No cap & ball for Deer?

[Timjoebillybob]

If I'm reading the regs right, the "must be capable of loading ball and powder from the muzzle" line basically excludes a Cap and Ball gun correct?

It sounds like, even if a particular BP gun meets all of the caliber and barrel length requirements, it can be ruled "illegal" by how the ball in inserted.

The Exact quote from the regs is as follows:

"A muzzleloading firearm must be capable of being loaded from the muzzle, including both powder and bullet."

Cap and ball pistols and rifles load from the cylinder, not the muzzle. I wouldn't THINK anyone would be annal enough to bust you for using a Cap & Ball that meets caliber and barrel length requirements, but wouldn't want to be the one to find out.

I don't think it's in the manual but it is in IAC

312 IAC 9-3-3 Equipment for deer hunting
A muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber
and have a barrel at least twelve (12) inches long. The length of a muzzleloading handgun barrel is determined by measuring
from the base of the breech plug, excluding tangs and other projections, to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown.
A muzzleloading gun must be capable of being loaded only from the muzzle, including both powder and bullet.

So yes a cap and ball revolver is not legal to hunt deer with. And I would bet that a DNR officer would bust you for it.

 

[firehawk1]

Isn't the minimum for muzzleloaders .45 cal.? Biggest cap and ball revolver I know of is only .44 cal. I would imagine a .44 cal. C&B will run out of steam rather quickly. That is most likely the reason DNR won't allow them.

And yes I know a .45 ML can shoot a .357 sabot, but it still considered a .45 cal. ML.

 

[VUPDblue]

Isn't the minimum for muzzleloaders .45 cal.? Biggest cap and ball revolver I know of is only .44 cal. I would imagine a .44 cal. C&B will run out of steam rather quickly. That is most likely the reason DNR won't allow them.

And yes I know a .45 ML can shoot a .357 sabot, but it still considered a .45 cal. ML.

312 IAC 9-3-3 Equipment for deer hunting
A muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber

 

[firehawk1]

312 IAC 9-3-3 Equipment for deer hunting
A muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber

You are correct. I should have been more specific. I was refering to ML rifles.

I had a Traditions ML pistol awhile back.... it was a HANDFULL to shoot!

 

[tenring]

How can a firearm with no cartridge meet the minimum and maximum cartridge lenght?

You should probably just read the regulations.

The CO isn't going to care what you read on the "INGO BINGO INTERNETO hunting regulation advice column" when he's giving you a ticket.





Now that there is funny, I don't care who you are!

 

[Delmar]

You could hunt with one of these though, and it is a cap and ball pistol. Just not a cap and ball revolver.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Even if you did use a ramrod and load it through the barrel it wouldn't qualify for muzzle-loader season because it is a repeater. If I am not mistaken you could get a .45 LC conversion cylinder for it and use it as a cartridge gun. Is a .45 LC pistol legal to hunt with?

Yes.

 

[cosermann]

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Deer_Hunting_Equipment.pdf

Excerpts:
"Shotguns, handguns, rifles with legal cartridges, muzzleloading long guns and muzzleloading handguns are legal during the firearm season. Only muzzleloading firearms are legal during the muzzleloader season."

"Muzzleloading firearms must be .44 caliber or larger, loaded with a single bullet of at least .357 caliber. Saboted bullets are allowed, provided the bullet is .357 caliber or larger. A muzzleloading firearm must be loaded from the muzzle. Multiple-barrel muzzleloading long guns are allowed."

"Muzzleloading handguns are allowed. The muzzleloading handgun must be single shot, .50 caliber or larger, loaded with bullets at least .44 caliber and have a barrel at least 12 inches long, measured from the base of the breech plug excluding tangs and other projections to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown."

That's it. Simple.

I never noticed before that, "Multiple-barrel muzzleloading long guns are allowed." Hmm. Some possibilities . . .

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I think Jack needs a hug....

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I think Jack needs a hug....

I think he need a rep.

 

[Whosyer]

You could hunt with one of these though, and it is a cap and ball pistol. Just not a cap and ball revolver.

You could however carry six of these.

 

[POC]

You could however carry six of these.

 

[Delmar]

You could however carry six of these.

Probably wouldn't carry six, but perhaps a pair of SxSs.

 

[Jack Ryan]

You could however carry six of these.

Buy why?

I can't carry six deer.

 

[Delmar]

I was a little disappointed when I found out the Pedersoli Howdah Pistol is a little to short to take deer with in Indiana.
Davide Pedersoli Howdah Pistol : Cabela's

 

[Hookeye]

Necropost:

Remember in the regs the words "capable of being loaded from the muzzle"?

Yup, the state considers cap and ball revolvers to be muzzeloaders.

By TYPE they are NOT illegal.

But the IDNR's bbl length and min caliber requirements for deer hunting muzzleloading handguns pretty much make factory offerings not usable.

If one made a .50 cal cap and ball revolver, with the correct min bbl length, and removed the nipples from all but one chamber (then a single shot), it would be legal.

I thought that the way the regs were meant, but recently contacted the state for verification.

(Got into it with somebody who said cap n ball illegal by type- yay, I win again!

 

[.356luger]

I get to play armchair philosipher today!

car·tridge

Noun 1. A container holding a spool of photographic film, a quantity of ink, or other item or substance, designed for insertion into a mechanism.

2. A casing containing a charge and a bullet or shot for small arms or an explosive charge for blasting.

Using #2 here

Sounds like a nitrated paper cartridge would make a cap and ball revolver legal if you obeyed the rest of the regulations. No where in the regs did i find the words "modern casing" or a list of acceptable materials the case/cartridge can be assembled from. The question is would you like to pay to have a lawyer state your case. Which I'm semi confident you could win or hunt with something else.


Edit: this will only work for firearms season

 

[Hookeye]

Cap and ball according to the state specialist is considered muzzleloader.
Therefore cartridge specs (regular firearms) do not apply.
Remember the wording "capable of being loaded from the muzzle".
Gotta go by muzzleloader handgun specs, and that means .50 cal minimum (can run .44 bullets in one though).

 

[vwarren]

the key word may be "capable" you could load it from the muzzle

 

[Hookeye]

Yup and I suspected the wording a long time ago to categorize cap n ball as muzzleloader.
Kinda obvious the intent, email last week from the state confirms it.
I only did that to have ammo to shoot down that idiot I unfortunately met.