black powder pistols

[A/M/G]

I inherited 2 pistols from my Dad. I have never shot them. They are 44 cal revolvers, few questions.

What is the max powder load?

Must you shoot a round ball, I am assuming if the cylinder will accomodate the powder and bullet, you can shoot any 44 cal bullet, correct?

What is the effective range?

Is there enough energy to kill a deer?

I was thinking of taking them as back ups and if a shot was offered in the effective kill maybe shooting a deer with a pistol.

 

[FULLDRAWXX75]

I would suggest 30gr. but definately no more than 35 gr. max.

I believe they make conicals for pistols, I remember DA telling me he used them in his pistol.

I will have to go check my PM's, I think I may have saved that one for future references on the loads he used and the fps he got with the chronograph.

I'll be back.

FDXX75

Ok, found it.............

Here was DA's recipe

one load was pyrodex pistol pellet 30 gns the other was 30 gr of loose 777 ffg.

180 or 185 buffalo pistol conical

with the pellets i got (if i remember right) 650-700 fps
with 30gr loose 777 i got 750-800 fps.

(.44 cal with a 12" barrel)

 

[cecil30-30]

We have an old New Army model 44cal revolver,have had it for about 15 years,never have seen it shot before. We was going to shoot it when I was like 10,but ended up buying the wrong stuff for it,and we never bothered with it anymore..This thread is getting me interested back into it,its in great conditions,im sure it works,I think im gonna get the stuff to shoot that bad boy,when I do,i'll give some range/accuracy reports...

 

[quigleysharps4570]

We have an old New Army model 44cal
We was going to shoot it

Who's "we"?

 

[FULLDRAWXX75]

We have an old New Army model 44cal
We was going to shoot it

Who's "we"?

Hey Sharps, don't go there.............everyone knows Cecil has a me, myself & I issue.............LMAO.

hence, we.

FDXX75

 

[cecil30-30]

We have an old New Army model 44cal
We was going to shoot it

Who's "we"?

Me and my dad,the way "WE" see it,his guns are my guns and my guns are his guns!!! Free to use them when "WE" want! LMAO

 

[mike243]

i have a cva navy reproduction,25g with a round ball for target shooting & 30g max for hunting,accurate but a boat anchor,carried it for years & never needed it,coarse i shoot powerbelts in my rifle ,mike243

 

[quigleysharps4570]

Me and my dad,the way "WE" see it,his guns are my guns and my guns are his guns!!! Free to use them when "WE" want! LMAO

That's different.

 

[A/M/G]

Ok as I said I have never shot these guns. I was looking in cabelas catalog and saw the wonder wads. Stupid question, when loading, powder, wonder wad and then bullet? How muich space does the wad take up? It has to reduce the space available for powder.

DA, You seen to think 30 yard or less it would kill a deer. What kind of grouping at 30 yards? Where do you get pistol conicals, cabelas only had round ball. Are conicals more accurate than balls?

 

[mike243]

the conical may be or might not be more accurate but like rifles the weight is higher so its got more thump,higher velocity versus ft pounds,take your pick ,mike243

 

[Mountian Man_TN]

consider having them checked by a gunsmith, to see if they are safe to shoot. also loads depends if the frame is steel or brass.
open top. Colt replicas or Remington with a back strap(steel frame over the top of the gun frame. loads also depends on if you shoot Black powder, pryodex, or triple7.

 

[Bertman]

I have a old navy/colt somewhere in a case.Ihaven't seen or shot it in 12 years.May have to find it and shoot it.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

This is my traditions in line. It will handle a larger load but shoots best with a lighter load. I use a round ball and (2) 30 grain pellets.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Pistols have such a short barrel that larger loads are not efficent. Alot of the powder is burnt after it exits the barrel. If you shoot at dusk and are seeing flame out the end of your barrel you are wasting powder..
For your pistol I would think round balls and around 25 to 30 grains.As already mentioned there is a big difference in brass and steel framed guns.You can shoot steel all day. Brass needs to be cooled off at the range. Shoot a few rounds and wait awhile .It will bend and warp very easily.

 

[Locksley]

I usally shoot about 35 gr black powder in my 44 cals. Effective range isn't too great and i wouldn't use it as a primary killing weapon. I came up on a deer that had been hit by a car one time. I shot it twice with my bp revolver and ended up just finishing it off with my mz. I've never shot the conical bullets out of one. I just shoot the round balls but you want to make sure when you load the ball that it shaves off a slight ring of lead. This will insure a tight seat on the powder.Wonder wads are a lifesaver too.

AMG ,
The wonder wad doesn't take up very much space. What it prevents is the sparks from one cylinder jumping over to the next and creating a chain fire. I don't know where you would get the conicals. I've always just shot the round balls.

consider having them checked by a gunsmith, to see if they are safe to shoot. also loads depends if the frame is steel or brass.
open top. Colt replicas or Remington with a back strap(steel frame over the top of the gun frame. loads also depends on if you shoot Black powder, pryodex, or triple7.

The Colt Walker or Dragoon models will hold considerably more powder.

yep. I'd like to have one of them.

I usally shoot about 35 gr black powder in my 44 cals. I would definitly consider having them checked by a gunsmith, to see if they are safe to shoot and loads also depend on if the frame is steel or brass.
YEP The Colt Walker or Dragoon models will hold considerably more powder I use 50 grains of three FFF blackpowder in my Colt Walker copies. I just shoot the round balls but you want to make sure when you load the ball that it shaves off a slight ring of lead. This will insure a tight seat on the powder. Wonder wads are a lifesaver too. Axle grease on top of the balls will keep the fouling in the barrell soft and the grease over a lead shaved ball will keep the dreaded chain fire from happening. YOU DO NOT WANT FIRE GETTING PAST YOUR BALL IN THE NEAREST CHAMBERS AND SITTING OFF THAT POWDER IN A CHAIN FIRE .

 

[quigleysharps4570]

YOU DO NOT WANT FIRE GETTING PAST YOUR BALL IN THE NEAREST CHAMBERS AND SITTING OFF THAT POWDER IN A CHAIN FIRE .

Have had that happen twice in my years. Both times I'd ran out of wads or grease. Both times were with a .36 though.
First time was in the 1970's...last time was in the 1980's.
Here awhile back on a site had some folks tell me they'd been shooting them for longer than I had and not used grease or wad and never had a chain-fire. Said chain-fires were due to an under-sized ball or loose cap and the fire getting around one or both. I disagree with those theories cause it wasn't so either time. No sense in arguing with the "pro's" though. I'll keep using grease or a wad.

 

[Locksley]

I usally shoot about 35 gr black powder in my 44 cals. Effective range isn't too great and i wouldn't use it as a primary killing weapon. I came up on a deer that had been hit by a car one time. I shot it twice with my bp revolver and ended up just finishing it off with my mz. I've never shot the conical bullets out of one. I just shoot the round balls but you want to make sure when you load the ball that it shaves off a slight ring of lead. This will insure a tight seat on the powder.Wonder wads are a lifesaver too.

AMG ,
The wonder wad doesn't take up very much space. What it prevents is the sparks from one cylinder jumping over to the next and creating a chain fire. I don't know where you would get the conicals. I've always just shot the round balls.

consider having them checked by a gunsmith, to see if they are safe to shoot. also loads depends if the frame is steel or brass.
open top. Colt replicas or Remington with a back strap(steel frame over the top of the gun frame. loads also depends on if you shoot Black powder, pryodex, or triple7.

The Colt Walker or Dragoon models will hold considerably more powder.

yep. I'd like to have one of them.

I usally shoot about 35 gr black powder in my 44 cals. I would definitly consider having them checked by a gunsmith, to see if they are safe to shoot and loads also depend on if the frame is steel or brass.
YEP The Colt Walker or Dragoon models will hold considerably more powder I use 50 grains of three FFF blackpowder in my Colt Walker copies. I just shoot the round balls but you want to make sure when you load the ball that it shaves off a slight ring of lead. This will insure a tight seat on the powder. Wonder wads are a lifesaver too. Axle grease on top of the balls will keep the fouling in the barrell soft and the grease over a lead shaved ball will keep the dreaded chain fire from happening. YOU DO NOT WANT FIRE GETTING PAST YOUR BALL IN THE NEAREST CHAMBERS AND SITTING OFF THAT POWDER IN A CHAIN FIRE .

YOU DO NOT WANT FIRE GETTING PAST YOUR BALL IN THE NEAREST CHAMBERS AND SITTING OFF THAT POWDER IN A CHAIN FIRE .

Have had that happen twice in my years. Both times I'd ran out of wads or grease. Both times were with a .36 though.
First time was in the 1970's...last time was in the 1980's.
Here awhile back on a site had some folks tell me they'd been shooting them for longer than I had and not used grease or wad and never had a chain-fire. Said chain-fires were due to an under-sized ball or loose cap and the fire getting around one or both. I disagree with those theories cause it wasn't so either time. No sense in arguing with the "pro's" though. I'll keep using grease or a wad.

I'll keep using grease or a wad on my pistols also. I had my 44 caliber pistols all accurized by having the chambers all opened up to the same standard size for each cylinder also. That way it is harder to get a spark past the ball of a close by cylinnder and chainfire those cylinders. Because back in the 1960`s and 1970s a lot of the Italian Colt and Remington blackpowder pistol copies had different sizes cut for the cylinder holes and that would make them shoot a horrible group and it made it hard to find a prpoer ball size for the pistol. I had the gun - smith at GUN CITY USA ream all the cylinder holes out to a common size that would use 454 balls as that was the size barrell my Ubuerty Colt Walkers had on them. With the grease and good tight fitting balls that shaved a ring of lead on loading I never had a chain fire on my pistols, [knock on wood ] and I want to keep it that way I like all my fingers.

Locksley