Muzzleloader Hunting Help
01-20-2015, 02:04 PM
#11
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 5
Agreed!! And just another reason I made the switch to BH209...... No waiting for smoke to clear to see how the deer reacts to the shot and exactly what direction it goes.
I, for one, absolutely feel the specific bullet makes a huge difference in blood trails. It's more than just shot placement. I love the way TC Shockwaves group in my ML's and I've killed many deer with them. But have found their blood trails to be consistently poor. With Barnes MZ, or TEZ, or Hornady XTP, or many others that I haven't used.....it makes for much easier followups.
I, for one, absolutely feel the specific bullet makes a huge difference in blood trails. It's more than just shot placement. I love the way TC Shockwaves group in my ML's and I've killed many deer with them. But have found their blood trails to be consistently poor. With Barnes MZ, or TEZ, or Hornady XTP, or many others that I haven't used.....it makes for much easier followups.
01-20-2015, 06:37 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Penns Woods
Posts: 1,628
I would guess a combination of problems. First, you are using pellets that are 7 years old. I would get rid of those right away. Pellets (especially if not stored in an airtight container) are notorious for sucking up moisture which then affects how well they shoot. It is very possible that you had a clean miss or two due to the old pellets. Switching over to a fresh can of loose powder will solve that issue.
It's also possible that you were not finding blood trails due to shot placement. Lung shots that are higher up tend to not bleed much right away, and sometimes don't bleed much at all. If you want to anchor the deer right away, go for a solid shoulder shot- you will probably ruin some meat this way, but most of the time the deer won't go anywhere. If you are confident in your marksmanship skills, a neck shot is another option.
Just because you don't find blood right away doesn't mean the deer wasn't hit mortally. Make sure you visually record the last place you see the deer as it is running away and the direction it is going. If you don't find blood right away, wait 30 minutes then go to the place you last saw the deer. Check for blood as you slowly follow the path it was taking. Eventually there should be at least a few small drops of blood here and there. Even if the bullet didn't expand, a .45 caliber slug through both lungs is going to kill the deer - you just need to find it.
It's also possible that you were not finding blood trails due to shot placement. Lung shots that are higher up tend to not bleed much right away, and sometimes don't bleed much at all. If you want to anchor the deer right away, go for a solid shoulder shot- you will probably ruin some meat this way, but most of the time the deer won't go anywhere. If you are confident in your marksmanship skills, a neck shot is another option.
Just because you don't find blood right away doesn't mean the deer wasn't hit mortally. Make sure you visually record the last place you see the deer as it is running away and the direction it is going. If you don't find blood right away, wait 30 minutes then go to the place you last saw the deer. Check for blood as you slowly follow the path it was taking. Eventually there should be at least a few small drops of blood here and there. Even if the bullet didn't expand, a .45 caliber slug through both lungs is going to kill the deer - you just need to find it.
I prefer to shoot the deer I shoot through the lungs whether it's with an arrow, a bullet from a center fire rifle, or a round ball or conical from one of my ML's. I have NEVER lost a deer I've shot through the lungs. Many go down within sight and others within hearing distance. Oldsmellhound is right, they may not begin to bleed for a short distance, but they will bleed and most rather quickly. If they don't bleed from the wound entrance or exit, they will begin to bleed from their nose and mouth as their lungs fill with blood they begin to cough it out as they attempt to breathe. So don't ever assume you missed because the deer doesn't readily go down.
On another note... oldsmellhound is also correct that a shoulder shot is best for anchoring them right away. It does make a mess to butcher and you'll lose some meat, but you won't spend any time tracking. Personally, I'd reserve the shoulder shots for any deer I don't want heading into a nasty thicket like multiflora rose or heading into a deep revene or maybe if it was a trophy buck I just didn't want going any farther than where I can see it, but I don't worry much about the deer going too far with a good punch through the lungs either.
BPS
01-20-2015, 07:05 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,482
But I've almost never had this problem with T7 - I mean, I might not see the deer the instant after I shoot, but I will see it running out of the smoke cloud to either direction, or will see it as the smoke starts to clear. I guess if the deer was right next to some thick stuff and jumped in right after the shot you might not see it then...
I also prefer behind the shoulder lung shots. Being a meat hunter, I don't like to lose meat with shoulder shots. But it doesn't always anchor the deer right away. Personally, it's never been a problem for me - they normally will either fall within sight, or I find them after a short tracking job. Most of the time they go less than 50 yards after the shot. The longest a deer has run after a double lung shot with a muzzy is maybe 80 yards or so. The only time a deer has run farther than that was with less than ideal shot placement.
01-20-2015, 08:33 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Penns Woods
Posts: 1,628
oldsmell...
That's part of the reason why a lot of us stick with black powder or at least pyrodex, not only does it work well in our shootin' irons, but it maintains that "mystique" that we all love (or hate) after we take the shot. It's something our forefathers experienced and we're experiencing it as they did. That's why I'm really not into in-line ML's... they're only a half step down the ladder from a center fire rifle IMO.
BPS
That's part of the reason why a lot of us stick with black powder or at least pyrodex, not only does it work well in our shootin' irons, but it maintains that "mystique" that we all love (or hate) after we take the shot. It's something our forefathers experienced and we're experiencing it as they did. That's why I'm really not into in-line ML's... they're only a half step down the ladder from a center fire rifle IMO.
BPS
01-21-2015, 03:59 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
Definitely replace your pellets with fresh.
One other thing. Are you resting the forearm of the gun on something soft or hard? If you rest the gun on a hard surface (tree, rock, metal pipe of a stand) the muzzle will jump when you shoot and throw your shot off. You have to have something soft (like your hand or a jacket) under the forearm to remain steady for the shot.
One other thing. Are you resting the forearm of the gun on something soft or hard? If you rest the gun on a hard surface (tree, rock, metal pipe of a stand) the muzzle will jump when you shoot and throw your shot off. You have to have something soft (like your hand or a jacket) under the forearm to remain steady for the shot.
01-21-2015, 04:03 AM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
Shooting them black rifles is fun too...
