.50 Deerhunter at the Range

[arcticap]

I took the Traditions .50 Deerhunter and my 16 year old son to the range to shoot it this past weekend. Loaded with patched round balls and 50-60 grains of Pyrodex RS, we took turns firing it offhand, first at 35 yards before moving it out to 50 yards.
There were no misfires or hang fires at all. Luckily the gun has an adjustable fiber optic rear sight because it previously had to be moved way over to one side to dial it in.
The Deerhunter is an enjoyable light weight gun to fire and the nickel finish is also very durable & easy to clean.
This model has a 24 inch nickeled barrel, hammer and lock plate which helps the Pyrodex residue wipe off by simply using an ample amount of Rusty Duck Black Off BP solvent that was purchased at Walmart.
After removing the nipple and clean out screw, I use cotton swabs saturated with solvent to clean out the drum. While spinning and twisting a swab, the cotton head came off and embedded deep down in the flash channel.
So I resorted to what I call the "toilet trick", firing off only a percussion cap to dislodge it while pointing the muzzle at the water in the toilet. Well, after that didn't work a few grains of powder had to be placed under the nipple which fired it out and into the water just fine.
But I did need to swab the entire gun all over again just for shooting off a few grains of Pyrodex.
Due to the shape of the target backer, the large target was fired with it mounted sideways and then later covered over with the 2nd target for more shots.

 

[Dellbert]

Thought I Was On My Own

This was the rifle I started out with over 25 years ago, still have it. I was looking in a book, and saw it, so I ordered it. It came in about a week, I ordered it from, I want to say Gander Mount, or something like that. This one is .50 cal w/blued barrel. The first time I loaded it with Pyrodex RS 90grs. I didn't know a thing about black powder, And some of the people around here that did, told me I didn't need to use big charges of black powder in them, that they shot better with loads of 70 to 90grs of powder. You could go into a gun shop, and hear people talking about the large 100, and 120gr charges they were using to shoot what ever they were shooting. After they left, that's when the owner looked at me, and told me to start with 70grs and go up from there. I found out he was right. I use 90grs for hunting. This rifle looks like something you would give to a ten year old to learn with. The guys at the range thought that when they first saw it. Make fun of it cause, it wasn't a big brute of a gun like they had. They didn't make fun of me anymore after they saw the groups it was putting on paper @ 50 yrds. 3 shots in one hole. Took 2 cans layed them down tops facing me, @ 50 yrds 2 shots, both hit each can The rd ball went in the top & out the bottom. Cans looked like something you could use to roll paper towels onto, no tops, no bottoms. Just round tubes. I moved on to a hawken .50 cal, and one TC Impact .50 Cal. That little traditions Deer Hunter is right there beside them. Way I see it, a person could take that one rifle, and never buy another, and do just find. It will put a deer down clean, if you want deer for dinner. It will hold it's own @ 100yrds to. I wouldn't try to shoot deer size game past that, but that's just me. You can try round clay dice At long range to see what it will do. Happy Shooting. Dell