Tried an experiment

[pkunk]

We have a real vermin problem this year post last falls bountiful pinyon nut season. Due to the high cost of pistol/rifle shot shells I decided to try my black powder 1858 replica New Army 44 with wads & #6 shot. First try was 25g of Pyrodex wad shot to the top and another wad. Scared the critters something fierce!. Next was a smidge of powder from the shotgun shells I got the shot from, 25g of Pyrodex compressed down with the wad and filled with #6 shot again. Sounds like a firecracker but at 20 ft doesn't do anything but chase 'em off. Trying to decide what next. There's been no accurate measurements to most of this, just playing around. Love the smoke anyways!

 

[justintendo]

sounds like you need to use real vermin control.

a .22 rimfire or air rifle works great...hard to complain about the cost of pellets in .17 or .22

 

[CT8]

Shoot them then if the meat looks good eat them.

 

[samven]

None of the shot capsules are effective beyond 10 or 15 ft. If you use 9 shot they carry a bit more energy but there are so few of them the rifling scatters them fast, if you use 12 shot some of them are insulated from the rifling and travel a bit further but they have almost no energy. If you buy the shotshell cups and could load them you might have a little better luck as it would close the barrel/cylinder gap as the shot went by and stop some of the spinning and deformation.

 

[Boomer]

Buy a .410 shotgun.

 

[Driz]

Just get ya some 22 shorts and have at em.

 

[4WD]

And fire two blasts into the air !

 

[ARCOgraphite]

The Animals think Humans are Vermin.

Given what we've done to this Planet .....

 

[Rand]

cheap air rifle with cheap scope. shots cost pennies even with good ammo.

something like this
https://www.airgundepot.com/hatsan-speedfire-vortex-air-rifle.html#AGD-47819526

 

[andyd]

Pitch fork in hand. I stalked a young woodchuck. It escaped. But I set the old Hava Heartless covered it and baited it with celery tops. Gotcha !

 

[pkunk]

I didn't say I didn't have other options. I do, plenty! It was just an experiment. It didn't work. Maybe I should have put it in 'Humor' because it was fun. Now I have to clean the BP and that's not such fun.

 

[Barkleymut]

Originally Posted by 4WD
And fire two blasts into the air !


Settle down Joe!

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by pkunk
We have a real vermin problem this year post last falls bountiful pinyon nut season. Due to the high cost of pistol/rifle shot shells I decided to try my black powder 1858 replica New Army 44 with wads & #6 shot. First try was 25g of Pyrodex wad shot to the top and another wad. Scared the critters something fierce!. Next was a smidge of powder from the shotgun shells I got the shot from, 25g of Pyrodex compressed down with the wad and filled with #6 shot again. Sounds like a firecracker but at 20 ft doesn't do anything but chase 'em off. Trying to decide what next. There's been no accurate measurements to most of this, just playing around. Love the smoke anyways!

I am a Goex fan. Pyrodex is so stinky, nasty - even more dirty than real Black. Plus, real black ignites faster than Pyro.

If you look at my screen name here, that'll tell you what I used in my T/C Omega and Knight Vision modern MLs for a decade. But not anymore.
Too many seized breechplugs with 777. I am a former user now. It's either Goex loose Black or White Hots pellets these days. I found Blackhorn 209 powder to be an inconsistent igniter, here in very humid late-fall weather Michigan. Couldn't take it inside the dense Huron National Forest and depend on it to fire.

I envy your side-hammer shots for moving prey to hunt. That is a large, long task and I applaud you for every animal you harvest. Gotta' be more precise with muzzleloaders and a good shot, when dealing with moving targets. I have a 32" barrel (Traditions Shenandoah replica-type sidehammer 1/66 twist). It shoots roundballs marvelously (75 grains).