Who hunts with an original single shot cartridge rifle (pre 1900)

[rollmyown]

Who here hunts with their antiques?

Is it a novelty, or your regular hunting rig?

What is your pet load, what sort of accuracy does it deliver?

How did you come by the rifle? Does it provide (experience wise) something a modern rifle can not?

Pic's Welcome!

[NickSS]

Back in the fall of 2009 I went on my one and only buffalo hunt to date. I decided that I would follow Buffalo Bill in the choice of rifle for the trip. So I chose my original 1866 Springfield 50-70 trapdoor rifle. This is the same make and model rifle Buffalo Bill used in the late 1860s to hunt buffalo for the railroad and while guiding a Russian Duke during a hunting trip. My rifle first saw light of day in 1864 when it cam from the factory as a 58 cal muzzle loader. Sometime in 1866 or 1867 it was converted to 50-70 CF breach loader. I loaded my ammo with the government load of 70 gr FFG and a 450 gr flat point bullet. This load shoots to point of aim at 100 yards in my rifle and gives around a 2 to 3 inch group. I hunted on a game ranch in Wyoming and decided to shoot a small cow as the owner told me that that would give me the best eating meat and I was more interested in meat than trophies. When droped off within sight of a small heard of Buffalo I worked my way to within about 125 yards of a nice yearling cow. This was harder than I anticipated and took me most of 2 hours to get to a point for a shot. I fired aiming high in the hump to allow for the extra range. At the shot the cow started walking around and bawling. I reloaded to give her another shot but just as I was steadying down she fell over. The rest of the heard moved off and I went over to see if she was dead which she was. I called in the pickup truck with a winch and they lifted my animal into it and carted me and it to the ranch house. My bullet which was cast from 30-1 alloy when clean through the animal and left about a one inch exit hole. As it only took a few seconds to reload and get ready to shoot the animal went down fairly fast like 10 or 15 seconds from the shot. I paced off 126 paces to where the animal had been standing when I shot her and there was a spray of blood on the ground to mark the exit of the bullet. I got 450 pounds of meat off of that critter and it was real good eating. In 2010 I went to Texas to shoot wild pigs and I used a 45-70 1875 C Sharps rifle for the trip and got four animals with it. The meat was good too.

[StrawHat]

My main hunting rifle is also an 1866 Trapdoor. Mine has had a bumpy ride in its life, documened in this thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=28334

I shoot basically the same recipe as NickSS, using either the Lee or Lyman boolit. I am happy with 3" groups and find no need to adjust the load. It certainly hits harder than the smaller flatter shooting 45-70!

I also have and use a Winchester 1895 that left the factory in 1900. Origianlly a 30 Gov't I had it reworked to handle the 405 WCF cartridge. My recipe for it is the Lyman 412263 boolit over 28 grains of 5744. Not a barn burner but certainly enough for deer.

[Olevern]

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/Olevern/DSC_6965.jpg

Planning on using this mdl 1873 French Gras for rifle deer next season.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/Olevern/DSC_6970.jpg

[Boz330]

Do you count reproduction single shots. I have taken 3 deer with my 40-65 highwall by C-Sharps. Two deer with my C-Sharps 75 in 38-55, and one with a Swede 1889 roller in 8MM. All BP and that is all that I hunt with anymore.

Bob

[nanuk]

an original 1873 Springer, 45/70, stamped on buttstock with the Armourer's (?) initials and date, "90"
used that for a couple moose hunts but never blooded it

then I picked up a Cogswell&Harrison Hammered double rifle 500BPE. Used it only for 1 short deer hunt for novelty, as it was worth more than any vehicle I had ever owned. Never blooded it either

[Marvin S]

I have two antique single shot rifles a Win Lo Wall in 32WCF that I plan to hunt small game with on a regular basis. The other is a Rem RB in 43 Spanish that shoots well but is pretty heavy to tote around. I don't consider it a novilty as they are effective.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Count me in the Trapdoor Club. They work as well these days as they did in the 1870's.

Rich

[herbert buckland]

44-40 Winchester low wall is my work around rifle,somtimes hunt with577-450 Martini Henry and Alex Henry military rifles,but when pig hunting I pick up my original 1865 Spencer repeater,not a singl shot but it does have a cutt off

[Dirty30]

Most of the rifles I hunt with are "antiques." My Model 54 winchester is in it's third generation of making meat. When I hunt elk in thick timber there is no better rifle than the 1895 .405 winchester. It is a bit of a novelty, but at the same time...it's what I have. I don't have a pet load for my model 54 because it loves cheap store bought ammo for some reason. I like to hunt mulies with an 1894 32-40. I use a 165gr. cast with 24.5 gr. of 3031 and a remington 9 1/2 primer. It'll knock around a PBR can at 100 yds all day. I got it off the rack of Russian junk at Cabelas in Sidney NE. It needed a lot of work, but the Wyoming winter provided the time necessary to get it in shape. I don't care much for the feel of modern rifles, so it's hard for me not to be biased.

I just realized I missed the whole "single shot" part. Sorry for my old winchester chatter.

[Dirty30]

I'm in the process of working up a BP load for my 1873 Springfield, so hopefully I'll shoot a bear with it in the spring.

[Mooseman]

I am Loading for My .577 British Snider in hopes of taking a Caribou either this spring or next fall.
I have used front stuffers for deer and hogs in the past down south...

[raingauge]

Have hunted with a winchester HighWall, pre 99, in 38-55. Was using 250 grn lead, 20 grn of 5744, it did a nice job. Long story, but all my "old" guns are gone, I still like the old single shots. Only takes one well placed shot.

[Te Hopo]

Who here hunts with their antiques?

Is it a novelty, or your regular hunting rig?

What is your pet load, what sort of accuracy does it deliver?

How did you come by the rifle? Does it provide (experience wise) something a modern rifle can not?

Not quite, I would if I had an old single shot available though, I have a modern one and they have a real elegance and the ultimate element of sportsmanship IMO.

Well a novelty hunt for me was using a friends .44Henry rimfire on a hunt for anything.
He came across a Henry rifle from the late 1800's and brought it along with a tobacco tin with about 25 rounds in it.
He picked out the few worst looking ones for his collection and we fired off a few to check it was still sighted in.
When it was ready for hunting, we dressed up in clothing similar to an American frontiersman and he bagged a fallow deer and a nice hog with it while I nailed a possum in a deadly charge straight for me. :D

[wch]

I carry either an 1895 Winchester single-shot (1896), or a Model 94 Winchester (1925), both in 38-55 caliber.
I use a 255 gr GC bullet, load varies with the rifle.

[Boz330]

I bought Swedish roller in 8X58RD with intent to develop accurate BP load but could never be satisfied I had figured out a good starting load. What is your load?

Thanks,
Dalyoke

Never found a good BP load because the case held a bunch of powder and fouled out pretty quick. I bought this for the action and only hunted with it once.
It now wears a 40-65 barrel and some nice wood. I just finished bluing it yesterday.
To keep the fouling to a minimum I think a duplex load would work best.

Bob

[Chris Smith]

I use my 1889 Trapdoor on occation, it stops deer pretty good.

[leadman]

If I get a tag for elk this year I am planning on using my 71 Mauser made in 1877 or my Swedish rolling block made in 1876.
The RB is shooting good thanks to boz330 as he sold me the components to make her go bang.
I am working on BP loads for the Mauser with the Lyman .446" boolit. I have a load with the Lee 300gr RFN 45 pistol boolit that shoots real well also.

The RB will be loaded with the Lee 8mm Karabiner boolit over 4759. Will probably use around 25 grs of powder.

I also have a reproduction RB from Pedersoli in 40-65, a Creedmoor model that shoots the Lyman 400gr Snover real well with 24grs of 5744.

[Boz330]

If I get a tag for elk this year I am planning on using my 71 Mauser made in 1877 or my Swedish rolling block made in 1876.
The RB is shooting good thanks to boz330 as he sold me the components to make her go bang.
I am working on BP loads for the Mauser with the Lyman .446" boolit. I have a load with the Lee 300gr RFN 45 pistol boolit that shoots real well also.

The RB will be loaded with the Lee 8mm Karabiner boolit over 4759. Will probably use around 25 grs of powder.

I also have a reproduction RB from Pedersoli in 40-65, a Creedmoor model that shoots the Lyman 400gr Snover real well with 24grs of 5744.

Leadman, if you look over on the BPCR section there are a couple pics of the final product from my old 1889 Swede Roller and 40-65 barrel. Original action was built in 1874 and this is going to be my deer gun for use with my homemade BP.[smilie=w:

This was a 2 year long project, mostly cuz I'm lazy and slow.
Hope your 1889 is shooting good they are fun. I still want one of the 12 X 44s if I can locate one.

Bob

[RMulhern]

:violin:[smilie=w::groner:[smilie=s::(

[adrians]

Count me in the Trapdoor Club. They work as well these days as they did in the 1870's.

Rich

absolutely,,,

great rifle .. :evil::coffee::twisted:

[yamoon]

I hunt Ks whitetail with a German stalking rifle. 180gr gas check cast 25 to 1.
Mike

[Hang Fire]

Only thing I have taken with my .45-70 1877 JM Marlin Ballard #5 Pacific, has been a foolish jack rabbit that sat upright and gave me time for a rest shot. Took him out a little over 250 yards, was surprised when I heard the 405 Lee boolit backed by 63.5 grains of Graf 2F thump him and he DRT.

[badgeredd]

I've hunted varmints and squirrels with a 1886 produced Winchester Low-wall for over 30 years. It's chambered for 218 Mashburn Bee and loaded to mean data. Around my neck of the woods, it is a great cartridge because it is rather quiet and very accurate up to 200 yards or so. Since I can't legally use a centerfire rifle in my part of Michigan, I haven't used any of the old firearms I have on deer. I'd really like to take a deer with my 43 Spanish, just because.

I also have used my Marlin Ballard for squirrels which is cambered in 32 S&W Long. It's pretty darn accurate within 100 yards with soft lead boolits. I find the old single shots to be a lot of fun and a real pleasure to shoot.

Edd

I realize that neither of the rifles actually apply here as the cartridges they fire aren't really original and in one case not even pre-1900 but the rifles are so I figured I am kinda on topic.

[oldfart1956]

Has to be a ca'tridge gun...eh? I don't think they'll ever catch on but just the same...1884 Trapdoor...405gr. Lee h.b. over 65gr. Goex 3fg. and I've knocked the stuffin's out of a fair number of flat-land grizz!! Longest shot so far just over 125 actual measured yards. Working on some smokeless loads now and added a fibre-optic front sight (almost blind) and hope to reach out just a smidgin' farther this year. I really need to kill a deer with this thing. Audie...

[curator]

I have taken Griz, , Black bear, white-tail, Muleys, Moose, and many assorted Porkers with my 1888 Trapdoor , Greener-Martini .40-65, and 1868 Danish Roller loaded with real black powder. Something about that 420 grain slug that anchors game right there. The smoke makes it hard to see if you got a solid hit but often the sound is enough to know for sure. Having hunted with many smokeless powder high velocity loads I have never heard the "WHUNK" that accompanies a hit in the vitals with a large caliber balck powder load.