New model army hunting load?

[Sburk1993]

Hello. I was wondering what you guys use for a hunting load in the New model army. I have a Euroarms clone and at 25 yards it shoots about 7 in high. At 50 yards it hits really close to dead center where I'm aiming. I load it with 30 grains of pyrodex RS ,a Wonder wad and, .454 round balls. Just looking for info on what you guys use for hunting with cap and ball.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I don't hunt with a .44 cap-n-ball, but often carry one as a general purpose defensive side arm when hunting. I believe that a slug/bullet/conical is superior to a round ball, and would be a better choice. The new model Army (Remington I presume) should be able to hold 30 grains under at least a 200 grain slug, which again, I think will be superior to a round ball. The difference in penetration between the two can be quite dramatic.

It sounds like you are sighted in well, at very close range you can aim a bit low, and beyond 30 yards aim center of mass. That has always been a good way to sight in my close range weapons, or works well for me.

I have found that a stiff lube over the bullet or ball, instead of a wad, leaves room for more powder. Not anything soft and gooey like Crisco, but a good stiff bee's wax and lube mix. Over time, as in weeks, the wonder wads will deaden the powder charge, sometimes quite a bit.

What are you planning to hunt?

 

[Sburk1993]

I don't hunt with a .44 cap-n-ball, but often carry one as a general purpose defensive side arm when hunting. I believe that a slug/bullet/conical is superior to a round ball, and would be a better choice. The new model Army (Remington I presume) should be able to hold 30 grains under at least a 200 grain slug, which again, I think will be superior to a round ball. The difference in penetration between the two can be quite dramatic.

It sounds like you are sighted in well, at very close range you can aim a bit low, and beyond 30 yards aim center of mass. That has always been a good way to sight in my close range weapons, or works well for me.

I have found that a stiff lube over the bullet or ball, instead of a wad, leaves room for more powder. Not anything soft and gooey like Crisco, but a good stiff bee's wax and lube mix. Over time, as in weeks, the wonder wads will deaden the powder charge, sometimes quite a bit.

What are you planning to hunt?

I'd like to take a doe with it this hunting season if the opportunity come any way. I wouldn't shoot it past 25 yard. I have some bees wax lube that I made last year. I was hoping that the felt wad would help keep the ball closer to mouth of the cylinder but it's still down there a bit. I think I'm going to start casting my own balls and conicals for my mls since everything is getting harder to find.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

I hunted Jackrabbits in Nevada for several years with cap and ball revolvers, I loaded the chambers to capacity with just enough room to seat a ball or conical over a cardboard wad, lubed the ball with a stiff lube like Ugly Sauce said. Best results were with a conical bullet. Usually penetrated almost through the animal. A ball would go through them. I was shooting 200 gr 452 pistol bullets that were knurled to fit the chambers. Animals were down, dead, done, no flopping about.

 

[woodnbow]

For deer hunting I’d suggest something like the bullet below. Use a good stiff lube and load them over a thin card wad. I use a .462” vege fiber wad, .03” thick. Bullets like this are short enough that it will stabilize well from c&b revolvers ( barely longer than a ball) and not eat up too much powder capacity. Has enough weight to give you a few more inches of penetration and a good wide flat for effective terminal ballistics. Such equipment isn’t legal here for big game so I can’t tell you how effective it is.

I cast them from pure lead and also from 30 or 40 to 1 alloy. If strictly used for big game the harder alloys deform less.

 

[shafter]

I wouldn't risk it with a cap and ball. It would be hard to guarantee a clean kill with one, especially at 25 yards. It will kill but I can see a deer running a long ways after.

 

[Lyle]

If I was going to use a BP pistol for hunting/self defense (I don’t) I would load it the way Sam Colt describe. Fill the chamber as full as possible and still be able to seat the projectile below the chamber mouth. No lube or wads. Attached is a copy of his instructions.

 

[J-Bar]

If I was going to use a BP pistol for hunting/self defense (I don’t) I would load it the way Sam Colt describe. Fill the chamber as full as possible and still be able to seat the projectile below the chamber mouth. No lube or wads. Attached is a copy of his instructions.View attachment 1107593

I agree. If you are using a percussion revolver to harvest a deer, you are likely to fire it only once or twice. Lube is important for preventing fouling problems from lots of shots, not one or two.

Check your revolver’s point of impact after it has been thoroughly cleaned and charged to the max without lube. The first two shots are the most important, but I doubt you will encounter fouling or accuracy problems with the first 5 or 6. Use your rifle if it takes more than that.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Methinks, priority #1 would be getting as much powder in the chamber as possible. For deer size game, I'd surely choose a slug over a ball. I'll say again, there's a big difference in penetration between the two, even though the ball will have more velocity. Woodenbow's bullet would certainly be a good choice. The hog-hunters seem to be doing well with the Kaido bullets. Although a flat point, or wide metplat is superior, I've recently been shooting the LEE 200 grain RN through some pretty big old seasoned chunks of wood. (of which the ball, over a heavier powder charge, would not penetrate)

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I was hoping that the felt wad would help keep the ball closer to mouth of the cylinder but it's still down there a bit.

Fill that space with powder.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

For deer hunting I’d suggest something like the bullet below. Use a good stiff lube and load them over a thin card wad. I use a .462” vege fiber wad, .03” thick. Bullets like this are short enough that it will stabilize well from c&b revolvers ( barely longer than a ball) and not eat up too much powder capacity. Has enough weight to give you a few more inches of penetration and a good wide flat for effective terminal ballistics. Such equipment isn’t legal here for big game so I can’t tell you how effective it is.

I cast them from pure lead and also from 30 or 40 to 1 alloy. If strictly used for big game the harder alloys deform less.

View attachment 1107582

Who makes the mold for that-thar bullet? My LEE 200's cast out just a hair small for the chambers on one of my revolvers. They shoot okay, but you can finger-press them all the way in. (sometimes)

 

[woodnbow]

Who makes the mold for that-thar bullet? My LEE 200's cast out just a hair small for the chambers on one of my revolvers. They shoot okay, but you can finger-press them all the way in. (sometimes)

Accurate Molds dot com… he’s really good, makes it in aluminum, brass or iron and he’ll size them to fit your chambers.

 

[Sburk1993]

Thank you guys for all the info. I will let you all know how it goes. thanks

 

[Sburk1993]

If I was going to use a BP pistol for hunting/self defense (I don’t) I would load it the way Sam Colt describe. Fill the chamber as full as possible and still be able to seat the projectile below the chamber mouth. No lube or wads. Attached is a copy of his instructions.View attachment 1107593

So went to the range today. filled it all the way to the top of powder seated the ball and had about an eighth inch back from the face of the cylinder and could not hit paper. That thing bucked harder than any handgun I've ever shot. I shot it several times holding way low and holding Way high and didn't get a hole on paper like I said. Kind of unfortunate I can group fairly well with 30 grains at about 6 in high of point of aim. Next time I go out I'll take my powder measure and try 40 grains and see if I can still group well the max charge is not very good but it could be my fault too not used it shooting anything that kicks like that.