Yesterday I got my first deer with a ML. I've been hunting for several years here in Ohio and have gotten a few bucks and does with shotgun and bow, but this is my first with a ML.

This yearI went out and bought a Cascade Magnum (CVA) .45 bolt-action. I had posted an earlier thread title "accuracy problems" because I wasnt' getting the best accuracy out of it. I had planned on switching to loose powder and maybe a different bullet, but ended up not having the time before going hunting yesterday, so I went with my original load, which was grouping about 3" at 50 yards and 6-7" at 100 yards.

I got out to my "stand" (I ended up just leaning against a tree at the top of a hill overlooking a grassy field) at about 7:15. At about 7:20, I saw a deer moving across the field. I quick got down in the prone position, bracing my rifle against a tree. It was far enough away and still dark enough (though legal shooting time) that I couldn't tell if it was a buck or a doe, but I saw it had a decent-sized body. I could see that the deer was moving towards a low area, and probably wasn't going to get any closer. I estimated the range at about 100 yards, and when it paused, I shot. The deer dropped in its tracks, kicked a few times and stopped moving. I quick reloaded, went up to it and saw that it was dead.

It ended up being a large-bodied forkhorn buck- something I might normally pass up, but this was one of my last days hunting this year, and I just wanted something for the freezer. I'm very happy at how it all turned out - I had been having bad luck all year and thought I might go without.

I'm also hooking on muzzleloading- it's a lot of fun, and a much better way to go hunting than using a shotgun, in my opinion. I don't have any pictures, unfortunately, but I'll try to get some of my next ML deer.

By the way, I paced off the shot at 108 yards. I was using 2 - 50 grain pellets of 777 and a .40 caliber 200 grain XTP. The bullet entered just under the spine at a downward angle and exited low in the rib cage. There was a golf ball-sized hole through the back of the lungs and the liver. Upon field-dressing, I found what appeared to be at least a gallon of blood sloshing around in the chest cavity. I was pretty impressed by the bullet performance to say the least. After this, I want to stick with the XTP's, but will maybe try different amounts of loose powder to get better groups. My hunting buddies all use .44 cal. 240 grain XTP's and swear by them- I don't think any have ever lost a deer with them.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm just really happy and grateful that I could get a nice deer with the ML. Thanks for all the advice you guys have given!

oldsmellhound

AWESOME! that is great - shooting ML's is really addictive....

I am extremly intereseted in thisbullet report. I shoot 50's and have been shooting this bullet in testing. It is really accurate forme and across my chrono it is a screamer. We only get one tag a year so I have not tried it as hunting bullet yet - just shooting paper. Your description of the results sounds excellent. I am assuming it passed through?

Inormally shoot Noslers for hunting, but at the price of Nosler bullets I am looking for an alternative. One of those alternative that might give me about the same type bullet is the Speer Gold, well unfortunately Speer does notmake a 200 grain 10mm, but they do make a 180 grain - I have shot that bullet into a wet clay dirt bankfrom various ranges (25 to 100) and have been impressed with the bullets abilty tostay together.. well, I am getting off subject.

Again CONGRATS! and thanks for the report...

Congratulations on a fine shot and a freezer full of wonderful venison. The 200 grain XTP is something I shoot for fun so far, but have been impressed withthe accuracy of the projectile out of a number of different rifles I own.

You might want to get some loose powder and try 80 grains of powder and some of the different XTP's. I think it might tighten up your groups some...

Thanks for the replies. I'm very happy with how everything turned out, and can't wait to go out again!

sabotloader - the bullet did pass all the way through, so I couldn't recover it to see how the bullet looked afterwards. However, the entrance hole was small (of course), just under the spine, angling downward and away. The exit hole was ragged, and about the size of a golf ball in the lower ribcage. There was lots of damage to the organs from the hydrostatic shock, but I didn't find any fragments, so it looked like the bullet held together in 1 piece. My hunting buddies have recovered a couple of the .44 cal. 240 grain XTP's on quartering shots - all held together and were perfect mushrooms. Most of the time they get pass-throughs, especially on broadside shots. They usually use 80 or 90 grains of loose 777.

I'm sold on the XTP's, especially if I can get them to group a little better in my gun. caygad - I'll try some loose 777 and play around after the season (when I have time) with different amounts tofind something that works.

oldsmellhound

Great report - i thank you.... for me I have been shooting 110 grains of loose T7-2f to get the best accuracy from my White and 100 grains from the Omega.

Good luck - keep us informed of any other developments as your work it up...

mike