Author Topic: Cap and ball revolver for deer hunting (Read 1353 times)

jcunclejoe · « **on:** July 21, 2005, 01:33:10 PM »

I am going to hunt with my cap and ball revolver this year for deer. I have a Texas Arms replica of a Walker. I bought one of the Lee conical bullet molds and have started casting some 20 or 30 to 1 conicals. (Range pickup from the BPCR silhouette range.) I'll get out soon and see if I can hit a deer sized vital zone target and at what range.

I took the biggest deer of my life with a Ruger 357 Max last year, so I figure I'll have even more fun this year.

I read through the hunting regs and it's legal to use during our regular deer season.
It should be a hoot.
Joe

Elwood · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2005, 02:12:48 PM »

You are gunna have fun.
Elwood

rickyp · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2005, 04:20:55 AM »

just be sure to keep your shouts inside about 30 years or so.
I used a ruger old army to take several deer as long as the shot was close it worked well but if the distance was to great it was not Good

WD45 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2005, 04:47:32 AM »

How much black can you stuff in that walker with a conical.. I think the walker will hold a little more than the old army ??

rickyp · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2005, 05:04:36 AM »

I was stuffing something like 45 grs of pyrodex p with a round ball

jcunclejoe · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2005, 10:03:54 AM »

WD45
I'll have to get back to you on the amount of powder in that one. I'm still in the casting stage but I should be shooting it within 2 weeks. No matter what I'll have to have acceptable accuracy before I even take it after deer. If I can't get the conicals to work I'll try the round balls again.

I'm thinking about this just for the fun and the challange, but I have to be responsible to the hunt and to the animal.
Joe

redhawk44p · « **Reply #6 on:** July 26, 2005, 01:28:47 AM »

My son in law took this deer with his Traditions BP pistol. It did a great job with 60 grains 2F and a ball.

WD45 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2005, 04:13:41 AM »

Nice Deer Redhawk.. :grin:
No doubt the walker will kill a deer.. distance depends on how much you can stuff underneath it and the distance you can consistantly put it in the kill zone.
On a side note you will usuall find one chamber that is the most accurate. It takes some time but may be worth it depending on how it shoots overall. If you take the time to figure that out then mark that chamber and use that one for your 1st shot.

jcunclejoe · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2005, 06:54:07 AM »

Preliminary results are in and it looks very promising.
I shot the revolver this weekend with the 200 gr Lee conical and it printed 4 shots into 3 inches at 20 yards offhand. The other 2 shots went into less than 5 inches. I'm certain the last two shots were aiming error since I was having to hold below my target.
It shoots 8 inches high at 20 yards. I will modify the front sight to get it to print point of aim. and I will check the velocity when I adjust the sight.

I think it should have plenty of power since I was using 40gr by volume of Pyroxex P. It sure whacked the steel target hard enough.

I found out this pistol is not a replica of a Walker but of a Dragoon with a 7 1/2" barrel. The loading lever popped loose on every shot but I put a stronger spring in the catch to hopefully fix that.

This is going to be a fun hunting season.
Joe

tommy_tsunami · « **Reply #9 on:** August 19, 2005, 05:06:59 AM »

Cap and ball revolvers appear to be illegal here in CO. In the regulations book, there is not even a mention of them, only muzzleloading rifles. You can't even use sabot bullets here in CO during muzzleloader season. It reads:

MUZZLELOADING RIFLES & SMOOTHBORE MUSKETS
a.In-line muzzleloaders are legal.
b.Must be single-barrel that fires a singleround-ball or conical projec-tile the length of which does not exceed twice the diameter.
c. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be .40 caliber or larger.
d. To hunt elk or moose, they must be .50 caliber or larger.
e. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber, bullets must weigh at least 170 grains.
f.If greater than .50 caliber, bullets must weigh at least 210 grains.
g. Shotshell primers are legal.
h.Pelletized powder systems prohibited in muzzleloading seasons.
i.Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzleloading seasons.
j. Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzleloading seasons. Scopes pro-hibited. Fiber optic sights and fluorescent paints are legal. Artificial light,batteries and electronic gear are illegal.
k. Sabots are prohibitedin muzzleloading seasons. Cloth patches arenot sabots.
l. Smokeless powder prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Blackpowder, Pyrodex (granulated, not pellets), Clear Shot, Clean Shotand Triple 7 are legal.
m.Only legal muzzleloaders allowed in muzzleloading seasons.

As for handgun regs, it must produce 550 ft/lbs. at 50 yards to be legal. Even a .357 mag has to be stout to acheive that.

John · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2005, 05:41:29 AM »

Good deal, looks like Colorado is making folks go back to what black powder/muzzle loading was supposed to be all about.

russianblood · « **Reply #11 on:** September 16, 2005, 07:31:08 AM »

I have a Remington 1858 in 44 cal (steel frame). I had never thought about using it for deer.