Got my Mule Deer tag
 

I drew for a plains buck mule deer tag out where there are some large mulies. It is a late rifle tag but I am going to try to get one with my Muzzleloader. I need to be good at longer ranges like a 100yds or so. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting good at longer ranges like that? I am shooting a traditional muzzleloader with open sights.

I have a couple of options for guns and loads. I can use my 54cal Renegade which shoots a .530 roundball with 100gr black powder accurately or a 425gr Hornady Great Plains with 100gr black powder accurate.

My other option which im leaning towards is my 58cal Renegade. It shoots the load in my signature fairly accurate and I also have some 525gr Hornady Great plains bullets for it that shoot great with 100gr powder. I do have some 615gr maxi-balls but I doubt I would use them (however im not ruling them out yet).

I have to plan for some possible wind out there. It can get pretty windy out there. How would that roundball do at 100yds in the wind? Would that Great Plains be any better in the wind at long distances?

So what do you all suggest? Obviously im going to have to do some shooting and see what accurate and what is not. I think I would rather use my 58cal. Anyone think one load would be better than the other minded its accurate? Anything else I should try?

Thanks

Kirk

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

What I would suggest is to tinker with your load until you find the one that shoots the most accurately (consistantly). Then practice, practice, practice.
I would also stay with the 54.
My personal choice would be my T/C Hawken .45 with 200 gr - .400" XTP pushed by 80 gr of Pyrodex P. Good luck to you - hope you fair well.

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

First congratulations on the tag. That would be a dandy tag!!

I am assuming you need to hunt with open sights??

I would go with a peep sight type open sight system. And I would go with a heavy conical. I shoot a 525 grain 50 caliber conical out of my MK-85. With a peep sight I can stay on target with no problem out to 160 or even 170 yards without any drop compensation. Just sight the rifle dead on for about 140 yards. You will easily be within point blank range out to 160 or so. And with practice a 160 yard shot with good peep sights should not be a problem.

Personally I would not attempt those ranges with a round ball. But that is just me. I limit my shots to 100 yards with a roundball. That is about as far as I can accurately shoot a roundball out of my flintlocks. And I have never shot round balls out of my inlines. Tom.

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

Congratulations on getting the tag. 100 yards is a long way, but a roundball can do it. The .54 or .58 roundball would work fine. Your problem is going to be wind. But remember, most the time we hunt with the wind in our face when possible. So there the wind effect is not as drastic as you might think.

Both those calibers are more then enough for a deer. The whole key is as said, practice... Get out there and set up a target at some of the distances you expect, and then practice. Put one of them big roundballs through the vitals and that mule deer will not go far.

Good luck. I hope you get a chance at a monster. Can you use a scoped muzzleloader?

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

I kind of agree with HEAD on the 100 yard limit with balls, especially if wind is going to be a factor. Now with the .54 Renegade and 425 GP conicals I would be willing to go for a 175 yard shot. I don't know what kind of terrain you're going to be in, but you might want to practice with shooting sticks and see how you like them.

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

I was just thinking and my 54cal with 100gr Goex and a 425gr Hornady Great Plains is probably my most accurate load if I remember right. My 58cal also shoots those Great Plains pretty accurate.

I want to be able to shoot at one if he is out there at say 110 or 115 yards or so in the wind and I cant get any closer. I am almost thinking a conical would be my best bet. It can get fairly windy out there.

I will have to see. One day I might hunt with my 58cal and another day, I might hunt with my 54cal. I am going to go shooting sometime this week so I will have to let you all know what I come up with.

Also, I could use a scope if I wanted since im hunting in rifle season but I am not set up for one.

Thanks

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

Interesting load, I'll have to give those XTPs a try in my 1:48 twist Seneca.

Got alot of those for my sawed-off Kentucky rifle, "Shorty".

I've had good luck with .45s on mulies in west Texas, but I was shooting 242 gn Maxie's out of a CVA Kentucky rifle.

The biggest of the three weighed 174 lbs, dressed. Longest shot was only abt 50 yds.

I don't really see that mulies die any harder than whitetail, in my limited experience with our (smaller?) Texas mule deer.

Sharp Shooter, I'd reckon that accuracy should decide for you... either of those rigs should put your deer on the pole, though I would lean towards a conical as better at bucking wind than a RB.

Good Luck!
BP

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

I second what Semisane mentioned, try shooting sticks if you haven't already. I'm the limiting factor when it comes to shooting accuracy with all of my firearms. I carry a set of sticks most all of the time to give myself an edge, and they help, but you should definitely practice with them. A 100 yard shot with a rest of some sort is a waybetter proposition than the same shot offhand, at least with my shooting skill anyway.

An aperture sight helps me a bunch too. In the end, burning plenty of powder consistently through the summer and not just off the shooting bench is probably the real key to consistent shooting at any distance.

RE: Got my Mule Deer tag
 

if you're hunting CO, the sabot loads are out.

Your .54cal round ball with 100+ grains of powder will cleanly take muleys out to 150 yards. If its a plains tag and windy, i'd opt for the heavier conical. I dont think you need that 600 grain maxi :D