mevertsen
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LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-14 AT 04:01PM (MST)[p]A while back I posted a question asking about the Hornady XTP - .452" 250 grain and how well it would work on deer. This weekend I got to find out. I have never killed a deer with a muzzle loader, but have killed 3 elk, and have always had trouble connecting on the first shot.
I scouted a couple times this summer and found a couple bucks last week, prior to the opener which was on the 10th. I was able to get my family out for the first weekend, left on the 11th. Went into this weekend with the intention that I was not going to pass up any shot I had, regardless of size, and I was not going to go crazy, just have a fun weekend with the family. On the first morning, I slept in and went out before my wife and daughter woke up. I saw a few deer, maybe one was a really little buck, but in a bad spot. I went back to camp, ate breakfast, and we all went out over the top of the canyon and into another area where I was seeing plenty of deer on the scouting trips.
We got up on top and my wife glassed a nice antelope about 1 mile away, but no deer. We continued on and stopped to glass at one spot. When we stopped, I saw 1 deer about 200 yards opposite the canyon. We glassed there and I saw one more, and I glassed another spot but did not see any deer. My wife saw 2 more in that first spot, and we did no see any more there. We then went farther down into the canyon where I saw a little buck last week, and where I just glassed.
As I was driving, my wife said "there, right there, I can see their ears." I was looking way high, but they were bedded 25 yards off the road right where I just glassed. The got up and I saw them, stopped the truck and kept seeing deer. I knew this was the big group I was looking for. The buck got up, went above the brush and stood broadside at about 50 yards. I shot, dust kicked up and the deer took off up the hill. I went right back to the truck and put the powder down for the second shot when my wife said she thought I shot above his head, but I heard the "thwop." At that time, he stopped, flipped over and kicked his legs for a few moments, then lay still. I glassed him up and could see blood on his chest and knew I hit right where I aimed. I dumped the powder out of the bore and saved the second bullet.
Not a big trophy by any means, but it will put some nice tender meat in the freezer. We took the buck home, skinned and de boned him and camped for the rest of the weekend.
My first ML deer!
Traditions Pursuit, 100 grains Goex 2f, 250 grain Hornady .452" XTP in Harvester Crush Rib Sabot, Winchester regular 209. Chronographed 1700 FPS.
Bullet entered left rib tight behind elbow and exited right side same spot. Plenty of energy, nice big holes in and out, no noticable fragmentation of the bullet.
As a side note, I was talking with my wife, and she said that what I talked about earlier was what turned her on to the deer. When I went out by myself, some of the deer I only saw their ears sticking above the brush, and she remembered me saying that as we drove by those deer. I told her then that very rarely are you looking for the entire deer, but parts of the deer!
Pics to follow.
I scouted a couple times this summer and found a couple bucks last week, prior to the opener which was on the 10th. I was able to get my family out for the first weekend, left on the 11th. Went into this weekend with the intention that I was not going to pass up any shot I had, regardless of size, and I was not going to go crazy, just have a fun weekend with the family. On the first morning, I slept in and went out before my wife and daughter woke up. I saw a few deer, maybe one was a really little buck, but in a bad spot. I went back to camp, ate breakfast, and we all went out over the top of the canyon and into another area where I was seeing plenty of deer on the scouting trips.
We got up on top and my wife glassed a nice antelope about 1 mile away, but no deer. We continued on and stopped to glass at one spot. When we stopped, I saw 1 deer about 200 yards opposite the canyon. We glassed there and I saw one more, and I glassed another spot but did not see any deer. My wife saw 2 more in that first spot, and we did no see any more there. We then went farther down into the canyon where I saw a little buck last week, and where I just glassed.
As I was driving, my wife said "there, right there, I can see their ears." I was looking way high, but they were bedded 25 yards off the road right where I just glassed. The got up and I saw them, stopped the truck and kept seeing deer. I knew this was the big group I was looking for. The buck got up, went above the brush and stood broadside at about 50 yards. I shot, dust kicked up and the deer took off up the hill. I went right back to the truck and put the powder down for the second shot when my wife said she thought I shot above his head, but I heard the "thwop." At that time, he stopped, flipped over and kicked his legs for a few moments, then lay still. I glassed him up and could see blood on his chest and knew I hit right where I aimed. I dumped the powder out of the bore and saved the second bullet.
Not a big trophy by any means, but it will put some nice tender meat in the freezer. We took the buck home, skinned and de boned him and camped for the rest of the weekend.
My first ML deer!
Traditions Pursuit, 100 grains Goex 2f, 250 grain Hornady .452" XTP in Harvester Crush Rib Sabot, Winchester regular 209. Chronographed 1700 FPS.
Bullet entered left rib tight behind elbow and exited right side same spot. Plenty of energy, nice big holes in and out, no noticable fragmentation of the bullet.
As a side note, I was talking with my wife, and she said that what I talked about earlier was what turned her on to the deer. When I went out by myself, some of the deer I only saw their ears sticking above the brush, and she remembered me saying that as we drove by those deer. I told her then that very rarely are you looking for the entire deer, but parts of the deer!
Pics to follow.
