Pistol Uses and Potentials

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Hanshi

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
Jan 21, 2015
Messages
1,542
Reaction score
1,025
I've had this pistol for years, have shot it and like it.  It's a .50 flinter and a real handful.  This pistol is very accurate and I have fired loads from 30grns 3F up to 50grns 3F but have never chronographed it.  Despite the size it can kick impressively with the higher loads.  So far, except for a couple of postal matches, it has been primarily a plinker.

Pistols have recently been legalized for deer hunting where I live.  Have any other forum members successfully used pistols of this type for deer?  If so, what about loads, caveats and general opinions?  I'm rather small and this pistol is too large for a "coup de grace" pistol.


PICT0369-1_zps544bf87a.jpg
 
I had a similar pistol once with the thought of hunting deer with it. It was a brain fade on my part, because it wasn't legal in Colorado. So, I got rid of it.

Then I got to thinking about it. My load was 40gr of Swiss 3F. Would I use that load in a rifle? The rifle would have more fps, because of the longer barrel, but would I ever use only 40gr of powder? I don't believe I would.

That doesn't mean it won't work. I'm sure some will come to this thread, and say they've killed deer with the load. Personally, i'd make sure I was pretty close.
 
The only deer I've killed with a black powder handgun was a small buck that was wounded when the rifle bullet fragmented on his shoulder. I was carrying a Ruger Old Army in a holster and put a .452 cast conical through his lungs at ~ 45 yards. He ran 50 yards and collapsed. It was very effective. I was using 30 gr. of 3f Goex.

IMO a .490 prb with ~ 40 gr. of 3F would be adequate at ranges of less than 50 yards if the ball could be placed consistently in the heart-lung area.
 
I can't help you with the suitability for hunting big game, but that certainly is an attractive pistol! Very nice wood.
Ron
 
Pretty wood!  I wouldn't go any higher than 40 gr. in a .50 cal pistol to avoid stock damage.
 
I have fired it a fair amount with 50 grains although my usual load is 30 grains which is very accurate.  That, as luck would have it, the minimum charge (50grns) for a rifle in this state.
 
Back
Top