1851 Navy that I don't know what to do with?

[TheGent]

I wanted to learn about black powder so I bought an 1851 Navy replica made by Pietta in 44 cal. I basically just need a list of everything I'm going to need. The gun had no box or manual. I don't know the grain load either. Would this be a good gun for black powder hunting? I usually hunt both small and large game with a pistol. I know it wouldn't be good for small game. But, large game maybe? Seeking the help of experienced black powder shooters.

Thank you very much for your kindness,

TheGent

 

[GCBurner]

Send off for the Dixie Gun Works catalog, they've got everything you need.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/

 

[mustang_steve]

Grain load will vary depending on how it's made. In general brass frames take weaker loads than steel frames for example.

You'll need a powder flask, powder measure (some flasks have this built in, but it's often less than completely precise), some 3F powder or equivalent (do NOT use smokeless powder, your pistol will go kaboom), some percussion caps (have a blackpowder guy at a local shop verify the nipple size, 10 or 11 are the most common. Finally you'll need some lead balls...there are two ways to choose balls, press-fit, or wadded. Wadded involves a wad that goes between the ball and the powder, it keeps things tight and functional. press-fit means you get a ball ~slightly~ larger (as in .00xx differences), and when pressed in with the rammer, it will be trimmed to fit over the edge of the cylinder. press-fit is more accurate, but is obviously harder on the pistol in general.

One last thing to consider is some grease to cap off the cylinder ends to prevent any chance of chain-fire. Crisco works fine, lard would be historically correct.

 

[arcticap]

You will need a revolver nipple wrench, and a needle or a short length of thin wire to serve as a nipple pick can also be useful.

I know it wouldn't be good for small game. But, large game maybe?

It very well could be better for small game than large game.
Depending on the size & weight of the animal and the sharpness of its teeth, just use a little more or lesser amount of powder.

 

[BCRider]

I'd also suggest some time at the range getting to know the gun. Having shot C&B revolvers for the past year and a bit in my Cowboy Action events I can say that you won't always have your gun go BOOM! on demand. A host of factors seem to come into play. Sometimes it's a blocked nipple (had that happen a couple of times when I insisted on shooting on rainy and very humid days) but most times it's a cap that isn't seated hard enough so it took an extra strike from the hammer to set it off. You'll want to shoot it enough times at the range to ensure that you test your reloading skills to get them good enough to achieve an acceptable, to you, rate of success.

You'll also want to spend some time on the sights. Especially with your open top where the V in the hammer is your rear sight. The replicas seem to have been made with the hammer to sear hook set so the hammer doesn't quite come back and down as far as the originals. This means that the sighting line tends to make the gun hit high. Some tuning of the gun to either modify the hammer or install a new taller front sight will be needed to get your POI down to the POA in many cases.

I'm not a hunter but certainly they would be good for anything up to the mass of a typical man. So anything up to medium size deer would be on the list for sure. Not sure about bigger than that.

 

[Snowdog]

As for the hunting deer-size game, you'll find plenty who do this currently as has been done for generations... so it obviously has the capacity to take game of that size.

Personally, I would stress that range and placement is paramount if using a cap and ball revolver and round ball for deer. If your revolver has a brass frame, I would suggest you don't even consider it as any decent load could contribute to significant frame wear.

Would it be considered humane to hunt deer with your revolver? That's entirely debatable. Some will argue not at all, others that it will provide a quick kill within a reasonable range and yet others who might say it could cleanly kill a large deer beyond 100 yards (as I once had a coworker say/argue).

I feel the typical RB load is marginal for deer (marginal meaning being capable but requiring an emphasis on placement and range) but not insufficient; it obviously will take deer under the right conditions.

Keep in mind the typical ballistics of a .451 round ball over a decent charge of 35gr Pyrodex Pistol will develop about half the energy at the muzzle than a typical .30-30Win at 500 yards. Most consider the .30-30 Win a 150 yard deer cartridge.
Simply remain cautious of the limitations and you'll probably be fine.

The fun factor, however, is off the charts. I currently only have a Pietta 1858 Remington reproduction but plan on a Walker after the costly Christmas season. I think the anticipation while loading provides much of that fun.