Traditional rifle for hunting
- Thread starter qwert65
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I really like my percussion Lyman Deerstalker. It's not exactly traditional but it is handy. They also have the Trade Rifle and Great Plains.
For the money I think they're hard to beat.
.50 cal is plenty for deer and a conical can be used if the game gets larger.
For the money I think they're hard to beat.
.50 cal is plenty for deer and a conical can be used if the game gets larger.
Sunray
Member
What's your budget? Lyman or Traditions would be worth looking at. When I was looking into this a few years back when I had the money, the only really important parts was the rifling twist. A ball needs a different twist that a Minié. After that it's about your budget and what barrel length you want.
A .50 cal was rather large for anywhere before the U.S. Westward Expansion, as I recall. .45 and less was normal until trappers assorted started running into grizzlies.
A .50 cal was rather large for anywhere before the U.S. Westward Expansion, as I recall. .45 and less was normal until trappers assorted started running into grizzlies.
TimSr
Member
50 cal is the way to go simply because if you need any supplies, everybody has them, on the shelf, including Walmart.
I think you wnat to stay traditional, but I'd rethink the round ball. You can use Maxis or other heavier slugs that are still traditional, but perform better. It's only one case but I shot one broadside through the lungs and into the opposite shoulder, didn't exit. I found it the next day about 300 yards away. Searched for hours, and never found a drop of blood. The other one I shot with a saboted 300gr XTP was much bigger, and I blew through the opposite shoulder, and it bled all over the place, and made it about 10'. Just anecdotes of the only two I shot with 50 cal muzzie, and they both died, but I really felt that 147gr round ball did not do enough damage. Both were similar shots, about 30 yards.
Mine gun was a Bass Pro Shops Hawken kit, percussion, super cheap and no frills.
I think you wnat to stay traditional, but I'd rethink the round ball. You can use Maxis or other heavier slugs that are still traditional, but perform better. It's only one case but I shot one broadside through the lungs and into the opposite shoulder, didn't exit. I found it the next day about 300 yards away. Searched for hours, and never found a drop of blood. The other one I shot with a saboted 300gr XTP was much bigger, and I blew through the opposite shoulder, and it bled all over the place, and made it about 10'. Just anecdotes of the only two I shot with 50 cal muzzie, and they both died, but I really felt that 147gr round ball did not do enough damage. Both were similar shots, about 30 yards.
Mine gun was a Bass Pro Shops Hawken kit, percussion, super cheap and no frills.
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When I was first interested in a sidelock and really looked I found a ball, by the numbers, is about worthless after 50 yds, and a conical wasn't much better beyond 100 yds. But then I found a couple of traditional forums filled to the brim with hunters who took deer with a ball. It seems typical for a shot with a ball inside of 75 yds would often leave the ball on the offside mushroomed greatly leaving dead deer, and beyond that, where the velocity dropped, gave complete passthroughs out to 125 yds leaving dead deer.
I was taught that with BP the modern thought doesn't really apply. Too many people with pics and proof to refute it to where I've bought a mold for .490" balls and plenty of patch material. I also have REAL molds as the 320 grn REAL showed awesome performance with near touching hits without load workup.
As with anything else even a good hit can leave you with a lot of tracking to do it seems.
I've yet to hunt with mine so there's a few grains of salt needed as its not my experiences I mention. But when there's an enormous number it's hard to refute.
I was taught that with BP the modern thought doesn't really apply. Too many people with pics and proof to refute it to where I've bought a mold for .490" balls and plenty of patch material. I also have REAL molds as the 320 grn REAL showed awesome performance with near touching hits without load workup.
As with anything else even a good hit can leave you with a lot of tracking to do it seems.
I've yet to hunt with mine so there's a few grains of salt needed as its not my experiences I mention. But when there's an enormous number it's hard to refute.
Shanghai McCoy
Member
The Lyman side lock rifles are an accurate rifle and the Great Plains version has a slow twist barrel that is ideal for round balls.
A 50 caliber round ball is plenty enough for deer if you keep shots to 100 yards or less and you know where your rifle hits. Working up the load that the rifle likes best is part of the fun.
A 50 caliber round ball is plenty enough for deer if you keep shots to 100 yards or less and you know where your rifle hits. Working up the load that the rifle likes best is part of the fun.
expat_alaska
Member
I lived in Alaska for 34 years and only once hunted for moose with a CVA Hawken .50 cal. My more astute hunting buddy had a I-forget-what-manufacture .54 cal. round ball Hawken-type rifle (have no idea of the powder charge). He downed a 800 lb. bull moose through the lungs/heart at about 50 yards and we only had to follow it about 100' to where it dropped. Very good penetration. We had lots of work cutting that animal up.
With all of the grizzly/brown bears in the area I was a bit skittish with only a single shot BP rifle and gave it up in favor of my Rem 700 .300 Win Mag instead.
I think for whitetail/mule deer a .50 cal. would be sufficient, but I am no expert.
With all of the grizzly/brown bears in the area I was a bit skittish with only a single shot BP rifle and gave it up in favor of my Rem 700 .300 Win Mag instead.
I think for whitetail/mule deer a .50 cal. would be sufficient, but I am no expert.
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midland man
Member
I really like a 54c bp rifle bigger hole more blood out! and are admiring the lyman deerstalker!
Stony
Member
The twist rate of the barrel should be a big consideration to get the accuracy you want. The 1:48 seems to be a good compromise and several of the good ones out there have this twist. These will shoot either patched round ball or mini's and give you choices that way. I've killed deer with both types of bullets and either do the job....if you do yours.
Kaeto
Member
I swear by the Thompson Center Renegade in .54 with patched round ball. If you can find a good used one.
ColtPythonElite
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I have a Thompson Grey Hawk in .50 cal. It is a traditional looking sidelock, but is stainless with a synthetic stock. It has 1:48 twist. Off a bench and with iron sights, I can hit a paper plate every time at 100 yards using a patched ball.
robhof
Member
robhof
I have a Thompson flinter and a cap lock both, have only taken deer with the cap lock, it has a GM sabot barrel with a fast twist, took my 1st B/P deer in Ky. with it at 135 paces. It was a bang, flop large doe! Took the flinter the 2nd year and spent the summer getting it to light consistently, on the actual hunt, saw a buck at 50yds and pulled the trigger to get a pfssst, no bang, the deer was polite enough to allow me to refill the primer pan, but left as I clicked the frizzen closed for the 2nd shot, shot fine at end of day! I use cap lock for hunting now!
I have a Thompson flinter and a cap lock both, have only taken deer with the cap lock, it has a GM sabot barrel with a fast twist, took my 1st B/P deer in Ky. with it at 135 paces. It was a bang, flop large doe! Took the flinter the 2nd year and spent the summer getting it to light consistently, on the actual hunt, saw a buck at 50yds and pulled the trigger to get a pfssst, no bang, the deer was polite enough to allow me to refill the primer pan, but left as I clicked the frizzen closed for the 2nd shot, shot fine at end of day! I use cap lock for hunting now!
Browning Guy
Member
When I started hunting with ML the choices were kind of sparse for non-military style rifles. Basically flint vs cap, and "kentucky" vs "hawkins". (I don't remember exactly which year I started but I remember shooting in "Bi-Centennial events" 
) I opted for a .50 cal TC Hawkins in percussion. I have killed several deer with patched ball and my largest buck was a "drop right there", 175 pound, 8 pt. at about 40 yds. with a ball. Later I switched to a 350 gr. Buffalo bullet and have had good success with them also. My longest shot was with a buffalo bullet, a 5pt at about 112-115 yds. It resulted in about a 75-80 yd blood trail with him leaking from both sides. Both round ball and bullet were pushed with 100 grains of FF. I always tried my best to work as close as possible and avoid long shots as much as I could. My longest was a result of it being mid December and the deer had a broken leg so I took the shot to put him down. Due to vision problems I quit hunting with it several years ago but I felt confident in my chances with either bullet or ball. in my .50 cal. providing I did my part in placing them.
) I opted for a .50 cal TC Hawkins in percussion. I have killed several deer with patched ball and my largest buck was a "drop right there", 175 pound, 8 pt. at about 40 yds. with a ball. Later I switched to a 350 gr. Buffalo bullet and have had good success with them also. My longest shot was with a buffalo bullet, a 5pt at about 112-115 yds. It resulted in about a 75-80 yd blood trail with him leaking from both sides. Both round ball and bullet were pushed with 100 grains of FF. I always tried my best to work as close as possible and avoid long shots as much as I could. My longest was a result of it being mid December and the deer had a broken leg so I took the shot to put him down. Due to vision problems I quit hunting with it several years ago but I felt confident in my chances with either bullet or ball. in my .50 cal. providing I did my part in placing them.
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Crawdad1
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