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PA ML season ended with a bang

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Old 01-16-2011 | 06:15 AM
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Boone & Crockett
 
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Default PA ML season ended with a bang

Well the good news is that I had my ML loaded since Dec 27 (first day of PA flintlock season) and it went off perfectly. The not so good news is that it was a clean miss. Here's how it came about.
Yesterday late afternoon walking thru the woods with about 5" of fresh snow about 4:00. It was wide open, I could see 200 yards so I was moving faster than normal figuring I could surely see any deer in this section of woods. Big mistake. I catch some movement to my right and up pop 2 deer at 75 yds. Not sure what I was because of my snow camo they stood there long enough for me to c0ck the hammer. They started to walk straight away at a quick walk and got out to about 150 - 200 yds and made a big circle starting to come back toward me?!? Mean while I am moving from tree to tree trying to ready myself for a shot when and if one of them stopped. When they got about 100 yds out they turned and were heading to my right to some thick cover. I moved a couple more times and finally one stopped. Just a bit over 100 yds. The red fiber optic covered the whole front of her body. Pulled the set trigger and settled the sights. Touched off the front trigger and KABOOM. Absolutely no delay. I watched them runnning away and figured one was going to drop anytime.
They disappeared into the cover. I reloaded and walked over to their tracks. Followed them for aout 100 yds until they stopped running. Then another 100 yds while they worked their way thru the cover. A clean miss.
Well, I really wasn't discouraged. It was fun. And I chalk this up to another lesson learned: "Don't move too fast - even in the open woods. You never know where the deer are going to be or come from."
And on the bright side: I didn't have to field dress or butcher a deer this weekend.
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Old 01-16-2011 | 07:26 AM
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That is one reason I went to 1x scopes. I have the same problem with fiber optic sights. They just plain cover too much of the target. Now granted I shoot a 6 o'clock hold for that reason, but I do like to see as much of my target as I can.

That is a long shot for open sights, but a clean miss in my book is better then a bad hit. Next year it will be different.
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Old 01-16-2011 | 07:33 AM
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Cayugad, I dont think there allowed to use Scopes in PA's Late ML Season. Yea I taught Myself Years ago to ALWAYS expect a Deer to be near and look for them, ya just never know when one's gonna show up.
Too bad you missed, there's nothing better than a Last Minute Last Chance Late MLing Season Deer.
(BP)
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Old 01-16-2011 | 09:18 AM
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Ur right Breech. Open sights only. Cayugad, I normally use a 6 o'clock hold too but I was using my 21" GM barrel and expecting a bit of drop. I tried to center the front sight behind the front shoulder. But I had fun anyway without all the work.
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Old 01-16-2011 | 09:30 AM
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I have that same barrel in flintlock. What load were you shooting? Mine likes 85 grains of Goex 3f and a 250 grain XTP. I want to try it with some Deep Curl 300 grain and some of the Lehigh bullets also.
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Old 01-16-2011 | 01:40 PM
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Still open down here in 5C till the 29th.
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Old 01-16-2011 | 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by gray whiskers
still open down here in 5c till the 29th.
Everyone! "To South Carolina...Let's go!"
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Old 01-17-2011 | 07:15 AM
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Dave, Close to the same. This one prefers 100 gr of Goex FFFg and 250 gr SW.
And Phuckit - that's WMU 5C not SC...
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