Deer hunting with an original 1866

[Big Goose]

Howdy all,
    its been awhile since I've posted , but I carried the ol' 1866 out deer hunting yesterday--
 It has been tough hunting up here in northern Minnesota the past few years.LLots of timber wolves and a couple tough winters() last winter though was very mild). anyways its been mostly bucks only and I didnt see a single buck last year...
 Well, it was a very pleasant Veterans Day, and about 2:30 in the afternoon this fellow crossed the trail about 75 yards away.Not much time for a shot, but I set the top of the blade even with his front leg, held toward the bottom of his chest( it hits about six inches high at that range) and squeezed off the shot. he disappeared in the smoke, but I could hear crashing for a few bounds and then the sound of hooves thrashing in the leaves.He only went about 35 or 40 yards from where I shot him and piled up in the hazell brush.
 I would likely not have been ready for him, but he flushed a grouse and it must have startled him causing him to break some brush and gave me a heads up. As it turned out he was quartering away slightly, the bullet entered behind his left shoulder and exited out his right shoulder, breaking it . It passed through the top of the heart and shredded the lungs.
 I sure like this little gun.It factory letters as a 44 Henry Flat center fire. its amazing how well that diminutive round performs.  I use 44 Special brass cut down, and a heeled .444 diameter  210 grain bullet over 24 grains of 2f Olde Eynsford.
 Just wanted to share an actual hunting experience with an original 66.
 Big Goose

[Abilene]

Well that's about as cool as can be!  Thanks for sharing.  How long have you had the carbine?

[Coal Creek Griff]

Wow!  That's not something that you hear about every day.    Thanks!

Griff

[Big Goose]

Thanks fellers,
 I've had it for while now, I posted some about it about 4, maybe 5 years back. This is second deer I've gotten with it, and my youngest son killed a huge bull buffalo with it back in October of 2019( I think). While I sure wouldn't recommend it as a buffalo gun, It worked just fine in the hands of an experienced rifleman. He shot four times in double quick time- poked four holles in less than a hands width. All broke rib going in, punched four finger sized holes through the big fellow's heart, and both lungs, were all stuck between the ribs and hide on the far side. The big guy never took a step, his tail came up , he quivered and toppled over... 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

LIKE & WOW

[mtmarfield]

      Greetings, BigGoose!

   BRAVO on your deer! Any chance You can get us all your chamber, and bore/groove dimensions, and your loading data...?
     
          Thanks Mucho!

                   MTM
                 11-13-24

[Hair Trigger Jim]

Big Goose's posts about it from 2020 can be found in starting at post 671 in this thread

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=29573.660

and also in this thread

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=64728.msg766527#msg766527

where I found the link to the other thread.

[Coffinmaker]

  A HUGE "LIKE" for BIG GOOSE 

[Abilene]

Jim, thanks for those links!