So I'm going to get back into hunting

Dave951

Dave951

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Took a hiatus for a number of years. Sometimes life comes at you hard.

Took a look at the current regs for 2018. Have to have Hunter Safety course. Called Raleigh, they still have mine on record from years ago so good there. Have access to private land, good there.

To avoid the tons of gun hunters in the area, I'm going to start black powder season. No problem there as I have several Civil War era guns I compete with and they are all capable of 1in groups at 50yds. The private land, you're lucky to shoot much past 50yds and can't see too much past that. The first gun of choice is a 54cal 1863 Sharps carbine. As I read the regs, it says no fixed ammo. Nothing about breech loading, no specifying muzzleloading. The Sharps uses a cartridge consisting of a bullet with a paper cartridge containing the powder tied to the base. Put said cart in the chamber, close chamber shearing rear of paper exposing powder. Put percussion cap on nipple and you're ready. My question, according to the regs and Miriam Webster, that is not fixed ammo as the primer is not an integral part of the cart. What do you guys think of using this gun? I really like it for several reasons, 1) short and very handy 2)stupid accurate, 3)I'm a sucker for a Sharps.
 
I don't see how it would differ from using black powder pellets that are pressed into specific charge weights.

Way cool weapon though.
 
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It seems that I recall somewhere in the regs it states "muzzle loader", I could be wrong and I'll see if I can find in the reg book later today....
 
I do not hunt black powder so don't know the regs, but there are several breech loading black powder rifles on the market today. Thompson Center comes to mind.

That said, it would not be the first time something legal in a majority of states was not legal in another. Best await Bailey Boat's findings.
 
The fact that the percussion cap is separate would make me think it doesn't constitute fixed ammo. I'm not sure though.

Speaking pragmatically, you would be much more traditional than most black powder hunters (including me) who use inlines with modern bullets, powder pellets, and shotgun primers.
 
Bailey Boat said:
It seems that I recall somewhere in the regs it states "muzzle loader", I could be wrong and I'll see if I can find in the reg book later today....
Click to expand...
No mention of "muzzleloader".

Blackpowder
During the blackpowder deer season, the only lawful firearms are
blackpowder shotguns, rifles and handguns. The Commission
defines a blackpowder firearm as any firearm that cannot use
fixed ammunition.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I did ask Raleigh while checking on the hunter safety course thing and they were stumped if the Sharps would be legal. Got referred to the game warden, stumped him too. The regs aren't really clear as to what they consider "fixed" ammunition. It would seriously suck if my Sharps got confiscated over some confusion but to me Webster is pretty darn clear and it tracks with my understanding of "fixed" ammo.

And no, the current regs do NOT specify muzzleloader. They do specify, black powder or substitute and NO "fixed" ammunition, and the definition thereof is the rub.
 
If they get froggy and tell me no, then I have other options-

1853 Enfield musketoon 58cal (mine does 1in at 50yds)
1858 Enfield 2 band 58cal (same as 'toon)
1862 Springfield 58cal (same as the 'toon)

and for really retro-
1842 Macon smoothbore 69cal (5in at 50yds)
 
If you plan on hunting much, you might want to dust off a centerfire rifle. Word is that black powder season is going to be cut back next year due to a decline in the deer harvest in recent years.
 
Heard from the game warden, Sharps is legal.

And yeah, centerfire is covered. 4570 out of a Siamese Mauser, either a gigantic BB gun or Hammer of Thor.
 
Same here. I use an Uberti 1858 revolving carbine. It's not a muzzleloader, but it uses a black powder/substitute and a perc cap ignition. Federally, it's not a firearm because it's a replica and doesn't use centerfire ignition.
I also roll my own paper cartridges with a dowel rod I made just for that purpose, and use the Lee 200gr mold to make .452 sized projectiles. It will flat out thumb a white-tail at 50yds with 30gr of triple 7.
 
Just for grins n giggles, I looked at the regs in states adjoining NC and wow, we're seriously loose on black powder arms. 30 minutes north of me, VA won't allow the Sharps.

On another note, I'm thinking that shrinking the black powder season is a function of lower numbers doing it. That tracks with what I've seen at our range with most newer shooters only interested in pew pew. Maybe they've never really thought much about it or they've bought into a load of crap about the guns. I just love chewing up the center of a 3in dot at 50yds with my 58cal Springfield and the nimrod next to me has problems with a scoped AR even hitting it. And I'll pound a 2in dot at 25yds with my smooth bore. Yeah, I got an AR and other centerfire guns but the black powder ones really force me to keep on the fundamentals to be accurate.
 
Love black powder season. Still have my old Lyman Great Plains rifle I put together, but then switched to a Thomson Center Thunderhawk in line which now would probably damn near be considered an antique considering how long ago I bought it. Black powder is for filling the freezer. Deer seem to be still pretty clueless for the first week.
 
I'm hoping for a couple clueless deer next season. I've often heard it said that you can't eat antlers. :D
 
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