The Plains Pistol Graduates to .54" First Impressions.

Gordon said:
My hunting rifle is a fifty and so is my Plains pistol so .50 is enough for me, I have settled on 60 grains of fffG in the pistol and 80 fffg in the Lyman Rifle. The rifle takes deer well at 100 yards , the pistol is a good finisher if needed.
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I was happy with the .50" barrel, and it shot the "PA Conical", 240 grains well over 65 grains of Pixie Dust. I think that was stomping as well as a .357 magnum, and that's no joke. I'll use the .50" barrel again if I happen to use the TC Tryon/TC rifle for hunting. (or "Hawken", so it says on the barrel). As they can both eat out of the same feed-bag. I plan to take that rifle as my percussion "back up" rifle when up North hunting. Don't want to pack up and go home if things get really wet, or a main-spring breaks, someone steals my flints, or "something". I always take a back-up rifle.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
Have you tried holding onto the forestock, as if it's a rifle, right arm cocked elbow, not held straight out, (hold the pistol as if it has an imaginary butt stock) and rear pressure with the left hand, and forward pressure with the right hand?
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I have but the flash from the pan makes me think I'm going to set my sleeve on fire. (I like a lot of 4F in the pan.)
It does work better for accuracy but 45grs. of 3F does quite nice since I don't shoot heavier loads better. I would not rely on a percussion nor flinter for protection. It's legal here to carry a center-fire here for self-protection even during bow and muzzle season.
 
Patocazador said:
I have but the flash from the pan makes me think I'm going to set my sleeve on fire. (I like a lot of 4F in the pan.)
It does work better for accuracy but 45grs. of 3F does quite nice since I don't shoot heavier loads better. I would not rely on a percussion nor flinter for protection. It's legal here to carry a center-fire here for self-protection even during bow and muzzle season.
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Well you know...it could!! Are you left handed? If not, I think your sleeve would be far enough away from the flash. Yes, my Brown Bess likes a good helping of priming also. My Jeager, hardly any. As long as I have a good rifle or musket with me, I feel pretty comfortable with a percussion pistol, as long as I think I have achieved 100% reliability with the specific pistol. One day I did do a trek way back into the mountains, and just took the Plains Pistol with the .50" barrel, and one of my heavy/powerful bows. Wouldn't you know it, that day I got mixed up with a sow black bear and cub...so I've been re-thinking that combination. Otherwise, as second line of defense behind a powerful rifle or musket, I'm good with a single shot pistol, especially in .54" and with a ton of go-powder behind the ball for self protection. Next time I take the bow, (up North) I'll probably have my .44mag.
 
doubleh said:
Yeah, I think he is on to something with the looks. On the other hand, if it works, it works.
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It works. For me a must with the heavy loads. That darn Hawg, he usually "calls it" correctly about stuff. :cuss: Maybe in the future I'll wrap the handle in some buckskin, that might look better. Does kind of look like a golf club. :oops:
 
doubleh said:
Or a tennis racquet. :D Both are silly games to me. At least you get to drink beer playing golf.
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And neither one make a good weapon. !!!! I played tennis a long time ago, it was fun. Golf, I just don't get it. Well, no beer drinking when wandering the woods with the Plains Pistol. I sometimes carry a very small flask of whiskey in case I should wind up spending an un-planned night in the woods. Probably only holds two or three shots. And of course "medicinal" purposes. Might have to cleanse a wound you know. Never have tapped into it. It is a combination flask and cigar holder. I often tap into the cigar.
 
I played tennis in my younger days. I never golfed but when I drove dump trucks off road my site supervisor was a big golfer and was always taking a bunch of junk balls and trying to hit stuff with them. He was pretty good at it too. Anyway I asked him if I could bring a shotgun and try to hit some of his balls while they were in the air and he said sure. It's not easy hitting a golf ball in flight. Those suckers are fast.
 
Where I hunt during muzzle loader only season ; requires round ball and load from muzzle single shots. Rifle or Pistol of at least .45 caliber required , NO revolvers so that quenched my Walker intentions ! Also the use of my favorite Plains Hunter or Maxiball load which is much more effective in my .50s . So it limits my shots to under 100 yards and lucky this area the deer are coastal small Blacktails . 80 grains flattens the .50 balls out to about 100 yards . I use 3fff in everything these days , if I used FF I would probably go to 90 grains in the rifle . The Plains pistol is just for backup if needed, it has a couple times walking up on downed deer in thickets not quite dead yet.
 
The game laws, always interesting from state to state. In Washington we can't do a coup-de-gras unless the pistol "qualifies" as legal to hunt that specific game, which the .54 barrel does. The .50" is debateable. (not based on caliber, but "maximum charge stated by the manufacturer", although .45" is the minimum.)

We don't have any "guidelines" regarding projectile. I normally (always?) big game hunt with Bessie or the Jeager, both round ball guns. But my TC "Hawken" (Tryon) in .50" likes the 385 grain Great Plains Bullet. Still working on a ball or bullet that will produce accuracy without occasional flyers in any of my .58's, over heavy hunting loads. And of course, no need for a bullet when you have a .600" ball over 110 grains of 1.5fg Swiss, or a .690" ball over 140 grains of Swiss 1fg. !!!
 
hawg said:
Quails is mo easier.:D
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Truth. But they ain't no piece of cake! I think I enjoyed quail hunting the most. Grand-Dad's double barrel shell gun/hammer gun did well on them, as the left barrel was choked down like a rifle, I could take my time. !!
 
hawg said:
I've got an L.C. Smith made in 1913 that's full and extra full.
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A friend we hunted with on the front range used a Marlin Goose gun with the 36” extra full choke. He used lead BB shot loads long after they were illegal for migratory birds. He could fold geese at looong ranges with that old beater. Coyotes too. Hated coyotes…
 
Golf is a nice walk ruined by a little white ball. Played it myself, nothing dumber than a grown man or woman trying to chase a little ball with a crooked stick and put it in a hole 18 times. And who says you can't drink beer while playing tennis? And then there's Quail season, my favorite time of the year!
 
Every once in a while I find a fresh beer can out in the woods. I don't mind a guy having a beer with lunch, or needing a "maintenance" drink if they be alcoholic, but it burns my butt when they leave it laying and trash the outdoors! No excuse or justification for that. Yeah that torques my jaw.

Once I found a can that had been turned into a "smoking device". I was a bit worried that if I crossed paths with that guy, he might mistake me for a pink elephant or something. !!!
 
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Okay, ready to hit the trail in .54" form. 13 cartridges rolled, loaded and dipped. Cartridges and a capper...it don't get easier than that.
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The cap-pouch only holds five rounds, but that's okay. Additional cartridges in the shooting bag or pack, but I think five should do the trick, in just about any situation I can imagine. The darn thing does pop off with "authority". !!! And of course when trekking up North I'll have some patches and ball, and a measure so I can reload that way, and feed off the rifle or musket's powder horn. Cartridges for emergencies only, she'll be pre-loaded for the trip with patched ball. Which should take care of any "emergency", whatever that could be.

Next turkey hunt I'll take it just for fun, I'm thinking it will give Bruce the Moose quite a headache if he tries to stomp me. !!
 
Ugly Sauce said:
View attachment 1146903
Okay, ready to hit the trail in .54" form. 13 cartridges rolled, loaded and dipped. Cartridges and a capper...it don't get easier than that.
View attachment 1146904
The cap-pouch only holds five rounds, but that's okay. Additional cartridges in the shooting bag or pack, but I think five should do the trick, in just about any situation I can imagine. The darn thing does pop off with "authority". !!! And of course when trekking up North I'll have some patches and ball, and a measure so I can reload that way, and feed off the rifle or musket's powder horn. Cartridges for emergencies only, she'll be pre-loaded for the trip with patched ball. Which should take care of any "emergency", whatever that could be.

Next turkey hunt I'll take it just for fun, I'm thinking it will give Bruce the Moose quite a headache if he tries to stomp me. !!
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Would you mind telling us what the exact material is you use to wrap your grip? Looks like it might be baseball bat tape, or maybe tape for a (gasp) golf club! :rofl:
It also looks like it does a great job of helping your hand get a good, secure purchase on said grip. I would like to try something like that myself.

Thanks for your time.
 
Acorn Mush said:
Would you mind telling us what the exact material is you use to wrap your grip? Looks like it might be baseball bat tape, or maybe tape for a (gasp) golf club! :rofl:
It also looks like it does a great job of helping your hand get a good, secure purchase on said grip. I would like to try something like that myself.

Thanks for your time.
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That is bow-handle wrap from Three Rivers Archery. It is very tough and stays put.

For heavy loads I find it is a must. It does do a great job in that respect. I would kind of like to make a wrap out of some good buckskin I have, for a more "rustic" look, but I'm not sure if I can figure out how to cut it so it fits right. Trial and error I guess.
 
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