Favorite Black powder firearm- What is it?

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For me a 338 win mag is about the roughest one I've shot followed by a light weight trapdoor 45/70 with 405 grain bullets and the case stuffed full of black powder. About 4 shots and I was done. I've been loading that one with a .250 grain pistol bullet and getting good results without taking a thumping. I do agree with Hawg about the recoil as I too grew up shooting 12 gauge and stuff shooting .30 cal bullets. As I get older I notice a little less desire to get a beating from shooting.
 
Jackrabbit1957 said:
For me a 338 win mag is about the roughest one I've shot followed by a light weight trapdoor 45/70 with 405 grain bullets and the case stuffed full of black powder. About 4 shots and I was done. I've been loading that one with a .250 grain pistol bullet and getting good results without taking a thumping. I do agree with Hawg about the recoil as I too grew up shooting 12 gauge and stuff shooting .30 cal bullets. As I get older I notice a little less desire to get a beating from shooting.
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The hardest kicking rifle I've ever shot was a Siamese Mauser in 45-70 with very hot hand loads. I don't know what the loads were but 3 of them were all I wanted.
 
I posted earlier about the two handguns vying for first place in my mind but I didn't mention rifles. I have three BP cartridge guns but one stands out above the others. My Shiloh Sharps Business Rifle.

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This is the "Big Fifty" of Sharps rifle fame. I've wanted one since 1985 when I first read of Billy Dixon at the Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874. He made a legendary "mile long shot" knocking an Indian warrior off his horse on a distant ridge line - later measured by Army surveyors as actually 7/8 of a mile. The rifle he used was a Sharps Big Fifty.

Last time I shot it I was testing three different 50 cal bullet weights. A 425g, a 450g, and a 505g, all over 90g of Swiss 1.5Fg black powder and a card wad. Shooting off a bench (I'm not going to do that anymore) I fired a three shot group with each bullet weight. By the time I finished my shoulder hurt so bad I had trouble using my right hand for a while. And yes, I was wearing a new high-tech recoil pad. Through the pain the 50 2-1/2" still puts a smile on my face...and a tear in my eye.

Dave

PS: Just finished making a 48" cross stick shooting rest. Not gonna set at a bench again. (smile)
 
^
whughett said:
OP. What’s your favorite black powder gun.
Me. I have no answer. There are just too many. :(
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I am thinking of a Flintlock someday in future. I like the idea of a Brown Bess Carbine- sorta a shotgun/rifle
 
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paul harm said:
I don't have one favorite gun - it depends what I'm doing. Rifle matches or deer hunting then my 54 fullstock home made Hawkin. Tradegun Matches or bird hunting with shot or deer hunting with a 715 RB, then my home made 12ga New England Fouler. If I have a nice pop up for deer hunting then my home made 12ga Matchlock. Revolver matches - 1858 Remington. Single shot percussion or flint matches my home made pistols. Modern shotgun shooting, one of my Damascus barreled SxSs [ Parker, Remington, or Lefever ]. Then if I just want to sit around a little, my 31 cal 1858 Remington I just bought. I hate to use the term, but it looks cute. Fun to shoot.
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I have one of them and a 32 S&W cylinder for it. I agree, Much Fun!
1863 Pocket

1863 Pocket

 
My favorite? All of them!!! But the one I get the most remarks about on the range is this one. Manufactured in 86, this 73 Trapdoor is an exceptional shooter.

I won it in a raffle in Tombstone. About the only thing I've ever "won" in my life......but it did cost me $20....and it is a bit of a Frankenstein....with a cut down barrel.

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hawg said:
I don't understand why people are so recoil sensitive these days. I was shooting 12 gauge shotguns with hard plastic and steel butt plates when I was 11 years old and probably didn't weigh 70 pounds. I've heard people talk about the punishing recoil of a 30-06. I got my first 30-06 when I was 12. A 1903A3. To me a 30-06 doesn't recoil worth spit. I just don't get it.
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Try a 11mm rem rolling block with original ammo "reformado'd in a 5 ton press. Brutal highly compressed 125 year old BP that tears the cartridge in half, sending front half downrange with bullet.
 
vintovka said:
Try a 11mm rem rolling block with original ammo "reformado'd in a 5 ton press. Brutal highly compressed 125 year old BP that tears the cartridge in half, sending front half downrange with bullet.
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Bring me one and I'll try it.
 
hawg said:
Bring me one and I'll try it.
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We reformed about 50 rounds. Recoil was amazing and bullets with front half of case we being found all over the range stop. I shot a dozen and quit others less. Got out of the shower later that day and wife said "what happened" . Huge blood bruise on shoulder that took days to go away. Others reported same thing.
 
I've been bruised before. Try a Siamese Mauser chambered in 45-70 with very hot hand loads. I only wanted three of those.
 
Lnf Crzr said:
To much power for my little weak arms to handle

Haha Just kidding
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100 grains of powder behind a .690 ball turns a gun that weighs less than 6 pounds into quite a little thumper. Before somebody says the Pedersoli 12 gauge weighs 7 pounds, mine was made before they started chrome lining the bores and using removeable chokes. My barrels are thin. Much too thin to thread for chokes.
 
About 10 years ago, my father wanted to spend more time hunting with me, so I suggested that we could think about hunting what was at the time the states black powder season.
I didn't really expect him to go and purchase a pair of Thompson Omega in-lines, one for each of us. That rifle has more than a little sentimental value now.
 
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