So I left my dirty TC Triumph loaded for 3 weeks after killing a doe. In the past three weeks it has seen rain, snow, and temps ranging from 72 (warm house) to 9 degrees.

Friday, I decided it was high time I got around to cleaning the Triumph. Rather than just a 1/4 turn twist of the unaltered, factory breech plug and dumping the powder, I elected to swing by the local range and fire the charge before cleaning.

I didn't have my usual range gear with me so I stuffed a bit of paper napkin in my ears and stepped between the benches at the 100 yard line. I cranked the scope up to 9x and spied an abandoned 4" "shoot and see" bull with a few small holes on the target line, I primed with a Fed 209A. The rate of fire was slowing, indicating that a cease fire was imminent. Now or wait 15 minutes ... I took a breath ****ed the Triumph, slowed the dancing crosshairs to a predictable rhythm, and touched off the shot- instantaneously sending the 300gr Shockwave downrange.

Before the smoke cleared, the guy at the adjacent bench who had been spotting for his friend barked, 9 Ring Low!

Like it always does.