Mike Hill

Well folks, our hunting season ended yesturday. I had the best muzzle loader season ever. I shot a button buck on the opening day at 140 yards (I amazed myself) the huge 9 point the following week and I shot a 230 Lb Buck last Wed. whos antlers had fallen off. (I'm still looking for those sheds)
Now as I reported that I was using 250 Gr. TC Shockwaves and 120 Gr. 777 loose powder and CCI 209 primers.
The first deer (button Buck) died in its tracks no chance of a blood trail.
the second deer was shot entrence in the stomac area the bullet traveled and jellied 1/2 of his liver and passed through the heart lodging in the brisket somewhere. (I had the deer butchered so I didn't recover the bullet) The deer ran 40-50 yards and never a drop of blood was found. I thought it odd for a heart shot deer.
The third deer was shot at about 30 yards through both lungs and a blood trail little stevie Wonder could have followed. again for about 40-50 yards.

So the jury is still out on the shock waves so I guess I'll have to try them next year and keep testing them. I love there accuracy. From a bench I am getting groupes of less then an inch from a bench at 100 yards (no bragging just a fact) I have never had a gun shoot this good even a modern rifle. I guess the combo of the Omega and the Buck master scope are a winner and not some thing that I and about to change. 3 deer shot at and 3 deer in the freezer.

cayugad

congratulations on the deer Mike. It sounds like your bullet/powder/rifle/scope combination is some real deadly deer medicine. I bet I can guess what you will hunt with next year...

Roskoe

WIth results like these, I'm not sure a blood trail is a critical part of the operation. You might try the Nosler partitions if you want a lethal bullet that will always exit and create at least some sort of blood trail. The 260 gr. Partition handgun bullet, with a HPH or Harvester sabot, would be such a bullet. And not real expensive to shoot either. Personally, I like the Shockwaves - for all the reasons you have stated - and don't care much about a blood trail if the animal goes down very quickly. I guess if I hunted in the swampy jungle instead ofout west, it would be a different story.

Mike Hill

Roskoe,
I do hunt in the swampy jungles of New England. I feel very lucky to have had the season I did and the results that I had gotten. But we all make mistakes and don't always get the shot we thought we were going to get. That is why it is imperitive to me to have a good blood trail. I am just thinking that that big buck that didn't give me a blood trail was the way he was hit and if he went any futher I would have gotten one. My concern is the lack of evidence at the hit spot. never any hair or blood. I guess I am just too used to the results I get with my 30-06. But I always thought a 50 cal would give me much more sign of a hit.

nchawkeye

I think that's the Catch 22 with muzzleloaders...I have used them since the mid-70s, and frankly a round ball out of a .54 caliber usually gives as good a blood trail as anything in a muzzleloader...I have either killed or tracked deer shot with PowerBelts (295s), the Barnes 250 and 300 copper bullets, the Hornady 300gr XTP and the 240 gr XTP and the 250 Shockwaves....I now use the Shockwaves, because I can sight in 2 1/2 inches high at 100 yards and I'm 2 1/2 inches low at 150, and my Knight loves them...

When I hunt in eastern NC, I might be in a swamp or cutover in the morning and hunting over a soybean field that evening, so I want something that will shoot flat, a Shockwave gives me this....If I need to drop them right there I just take a high shoulder shot, and don't worry about a blood trail...

I have seen deer shot with all of these bullets, center lung shots, good exit wound...and very little blood for the first 50 yards....I have also seen deer hit the same way and had a good trail....So I just make sure I have a bullet that goes where I want it to and gives good penetration...That keeps me looking for the deer until I find it.

cayugad

I was going to say, I help track deer shot with center fires like a 30-06as well, and some of them left little or no blood trail. If you hit high and they do not drop you have a tendency to have little blood I find. That's because something has to fill up before spilling out. Especially if there is no exit hole.

If you can hit an artery and cut that with an exit hole, then the heart will pump blood out the hole, sometimes spraying in an impressive pattern. I knew a guy that tried for a neck shot once, and missed the spine but hit and blew the juglar vein (danger of the neck shot). Anyone could have tracked that deer.

How many after shooting, stay very still, QUIET, watch the deer run off, and then listen for it to flop and drop? I've almost walked to deer that got out of sight (bow hunting) using that simple method of getting my track started.

andrewjoseph

I have semi-poor vision, and have always had trouble finding the first sign of a blood trail. I Bought a Gerber Blood Tracking Light this year from Bass Pro because I always saw it there and never wanted to sp[end my own money. I got a gift card as a Christmas present so I decided that I would give this thing a try.

I had a shoulder shot on a 110 pound doe with a 225 gr. Powerbelt - not the best place for this bullet. I knew I hit it because it stumbled hard and then fell into a fence, but then got up and took off.

I couldnt track it because there were so many fresh tracks in the mud - a crossing point between two streams and two fencelines. I could not see a drop of blood anywhere from the place where the deer was first shot untill where I saw it hit the fence. After that I lost track of it and couldnt see it.

All I could do is go in a semi-circle from the point from where I saw it hit the fence to look for blood. I used this tracking light and was able to see one lone drop of blood, about ten feet from where I was looking.

On the right backdrop, blood stands out and looks like it is florescesent. I would have lost this deer for sure because it was pitch black by this time and I had crossed the fence into the farmers ground beside mine. I wouldnt have gone back the next day because he is nuts and might shoot if he saw a tresspasser.

I reccommend trying out this tracking light, I will always use it - especially on bad shots.

lemoyne

andrewjoseph, If thats the one with the red and blue LED bulbs I like them to all of mine fell with in sight this year but I lent it to a friend that got a high hit with a bow and he said it was wonderful he could not find the trail in daylight and tracked the deer 3/4 of a mile [approx] right to the deer he said it litterally lit up small drops of blood he never seen in day light.. I'll try it out when I fill my last tag if I have to go back after I butcher the deer. Lee

outdoorslover

Congrats on all them deer! You should try the XTP's as well. You'll be impressed by them. I like the 300's best in my gun--so much that I will only buy 300 grain XTP's now.