Big game with Ruger Old Army

[Beerd]

How many here have used their Ruger Old Army to hunt big game?

Do you have any pictures to post?

Mine shoots pretty well, so it has me thinking .........
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[M-Tecs]

Will be using mine for the first time this year. Still trying roundball and conicals. Also playing with real black, T7 and Blackhorn 209 with a small amount of black kicker to get it to ignite.

[Wolfer]

Sadly I don't have an old army. I have however taken two deer with my 58 rem. Boolit was the Lee 452-200RF cast of pure lead. Powder was FFFg as much as the cyl would hold. IIRC velocity was a little above 700fps.

One deer was hit through the liver and traveled a long way. The other was shot through both lungs and went about 30 yds. Pretty much the same performance I get from my 45 colt.

In my opinion penetration is not an issue with these guns. If you put one in the boiler room the blood trail may( or may not) be skimpy but it won't be very long.

[winelover]

I use my ROA for hunting out of tree stands at distances I would shoot a bow. First season I used it, I connected on this 7 point.

151747

Arkansas requires, conicals for deer hunting. Mine shoots them rather well.....had to change the front blade to a higher one.....stainless guns have a pinned blade so a call to Ruger for a .455 one from a BH will be required.
My load is about 33 grains of Pyrodex "P", Wonder Wad, Lee 220 conical, and a Wonder Seal lube cookie. Fifteen yard shot thru the lungs and deer dropped within sight, about another 15 yards.

Winelover

[richhodg66]

A few years ago, I picked up a Kentucky pistol (one of the old kit guns) which was surprisingly accurate at 25 yards when I got the sights adjusted and the trigger down to a reasonable pull. I knew I could get shots at deer close enough and still enough from one of my stands I use in muzzle loader season, so I carried it hoping. Only shot I got that year I knew I could take was a fawn and our ML season is in late September and I just couldn't bring myself to shoot one that little. Never got another shot opportunity and kind of lost interest in trying the next year.

Most guys on here advised me not to try it, the .45 with Lee REAL gave about .38 Special ballistics, but I was and still am pretty sure I could do it cleanly. I know bow hunters using traditional equipment that kill deer pretty consistently. Just be sure to pick and choose your shots very carefully.

[pacecars]

If you want some real horsepower out of your Old Army contact Dave Clements and have him convert it to a 5 shot .50 cal, or let him deepen the chambers of the 45

[rking22]

Following this with interest. I have hunted with mine ,off and on, for several seasons. Yet to get a shot I wanted, but a great way to spend more time hunting! I have no concern that it can provide a clean kill with any shot I will take. I shoot a 200 REAL with a cyl full of FFFG, crisco for lube. Will start this season with the flinter and go to the Old Army for deer #2.

[Dan Cash]

I have killed one deer with my Old Army. Load was 225 Accurate Moulds TC lubed with my own lube over about 35 gr of 3Fg Goex. Animal came in to about fo feet; quartering neck shotclipped the spine and exited. DRT. The gun is roughly equivalent to the old .45 Schofield cartridge and as mentioned above, can be hotrodded a bit. It is a powerful piece.

[blindeye]

Not much help because a Old Army isn't legal for deer here...but I used one on groundhogs before I was old enough to buy a cartridge firearm. Worked great. One shot each, dead right there. My eyesight was a lot better then. I didn't bother reloading in the field. 5 shots was plenty. Always used pure lead round balls and Goex 3f with Crisco. Things seemed to be more fun then. Life was simpler.

[taco650]

Another option would be to get a 45 Colt drop in cylinder and use it.

[winelover]

Another option would be to get a 45 Colt drop in cylinder and use it.

Then it wouldn't be a muzzle loader, thus not legal for the muzzle loading season. For the cost of cylinder, your half way to a 45 BH.

Winelover

[taco650]

Then it wouldn't be a muzzle loader, thus not legal for the muzzle loading season. For the cost of cylinder, your half way to a 45 BH.

Winelover

The OP didn't specify if he was using his OA for a muzzle loader season. However, I realize the regulations vary from state to state and each one has its own twist on how they define things.

[stubert]

In New York, a muzzle loader must be single shot. Revolvers and double barrel shotguns are illegal during muzzle loader season. They may be used during the regular fire arms season.

[winelover]

The OP didn't specify if he was using his OA for a muzzle loader season. However, I realize the regulations vary from state to state and each one has its own twist on how they define things.

Even so......why would one use an anemic cylinder conversion for "Big Game"......when you could use a BH that covers "mild to wild"?:veryconfu

Winelover

[Bagdadjoe]

Even so......why would one use an anemic cylinder conversion for "Big Game"......when you could use a BH that covers "mild to wild"?:veryconfu

Winelover

Because...same reason some people use an Osage orange long bow when there are much quicker compound and cross-bows.

[Lloyd Smale]

shot two does with an old army one year. Dave clements bored the cylinder a bit deeper and it held 10 more grains of powder and I had a custom mold made that cast a 250grain wfn. Did a fine job. Got rid of both of my old armys though. Don't have the patients for cleaning them.

[winelover]

Because...same reason some people use an Osage orange long bow when there are much quicker compound and cross-bows.

Apples and oranges......... turning it into a modern gun with a conversion cylinder would be like adding pulleys to that long bow.

Winelover

[lobogunleather]

The Ruger Old Army easily matches or exceeds the capabilities of the Walker Colt, which was a very powerful piece in its day. Using round balls and a full charge of BP I would expect it to shoot completely through most deer at handgun ranges (assuming no major bones were struck). A flat-nose conical in the 200-grain range can be loaded to at or about 800FPS, so pretty comparable to the 45 Colt, .44-40, and .44 Special (any of which will easily take a deer within 50 yards or so).

Assuming the revolver is allowed for deer hunting in your state and you have become highly proficient with your revolver and load, I see no reason not to use it. Accurate shot placement will make more of a difference than the largest variations in terminal ballistic performance.

Many years ago I was tasked with culling the deer population on a military base where they were responsible for considerable damage. I used a jeep with driver, a spotlight, and a M1911A-1 .45 pistol loaded with ball ammo. Took well over 100 whitetails over the course of a few weeks, all with one shot at 25 yards or less, eliminated much of the game damage to landscaping and golf course, and filled many freezers with fresh venison. Not very sporting, but it was very efficient.

[44man]

I killed 3 with mine using a RB and 41 gr of Swiss FFFG for a little over 1100 fps. Dropped them as fast as my SBH, a couple even faster. I load the cylinder out of the gun with a tool I made so as not to put force on the lever.
Not an accurate load for far so keep distances short.
I wanted to get it made into the .50 but never had the money. That always sounded amazing.

[Beerd]

Thank you all.
Black powder with a roundball is what I had in mind. Not going to happen this year though.
Lobo, "become highly proficient with your revolver and load" sounds like very good advise.
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