Guys,

I just want to say thanks for all your help this year and for answering my questions about muzzlerloaders. I am relatively new to this and trying to learn all I could.

I purchased a new 870 w/scope this year and was all excited about it. After 7 trips to the woods and never raising it, I decided it was time to bring back my "good luck gun"....my CVA Optima Pro Magnum aka "The Black Pearl". Blued barrel, black stock.

My first trip to the woods with it I double lunged a small 8 pointer at 30 yards and he was bang-flop down. The next trip out with this gun, I had to pass on another buck as we only get 1 buck tag here, but the black pearl had him dead nuts in the scope....just couldn't pull that trigger.

Last night in the drizzle a decent deer was coming in quartering to me. I got him stopped and took the shot...about 75 yards. I was very lucky to recover him (a button buck) as he ran about 40 yards through some thick stuff before he laid down. I learned a valuable lesson on him. I aimed on the entry side where I wanted to hit him and did...I should have aimed on the EXIT side where I wanted to hit him. Entry was fine, the exit side was pretty far back.

The "Black Pearl" has fired many times at paper...only pulled the trigger 4 times with a deer in the scope. Killed 4 deer with those 4 shots!

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions!