Hoosier_Hunter1963

Uncle Norby,

So far i think they have worked good. They group well, are easy to load and I have killed a couple deer with them. NO BLOOD TRAILS though. My son did bust a doe this year with one, she bang flopped, then after a minute or so got up and walked off. We never recovered her, we didn't find any hair, blood, NOTHING. It remains a mystery how she could do that. He was beside himself....

As far as what I have shot in my Optima Pro. I started with Powerbelts before i knew better, they grouped OKAY. Killed a couple deer with them. I then switched to XTP's and they grouped GREAT, but was HELL getting down the barrel. I then went to shockwaves, which didn't group as well. I did kill a deer or 2 with them, but again no blood trail. Then I switched to FPB's, hoping to knock them down to keep them there and hopefully more blood on the ground if not.

I have 2 - Remington 870 20 gauges with rifled slug barrels on them. 1 has a 4x scope, the other a 3x9 on it. The one my oldest son uses is dialed in with Lightfeld slugs. We have killed MANY deer with this outfit....it is awesome. The other 870 is dialed in with Hornady SST slugs and my middle son has pulled the trigger 3 times and dropped 3 deer DEAD ON THE SPOT.

The loads are completely different but get the same exact result. In short they can be described in 2 words. KILLING MACHINES!

I would just like better blood trails with the CVA...like we get with the 20 gauge slugs. I don't want much!

UncleNorby

You described the typical "loin shot" that your son made on that doe. They drop instantly due to the shock to the spine, then get up and walk off. You will find little blood.

The first rule of muzzleloading, after you take a shot, RELOAD. Maybe he would have had time to shoot that deer again. I have lost a deer the exact same way.

I have seen good bloodtrails with FPBs. I generally aim to break the offside shoulder if the angle allows. I also shoot about 1/3 up from the belly on broadside shots, so blood does not have to fill the cavity before leaking out.

Hoosier_Hunter1963

U.N,

That makes since. Now that I think about it, I have killed 1 deer with an FPB, my son has killed 2 with those using my gun. his 2 were DRT, mine went 60 yards running dead. Mine had no blood trail.

I have an Optima Pro, I got him an V1 Accura last year for Christmas. We are both using 350gr. FPB's on top of 100gr. Pyro Pellets. It's hell on paper but we never shot much over 100-125 yards. I won't shoot farther than that anyhow.

I hunted off the ground this week, first time in a long time. I used a trigger stick my kids got me...THAT is awesome putting your ML on that...STEADY EDDY!

Johnmorris

Lightfield also makes a muzzle loading sabot like they put in the shotgun slug. Maybe that is your answer

DCM

I had trouble with blood trails using sabot pistol bullets. Evidently my gun will push a pistol bullet faster than it was designed to be used, with 100g charge. I'd suggest experiment until you find a sabot that fits your bore, I use the cheap green ones, and a bullet that will stay together at that velocity. I had a bunch of 300g Nosler hollow points (.44 mag) so I just lowered my powder charge, which also helped accuracy enormously. You could also try .45 bullets and sabots, where theres a fair bit more variety, and bullets designed for more velocity, eg. those made for 45/70, etc.

I'd shot several deer inside of 40 yards and had full frag of the bullets, no pieces biggern 50 grains and no exit wound, and difficult recoveries, at least more difficult than they should have been. This with a variety of bullets, Hornady, TC, Nosler 240g to 300g and even if I didn't hit bone. Once I switched, the young buck ran around behind my stand but close under me after the shot. Two holes and the sound of dripping paint on dry leaves...

Comparing to a 20 ga. slug gun is probably not fair imho. You got a lot more projectile in that scenario, and near same velocities. As was alluded to, when judged by that standard I'm not sure how well even 7mm rem mag holds up.

hubby11

The one FPB I have used on a buck at about 40 yards was through and through with a massive blood trail. Not that I needed it since the deer ran/fell only about 50 yards down a ravine. Had it been level ground I don't think he would have gone 50 feet.

LKNCHOPPERS

If you want a good blood trail, make a good shot and use the 300 grain or 250 grain Barnes TEZ. The TEZ loads pretty easy compared to the older Barnes Expander.

Gm54-120

Although the runs were short or none, both the heart pass through shots on opening weekend had almost no blood trail.

Behind the POI was plastered with internals/blood but even the big old SOCOM and a max load left almost no trail. Both were nearly text book perfect shots too and big entrance/exit holes.

The spots where they piled up was another story after a short wait until we looked for them.

alleyyooper

Personally I have never seen a heart shot with any thing buck go much over a few feet.
I shot this one Sat the 20th with my 870 20ga. (buck hammers) it entered the left side about 4 inches behind the left foreleg. It angled up and jelled the lungs made a nice hole in the heart and stipped just under the skin on the right side just in front of the right foreleg. The shot was a paced 53 yards and the buck went 30 feet.





I also agree it isn't the sabots that kill the deer. find the sabot that fits the bullet and bore and pratice shooting with that combo. I my self like the Speer Gold dots. 452. 300 gr. in the 50 cal. 50cal HP 300gr. gold dots in the 54.

Al

nchawkeye

Some might not agree, but where I hunt it is thick and swampy, even with a blood trail you can lose a deer...I'm 55, have had laser surgery to repair a detached retna, have corrected eyesight of -8 and -10...Plus, I now have a cataract in my right eye...

I don't worry about blood trails, don't need them with high shoulder shots...