Which gun?
 

I love shooting pistols and revolvers and want to deer hunt with a black powder revolver, but which gun should I choose? Obviously I need a large caliber six shooter, but which model can I get a 50-60 yard accurate shot with? I am an experienced shooter and can do my part, I just need an idea about which gun can do the job.

check out the traditions vortek pistol

Not many if any BP revolvers will make 800fpe. The only thing close would be a Clements modified Ruger Old Army in 50cal. VERY expensive for both the pistol and conversion.

Get a Traditions Vortek single shot and save yourself a lot of money.

Could be wrong I guess, but I really think a black powder revolver is a 25 yard gun on deer.

That is the problem you are going to find with the standard cap and ball revolvers. I own one. With a max load of 35 grains I would not shoot an animal past 25 yards and then I would really have to have a perfect shot that I knew was going into the heart.. and maybe a good tracking dog to help find it. They just were not intended to hunt with. They were designed to kill people. Little else. Just meant to punch a hole in a person was all they were supposed to do. And as the human race proved, they did it quite well. I shoot JSG 3f out of mine. And with the standard load, at 25 yards it will penetrate a 2 inch old dry spruce plank. Which is impressive mind you. But hunting quality? Well maybe at 25 yards. Also it will place the shots quite well at that distance. But in my day, I was considered a rather good shot with a handgun. I have hunted with modern handguns and used a .44 magnum and taken deer out to 40 yards with it.

If I were going to hunt, it would be a Traditions Vortex pistol. Traditions a while back also had a BuckHunter (I think it was) model. And it would hold 70 grains of powder and a roundball. It might be one shot, but I think you stuff 70 grains of powder down them, with a good bullet that should do 50 yards. But I would really have to be comfortable with it.

A lot of people claim the Walker Colts could be used to hunt with. They had a max load of 50 grains. So your shooting 50 grains and a .457 roundball. Not much of a load, but again, if accurate, placed and close enough... should do the job.

I will not swear to it, but I think the Stainless Steel Ruger's will handle a pretty good charge. Also they are a fine weapon. But you will pay dear for them. And again, I really think your limited in range. Even if you are a good shot.

You need a Rugar Black Powder. By far the best.
Use the conical Bullet, it work the best I have taken deer out to 40 yds with mine. One of the reasons it is better is because of its accuracy, I tried a bunch of those replica ones before I tried the Rugar the accuracy I got with them at 50 yds was deplorable, as well as the fact I spent about as much time fixing them as I did shooting them.

The .45 cal. Ruger single action revolver and the Colt Walker single shot are the only two that will hold the state mandated amount of powder needed to hunt with in my state,Maryland.That of course was before the Traditions Vortec pistol came out.So that one makes three.

Ruger old army is the way to go I can load 43 grains of triple 777
wad and a grease cookie and a hornady R/B and at at 50 yards can hold a 4" group.
The triple 777 powder can be compressed in pistol with out any problems
The ruger old army only has one problem the front sight at 50 yards seem to shoot high.I pick up a new rear blade filed it down about 1/8 shorter then stock works excellent
I would say at 50 yards no deer will walk away from that load as long as bullet is placed in the right spot

Thanks for all the help. I will check out some of these and see what happens. I have no problem buying them all and testing them all, except for the time it would take, so you've saved a lot of time by narrowing it down to three. Being a Ruger guy, I can probably skip everything else and go with the old army revolver. I know very little about any black powder anything, except for historical accounts of gunfights and distances.
This will keep me hunting through Christmas next year if I haven't already taken a 160+ buck in the earlier modern firearm season. The only black powder revolver I have ever shot was a Colt Navy replica that a friend had and was trying to hit hedge balls with. He got disgusted with being unable to hit them and loaded up again and probably thought he'd wipe the grin off my face by challenging me to do better. I hit everything I aimed at though, and liked the gun for its accuracy, which I didn't expect. The tree with the hedge balls on it was pushing 40 yards and I got 5 of them so I figured there must be something out there that could be used for deer at 50-60.
Thanks again!