Hawk78]

.54 flintlock I made in the late '80s...38 inch Ed Rayle barrel, 1 1/16 tapered to 15/16ths...

View attachment 47844

NCHawkeye, I'm from and live Sampson county, how about you?

 

[Hawk78]

View attachment 47821View attachment 47822View attachment 47823View attachment 47824
my 54 cal. southern rifle with a 38in swamped rice barrel, and curly ash wood and Bob roller lock is my favorite. i killed a deer with it 2 weeks ago. it will kill anything that needs killin is SC and is a tack driver with 75gr. of goex ol eynsford 2F,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I love this gun especially the ash stock and cheek piece, very cool

 

[Roundball2319]

I carry a T/C hawken with a 1/28 twist barrel shooting maxi balls. You guy are converting me to round ball though.

 

[EC121]

I use any of my rifles with a .54cal. 38" C weight barrel. They are light and easy to carry. This one is the easiest. It is light. Minimal wood and no buttplate. If I gouge it up, it doesn't matter.

 

[olskool]

I love this gun especially the ash stock and cheek piece, very cool

thank you sir! it was built about 20 years ago by Matt avance of TVM and it is a shooter,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Cpt Flint]

After solitary brooding for months on end I have decided that North Carolina produced some of the most beautiful and interesting Longrifles in America. We are about finished with the third one in Curly Ash. I have not found Ash hard to work with at all. It will produce a splendid finished appearance with plenty of stripes and curl. Rifle projects like this give the builder a chance to create something a bit different than the common Pennsylvania rifle yet retain the originality of an American work of art.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have several rifles. The two I seem to lean on the most is #1 my Hot Rod Hawken.

It is a 45 cal TC Hawken with a 1-30 Green Mountain LRH barrel. It shoots a Paper Patched RCBS 11mm rifle bullet, and Lyman peep and globe sight.

I use it for mostly deer and antelope.

The other that I use the most is my Hot Rod Renegade.

It is a TC Renegade with a fast twist Green Mountain barrel 1-28 twist. It has lyman peep and globe sights. It shoots a Paper patched Lee 500 S&W bullet.
My son uses it the most for deer, I use it for elk. I have used it for Deer, elk and antelope.

I have another Renegade and it is basically the same as the other one but it has a single trigger.
it uses the same load.

That rifle was my first Hot Rod. I used it for deer and elk. Now days it is mostly a safe queen.

I have tons of more pictures of game. The thing that I like the most about these rifles are they have all kept their sight in's for years. I never have to re sight them in. They are always on. and they load is consistent and lethal.

 

[rodwha]

I have the one rifle I decided would be the best for a one does-it-all-the-best-it-can rifle, assuming I’d eventually get another or three.

My thoughts were to find something lighter that can be carried all week long so under 8 lbs, and potentially through thick stuff so on the shorter side. I ended up choosing a Lyman’s Deerstalker (blued version with the deeper grooves) in .50 cal figuring the .490” PRB was overkill on my tiny whitetail, but could swap to a conical for large game were I to get a chance at elk or some such.

 

[dick rankin]

I have the one rifle I decided would be the best for a one does-it-all-the-best-it-can rifle, assuming I’d eventually get another or three.

My thoughts were to find something lighter that can be carried all week long so under 8 lbs, and potentially through thick stuff so on the shorter side. I ended up choosing a Lyman’s Deerstalker (blued version with the deeper grooves) in .50 cal figuring the .490” PRB was overkill on my tiny whitetail, but could swap to a conical for large game were I to get a chance at elk or some such.

Not season here yet but will be using my .50 Pennsylvania bicentennial rifle I acquired a few years ago. 44” swamped Bob Paris barrel, siler lock. #100 made by Jack Haugh. Shot a few with it so far. Neat piece of history. Kinda heavy at 10 1/2#’s though.

 

[hanshi]

One stays awake. LOL

Hanshi don't climb no more so snoozing is fine. I have a lightweight folding canvas chair I carry into the woods; infirmities make it difficult getting on the ground and getting back up. I'll snooze some but hunt with my ears. Often I've heard deer and knew what was coming. Most hunting has been with a .45 flintlock although the .50, .54 and .62 have taken their share.

 

[Ames]

You crack me up! I took my kids velour video gaming chair (legless) into the woods and keep it there all season in a contractors bag. I get to my chosen spot. set up the chair on a overlook........................and go to sleep in the sun! Anything walks through the dry beech leaves and I'll hear it! Hunting by ear. No more eye strain!

 

[Marshhawk]

My 1983 .45 cal. CVA flinter is my only BP gun. Havn't got a deer with it yet, but the season goes to Jan. 1st.

 

[michael mcghee]

got 2 one is a lyman 54 cal deer stalker. 75 gr of 3f and 18th patch 535 dia ball number2 is a 50 cal lyman deer stalker going to shot the hornady PA conical and the hornady great plains see what shoots the best .. the great plains shot ok last week before i forgot the powder

 

[rodwha]

got 2 one is a lyman 54 cal deer stalker. 75 gr of 3f and 18th patch 535 dia ball number2 is a 50 cal lyman deer stalker going to shot the hornady PA conical and the hornady great plains see what shoots the best .. the great plains shot ok last week before i forgot the powder

That’s a tight patch combo. Did you find it necessary? I have a .50 cal that I casually shot with .015-6” patches and .490” balls that I happened to measure one today and found just over 0.485” (Lee mold). I haven’t played with it enough or even used a good lube to say much from that perspective, but I’ve felt mine was fairly tight needing a bit of a whack to get started so I figured that should certainly be enough to see accuracy. But I’ve read some guns just need something extremely crazy to get good accuracy from.

I’m not carrying a hammer or wanting to need anything like that to get what I want...

 

[TNGhost]

I have been using a flintlock DGW TN Mtn. Rifle for a few years now, but you can catch me at times carrying my first blackpowder hunting rifle, a caplock CVA St. Louis Hawken.