ORIGINAL: ronlaughlin

Our muzzle loader season opened last Saturday. All my tags were for antlerless deer.

My load was/is 105g BH209 with Winchester primers and 300g SST which i assume is the same thing as a 300g shockwave. My rifle is an Omega, and stays in the pick up, loaded, for hours days or months.

Saturday was warm, and i ended up with two deer. Temperature during the hunt was around 35*. One deer was hit in the chest broadside, and the bullet hit both lungs, clipped the back bone low, and passed through. Of course the deer was immobilized right there and was dead when i arrived after reloading. The second deer was hit in the shoulder; the bullet hit one lung, and made a little dent in the back bone, and stopped. The deer was unable to get up and run, and was dead when i arrived after reloading.

Saturday night the weather changed and i think it was -19* here Sunday morning. I went up in the hills and when i left the truck it was -11*. I walked around for about 1 1/2 hour and it seemed as though my face was freezing so i went back to the truck. I was curious to see if the rifle would fire, so i touched 'er off before i got into the truck. At that time it was-5*. Spent the rest of the day, in the warm cabin, driving around; passed up a couple of deer cuz i was too lazy to deal with dressing them in the bitter cold.

Monday morning was -19*, and i did not feel like hunting, so i stayed home and worked in the shop.

I think Tuesday morning was -14*, but i headed for the hills anyway. Shot a deer broadside through the chest through both lungs, and the bullet passed on through. The deer ran in a straight line for around 100 yd in snow and left a decent blood trail, before it expired. Later in the afternoon it had warmed up to about 20*, and i found deer on a South slope with only patches of snow. Shot one in the chest, and the bullet hit both lungs and passed through. There was little blood to follow, and the deer ran on a contour for 75 yd or so, then went down hill maybe 20 yd, and then abruptly turned up hill and went about 30 yd before it expired. I was unable to find the deer easily, because of the lack of snow and blood, and the zig zag. I nearly gave up hope, and was sad that i couldn't find it, but made one more circle. It took me over an hour to locate the deer doing some painstaking tracking.

This morning it was 2*, and i headed for the hills to hunt. Found a deer in it's bed, and shot it through the chest at an angle; the bullet hit both lungs and passed through. There was a peculiar hole in the diaphragm; perhaps made by a rib fragment, or maybe a bullet fragment. The deer was unable to get up, and expired before i reloaded and got there. I think it was the hole in the diaphragm that kept the deer down, but how would i know for sure. It was like a spring day in the hills, and after i drug the deer to a road, and loaded it, i was amazed at the many many deer i saw from the truck, enjoying the sunshine.

After my experiences, i personally, don't think the sst-shockwave is the best bullet. It seems to be too hard when it should be softer, and too soft when it should be harder. They are inexpensive though, and i have a lot of them. Tomorrow i plan to shoot some Nosler at paper, and will try one on the next deer i get a shot at.