RobertSubnet

Hello all. I would like to bring a pistol with me when I go out for ML season this fall. In my state, Arizona, during ML season, you can only use BP weapons.

The reason for the pistol is in case I come across any black bears or two legged animals if you take my meaning.

I really do not want to break the law by carrying my 1911 in ML season. My only BP pistol is a Ruger Old Army. Would this have enough stopping power to kill or disable a black bear long enough for me to book it out of the area?

Or is this a case of better to be judged by 12 than eaten by 1?

Thanks!

arcticap

Loaded with 35 grains of Pyrodex P and a wad, a Ruger Old Army will fire a .457 round ball at a velocity of ~994 f.p.s./312 ft. lbs. and there will still be room in each chamber for extra powder, although this load shot accurately out to 50 yards.

With only 30 grains of Pyrodex P and a 227 grain Lee conical, the load developed a velocity of 836 f.p.s. which is about equivalent to a .45 acp ball load.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...Ruger+velocity


So increasing the powder charge by loading with 777, Swiss or ffffg to the max. provides an even more formidable load with only accuracy being sacrificed. But it would certainly give someone a fighting chance. Isn't it better to have a back up gun than none at all? Especially if someone had to make a run for it and got cornered or run up a tree, or their rifle wasn't loaded.

lemoyne

Normally a black bear is not any harder to put down than a deer or a boar and while I have never used my Rugar black powder on a bear I have taken deer and boar with the a for mentioned Lee conical and 30 gr of P with no problem. Mostly it is a matter of hitting them in the right place. Lee

gearheart

That's why the mountain men usually carried a pair of pistols... and a Bowie knife if things got really fubar.

cayugad

It sure would not hurt to carry it, but it would not me my first shot weapon. But like you want it for, to discourage two legged, and to just maybe finish off, or confuse a bear in the event the first one is not enough, I think it would be a great idea.

RobertSubnet

My first shot weapon would definitely be with the Great Plains Rifle, assuming of course that it was loaded at the time.

Thank you for your comments. You have put me at ease with regards to the Old Army. It is never a good idea to break the law, especially when it comes to firearms!!

The Lee Conicals, can they be purchased from ToW or OC? I looked on Cabelas site and all I found were Lee moulds. I don't roll my own, but would like to eventually.

Thanks again.

arcticap

This reputable fellow was selling the 220 grain Lee if he didn't sell the mold. He goes by different names on each board:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...&highlight=lee

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=395226

You can also try 190 grain .457 Buffalo Ballets from Dixie:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...oducts_id=3631

Read the great review of these by "mec" (C&B revolver book author Mike Cumpston who provided the velocity figures in Post #2 above):

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...reviews_id=566

RobertSubnet

Thanks Arcticap!

spaniel

There is also the option of the Buffalo Ball-et, which should be a little easier to find. My C&B shoots them much more accurately than balls and I KNOW they hit harder.

Any handgun on a bear is inferior to about any long gun on said animal. But any handgun is better than your fist and fingernails.

My buddy carried my 1858 replica in Montana in grizzly country last year while I carried my Glock 23. Neither is ideal facing a grizzly but we were still glad to have the backup if needed.

rafsob

You don't say where you are from. In Virginia it is illegal to hunt with a BP pistol. You can carry a concealed handgun during hunting archery, BP, and gun season though. It may depend on your state's hunting laws.