Hunting with Antiques

Hunting is not always about the shots across the canyon or the far end of a one mile clearing. Most shots are under 100 yards and old cartridges are capable of downing game cleanly under these conditions.

At a time when all you read about is how high ballistic coefficient bullets and new, larger cases allow for shots to be taken at incredible distances, there is a different path. Older cartridges may not have the velocities or the laser flat trajectory of a 338 Lapua but they are more than suitable for most North American game, when distances are around the 100 yard mark.

One of the most amazing thing, is how over the decades, the amount of energy needed to cleanly take a deer has gone up. At one time a 30-30 was considered a high velocity (high energy) round, then the 30-06 became the norm and then anything less than a 300 Win Mag was under-powered for deer. The reality is that if the range is under 100 yards any of the old military rounds will put a deer down and without fancy bullets and with minimal meat damage.

One measure of cartridge performance is energy and it is driven by velocity, since it increases by the square of velocity but another measure is related to momentum. John Taylor, a famous African hunter, used a momentum based formula to calculate the Taylor KO Factor (knock out). It was determined by multiplying the bullet weight (in grains) by the velocity of the bullet (in feet per second) and its diameter (in inches). Then divide the result by 7000.

The above table compares how 3 classic military cartridges compare to the all-time deer cartridge the 30-30 Winchester. From an energy perspective they are all in the same range but the real difference is the KO value. Even if we assume that the 30-30 bullet expands to 0.45″, its KO is only 21.

However, any of the other three, even with no bullet expansion, will provide greater shocking value and will penetrate deeper while delivering a powerful blow. Since these are low velocity rounds, you need to know where the bullet will hit at 50 and 100 yards. If you are using military sights, they will likely shoot high at 50 yards (by a lot) but will be close to the point of aim at 100. This is all part of taking life a little slower and experiencing the hunt.

The cover photo shows a 577/450 Mk IV Martini-Henry (top), an 1865 2 band Snider in 577 Snider and finally a sporterized M71 Mauser in 43 Mauser. All three rifles are single shot and are classified as antiques. The Mauser is a trim rifle, weighing 6.5 pounds, making it a joy to carry. The Snider is also fairly handy, although the carbine version is the best option for hunting and the velocity loss is hardly detectable. The Martini-Henry is not a bush gun but a surprising number are around that ideal for making a compact hunting rifle, simply by shortening the barrel and installing more modern sight.

Getting closer to the game, knowing your limits and travelling back in time makes hunting more about the challenge rather than just technical perfection. While there are lots of other cartridges that can be used (hopefully we will have enough interest to warrant exploring them later), these three offer the most options in terms of rifles and ease of making ammunition.