black powder pistol question

[osage outlaw]

Lets say a guy wanted to shoot a deer with a black powder pistol.  Which gun would be a good choice?  A flintlock would be cool but I don't know anything about them.  If I were to buy a new black powder pistol would it be OK to post it in this section?

[PaulN/KS]

I would say that a 50 or 54 caliber Lyman Great Plains pistol could handle the job. You'll need to be close though I'd think.

[Eric Krewson]

Google hunting deer with a Lyman percussion pistol, lots of info, loading and velocity with different loads.

This pistol would be my choice as well, I am a .54 fan. Be sure to check your state's deer hunting regs, many states don't allow B/P pistols for deer hunting. 

[amateurhour]

I've got the .50 Traditions Kentucky pistol and it could definitely take a deer.

[Hawkdancer]

Like Eric said, many states don't allow them for deer.  If legal, I would not use anything less than a .44 Old Army (.457 RB, 456 RN) with a full load of 3f.  And then a lot of practice- after which he might rethink the idea😀!  .50, .54, .58 with a heavy load would do it, but might as well use a bow, it would be a very short range choice.
Hawkdancer

[osage outlaw]

Thanks for the info guys.  Close shots shouldn't be a problem.  I've killed 3 deer with a 44 magnum revolver.  I just thought it would be an added challenge to do it with black powder.  I'm trying to find out if its legal or not. 

[osage outlaw]

I guess they are legal in my state but it has to have a 12" barrel.


Muzzleloading handguns are allowed. The muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber and have a barrel at least 12 inches long, measured from the base of the breech plug excluding tangs and other projections to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown.

[Eric Krewson]

The Lyman pistol has a 9 3/4" barrel, time to make one that meets the regs.

[mullet]

My first kit, an old CVA 45, has a 12" barrel and believe it or not is a tack driver at 40 yards.

[bowtarist]

I have a .50 cal Lyman's plains pistol. Ultra accurate and I would not hesitate to hunt deer with it.

[mullet]

This post made me pull out that first kit pistol I did in the late 70's and sand it back to raw wood and redo the whole thing. This time around, I stained it with walnut hull stain after I sanded it back to bare wood,dipped it in nitric acid and then burnt it with the heat gun. Sanded it and heated, hand rubbed and burnished the finish in with a deer tallow, orange oil,wax finish.

[osage outlaw]

You can't make a post like that and not have pictures Eddie 

[mullet]

I'll try tomorrow. I'm working 80+ hour weeks.

[osage outlaw]

I hear ya Eddie. I'm working 6 12 hour days in a row this week.   

[amateurhour]

I know that feeling. I have three blackpowder arms now and I'm going to re-sand, re-stain, clean, and re-brown (instead of blue) all of them now.