Hunting with single shot ML pistols.

[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

[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 Attachment 183782shootingAttachment 183781

[54bore]

Attachment 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...-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...-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.