Does anyone shoot the 58 cal muzzle loaders anymore? The old Zouave used to be the cat's whiskers on moose, and black bear, but I seldom hear anyone talking about this caliber anymore!
I have regular muzzleloaders in both flint, and percussion, from 31 cal to 58 cal, none are in-lines. Not that there is anything wrong with in-lines it is just that I got into muzzle loaders years ago, because of the primative replica aspect of hunting with them. The
In-lines just don't interest me, nothing more.

Are there any of you old guys who still are buckskinners, still around, or am I the only one left?

The reason I traded for the Pedersoli Kodiak 58 percussion double rifle is, because my favorite type of hunting rifle, or shotgun is a S/S double rifle/shotgun. In My state we have a public land access license, that allows one to hunt state parks, and other public lands. The problem with this is in many of the good ones, one must hunt with a muzzleloader or shotgun. I love to hunt with my double rifles, and that was the only double I saw that was worth looking at that was a muzzleloader.
To my supprise molds, and other acessaries for 58 cal are hard to come by today. When I was doing a lot of blackpowder hunting, yrs ago, any gun store had all the 58 cal stuff one could afford.
Come some of you old codgers wake up, and pour some powder down the barrels of those old caplocks, and chase a few deer, and wild hogs! It's lonly out here, with all this stainless steel, scopes, and bolt action muzzleloaders surrounding me, and I haven't seen a buckskin shirt in twenty years!

I hunt with flintlocks, a 54 rifle and a 62 smoothbore, which I suppose are even buckskinnier than the shortlived caplock ignition system. Check with Track of the Wolf http://www.trackofthewolf.com/ for supplies. If they don't have what you're looking for they'll steer you to someone who does.

Hey nordrseta, thanks a lot! I was begining to think everyone older than 30 had died, and gone to "NO GADGIT" Heaven! I'll book that link for sure.

NO, we haven't died, we just tend to frequent more friendly places.

As for .58 caliber molds and bullets, there is a lot of selection for that caliber as it is rather common, though less so than the .54 or .50.

If you want a roundball mold, frankly, you cannot beat the cheapo scissor molds that www.dixiegunworks sells in 0.005 increments. I have one for my 18 bore.

For bullet molds, www.neihandtools.com has plenty of molds in standard patterns and there are easily a dozen+ custom mold makers that will lathe cut whatever you want.

The .58 is a fine caliber, but like anything else, it's not magic.

Brent

Mac the others beat to the punch, but those are good outfits,,

I'm still shooting the 8bore under hammer and a 54 side hammer

Man that's good to hear! Now I don't have to send all those condolences cards to your families! Or be a pall-bearor for some of you heavier shooters!
.............8 bore

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Originally posted by Brent:
NO, we haven't died, we just tend to frequent more friendly places.

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For bullet molds, www.neihandtools.com has plenty of molds in standard patterns and there are easily a dozen+ custom mold makers that will lathe cut whatever you want.

Brent

Brent, I know Walt Melander, personally,but I was under the impression he had died! He started in El Paso, Texas, then moved to Seattle, I think. But then I heard he'd died,and his family had moved back to El Paso, and resumed business. Are those pictures on his web-site current, or just left over from the old days?

No, you KNEW Walt. He did die, but the company goes on and his picture with it. I'm not sure who is running the company, but the old cherries are still cutting.

Brent

Brent, Walt used to work as a machinist in White Sands Proving Grounds, when I was working there myself. He had a small gunsmithing business on the side, out in North East El Paso, TX, hence the name NEI (North East Industrial) He did a lot of barreling for me, back in the 60s, till he moved to the North west, and started the mould buisness! He was a great guy, and a real gentlemen!

I never knew the guy, though I spoke with him once on the phone. Certainly, however, you cannot find a person on the planet with a bad word to say about him.

Brent

hey mac - i still got one of them mine is even old enuf to have been regulsted and have the single sight on it (with a 3 digit serial even)

This will be a small change in direction but... Does anybody here have experience with the 58 rifled muskets as hunting guns. I was thinking of getting one and trying it during the deer season.

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Does anybody here have experience with the 58 rifled muskets as hunting guns. I was thinking of getting one and trying it during the deer season.

In my misspent youth I owned an H&R Huntsman inline in .58. It shot round ball and Minies well enough. It was light and recoil was brisk. I carried it deer hunting one season but that was before the local cervids started cooperating with me so I cannot tell you how it performs on game. I have since taken deer with .530 and .600 round balls so I can think of no reason a .570 would not as well. That was also before I learned there is no sense in ever selling any gun, so I no longer own it. A U.S. Civil War (sorry...War of Northern Agression) era musket will certainly fill your freezer, if the sights are adjustable enough to create a useful zero. Keep us posted.

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Originally posted by nordrseta:
that was also before I learned there is no sense in ever selling any gun

This lesson cannot be taught, but it can be learned --- the hard way. One could fill rivers with the tears shed of misjudgements like this.

Brent

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Posted 13 June 2006 23:58
hey mac - i still got one of them mine is even old enuf to have been regulsted and have the single sight on it (with a 3 digit serial even)

I don't know how old mine is, but I've only had it since last summer, but it is a Trail Guns Armory rifle with a straight stock. I traded for it from it's origenal owner who'd had it for years, but had not shot it. I do have the #134th off the assimbly line, at Pedersoli,Trail Guns Armory 45-70 double rifle. I ordered it from TGA before they were made, and it took me a year to get it.

I have and shoot an old Navy Arms 58 Cal. front loader. I've had it 35 years and have only shot one deer with it. the deer was standing on a slight hill when I shot it. Bowled it over and it never twitched. Told me a lot about a big chunk of lead going at a moderate speed. I guess I was just to young for it to sink in. I shoot it for fun more than anything. Would rather hunt with a modern firearm so the front loader just sets in the safe during the hunting season. Maybe I should try it again. Mac, I surely know your passion for the big bores!!

els I tried it for a couple of years, will work about like the others, I found in mine I had to make sure the Mini's where cast dead soft, so the skirt would blow up,, and couldn't go over about 80 grains of 2F, sights where a bear to get on,,

If you can do a search on the Black Powder Hunting Mag, site there was an article about a man who had one and had the barrel redone with a different twist and was real happy with it.

Mac: Ask Jeffe about the .58 Kodiak, because he bought mine from me. I miss that gun. I have had two in .58 and one in .72 (which was an even bigger hoot).