NM draw results
 

For those who don't know, the draw results for New Mexico came out on the 20th and I finally got through to the web site a few minutes ago to check the results. I have good news and some not quite so good news.

Between my two sons and I we drew 4 tags, we put in for 6 so I would call that good. I didn't draw for mule deer but did draw a cow elk tag (I wanted a Bull but got my second choice). My youngest son (his first real big game hunting season) drew a youth mule deer tag but not an elk tag. My oldest son had all the luck, he drew the same youth deer hunt as the youngest and a second choice cow tag in the same hunt I'm in. Both of the boys first choice was for the youth elk hunt which was either sex but niether drew that. All the hunts are muzzleloader and luckily not spread out over multiple weeks.

So it looks like I need to get my vacation requests in for those 2 weeks and get the boys out to the range to start practicing in earnest.

RE: NM draw results
 

David - Good luck to you and the boys on your hunts. I hope you score some excellent meat while at the same time have a safe and excellent adventure and memory making times with yours sons.

I will be watching for the hunting stories, muzzleloader loads, and their performance. That sure sounds like a great time you have coming up. A cow tag will still be a great thing. As my father used to say about shooting bucks, I boiled them horns for over a day and they never did get tender enough to eat and the soup was terrible.

RE: NM draw results
 

David, congrats on the tags. I will be interested in knowing how the Optimas perform. What kind of load you planning on for elk/mule?

RE: NM draw results
 

Thanks for the kind words.

My youngest son has a regular Optima and he shoots a 250 Shockwave over 80 to 90 grains of Pyro P. That should work fine for mulies out to 100 yards. He didn't draw for elk but it would probably be fine for that too.

My oldest son shoots an Apex loaded with a 250 Shockwave over 130gr of pyro pellets. That load shoots very flat and allows for 200+ yards of point blank range on a 5 to 6 inch target.

I'm still deciding on which gun to use for my hunt. I really like shooting my Scoped Magbolt with either a 250 or 300 Shockwave or a 460 conical and get good groups out to 200+ yards with it. I also like shooting my Lyman GPH with the 460 conicals and feel good out to around 200 yards with it and the peep sight set up it has. I guess I'll just have to keep playing with both until I decide which one gets the nod. The other will be my back up gun.

I will try to post results as things develop. If everything works out we may try to sneak in a Mississippi whitetail hunt between the other hunts, just have to wait and see whats going on with my job situation.

RE: NM draw results
 

I shot shockwaves 300g this morning out of my Optima. First time for me with the shockwave. I used the sabot that comes with them (yellow). Wasn't as tight going down the barrel as the crushed sabots but I was impressed how the shockwaves grouped. Nice load with 777 loose and 777 primer.

RE: NM draw results
 

I put my son in for a Unit 17 Muzzleloader (either sex) tag. A handful of NR tags given out and my son DREW!!!!!

Im going to be starting a thread here for help. Im mainly a bowhunter with limited muzzleloader knowledge. Dont want to steal this thread here so will start a new one.

David,

Good luck with the boys !!!!!

RE: NM draw results
 

Congrats Don K!