perma
Well-known member
I’m 3” high at 100, my calculator says I’m 0 at 125 and 4” low at 150. I think I’m happy with that. Going to verify my zero this afternoon.
Anybody else muzzleloader hunting this year
- Thread starter tkhuntsman
- Start date
WildWill
Well-known member
It's hard to tell in the pic but the bullet is almost the perfect size to make a seal. Have never lost more then a few grains getting it out yet although definitely potential to fumble finger it in the heat of the moment.
Almost exactly how mines shooting. I've done some 200 yard shooting as well and figure the drop to be about 16 inches.
Got my first ever deer yesterday, it was a buck mule deer, got it in Nevada with a .50 caliber CVA Accura LR-X with open sights at 120 yards loaded with 80 grains of loose Hogdon Triple 777 FFFG powder and a copper Hornady 250 grain SST sabot.
It was a quartering away shot, I aimed just to the side of the white rump of the deer, (which is all I could see with the open sights soon before sunset) and the first shot hit in the neck and wounded the deer, it tried to run away but got slower and slower, I quickly reloaded, broke the flimsy telescopic ramrod that came as part of two ramrods with the gun in my hasty but successful reload, chased after the deer and shot it a second time in the neck on purpose at about 40 yards, this time the deer went down and stayed down.
It was a quartering away shot, I aimed just to the side of the white rump of the deer, (which is all I could see with the open sights soon before sunset) and the first shot hit in the neck and wounded the deer, it tried to run away but got slower and slower, I quickly reloaded, broke the flimsy telescopic ramrod that came as part of two ramrods with the gun in my hasty but successful reload, chased after the deer and shot it a second time in the neck on purpose at about 40 yards, this time the deer went down and stayed down.
CowboyLeroy
Well-known member
Why don't you put the bullet in, then pour the powder on top of it?
WildWill
Well-known member
Tried that at first and ran into some issues. When you go to pour the powder at a certain point gravity takes over the bullet and instead of being able to pour it pushes the powder out with enough force to cause a good deal to not end up in the barrel. Last time I loaded 4 tubes with powder and one with 4 bullets might go back to that if this turns into a goat rope.
tkhuntsman
Well-known member
Well I had a tough hunt in CO it was wet and cold for the entire season in my unit. The bad weather moved most of the deer out of the alpine and into the timber and we had a hard time locating mature bucks. I hunted hard and covered a lot of miles but ultimately came home empty handed. I had a great time with friends and family and it was worth the price of the tag to get down there and see them.
Recap now that the season is over for me... a tale of two tags in two pics.
That Nevada tag totally sucked. We sat water for 5 days and saw literally nothing but one small mule deer doe. Finally glassed a herd of elk at the actual peak of a mountain... got to within 85 yards of a beautiful 6x6 in velvet, but only had the cow tag and the cows were about 50 yards past him. Never got a shot. I talked to five other groups of hunters too, and none of them saw their first elk. There are, however, literally thousands of wild horses throughout the unit... guess that may explain why not a single resident hunter filled their tag in that unit last year.
Colorado was sick. Scouted hard, hiked way the hell into this wild basin at about 10.5 grand, spiked out in an actual monsoon, got up and almost had a shot on a total monster, came back to the truck to dry off, decided to go in for a second night in a row instead of licking our wounds. Pain train paid off- as my buddy was setting up to glass, I took a solo walk only a few hundred yards from camp... and came around a corner about 22 yards from my dude. Wasn't looking for another shoulder mount, but it'll probably be a minute before I even see one anything like that again. Stoked for days
David658
Well-known member
I used to use a loading block and old plastic film cannisters. Later, I just moved to using the loading block and pouring powder from my horn. Found that "speed" loading wasn't much different than what I can do with my everyday setup. The only time I have used a second shot, ever, with my ML was on a deer where I broke its spine (poor shot) and it took a second shot to kill it, but it was anchored.
David
NM
Firehawk54
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2014
- Messages
- 112
Looks like you are making this work for you. With that said, I started using these Cedar Mountain quick loaders last fall. Absolutely the BEST I have ever used, bar none. They don't give them away for free, but a couple would go a long long way. Give them a shot.
WildWill
Well-known member
Man I need more gear like I need another hole in my head. But I really like that think I'll have to try it out.Looks like you are making this work for you. With that said, I started using these Cedar Mountain quick loaders last fall. Absolutely the BEST I have ever used, bar none. They don't give them away for free, but a couple would go a long long way. Give them a shot.
Firehawk54
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2014
- Messages
- 112
I have a brother and two hunting buddies that "balked" at the pricing. Once they saw them in use, they immediately went out and bought some.
Regarding "needing more gear", I totally get that. I have WAY too many pairs of boots, socks, hunting pants/shirts etc. It is getting out of hand. But these quick loaders, they are the real deal.
mevertsen
Well-known member
Very interesting.
mevertsen
Well-known member
If this was the NV elk unit I'm thinking it was, I had a tag last year and 2016. Tough hunting for sure. Saw a few elk last year but could not close the deal. 2016 I had a last minute of light shot and gun did not fire (side lock). The horses are certainly a problem in there.
QELKhunter
Well-known member
All my tags this year are muzzleloader tags. CO elk tag, CO Pronghorn buck & doe tag (https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/co-2023-muzzleloader-pronghorn-antelope-hunt.321262/), NM Mule Deer tag.
David658
Well-known member
I'd happily never shoulder another modern rifle, if I could keep shooting my MLs. A traditionalist, I owned a T/C somethingorotherinline for about two days, given to me then given away - went to the "loaner pool", and lives at a buddy's place. It is gratifying to bring home meat with a rifle that I built, even if the tradeoff is anything past 100yards or so gets to walk on.
David
NM
elevatorman
Active member
I muzzleloader hunt every year. In VA they did the seasons so the whitetail rut is primarily only during muzzleloader season. So if you want to hunt the rut gotta get a muzzleloader. Or I suppose you could take a bow during muzzleloader but it's the rut... no time to be dilly dallying around with a bow...
WildWill
Well-known member
250gr Thor exit at 67 yards.
Yeah or just gun them down with buckshot as they run from a pack of dogs. Lol
Didn't get a pic, but I was shooting 250 Thors as well and that's exactly how mine looked- my guy never took a step after impact. I truly have so much confidence in the way that setup performs I'll probably never change anything for any of may tags I draw out west. Maybe knock 25 yards off my MER if it's an elk tag.
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