Black Powder Rifle Hunting

ricc9 · #1 03/15/08, 08:33 PM

Are there any that use BP for there primary hunting gun?
I use a 50 cal Hawken for all my big game and love the old girl. She even has a name, as used to be traditional, she is Rachael. It's a joy to hunt with and keeps me in touch with my great great grandfather.

Mine...
Black Powder Rifle Hunting - The Great Outdoors

Black Powder Rifle Hunting - The Great Outdoors

His...

He and a brother hunted wolves and cats in PA, WV and TN. in the 1880's, plus he was a farmer. They raised 11 kids in a one room cabin in Sullivan Co, PA.
Black Powder Rifle Hunting - The Great Outdoors

tallpaul · #2 03/16/08, 09:21 PM

I don't hunt exclusively BP only but usually use one for deer in Ohio even if the shotty is available. I'd rather use it than the shotgun. Its either a pistol or the BP for me. I do not feel at a disadvantage with it thats for sure. I prefer it actually.

Ohio Rusty · #3 03/17/08, 03:01 PM

I don't have any modern weapons except for my .380 auto that I carry concealed. I hunt/shoot/plink exclusively with BP weapons. I use either a .40 caliber flintlock long rifle, or I have a SxS percussion 12 gauge for everything else. The Wife has a .45 flintlock kentucky rifle. I also have a couple of cap-n-ball pistols. With this combination of guns I can use either real BP or the substitute's like pyrodex.
I don't know why but I just never really got into modern firearms much. I guess maybe it's because I like fiddling around with my own loads.
Ohio Rusty ><>

hfwarner3 · #4 03/17/08, 05:46 PM

My cousin not only ONLY hunts with a Kentucky rifle hit built from a kit, he also only uses powder he mixed himself and bullets that he molds himself. He even makes his own charcoal with willow wood. Not sure why it has to be willow, but he insists that is the way to do it.

Paul72 · #5 03/25/08, 09:35 AM

I have hunted deer with Blackpowder only for the last 7 years, Both inline and traditional caplock and flintlock. I have harvested about 8 deer in Wisconsin and 3 in Alabama and have not lost one yet. I am the most partial to a Traditions Kentucky rifle kit that I put together myself.

stranger · #6 03/27/08, 06:18 AM

we always hunt big game with a 50 cal flintlock and small game with a 12 ga. percussion.
other than barking tree rats with the 50 cal for fun and to get supper.
our problem now is keep ing powder, the state says we can have just 5 pounds inour possion and with the hasmat fee of 20 bucks for 5 or 25 pounds, it is costly.. even pyrodex is off the shelf at wally world.

Homesteadwi5 · #7 03/28/08, 09:58 PM

CVA .50 cal used for both deer and bear.

Kevin and Laura · #8 03/30/08, 10:24 PM

I have an old .32 rock lock that is the most accurate rifle I own (bar none). It's old and plain jane (no fancy brass or ornaments) but it's a squirrel killer extraordinare!

I would hunt squirrel over any other animal though...maybe I am biased.

MTplainsman · #9 04/01/08, 11:55 PM

I hunt with a .62 English trade gun right now (smooth bore flintlock) I want to buy a Henry Trade rifle or something to that extent sometime in a .50 or .54 though. I only use flintlocks, never got into the percussion business. I pick up my own flints off the prairie here, and many flint chips left over from when the indians made thier arrow heads and spears can be found to use. Makes it more special for me. I always carry a flint and steel kit along with me to, and never any matches or lighters. Sometimes I get carried away with traditions

hunter63 · #10 04/02/08, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTplainsman

I hunt with a .62 English trade gun right now (smooth bore flintlock) I want to buy a Henry Trade rifle or something to that extent sometime in a .50 or .54 though. I only use flintlocks, never got into the percussion business. I pick up my own flints off the prairie here, and many flint chips left over from when the indians made thier arrow heads and spears can be found to use. Makes it more special for me. I always carry a flint and steel kit along with me to, and never any matches or lighters. Sometimes I get carried away with traditions

Nothing wrong with that.
Old mountain man saying,"The more you know the less you have to carry".

I once dug up a piece of flint while digging a fire pit, used it the start the camps fire.
Where else can you dig up your "matches"?
My next one will a be a rock gun.

wilded · #11 04/04/08, 09:10 AM

I have a .40 and a .32 that I love to just pickup and roam the woods with. I have taken all types of big game but these days I like to just get a rabbit or squirrel with the old replicas.

Ed Norman · #12 04/04/08, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilded

I have a .40 and a .32 that I love to just pickup and roam the woods with. I have taken all types of big game but these days I like to just get a rabbit or squirrel with the old replicas.

Tell me about that 32. I never did get a 32 rifle but had a 32 Colt Pocket Revolver, I think. That was a long time ago. I remember I bought buckshot in a 5 pound bag and that was a cheap shooter for cottontails in an old car junkyard.

What load do you use and how many shots before it fouls? I only shoot black powder.

wilded · #13 04/04/08, 07:01 PM

I have one of the old Thompson Center .32 Cherokee Percussion rifles and it is a dream to shoot. I shoot both 0 buck shot with a thick patch and 00 with a thin patch and tap it down. It shoots best with a .310 ball and tight patch but there is not a buckshot that size. I can shoot it with as little as 15 grains of 3F or as much as 40 grains. It is super accurate and I have killed all sorts of small game with it. It is light weight and a joy to shoot. I would love to someday get a flinter in .32
Black Powder Rifle Hunting - The Great Outdoors

hunter63 · #14 04/04/08, 07:06 PM

Just remember to "run up thru the smoke" after your shot, so as to see what ya got!

Tom Bombadil · #15 04/04/08, 07:09 PM

I have thought about a .50 black powder for deer hunting from time to time but have never bought one. I have seen some nice looking ones used at gun shows and thought, "Hey, that's cheap. I should buy it," but alas...

Anytime I start getting serious about possibly buying one, I end up looking at the TC Omega again and thinking, "Yeah, its a muzzleloader, but otherwise it is a single shot modern rifle." And off I go to look at the .308 section again...

wilded · #16 04/04/08, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Norman

Tell me about that 32. I never did get a 32 rifle but had a 32 Colt Pocket Revolver, I think. That was a long time ago. I remember I bought buckshot in a 5 pound bag and that was a cheap shooter for cottontails in an old car junkyard.

What load do you use and how many shots before it fouls? I only shoot black powder.

I use windex as a lube when target shooting and wipe between shots so I can shoot for an hour or more without cleaning. When hunting I use a mixture of olive oil and beeswax on my patches so it will not dry out. My favorite load for squirrels and rabbits is 20 grains of 3F as I do not need a lot of range or power. Works great and cheap to shoot. ET

MTplainsman · #17 04/04/08, 07:42 PM

I started out with a little Traditions .50 Hawken style flinter, and for $150 the little gun was a good shooter. I refinished it to a dark aged walnut and decked it out with brass tacks and rawhide. Little thing looked like a $350 outfit after all that, LOL! I love Fur Trade history, and enjoy the popular types of smooth bores and rifle they had over West here. Can anyone suggest a flintlock style such as a Henry Trade rifle? I am in the search mode for a good rifle, thanks.

Hunter63, I love traditional ways, and I love touching my gun off with a rock, yea I'm weird, but what an honor to kill your food with a buffalo horn off the hip, and a sparking rock atop your favorite rifle! I find most of my flint chips outside of the teepee rings, more then I find on the inside. A lot of the chips left over from tool making hundreds of years ago, seem to be the perfect size for my lock hammer. Little knapping is necassary, and they come in all colors too! I roam around with my striker and pick up anything that looks like it will spark and test it. If it showers at least two seconds, I'll put it in my pocket.

There is a man that moved up in this country on the South East corner of the Fort Peck Reservation, who's business is making flintlocks completely from scratch. I mean forges the barrels, bores my hand, carves out the stock from a blank, and makes his own locks I beleive to. Boy oh boy would that be sweet to own one of them babies, but I bet the time and price would be shocking. I wanna go watch the process, but I'll still look around for a "homesteader" type rig.

wilded · #18 04/04/08, 07:48 PM

you guys might like to see some flint I knapped. Of course it is a lttle big for clamping in a lock!

wilded · #19 04/04/08, 07:49 PM

I have a pedersoli frontier rifle that I would like to convert from percussion to flinter. Has anyone every done this? ET

hunter63 · #20 04/04/08, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilded

I have a pedersoli frontier rifle that I would like to convert from percussion to flinter. Has anyone every done this? ET

Never heard of it, but you can try Dixie Gun Works, don't have the site handy, if any one has parts, for a conversion, they might.