anyone have a Ruger old army?

[stickbender]

     I have one like Eddie's, and love it.  Very accurate.  I use regular black powder.  fff grain.  It doesn't go poof, it lets you know it went off with a nice roar, and kick.  I wouldn't hesitate to hunt hogs, deer, etc. with it.  Why, I have "heard" that an occasional water lizard has succumbed to it, I mean one just like mine......   If you can get one, I would go with the Ruger Old Army.  It is well made, accurate, smooth as butter, is American made.
Plus it has better sights!    I just used an old .44 mag. shell as the powder measure, and a .457 ball.  Lee also makes a conical bullet for it also.  Never tried that one though.  I just might get back into shooting it again.  I hunted with a double barrel shotgun in the swamps, and carried my rifle on a sling, so when, I came to the edge of the swamp, I could have a bit longer range, but then I got the pistol, and I just carried that with me, instead of the rifle.  I loaded the right barrel with .36 cal. balls, and the left with .45 or 50 balls.  Both barrels shot very nice patterns.  I used winchester AAA wads, with bore butter, in the space under the shot cup.  I have killed doves with it also.  Got a lot of wide eyed questioning after a few shots.  Like what HELL are you shooting?!!!   Sounds like a damn cannon going off !
I have a little Italian made colt police, in .36  that I like also, but not to hunt with.  It is also quite accurate, but not as smooth as the Ruger, though it does have a very crisp and no creep, or slack, trigger.  But it has the sight in the hammer, unlike the Ruger with the adjustable sights.   Save your pennies, and haunt the Gun Shows, occasionally you will find one.  They are few and far between now.


                                                                     Wayne

[jwarwick]

Jon
 I tried to load 45grn like I was told you could, but it was too hard to stuff it in. Are you shooting patched balls or 457'ns?

I'm shooting 30 grain pyrodex hard pellets and .457 grain round balls.
Just off the top of my head I would think that FFF sized powder would burn faster than the hard pellets, and pack better into the cylinder- allowing you to get more in.

Obviously, I'm new at black powder pistols- this is the only one I've ever shot. Just have hawken rifle black powder experience.

Jon

[recurve shooter]

awsome.  i love my little brass framed .44 with the twelve inch barrel, that sucker is accurate, with decent adjustable sights, but it cant handle a heavy charge, sooooo time for something bigger. er.. that is after i buy gifts for five more people. and fix my truck. and buy a laptop for collage...hmmm this may take a while. 

[mullet]

 Jon;

 FFF is the way to go in the pistol or the shotgun. I shoot FFF in my flintlock and prime it with FFFF.