Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Ruger Old Army

I just sent the money to a guy for a 1991 made Stainless 7.5" old army. Man Im ready to put it to work on some hogs. Ive got some 3F T7, Pyrodex P and Black Mz. Read that 35Gr of T7 and a round ball was the way to go unless using a conical

no self respecting Carolina boy shoots anything other than the Holy Black.lol

Once you load the Alliant Blackmz shooting either RB's or Conicals,you'll give the other substitute's away.

35gr is a "plinker" load in a ROA.

Bought one from Sportsmans Guide back when they were selling them for $329. Nice, but the load/shoot/reload cycle was kinda slow and unless you cast your own balls(!), it ain't exactly cheap shooting. Regret selling it of course, but had a kid in college and times were tough.

Layne Simpson did an article on shooting them, also one or two others, including using them on hogs. T7 FFF gave the best velocities, IIRC. He used a number of bullets in the guns, including the Lyman .45 Devastator HP in one of them that it fit well, not the OA.

A guy on GB sells bullets cast from one of the old Lee molds at decent prices.

Ive seen those bullets pappy. I sent the guy that sells the mold a message and he said he rather sell molds than the bullets. From what I've read you can stuff lots of powder in those old armys and that big slug and it gives a 45 colt a run for the money. Look forward to getting it in hand and do some shooting.

Phoneman,

I bought one of the blued Ruger Old Army models quite a few years ago now. (I originally owned one w/ the brass triggerguard and foolishly sold it!) I have only shot BP or Pyrodex in it w/ round balls and it's such a blast to shoot! I don't know exactly WHAT it is, but it is FUN...!!! I still use wads over the powder and grease over the round balls. I did buy a blued steel cylinder from MidwayUSA so I could shoot .45 Long Colt cartridges in it, too - not as much fun, somehow? (I learned even Pyrodex can cause rust to form AFTER you think it's clean...!) On Dans40X comment, I may have to give Alliant BlackMZ a try? I installed a Ruger white outline rear blade and put in a red piece for the front sight so I could see them better - old eyes, I guess - but they did help.

A question: does Ruger still make the Old Army? Enjoy yours.

Thanks,
Brittman

Old Army was discontinued quite a few years ago. Recently I saw some listed on a wholesaler's site for a while, then gone ... assume it was probably a mistake but maybe someone found some old stock in a warehouse somewhere.

My state doesn't allow us to hunt with cap and ball or muzzleloading handguns. I often thought it'd be fun to get one of the Ruger Old Armys and an aftermarket cylinder for .45 Colt, then load cartridge ammo with round balls and "holy black" just to legally thumb my nose at the rules.

I suppose instead someday I'll probably just load some 3F under .433 round balls in .44 mag cases and lob 'em out of my Contender barrel. Deer won't know the difference.

Tom

Pyrodex definitely rusts things real fast and (like you found out) even after you clean it once, it seems to start rusting again a few days later. I personally don't shoot real black in mine just because I'd rather avoid smelling up the place cleaning up later. I share a roof with one of those women who don't understand these things. 777 gives the highest velocity but I shoot Black MZ as I like the easy cleanup after. The velocity isn't higher than 2f black in my experience. I bought a .45 LC cylinder and shoot alot with that.

I bought a pound of Black MZ from sportsmans for $9 and tried it in my knight mk85. It shoots great and 2 patches and its clean. I went back to buy some more and its all gone. I picked up a pound of 3f T7 too. That pyrodex is now reserved for emergency situations when I cant find anything else.

My serious ROA load was a chamber almost full of ffffg (Ruger, back then said it was o.k.) and the Lee round nosed conical they made just for the Ruger. Felt like a 357.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THAT^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I put 50grs of FFFG in my Old Army under a round ball or 190gr ball-ette, piece of cake for that tank.

For a real hammer, try the Dave Clements 50 cal SS ROA conversion. This one I fitted with burl rosewood handles.

Had my conversion done years ago before it got so expensive. http://www.clementscustomguns.com/rugeroldarmy.html

http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_ClementsFugett.htm

DF

NICE! glad you got that built before they got so high too, i'll have to remember that if you ever offer to sell it to me.

BIL or replacement price...?

That thing does have some wallop, about like my Ruger .45 Colt with handloads...

DF

BIL price of course, but only if he's a good one, and I bet DF, that things gotta pack a double wallop!

I’m not much of a dark sider, but that gun is a hoot to shoot.

I haven’t killed a hog or WT with it, but it’s got enough horsepower to do the deed.

Should put their nose in the dirt.

DF

10-4, bullet weight? and Yessir, I'd stuff her with Holy Black, as much as I could get in there too.

250 gr Mt Baldy bullet.

DF

NICE! that'll work!

,488 cal rather than a true .50 cal, but like govt. work, rounded off the nearest whole number...

At 1,150 fps, a 250 gr. cast lead bullet won't bounce off....

DF