That's funny right there, congrats...

Congrats. Nice looking deer. I predict that this won't be an isolated event. I bet there will be more explosions to follow if something isn't done to prevent it. maybe you should send that containment unit to me. I could make sure something like that doesn't happen to you again.

Awesome looking deer! Great shot and even without hitting the feeder in the photo. That should seal the deal on anyone that doubts the old round ball and its deadly accuracy. Congrats

That was a fun read. You really had me. I remember seeing about Goex blowing up years ago. First thing I did was check powder prices in case I need a another case.

That is a very nice buck. Congratulations. Very nice color of that deer. And a nice size.

Is that ball you used home cast? The reason I ask is I expected more of a flattened design to the ball after traveling that far. If it is home cast, check your lead. Although maybe it never hit any hard bone surface to make it flatten out more then it did.

Yep! That's a home cast ball from a .535 double cavity Lee mold. I got that mold at a real good price from a guy on this forum who seems to be a pretty decent fellow and goes by the name Cayugad.

The ball is pure soft lead. It entered the chest cavity through the brisket cartilage and exited the chest cavity between the second and third rib, then stopped under the skin. It clipped the third rib a little and cut a "half moon" from the side of it. I think the crease in the ball that you can see in the picture was from contact with the rib. He didn't start bleeding from the entry wound until he covered a good twenty or twenty-five yards. After that the blood trail was good and he really bled out where he went down.

After the shot I began questioning my judgement in taking a "facing" shot that far out, especially since I didn't find any evidence of a hit right away (and was lucky in that I saw exactly where he entered the woods). However, I've been shooting this gun a lot and was confident in the load. I was sitting in a folding chair behind a pile of brush on a small bluff on side of the plot and had the gun on my camera tripod shooting rest. I sure would have preferred a broadside shot, but he was really nervous and had already trotted off of the plot once without offering me a shot. One of the guys in my hunting club described it as "preparation, confidence and opportunity coming together".

More like "luck" if you ask me

"Ya gotta be good to be lucky but I'd rather be lucky than good." Eddie Shack.
Congrats and a good story too.

Got to say it's one of the best storys posted in some time. Keeped you on your toes.

I saw that on the ball and figured it had to hit something hard to make that crease. Glad that mold worked out for you.

Those front shots are tricky. The deer I shot with my Lyman Flintlock Trade Rifle a few years back, was a front facing shot. It went all the way through her vitals using 90 grains, passed through her, and still had enough power to break her back leg before that ball disappeared in the woods.

I just can not tell people enough the power and outright deadly combination a traditional roundball rifle makes in the right hands. Your proof of that. And all that practice you do made you confident enough to take that shot. Nice going.

great deer, super lead in story.