Who eles hunts with Muskets?

[nightwolf1974]

This season I've been hunting with one of my Zouaves.

I shoot a .58 caliber roundball with 90grns. of FF in 2 of my .58 calibers. These two I bought cheap, 1 missing the front sight the other both sights because someone rigged a scope on it. I put bead front sights on them and Willaims receiver sights on the back.

The third is stock and I'm shooting the old minni-ball in it.

Next year I'm going flintlock and smoothbore. Does anyone eles hunt with muskets here?

 

[tg]

I hunt with a French Fusil snmoothbore or a Virginia smoothrifle neither is truely a musket but both are smoothies and serve me well out to 50 yds give or take on deer and are good squirrel guns as well when loaded with an oz or so of shot.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. nightwolf1974,
In the past have used our 3-band Enfield (Parker-Hale) for several Moose and numerous Caribou. 90gr 2F under a Minnie. Also shot many Grouse, Hare and Squirrel over the years. Oh yes, several Wolves and quite a few Coyotes as well.
Best Wishes

 

[longfowler]

a couple of years ago, I took a turkey with my flint club but fowler, the one you see in my picture here. I used 75 gr of 1f & a winchester aa12 wad full of 1 1/2 oz of #6 shot. It's also killed a few crows and squirels with that same load.I used to carry it for deer, too, but I now have lots of rifles for that.

 

[rkmeyer]

Club Butts rule. I am working on one as we speak. Still waiting for the Dog Lock (8 months) trs. Stock is sugar maple, Colerain 16 Ga. 44"barrel.
Good Luck
Dusty

 

[PGTMG]

I hunt with a French Fusil snmoothbore or a Virginia smoothrifle neither is truely a musket but both are smoothies and serve me well out to 50 yds give or take on deer and are good squirrel guns as well when loaded with an oz or so of shot.

Got to ask what is the difference between Muskets, Fusils, and smoothrifles?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Muskets are usually military firearms, with NO sights on them. They often have a bayonet lug on the muzzle that is used to POINT the gun towards the target.

A Fusil is usually a civilian arm, and has a front sight, but NO bayonet lug. It usually is lighter in weight, and often of a smaller caliber or gauge than are muskets.

It is also a smoothbore, as are muskets, in flintlock. When you get to the percussion era, you see many muskets and fusils being rifled, as well as being converted to percussion ignition.

A " Smoothrifle " is a smoothbore gun with both a front sight, and a rear sight on it, typically the same kind of buckhorn or notch sight found on true rifles of the same period. Often, the rear sight will be much smaller, and closer to the barrel, so that the gun can be used to shoot flying birds, as well as standing deer, using shot or RB as the hunt requires. With the help of a rear sight, a " smoothrifle" can be used to shoot a small ground out to 75 yards, or so, shooting a PRB. A Fusil, or Fowler, without a rear sight, is usually considered a shorter range firearm using RBs, simply because the lack of a rear sight makes it much more difficult to fire RBs consistently for small groups at the longer ranges.

 

[tg]

I believe that the term musket is typical associated with a military or milita gun, Fusil can be trade guns or hunting guns typical for trade to NA's or for civilian hunting use, if for militia a bayonet might be used original plug type bayonets were used on these, the smoothrifle is a smoothbore gun that has the architecture of a rifle, rear sight, maybe a patchbox, and griprail, cheakpiece, which makes it a gun to be aimed more so than pointed, this type might likely have a heavier barrel for stout loads of buck and ball, this is a very basic crash course others will likely add more.Often some terms started as a distinct meaning and were taken to broaden the scope of the meaning as time went on.

 

[varsity07840]

Original 1816 Springfield smoothbore flint .69 cal-80 gr 2F Goex, cushion wad,
.678 ball, .010 patch

Original 1841 Mississippi Rifle-Armory .58 rebore. 90 gr 2f Goex, wonder wad, .570 ball .018 patch

Original 1842 Springfield rifled musket .69 cal.
70 gr 2f Goex, .686 Rapine wadcutter minie 500 gr.

Original 1863 Springfield rifled musket .58 cal. 55gr 2f Swiss
.585 500 gr minie.

Duane

 

[pchwcf50110]

I have shot a dozen or so deer and 1 elk with my PH Whitworth repro. The 500gr. bullet tends to whistle through deer so about ten years ago i started drilling a HP in the end of the bullet on the lathe with a #2 center drill. My buddies who all shoot inlines say they can always tell when i shoot because it sounds so different.

 

[varsity07840]

I have shot a dozen or so deer and 1 elk with my PH Whitworth repro. The 500gr. bullet tends to whistle through deer so about ten years ago i started drilling a HP in the end of the bullet on the lathe with a #2 center drill. My buddies who all shoot inlines say they can always tell when i shoot because it sounds so different.

My understanding is that the Whitworth is an outstanding deer and elk rifle. Do you use a conical or hex bullet? I can see how it might have expansion problems if it's a round nose. Have you tried Lyman's flat point?

Duane

 

[musketman]

Does anyone eles hunt with muskets here?

When I was able to hunt I used muskets, I started with a .69 caliber musket and then went to a Brown Bess.

 

[JackAubrey]

Still working out some bugs on the P53 and 1861Springfield rifled muskets,will be hunting this year with the Brown Bess.Best regards,J.A.

 

[pchwcf50110]

I have shot a dozen or so deer and 1 elk with my PH Whitworth repro. The 500gr. bullet tends to whistle through deer so about ten years ago i started drilling a HP in the end of the bullet on the lathe with a #2 center drill. My buddies who all shoot inlines say they can always tell when i shoot because it sounds so different.

My understanding is that the Whitworth is an outstanding deer and elk rifle. Do you use a conical or hex bullet? I can see how it might have expansion problems if it's a round nose. Have you tried Lyman's flat point?

Duane

Duane, the Lyman 457121 "whitworth" bullet is the bullet i use. i am assuming this is the one you are refering to. on broadside deer if you don't hit some shoulder to initiate expansion with that bullet they don't leave a good blood trail. ribcage resistance is nothing to that big bullet. after a few such shots i tried the HP idea and results became much, much better. the elk was shot with the unmodified bullet and the wound channel was perfect. the bullet exited after breaking both shoulders and wasn't recovered. i have never recovered a bullet from any game shot with that rifle. i shot a deer facing me at 50 yards two years ago and the bullet entered the base of the neck and exited the ham even with the HP. the deer dropped in it's tracks. although kinda heavy and long it is a great hunting rifle.

 

[varsity07840]

I have shot a dozen or so deer and 1 elk with my PH Whitworth repro. The 500gr. bullet tends to whistle through deer so about ten years ago i started drilling a HP in the end of the bullet on the lathe with a #2 center drill. My buddies who all shoot inlines say they can always tell when i shoot because it sounds so different.

My understanding is that the Whitworth is an outstanding deer and elk rifle. Do you use a conical or hex bullet? I can see how it might have expansion problems if it's a round nose. Have you tried Lyman's flat point?

Duane

Duane, the Lyman 457121 "whitworth" bullet is the bullet i use. i am assuming this is the one you are refering to. on broadside deer if you don't hit some shoulder to initiate expansion with that bullet they don't leave a good blood trail. ribcage resistance is nothing to that big bullet. after a few such shots i tried the HP idea and results became much, much better. the elk was shot with the unmodified bullet and the wound channel was perfect. the bullet exited after breaking both shoulders and wasn't recovered. i have never recovered a bullet from any game shot with that rifle. i shot a deer facing me at 50 yards two years ago and the bullet entered the base of the neck and exited the ham even with the HP. the deer dropped in it's tracks. although kinda heavy and long it is a great hunting rifle.

I've heard people say the same thing about maxi balls. Over penetration, small hole, no blood.

Duane

 

[PGTMG]

Thanks for the enlightenment ( you to TG). I do truly appreciate how free people are to share information on this sight. :thumbsup: