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Thread: Cast boolets, black powder and buffalo

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Cast boolets, black powder and buffalo

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    Hi all,
    some pics of buffalo hunting with my older son Zac. He used an original 1861 Springfield musket ( 65 grains 1 & 1/2 f Olde Eyensford, .575 dia. 515 grain old style Minie boolet) and I used a 191 year old Model 1819 Hall rifle, converted to percussion, with 75 grains of 2 f OE and a .530 round ball with single wrap of wax paper. The Hall has become my current favorite old timey rifle, its handy, accurate and hits hard.
    Big Goose

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    MOST EXCELLENT!
    (and nice hat)
    ..

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    Most excellent, and I'm jealous of the opportunity, the Hall, and the meat! Two iconic rifles, as far as I'm concerned, are the Ferguson and the Hall. Will never have either, but can dream.
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy alfadan's Avatar
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    A glimps into to the past! Great job!

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Nice choice of tools. Was that a one shot? and where did you hit em, from how far?

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Almost 200 years old and still getting the job done. Congratulations.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  7. #7
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Way cool.
    I want one of those coats and hat. There's only about 2 days a year here to wear it, but they'd be great for that.

    I'm not sure what to say about the buffalo in the picture though.
    Everybody knows you can't kill even a prairie dog beyond 50' unless you have the latest and greatest magnum.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Big Goose,
    As “ascast” mentioned, what was the distance of your shot?
    And if I were a bettin man, I say there’s a pair of Steger MukLuks hidden in that snow? It’s what I use exclusively and wouldn’t think anything less. My Quetico Style Mukluks(-30 below and better)
    I want to outfit myself as you did for my next hunt. Tell us more.
    Zucca 1:1 Kill Your TV

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Awesome!
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master scattershot's Avatar
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    Nice buffler.Congrats all around.

    Watch yer topknot.
    "Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"


    Disarming is a mistake free people only get to make once...

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Excellent on all accounts. I am envious of your coat, that is sweet.

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    this is a pic of one of the front quarters from Zac's huge buff cow.. most bison cows mature at 900 to maybe 1100 pounds on the hoof. That was the size of the cow I shot with the Hall, she totaled just over 500 pounds of hanging meat. Zac's was one of the biggest bison cows I've seen in decades of experience with bison. She yielded more than 700 pounds of hanging meat, that front quarter is just shy of 170 pounds.
    The coat was a gift from a couple dear friends who are often too generous. My wife showed dogs with them and I had done some scrimshaw work for them and so they surprised me one Christmas with it. They purchased it from a collector and supposedly it is grizzly or brown bear, was originally made around 1890, redone in 1948 at a New York furrier. It is really awesome . but is getting a bit fragile and the fur is thinning at the cuff and elbows. I only wear it for very special events... The hat is a Canadian cap, like those made popular by Ben Franklin in France in the 1770s. The body is heavy wool duffle, double thick, with wolf trim. Its the warmest hat I own. The wife has made them for about everyone in the family, some with fox trim, or otter, or fisher, and least one with bobcat .
    So here's a couple perspectives of the hunt; first from Zac, and then my own...
    Here is Zac's perspective-
    Cold, deep snow, some places waist deep snow in the coolies. Mostly between ankle and knee. Flurries and blowing snow most of the day. We were prepared, except honestly we could have used snowshoes. We were out in the cold from sunrise until 11pm. Never been more sore and tired coming off the prairie. Really a good hunt though. Many exciting moments. Full stories we can relay later , but for me it was the best hunt ever. I was extremely pleased, my '61 Springfield musket at about 80 yards on one of the biggest cows I've seen taken out there. Hit her just above the heart, she only made it about 60 yards and stopped broadside to me. I dropped my musket in the snow and cross drawed my rolling block pistol with those 180gr 1400fps hard cast 357s, she was way over 100 yards, 120-135 yards out and teed up slightly more than halfway up her body with a level bead and touched it off. I heard the bullet slap her and snow poof off her hide right in the kill zone. She staggered a bit and I had extra 357 in my heavy choppers so I shot her 2 more times in quick succession. Each time slapped her hard and the last one she tumbled over. Upon examining the body, my musket shot and all 3 shots with the pistol were less than 2 inch spread up and down, and perhaps 7 or 8 inch spread laterally spread, the musket shot was directly above her heart, one of the pistol shots an inch away from that hit, one pistol hit 3 inches further back, and one another 2 or three inches further yet. Every bullet broke a rib, and every one was in the lungs or plumbing above the heart. Could not be more pleased, I felt good with the musket but I knew that would be good. I felt ok with the pistol but now I feel supremely confident after slapping 3 shots in a row at 120 yards in the wind, standing on a snow covered slope and all into the kill zone on a bison. None of the shots went through both sides, all the bullets were in the heart lungs or far side. Very interesting forensic investigation

    Dad hit one just a little while ago with the Hall rifle, I handed him my Springfield musket and he was gonna hit her again but my musket misfired. The cap went off but didn't set off the main charge. Then she was out of sight, he and Bronc are tracking it now, I made my way back to Colton's truck and am warming up right now
    I'm sure dad hit her, she was running almost full tilt and, I don't know know maybe 60 or 70 yards. He thought he may have hit her a little far back but all I know is I heard his ball hit her good.
    Just recovered Dad's buffalo--
    And my perspective-
    I finally got an opportunity just before dark, same snowy coulee, a big cow was leading out a couple lengths from the ones behind her.( It didn't seem like they were running so fast, but Zac said they were really moving and maybe a bit surprised I took the shot.. it was kind of like the one I got with the trade gun way back in 05.) The 1819 Hall rifle fired instantly and as she was moving pretty fast, I figured the hit might have been a bit far back... but she left the herd right away , and slowly walked about a mile before we could get around her. Bronc dropped me and Beans off and we slogged through more deep snow a few hundred yards to the backside of the old reservoir dam and sure enough she was slowly walking towards me. At about fifty yards I partially stood up and she turned just a bit. She was almost straight on, just quartering slightly and I held a good bead just left of her sternum. The Hall cracked again and she stumbled sideways, that ball went through her right lung and pierced her heart. . She was literally dead on her feet but still slowly turning and started wobbling up the rise- she didn't make it more than a few more yards.
    The first shot was a bit far back,( I like to put the ball right behind the elbow for a heart shot) but went through both lungs, broke a rib on the way out and exited, the second, as noted, went through part of the right lung and through the right side of her heart, and into the liver.
    Some folks may be critical of shooting running animals, but these are wild bison on over 30,000 acres. We select older cull cows and have to be careful not to shoot through one and hit another. The opportunities are fleeting at best, and sometimes - maybe most of the time you need to be skilled at hitting moving animals. We shoot a lot, and practice from every conceivable position at stationary and moving targets
    Bison are remarkably tough animals, with enormous lungs, able to run 20 miles without stopping, yet the Hall rifle at 191 years old( Made by S. North in 1831) did just fine. I make paper cartridge similar to the ones for the 1861 Springfield, only with 75 grains of 2 f and .530 roundball with a single wrap of wax paper.
    The Springfield gets 65 grains of 1 & 1/2 f and a 510 grain .575 Minie boolet.
    Both have been absolute devastators on whitetail deer, and I guess on the largest land mammals in North America...

    Though we live in northeastern Minnesota ( maybe a half hour to the Boundary Waters wilderness area), and raised bison for a number of years, We have been blessed to be able to hunt cull cows from a big herd in north central Montana.
    Sorry for being so windy folks....
    Big Goose

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub
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    Forgot to say , sailcaptain, you are right! we aren't too far west of Ely and get our Steger mukluks there. And yes for cold weather comfort, and especially on snowshoes, they are the best! Mine are mid-height with the leather uppers, also have knee high ones with wool uppers, and an older pair with canvas uppers. They're all great! Maybe not so much in warm winter weather when its sloppy, but for real winter they are the best! Did I say that already?

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    elk hunter's Avatar
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    Congratulations to both of you. I've said for years I would love to do a free range buffalo hunt with my original sharps 45-70. Unfortunately that dream has all but expired. I wouldn't make it 100' in that kind of snow.

    Again, WELL DONE! and congratulations on a hunt done the proper way with vintage rifles.
    BIG OR SMALL I LIKE THEM ALL, 577 TO 22 HORNET.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Best meat there is. Very glad you shared this hunt with us. Just excellent.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub Mikedominick's Avatar
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    Great story and pictures, you win the day!

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Wow, just wow.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Congrats on a great hunt. I sure wish we had buffalo out west in Oregon...

    Tony
    Hi, my name is Tony and I'm addicted to gunpowder.

    AKA Geezerbiker

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    Great Hunt….thank you for your story! I have to go look at the Steger style you have though.
    Enjoy your reward of the hunt.
    Zucca 1:1 Kill Your TV

  20. #20
    Moderator Emeritus


    MrWolf's Avatar
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    Thank you. Great telling and description. Very impressed and the fact you did it with your son makes it so much more special. Congrats to both of you. Merry Christmas. I love the hat also. Will have to get one.
    Ron

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check