Hunting with single shot ML pistols.

[DanWalker]

Curious to know if anyone here has tried big game hunting with one of the single shot ML pistols. If so, what did you use, and what were your results?
Thanks,
Dan

[Omnivore]

Since a legal caliber ML pistol will range in power, roughly, from that of a 38 Special to a 44 Magnum, the results will be entirely up to the judgement + skill + luck of the hunter. The better the judgement and greater the skill, the less luck will be needed.

Anyway; a well placed shot with a 22 rimfire by someone having an understanding of anatomy and of the limitations of the gun and cartridge, will beat a poorly placed shot with a 458 Win Mag any day.

[johnson1942]

my cva inline muzzleloader pistol is 50 cal with a 1/28 twist.i can get 1 inch groups with a scope on a bench rest at 100 yards with a 535 grain paperpatched bullet. how ever tomorrow it will start its transformation to something else tomorrow. im going to ream out the barrel to .510 smooth and i have a 358 barrel 1/15 twist 1 inch in diam. 25 inches long im going to installl as a barrel liner for that cva pistol. the 358 barrel will be machined down so it slides into the entire bore and then use locktite to seal it in it. the barrel that sticks out will remain 1 inch in diam. it will become a nice 358 paperpatched rifle. i also made a shoulder skeleton stock for it. i want this as a small game hunter and target rifle and im sure it will do well as that. i may have went off topic but even though this gun was good as is i would never ever used it so now i will when i get it done. besides i like being creative and doing things that makes any gun i have better than it was ment to be.

[rodwha]

Revolvers aren't allowed as a primary weapon during muzzleloader season so I've been considering a Lyman Plains Pistol. I even bought a used .50 cal 250 grn REAL mold from a fellow member here for it. But even a ball should be plenty.

I've seen a few YouTube videos of fellas using muzzleloading pistols. They work.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Not legal in my state for big game, but I am bringing it for Oklahoma hogs hopefully next month as a back up.

[Omnivore]

This season I took a Northwest white tail, cleanly, with fifty grains of Olde Eynsford 3F powder and a .450" bullet of 200 grains launched from a 9" barrel revolver. Anything bigger, or a longer barrel, will be more than enough for any deer.

Just put the bullet in the right place and you're golden. That's all up to you, to know your limitations and work within them. That means you've worked out a load, you've got your sights adjusted, and you've done a whole bunch of shooting at various distances so you've given yourself a realistic idea of what is and is not a viable shot. Then only take the more-than-viable ones.

And so it is that target selection is really the issue. Knowing when NOT to shoot, for example. It isn't really about the gun. Understand the anatomy of killing, never take a shot that's questionable, and you can't lose. Get all excited, take a Hail Mary shot, and the gun's heavy projectile and Magnum power isn't going to save you from that ten hours of tracking a wounded animal before it gets too dark to track any farther. I met a young hunter this season who was doing just that. After we spoke for a bit, I figured he had an approximately zero chance of finding his deer. He had one of the Magnum in-line muzzleloading rifles that could have taken a Moose cleanly with a proper shot.

So right there's your answer. A 22 in the brain pan beats a 50 Magnum in the gut. Stuff like that. Get out and do it, and then report back with your stories of adventure and success. But first get out and practice so you know your limitations.

[54bore]

since a legal caliber ml pistol will range in power, roughly, from that of a 38 special to a 44 magnum, the results will be entirely up to the judgement + skill + luck of the hunter. The better the judgement and greater the skill, the less luck will be needed.

Anyway; a well placed shot with a 22 rimfire by someone having an understanding of anatomy and of the limitations of the gun and cartridge, will beat a poorly placed shot with a 458 win mag any day.

very well said!!!

[koger]

I have taken 2 whitetails, with a ROA and a 210gr slug, 33grs of 3fffg, quick kills, under 40yds. I have a Lyman Great Plains, .54 pistol, that can repeatedly hit tennis balls at 40yds, off a rest or rail of treestand, with 50gr 3fffg, 530 ball and patch. I have not had the opportunity to shoot one with it yet, but under 40yds, double lung, I would not hesitate.

[rondog]

Yep, ML handguns not legal for hunting in CO. And after my experiences with my own three C&B revolvers, I wouldn't even attempt it. A deer is much smaller than "the broad side of a barn".

[54bore]

I just recently picked up a .50 Cal Lyman Plains single shot pistol like brand new, i shot some .490 Round ball in it with .015 patches at 25 yards, accuracy was really good but it was hitting about a 12-14" to the left, i didnt have my brass drift punch with me to make the needed sight adjustments, the guy i got it from had removed and filed the sides of the front blade down a bit for a better sight picture, after shooting it i noticed the front blade was not quite centered, nor was the rear sight, i could see by centering both that it would give me the correction i needed, so i did just that when i got home after cleaning it. Now to get back out and shoot it again! I was shooting 40 grains of Swiss 3F, it seemed to be hitting HARD. I was very impressed with accuracy, i plan to chronograph it soon and see what its actually doing? If all goes well, and after some more testing i plan to shoot a Cat with it, a big Cat! It is not Legal to hunt deer or elk with a muzzle loading pistol here in Idaho, but is legal to hunt Cougar (Mountain Lion)

[DanWalker]

I have no intention of using a BP revolver. I am looking for a good accurate ML handgun for hunting big game. Mostly, I am thinking, Antelope at archery distances. I hunt a waterhole where shots under 40 yards are the norm. I have a nice TC renegade 50 I'd trade for the right BP pistol, if anyone is interested.
Looking for something like this.

[rodwha]

Yep, ML handguns not legal for hunting in CO. And after my experiences with my own three C&B revolvers, I wouldn't even attempt it. A deer is much smaller than "the broad side of a barn".

I'm no pistolero but offhand my 2 revolvers are more than adequate to probably 25 yds (the longest the range offered was 15 yds), but I'd want to use a rest. Offhand and at 15 yds my groups with a 35 grn charge of 3F Olde E or T7 with my 195 grn WFN boolit gives me as small as a 3" group and has more energy than a standard .45 Colt (not speaking of Cowboy loads).

But then the match shooters get adequate groups as far as 50 yds, though usually with a ball, which, at that distance, probably isn't a good choice. But to imply these aren't humane and adequate choices isn't true, at least not for all. Just because you can't group well enough for a vitals shot doesn't mean it's not so.

[dondiego]

I have no intention of using a BP revolver. I am looking for a good accurate ML handgun for hunting big game. Mostly, I am thinking, Antelope at archery distances. I hunt a waterhole where shots under 40 yards are the norm. I have a nice TC renegade 50 I'd trade for the right BP pistol, if anyone is interested.
Looking for something like this.

That appears to be a TC Patriot pistol. I have both the .36 and the .45. I would prefer to hunt with the Lyman .50 cal.

[Omnivore]

Revolver or single shot; it's much the same thing except for the number of shots at your immediate disposal.

In my state (WA) they don't address revolvers for big game during muzzleloader season. They do have minimum caliber, powder charge, and barrel length requirements for pistols though, so I made sure my revolver exceeded those requirements. That meant it had to be a Colt Walker as no other production "muzzleloading" revolver would meet all those requirements exactly.

For the multi-shot issue, I went with their clearly-stated requirement for a double barreled rifle, which says that only one of the two barrels can be "loaded" (which they define elsewhere as being both charged AND primed). So it is that I charged only two of six chambers, and capped only one of those two. If I'd needed a second shot, I would have had to whip out a capping tool, rotate the one remaining un-fired chamber to the capping position, cap it, then rotate the capped chamber up to the indexing position, cock the piece, aim and fire. Not exactly fast, but a bit faster than having to charge and then cap. As it was I didn't need a second shot, but I thought it was a good and proper idea to have one somewhat available, given that the rifle regs allowed it.

Therefore I believe I have "good standing". Should I ever be confronted about it by the fish and game department I can point to specific language in the regs which say that I did everything by the book, in good faith, even though they make no specific mention of revolvers in this context (only "pistols" which can mean either single shor or multi-shot)

Interestingly, many of the in-line, single shot pistols, such as the CVA Optima and others, are NOT legal in WA for muzzleloader season because they cover up the primer when the action is closed. It'd have to be a more traditional design like the TC Patriot or the Lyman if you wanted a single shot. Thus my Walker revolver is actually more "Kosher" than some of the singleshots, is the point. Go figure.

[725]

I use the T/C Scout. They came in .45, .50, & .54. Very strong and can take tremendous loads. Took off the red dot and just put a Weaver 2.5 x 8 pistol scope on it and zeroed it today. I'm shooting it light (70 grs Triple Seven and a patched .535 RB.). It's a meat maker. If you can find one, it's one of the pistols you want.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

The CVA Optima you can install the northwest breech plug and firing pin assembly and use musket caps. Its ignition source is then exposed.

[Omnivore]

The CVA Optima you can install the northwest breech plug and firing pin assembly and use musket caps. Its ignition source is then exposed.

I did not know that. I'll look into it. Thanks.

[54bore]

The CVA Optima you can install the northwest breech plug and firing pin assembly and use musket caps. Its ignition source is then exposed.

I recently seen a CVA Accura v2 in a Wa pawn shop, it was a brand new gun. Anyway it had that breech plug you speak of, you could unscrew it by hand. This particular gun was a break barrel, with a Bergara barrel, the gun was stainless under a black nitride coating, call it their Northwesterner line i believe? The breech plug has little windows milled into it so that the Musket Cap is exposed to the elements. I know VERY little about inlines, i have never owned one, but thought this was a neat idea.

[Nit Wit]

I use pistols that you don't have to set the trigger to fire. Animals can hear a metallic click along ways away.
NW

[54bore]

I use pistols that you don't have to set the trigger to fire. Animals can hear a metallic click along ways away.
NW

Very true! Some critters are more tolerable than others, These Whitetail deer around here have ZERO tolerance for any 'odd' out of place noise' etc. Whitetail will RARELY stop and look back once spooked, When they 'turn and burn' its likely they wont settle down til they enter another county. The only time you witness stupidity is during the Rut, and its a narrow little window

[Omnivore]

This season's White Tail buck saw me up in the tree about a second before I saw him. We were looking one another in the eye. I think there were two things that kept him from bolting. First is, he was really interested in the doe scent I had placed in the bush there, not ten minutes before. Second; I was up in a tree. Mr. buck just couldn't reconcile that strange "thing" up in a tree, and he was craning his neck at me as if to get a closer look. Yes; deer do sometimes exhibit curiosity. I’ve seen it before.

I had to un-snap the retaining strap on my holster, the sound of which visibly gets a reaction from him, then very slowly draw it and bring it up into a firing position, Mr. buck still having his eyes glued to mine. When I cocked the revolver of course it makes that "clickety click" sound. He's only sixteen yards away and so the sound is right in his face. He perks up rather frantically at the sound, then, presumably deciding it’s about time to move along. He turns sideways with one step and pauses, presenting a perfect shot, and only just begins to take another step as he gets hit (that’s why the bullet struck the “elbow” on the far side – he had his off-side leg raised in the early process of taking a step).

On three other hunting occasions I've flushed White Tails out of the brush and they bolted, only to stop and turn broadside and look back after running 50 to 85 yards, presenting a shot...BANG!. Dead deer.

Col. Jeff Cooper noted that all of the ruminating quadrupeds, on any continent, tend to do that. About 60 percent of the time, when running from an unknown, sudden "threat" they'll get out a ways, then pause, turn and look back. That has been my experience with our Northwest White Tails also, many, many times over the course of fifty+ years in the woods and fields of the Inland Northwest. For pistol hunters that doesn't help, because they'll almost certainly be out of decent pistol range at the stage, but for any rifle hunter it presents a good number of one's opportunities.

[Omnivore]

It may be worth noting that the exposed hammer gun (single shot, lever action, etc.) provides the opportunity for the silent cock. Pull the trigger, bring the hammer all the way back while holding the trigger back, then, while holding the hammer back, release the trigger, then lower the hammer onto the full cock notch.

It's dead silent, and with just a little bit of practice it can become second-nature. That cannot be done with a revolver.

Some experienced hunters have asserted that the lever action should be carried with an empty chamber, that a chambered round is unnecessary because one can chamber a round while mounting the rifle and therefore there is no time lost. That fails to take into account the great big noise it makes though, as you rack the lever. I therefore reject the premise. Too many of my deer have been taken at such close range that such a loud noise would have changed the outcome.

I decided NOT to take my Remington revolving carbine this year because it cocks do damned loudly, with the shoulder stock acting as a sound board. The Walker cocks much more quietly, and maybe I can attribute its lower cocking-noise level to my success in this case.

[John Boy]

Not legal in my state for big game, but I am bringing it for Oklahoma hogs hopefully next month as a back up. Single Shot at a hog doing 30 mph? Good Luck :mrgreen:

[54bore]

Omnivore, I will agree that mileage can definately vary from place to place, and if on private land where they are not bothered that is a WHOLE different story!! the deer season opens here the 10th of Oct and runs all the way through Dec 1st, before the season, and about a week in the season i see LOTS of small basket horn bucks (young 2 and 3pt bucks) that i consider dumb to whitetail standards, after about a week of being hunted they wisen up BIG TIME!! I have seen deer 3 and 400 yards away that had no reason to be spooked of me TURN AND BURN! The big mature whitetail bucks RARELY make a mistake, The Rut is what gets them! You rarely see a mature buck brought in around here until the Rut, you see lots of little basket rack bucks brought in, but very RARE you see a big mature whitetail buck killed in the front of the season on PUBLIC LAND. I lived on the Wa coast for 38 years, i grew up hunting blacktail deer there, and Mule deer in Eastern Wa, i never missed a season from the time i was old enough to hunt, and i killed a deer every year. These Whitetail deer Schooled me the first couple years! Absolutely no comparison!! I killed a Mule deer buck in Eastern Wa 2005 that was in the top 10 biggest P&Y bucks at that time, That buck was on public land with a BAJILLION hunters and he was a DUMMY compared to a Mature whitetail buck. I'm not gonna get in a pissing contest over it, but i stand my ground that Mature whitetail bucks are by FAR AND AWAY the smartest of the 3 species

[54bore]

These are what i consider 'basket horn toe heads' this is my wife's deer this year, and me with a last day of the sseason buck a few years ago that i normally wouldn't even consider 183782shooting183781

[54bore]

183783

This is what i consider a decent mature buck, not big, just decent. I killed this buck in the rutt, he was hanging tight with a hot doe and not gonna budge! These are the caliber of bucks that dont allow many mistakes OTHER than the Rut! Toe heads are a different story. Try and unsnap your holster, and click your hammer back on a buck like this at ANY yardage, SEE YA!!

[Texas by God]

My .54 Plains Pistol is carried along for close range turkeys from the blind. Works great. I use 60grs RS Pyrodex and .530 prb. Once a nice 8point emerged from the oaks at 44 feet away. I did the silent cock as I brought the pistol up and that ball hit him in the sternum hard enough to sit him down on his butt as he fell over.the slightly flattened ball was recovered from his paunch. Based on my example of one I would say it works for close range deer. Best, Thomas.

[Newtire]

Google up a guy named Hovey Smith. He has hunted & shot all kinds & sizes of game with every kind of black powder gun there is-including pistols & revolvers. Has some E-books on the subject & is contributing black powder Gun Digest guy. Real straight shooter.

https://hoveysknivesofchina.com/2011/05/13/wild-hog-killing-with-black-powder-pistols-hunting-with-percussion-revolvers-muzzleloading-revolver-hunting-pietta-1858-revolver-muzzleloading-pistols-for-wild-hogs-wild-hog-hunting-bounty-pisto/

[54bore]

Google up a guy named Hovey Smith. He has hunted & shot all kinds & sizes of game with every kind of black powder gun there is-including pistols & revolvers. Has some E-books on the subject & is contributing black powder Gun Digest guy. Real straight shooter.

https://hoveysknivesofchina.com/2011/05/13/wild-hog-killing-with-black-powder-pistols-hunting-with-percussion-revolvers-muzzleloading-revolver-hunting-pietta-1858-revolver-muzzleloading-pistols-for-wild-hogs-wild-hog-hunting-bounty-pisto/

Hovey Smith is quite the character, definatey has been there, done that with about everything blackpowder. I subscribed to his Youtube channel and enjoy his stuff

[Newtire]

Seen them standing in a herd of a couple of hundred in the Bay area south of San Jose. One shot and there is now a herd of about "0". Good chance for a pistol shot then while they are standing still. Or, if you put a bullet from one end front to back with a rifle and he keeps on squealing. A big pistol would come in handy if you only have a single shot muzzleloader. Can't use a M/L pistol in Idaho though. A .25 ACP is fine though according to the law. They need to work on that a little.