Deer with a black powder pistol.

[300grJHP]

Is a 50 cal. black powder pistol powerful enough to hunt deer out to 50 yards?

The barrel length is 9.75", and I plan on using a 300 grain cast over 50 grains of pyrodex.  About how much velocity should this give me?

thanks for your help,
ths

[Graybeard]

I believe it should be adequate IF you put the bullet where it belongs. I have no clue on the velocity. I have one perhaps the same you have that was my best friend's gun until his death and then I ended up with it. I got it more because it was his and he loved shooting it than for any other reason and haven't even fired it since getting it but I've always intended to take it deer hunting one day as that's what he had hoped to do but died before he got around to it.

My plan is to use the Buffalo Ballets which I have a couple boxes of with it if they shoot accurately enough. I think they'll have enough weight and being pure lead will mushroom for sure. In .50 caliber rifles I've always used either Buffalo Bullets or Hornady Great Plains bullets which appear almost identical to the Buffalo Bullets. I'll likely also try the full weight Hornady bullets in it before choosing as I have a huge supply of them also.

I'm not real sure you're going to get enough velocity to expand a handgun bullet in a sabot if that's what you're planning to use. You might but I'd not bet on it. I'm personally just not an adherent of such in muzzle loaders and prefer to stick to pure lead in mine and heavy lead at that.

[Lloyd Smale]

I made up an inline 50 cal pistol this year. Load it shoots the best is a 350 lfngc out of a baillisticast mold with a knight mag sabot. I shoot it with 80 grains of 2f goex substitute black with a 209 primer. Bullet is cast out of #2 and it goes just over 1200 fps with that load with its 14 inch barrel. Gun has a 1.5x6 bushnell pistol scope on it and shoots 1.5 inch at 75 yards and 3 inch at 125 yards. Thats a load that will run with any heavy 45 colt load or 44 mag load. I wouldnt be afraid to shoot any game animal in the world with it. With 255 grain bullets i couldnt even keep it on the paper at 25 yards but for some reason the heavier i went the better it did. Im guessing the heavier bullet being slower out of the barrel allowed the powder to burn more effeciently. Its a finiky bugger. Change the bullet weight or even the powder as i tried both 777 2f and 3f and groups open up right now!

[Skillet]

I've only taken one deer (smallish doe) with a BP handgun. Broadside shot @ about 30 yds, both lungs, full penetration. Deer ran just a short distance before piling-up.

It was a CVA "Kentucky" pistol, .45. It shoots extremely well with the 250 gn TC Maxi, crisco/gulf-wax lube over 22 Gns of Pyro P.

Velocity is only 830 fps (chronied), but that Maxi penetrates extremely well (even though it doesn't always expand).

Sorry to sound redundant, as this has been said so many times before, but if you hunt within your weapon's limitations and make a good shot, your deer will fall.

Your .50 should be plenty capable if you work with it.

Skillet

[MS Hitman]

This is another one of these " I'm shooting a .50 caliber bullet and I wonder if it will expand" type questions that just doesn't make any sense at all.  The bullet is pre-expanded before it ever leaves the muzzle.  Whether or not it expands is a moot point; you are already there.

I've shot deer and other deer sized game with a .54 caliber T/C Scout and had excellent performance.  Like GB stated, just hit them where you need to; in my case I shoot game behind the shoulder.  Kills them dead and quickly at that. 

I do this with patched round balls as well.

[44 Man]

Sounds like a TC Scout pistol I used to own.  I had the barrel cut to that length so it would fit most SBH holsters.  Most people just buy a holster to fit the gun, but I found it handier that way.  That gun does not happen to have a Metalife finish does it?  Those were an excellent .50 cal hunting pistol and I don't understand why TC stopped building them.  44 Man

[MS Hitman]

The one I own is one of the HHI Specials from many moons ago.