I decided to have a little fun and still get some serious practice in, so I took my $39.95 CVA Mountain Stalker cap lockthat my friends enjoy kidding me so much about out for a turn on the range. This .54 caliber is a real roundball shooter most of the time. So I loaded it with 90 grains of Goex 2f a wonderwad and a moosemilk patched roundball (I also shot a couple powerbelts 405 grain copper coated hollow points just for fun).

Then I climbed my tree stand and took up my shooting sticks and rifle and all the gear. I just sat up there blasting away, having a great time. This is a great way to get into the swing of hunting. It is all too easy to sit at the bench rest and knock holes in paper. This added a little excitment.

I put this cardboard box out at the same place where I have shot deer over the past several years. I think I might be ready.

Except for the rare occasion maybeonce a year when I'm bench testing an additional barrel or load to see how tight it'll shoot for the sake of knowing that,I never "shoot" or "practice" from the bench.

All my weekend shooting issimulating shooting while hunting...probably 9 out of 10 Saturdays I'msitting in a small chair to simulate a treestand, or sitting on the ground leaning against a shelter post to simulate leaning against a tree...the other occasional Saturday I'll have a session of standing, shooting off hand.

Tomorrow morning, I'm practicing with a .45cal Flintlock andtargetload for squirrel hunting...sitting on the ground shooting 1" sticker targetsat 25ydsto try and get perfect on headshots.

I took this type of practice one step further the other day with my centerfire, and used lifesize archery deer targets. This is the closest you can get to the real thing without using 3-D targets. I am going to try my ML next time out. Good shooting!

im a ground hunter except for a rare occassion i climb into a stand...after my guns sighted in all my shooting is off the sticks sitting on the ground.....love my homeade 3 dollar shooting sticks!!...i also get a deer cardboard cutout and punch holes in that to get the feel for things.....and i shoot of the knees sitting down...standing up...i try to get a feel for anything that may happen hunting...exspecially with the flinter.......shooting a flinter accurately freehand isnt the easiest thing to do...exspecially with the wieght of that thing....and the flash going off......i barely have a lock time but if i did i think it would be impossible to shoot a flinter accuratly standing free hand......i love to shoot milkjugs or 2 liter pop/soda(for you soda guys lol) bottles of water....about the size of a deers vitals....and makes for a neat target....i think the slower speeds of a muzzleloader make them explode better........i hit one with a maxi hunter once.......got it on video on my friends phone...man that was awesome......i think its really important to get off the bench and do some REAL shooting.......i hate shooting from the bench....BORING!!!

Looks great!