About a year or so ago, I started playing around with the idea of doing some round ball hunting. The discussions were mainly with Dave (Cayugad). I decided this I was the season I was going to do it. I wanted to use a 54 cal to round ball hunt with. The only problem was that I didn"™t own a 54 cal. Well, a long came a feller from Pennsylvania named Clem (Bronko 22000). He gave me a great deal on a 54 cal barrel for my TC Renegade and a lifetime supply of round balls.
I haven"™t had time to sight the 54 cal barrel in until last weekend. I have had a lot of things going on around work and home. I got the 54 cal barrel sighted in, but I forgot about one little thing, I didn"™t have a 54 cal cleaning jag!! Good thing I used 777 and not black powder or Pyrodex. I had ordered a Lyman GPR 54 cal flinter earlier last week. It was delivered Wed night. I cleaned both rifles that night. Well, everything was set, I was going round ball hunting!!
I took today off from work so I could go without the weekend crowd at the club. I got to the club on time and made the long walk to my Eastman ground blind that I have in a hardwood creek bottom. As I was easing into the creek bottom right at first light, and a deer eased out of the area. I have been hunting a large buck in this area and judging from this deer"™s heavy gait, I am pretty sure this deer was my buck. I eased into my blind and got settled in. I was going to get out at about 10:00 AM to do some scouting to place a stand I had removed from an unproductive area. At about 9:00, I thinking this was going to be another wasted morning.
Well, at about 9:30 a nice doe started making her way down the ridge above the creek bottom. I raised the gun to put the bead on her, when I did I think she sensed something and she made a direct left hand turn and started paralleling the ridge. I wear a black pullover and hood in my blind so she didn"™t spook. She went about another ten yards and stopped in some scrub oaks and briers and started feeding. About this time my arm was getting tired of holding the gun up, so I eased it down. A few seconds after I lowered the gun another nice doe came down the same trail and stopped in another bunch of scrub oaks and started feeding. I looked at the first doe and she hadn"™t moved.
I eased the gun up and put the bead on the second doe. She was still feeding in the scrub oaks and then began feeding down the ridge. A few seconds later, she presented me with an almost perfect broadside shot and I let the hammer fly. She ran back up the ridge and crashed about 3 or 4 times before I heard the final crash. I took my time reloading, as I swab with alcohol swabs and a couple of dry patches. I popped off a couple of caps and reloaded. I got my stuff together and started up the ridge to look for the deer. The blood trail was extensive and easy to follow. She had went about 75-80 yards and collapsed just on the other side of the logging road I use to get to the area. I didn"™t even have to drag her!! I would be able to drive the truck all the way down to her!!! I had hit her about 2 inches up from the elbow and just behind the shoulder and it passed through just a couple of inches behind the opposite shoulder. I believe I clipped the top of the heart and took out both lungs.
The load was 85gr of 777, .535 round ball, a wad and a .010 patch and a CCI #11 magnum cap. This was my first round ball hunt and I scored a doe!! Here is a pic of the gun, the doe and me.
First Round Ball Hunt and First ROund Ball Deer
Excellent Hunt
