Muzzle loading anyone?

#1 10/26/06, 08:31 PM

Saturday is opening morning for blackpowder season here in Oklahoma. I can't believe I haven't even gotten to go scout a place out yet. I'm going to tommorrow. I'll have to do it in the rain as it is suppose to be rainning all morning and early afternoon. Which maybe good. Maybe I won't spook to many deer while trying to figure out where to place my treestand. I'm going back to the hotspot I found last year in hopes they are using that ridge well this year.

Good luck to whoever else gets to go do some muzzleloading this weekend!

posifour11 · #2 10/27/06, 12:15 AM

got mine sighted in today. uncle sam is making me leave the state this weekend, but i'll be out there monday!!

**GREENCOUNTYPETE** · #3 10/27/06, 08:13 AM

can i ask what your using for a load , i have to sight in yet and our season isn't till the saturday before thanks giving
my plan is to start with 90 grains 777 and 410 grain flat nosed lead connicals
and work from there i have a nef huntsman .50
any advice you have about what load you found worked best would be apprieciated

thanks Pete

#4 10/27/06, 09:01 AM

Well I'm old fashioned. I'm using 80 grains with a patch and 45 cal. round ball. A kentucky smoke pole.

Bearfootfarm · #5 10/27/06, 09:44 AM

Ive had really good results with 80 Gr of 777 and a Hornady 44 Cal 300 gr XTP with a sabot. Recoill isnt bad, accuracy is good and bullet performance is excellent.

big rockpile · #6 10/27/06, 01:57 PM

r.h. how does .45 Patch and Ball do on a Deer?

big rockpile

#7 10/27/06, 02:39 PM

Does real good rockpile. Of coarse most of the deer I've killed with a .45 has always been within 20 yards from me. (one reason why I quit using a inline is cause most of my deer kills are within 20 yards of my treestand) I did kill one doe with a .45 that was about 80 from me one time. I aimed at the top of her back thinking the ball would hit right around her heart area. Instead the ball hit her back spine and dropped her right in her tracks. I had to shoot a second time to put her out of her misery.

I hunted with a 45 for several years and then when they made it legal to use in-lines here in Oklahoma I went out and bought a nice .50 cal. in-line to hunt with. The first two years I hunted with the inline all my deer kills was almost right below my treestand. In fact I had a hard time seeing them in the scope being that close. After that I went back to using the old smoke pole. I can aim it a lot easier and hit my target better when we still have a lot of leaves on the trees.

big rockpile · #8 10/27/06, 03:56 PM

The reason I was asking I bought a .50Cal. it won't shoot nothing but Patch and Ball.

I've used .54Cal. Patch and Ball for years never had a problem.

big rockpile

shadowwalker · #9 10/27/06, 04:51 PM

I got a CVA Hunterbolt from Cabela's bargain basement last winter. Goint to sight the scope tomorrow getting ready for next saturday. Going with 100 grains pellets, 50 cal powerbelts in 295 grain.
This is the second year I'm muzzleloadar hunting.

big rockpile · #10 10/27/06, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

I got a CVA Hunterbolt from Cabela's bargain basement last winter. Goint to sight the scope tomorrow getting ready for next saturday. Going with 100 grains pellets, 50 cal powerbelts in 295 grain.
This is the second year I'm muzzleloadar hunting.

I bought a bunch of PowerBelts but didn't use them,I heard too much negative about them to take a chance.So I gave most of them away.

I had good luck with 240gr. Cheapshots.Can't find them too easy,so I went to 385gr. Great plains Bullets.

But I can get Round Balls for my Sidelocks very cheap,like I say I've had good luck with them in my 54Cal.

big rockpile

bgak47 · #11 10/28/06, 03:29 PM

Hi ya'll! I killed a nice 6 point buck this morning. He was shot with my .54 cal Hawken at about 60yds. I'm taking a break from processing. Good Luck to ya'll.

#12 10/28/06, 09:38 PM

Hey way to go Bgak47!!!! You had better luck then I did. All I had come by my treestand was does. I didn't want to shoot one for fear that big buck might be nearby. But he never showed.

Come toward the end of the week if I haven't found a good buck yet then I'll see if I can catch one of those does. I had two come right under my treestand. I could of jumped on their backs for a little piggy back ride!

bgak47 · #13 10/29/06, 06:04 AM

He was hanging around my feeder with 4 does, but I couldn't reload fast enough to fill my doe tag. Good luck Y'all! I've got him in the freezer now & I have to go back to work tomorrow,so I doubt if I'll get another chance untill gun season.Good Luck everyone!

big rockpile · #14 10/29/06, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgak47

Hi ya'll! I killed a nice 6 point buck this morning. He was shot with my .54 cal Hawken at about 60yds. I'm taking a break from processing. Good Luck to ya'll.

Good going!

They are thinking about making a Deer that small Illegal in our state.Which I think is stupid

One of the biggest Deer I killed was a 6 pointer.

big rockpile

#15 10/29/06, 12:25 PM

Well I had my chance this morning but missed. A nice size 6 pointer came out in the opening this morning and I really needed a inline this time. There I stood on the ground, looking down the old smoke pole at the buck and the sun arising just over the horizon behind the deer. The sun was gleaming off the barrel and I couldn't see the front bead on my gun very good. I thought I had it lined up with the deer but apparently I missed clean. Which was good, rather a clean miss then a wound shot.

I was in a very small 10 acre wood lot. After the shot I figured there wasn't any use hanging around. So I came home. However, on the way out of the woodlot I found two big ole "Hen of the woods" mushroom. So I didn't come home empty handed.

WildBillTN · #16 10/29/06, 01:50 PM

Our muzzleloader season starts next Saturday, and runs for a week. The first three days are either sex, so I plan to put some freezer meat down first, then wait for the big boy. Rutting has already started, or at least the chasing and following the does around. I saw a nice big bodied 8 pt. following a doe last night.
I shoot a .50 cal. Hawkin with round ball and patch, 90 grains of Pyrodex. I made the rifle from a kit, and it is dead-on out to 80 yards, no problem. Most of my shots are within 40 yards.
Good luck to all you hunters, and congratulations to you lucky ones who have already taken one.

posifour11 · #17 10/30/06, 08:22 PM

finally got out this evening. saw nothing but a bobcat and squirrels. it was windy and warm today so hopefully i'll do better in the morning.