mauser06 it sounds like you're all set. You have the perfect spot, and confidence in a great shooting rifle and have a bullet powder combination that will knock the snot out of anything that walks by you. All you need now is the deer to cooperate.

I did kind of the same experiment as you last winter. I took a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and filled it with water. Then I added some red food coloring to it and put it in the middle of a hay field over a snow field. I then backed off about 100 yards and shot it with a 250 grain Shockwave over 100 grains of Goex. Well that bottle exploded too. And the red water sprayed all over the snow. It looked like something was eaten out there in that hay field the way the red food color went all over the place. There was red spray 15 feet in all directions.

I have two spots picked out to hunt so far, but am still walking the woods searching out trails, bedding areas, and feeding grounds. I found some great trails but am a little discouraged over the lack of buck rubs I have located so far. I have four rifles all tuned and ready to go.

In fact today, a friend I have not seen in ages stopped by the house. He was in my office/den looking at the wall of guns and was asking me questions about my rifles, in particular my Green Mountain Barrel .58 caliber. He had never shot a muzzleloader although he is an avid hunter and excellent shot. I then offered to take the rifle into the yard and shoot which we did. After we had shot 20 rounds into the target at 50 yards (all in the black I might add), I then shot a 4X4 chunk of treated pine post (left over from a deck project). He was shocked at the power the .58 caliber has with 100 grains of Goex FFg. It blew a hole through that chunk of wood that even surprised me.

The funny part was after we were done shooting, and cleaning the rifle he wanted to know where he could get one of them rifles.... He also was asking about my Hawkins Flintlock. I think he is hooked with the idea of black powder. He has the same problem I had, modern rifles and hunting have lost their appeal to him.

Well good luck deer hunting. I expect to hear a great story about a nice doe and how well that bullet did for you....