This season was tough for me. I have struggled just to find deer. Last week I found three good deer, but they spooked out and I was over 600 yards away. Friday was my day to get back and look for them again.
I sat down to glass and a magpie caught my attention about ¾ of a mile away on top of some rim rock. Being a coyote hunter I was interested in seeing if a dog was there. Then I saw a bush shake, no not a bush an antler. Soon the whole deer moved out of the heavy brush and I could see him. It was one of the bucks that spooked on me the week before. I watched the buck for about an hour to see if any of the others were with him. I could see he was a solid 4 point buck big in the back a little weak in the front forks. As I sat there I started to think about the buck and soon I had talked my self into giving him a stalk. I knew the buck was a 160-class buck. I also knew that I was NOT seeing as many deer this year as I had hoped I would. After he had bedded down I made the decision to give this buck a try.
I worked my way down a gully and got out of his sight. I had to cross a ridge to be able to get close enough for a shot. I was hoping a plan would come to me when I got there. The wind was coming out of the southwest but on my side of the ridge it was swirling. All I could do was hope the wind was constant on the top of the rim rock bluff where he was bedded. I got on my hands and knees and crawled over the ridge to find that I needed to go over a saddle. I had crawled 200 yards and I could see the buck’s head. He was 217 yards out, while I could make this shot with a bench rest I was not even thinking about it. I knew I could get closer. As I crawled closer I could see that the buck was facing away from me with his nose into the wind. I was in luck he was in a perfect spot. I crawled closer and closer. I was glad I wore my upland brush pants, and leather gloves. I stopped and took another range on him he was 117 yards. This was the distance I needed. I was sure that if he got up I could make the shot. I looked ahead of me for a spot to shoot from. I saw a bush and headed for it. I took off my pack, adjusted my sights for right at 100 yards, I ****ed the hammer, and squeezed the set trigger. I was ready to make the shot.
I watched the buck for about 10 minutes. The wind was light and into my face so I didn’t have to think about wind drift. I gave a slight whistle. The buck ****ed an ear, and stayed still. I gave another soft whistle, and he got up. The front bead found the spot behind the shoulder. My finger found the trigger and started to take up the slack. When the big 50 went off I heard the smack of the bullet, and the cloud of smoke quickly blew to the right of me. The buck kicked with both hind feet and headed down hill. I was searching for a reload without taking my eye off the buck. I found the speed loader, and popped the cap. As I poured the powder down the barrel I watched the buck go about 20 yards and stop. He turned and started to walk away from me. I needed to get the bullet into the barrel, but I didn’t want to take my eye off the buck. I looked down placed the bullet into the barrel, and pushed it down. I looked up and the buck was gone.
At that point I thought ok. He is hit hard and I need to finish loading, gather my stuff and get ready to track the buck. I held the loaded gun in a ready position as I got to the last place I saw him go into. My thumb was on the hammer as I eased into the brush where I last seen him. A knot was in my stomach, and I was stoked up big time. I saw his rump first. He was on the ground, and not moving. The big 460-grain bullet had done its job. I eased up a bit and went over to the buck. The shot had been perfect through both lungs. The deer had only made it 40 yards from where it had jumped over the rim rock. I picked up his antlers and held them. He was a 6 x 5 counting eye guards with nice back forks. I looked at the body of the deer and thought to my self he was HUGE.
The gun I used on this trip was a TC Renegade. I had made it for my son a couple of years ago. It has a Green Mountain Stainless steel 1-28 twist barrel. The sights are a Lyman 17 AML globe front sight with a Lee Shavers long-range fine post with a bead insert. The rear sight is a Lyman 57 SML peep sight. The bullets I use are some I make my self. They are 500 S&W bullets made from a Lee mould. They weigh 460 grains with pure lead and I Paper Patch them and size them to fit the rifle. I use 80 grains of Pyrodex P and a felt wad between the powder and the bullet. This load comes out of the barrel at 0ver 1300 FPS. At 1753 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, it still has over 1050 foot pounds of energy at 250 yards.
I just wished that my son was there to help me pack him out. Ron
Outstanding.... that is a great looking mulie... I am a transplant from Boise living up in North Idaho - just do not see whitetail with anything close that & we do not have an abundance of mulies up here...
Congrats....
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
That is a great buck. Also I enjoyed reading your adventure. It was well written and actually a very enjoyable read. Wonderful pictures too. I have the same rifle and barrel. Mine shoots a 460 grain Bull Shop Conical with 80 grains of Triple Seven 2f real well. That was some good shooting there with them open sights.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
Most enjoyable read Ron. I was there with you all the way, and I didn't even get tired crawling. Magnificent animal!
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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
My 2009 ML buck. "long"
