Can the .58 get it done?

[Bullshot]

Switching gears this year and keeping the other guns in the cabinet for a stretch. Trying to see if I can get it done on deer and bear with the T/C .58 cal and a round ball. It’s my 1st morning out with it today. Slow start, had a lot of rain last night that tapered off and ended this morning, squirrels are barely even about, but there’s plenty of time over the next couple months if needed. Don’t be surprised when I post only a doe or spike. This is a meat hunt - in many ways what hunting is supposed to be!

 

[Hem]

Switching gears this year and keeping the other guns in the cabinet for a stretch. Trying to see if I can get it done on deer and bear with the T/C .58 cal and a round ball. It’s my 1st morning out with it today. Slow start, had a lot of rain last night that tapered off and ended this morning, squirrels are barely even about, but there’s plenty of time over the next couple months if needed. Don’t be surprised when I post only a doe or spike. This is a meat hunt - in many ways what hunting is supposed to be!

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Looks like fun to me.
Keep your powder dry.
Aim straight.

 

[MTTW]

Sweet rifle. I have the same one but the only thing I have shot with it is paper. I look forward to following your hunt.

 

[Bsquad]

Sweet rifle. Something about the older TC rifles that looks so good. Get it done!

 

[MThuntr]

 

[D705]

Looking forward to seeing the hunt unfold. Good luck

 

[Four22]

I’ve shot several with my 58 hawkin.

Your opening day sounds like mine in Ohio. Haven’t seen a thing all morning after the rain all day yesterday

 

[Rzrbck918]

The first muzzleloader I ever hunted with was a 58 cal H & R. That thing was bigger than I was at the time. Good memories.

 

[Dan O]

Bullshot here is a web site that can give ballistic info on your load. go to the bottom of the page and click on the high lighted "click here" and load your information. Your owners manual should give your load information that you can plug in to the chart.

I think you will find the 58 prb will hit far beyond what the numbers indicate. Watch your wind as it will move the ball much more than most believe. Good luck and have fun!

www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/rbballistics.html

 

[Bullshot]

Day 1 closed with a whimper. But a good day nonetheless.

I hunted a few different areas today, as I am using the opportunity to hunt/scout locations I have never been or not been to in awhile. The morning hunt was quiet, saw fresh tracks and scrapes in the mud about 250 yards from where I started, so a deer was afoot at least.

I went for a mid-day walkabout of a new area. Immediately saw some fresh deer sign and also found this bear scratching post on an old utility pole.





Some views of the cover:





Hiked up the mountain through some steeper, more open woods:



Found numerous rub lines on the slope just below the summit:




As I sidesloped through a thicket, I jumped a small buck (6 pt? 8 pt? AKA a 3pt or 4 pt for you westerners who don’t know how to count ) that was bedded, maybe 25 yards out, but he ran straight away and up into cover and didn’t offer any kind of shot.

Now jumping the buck was NOT a failure.

1) This was a recon hunt
2) It can be practically impossible to stalk eastern whitetails on public ground in the leafy woods, so I expected to (hoped to) kick something up.
3) Sometimes you do still get a shot
4) Whitetails will not vacate the area merely by being bumped
5) So now I know more than I did this morning!

 

[Bullshot]

Evening hunt was choppy. I tried spot 1, a tiny patch of public where I’ve done well before, but there was a truck parked there already.

I went to tiny patch 2 that usually has huge rubs and scrapes and walked in only to see some orange up ahead of me. I stepped off into a part of the woods that was really thick, given no other option and the other hunter was in my preferred spot. Rough area with limited visibility. Great bedding cover though!




Other than a red squirrel scolding me and numerous flocks of geese overhead, nothing showed.

As I walked out at dark, I see why it was so slow. The other hunter had DRIVEN his truck through the only access trail and all the way across the site. Not allowed! Guess it doesn’t only happen out west! He stopped to talk to me on the way out and I considered saying something but he seemed just completely naive to the fact that it was against the law or that I had never seen anybody drive there to get to their spot and was annoyed . I was too tired to get into it with him and just slogged out to my truck.

Here’s to better luck tomorrow!

 

[Bullshot]

There are some deer in the thicket in front of me, but since I had spooked them on the way in in the dark, no luck actually seeing them so far this morning.

 

[Bullshot]

Ticks aren’t playing around this morning. Out for blood!

 

[Bullshot]

This is my plan for the night.

Deer comes out. I shoot deer. The end.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Ticks aren’t playing around this morning. Out for blood!

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uhg....what state are you in that ticks are still around?

 

[Bullshot]

 

[Dave N]

Nosebleed?

 

[Flatbrimmer]

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Two hours later we got blood boys!!

 

[Bsquad]

Which arrow path did it come from?!

 

[Hem]

Way to go Bullshot!!