WB
I was doing some odd testing running a 270 gr.
Monday, April 05, 2021, 10:43

"bullet" through the Ruger OA. The sights were hopeless with anything but round balls so I scoped it. I tried a 340 gr. .45-70 bullet cast in pure lead but after the second shot the recoil was "unloading" the cylinder for me. I had never figured about "bullet pull" on a cap and ball revolver, but it is obvious in retrospect. I got 750 fps with that 340 and a .44 Special case full of 777. I later found the .41 Magnum has almost the exact same internal capacity using it for a powder volumetric measure.

The 270 gr. and a case level full of 777 got me right at 900-950 fps and the bullets stayed put through six shots. That's what I used to shoot a small hog in TN. It sounded like plenty but the soft lead expands readily and penetration is NOT like a normal cast bullet. It had just enough energy to penetrate the hard shoulder gristle and get into the inner cavity where the organs are but not much more. I might even have been better served with the smaller roundballs at some 1200 fps! Even at the elevated velocity the recoil inertia is different and bullet pull was not an issue.

My assessment was that the cap and ball .45 was about at it's practical limit with small hogs or whitetail sized critters. At least as a primary arm. I later tested a Lyman .54 Plains single shot pistol and found it the full equal of a rifle with the round ball but using bullets the recoil quickly over powered any type of grip hold on the traditional stock. I actually cracked the walnut at the point where the small through screw holds the lock in place. So I glass bedded it and the entire lock and barrel channel. It sure didn't hurt things. In all cases accuracy was outstanding, besting many modern arms.