• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

`First buck with ML in a long time

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JKushner

32 Cal.
Joined
Dec 29, 2017
Messages
26
Reaction score
1
On the opening morning of Michigan's 2017 firearm deer season my 85 year old Father shot a very nice 7 point with his old Marlin lever gun. It is the biggest buck he has taken in a very long career of hunting in northern Mi. Not a ML be please read on.
album-72157688946683062

On Dec. 3rd I sat in that same stand with my TC Big Boar hoping for a chance at a nice 8 point that I had seen in November. I did not see a deer in the morning, went in for lunch and returned about 3:30. About half an hour before the sun went down I looked over my right shoulder and saw a nice buck about 50 or 60 yards away. At first all I saw were antlers and an ear. Then he started walking toward me. There was not enough time to turn around so I cocked the hammer and moved the gun so that I could shoot left handed. As the buck moved closer I started to get nervous about shooting left handed but he kept walking so I just kept following him over the sights. When he stopped quartered toward me at 10 yards I aimed for the shoulder and squeezed. I lost sight of him in the smoke. Then I saw movement at the bottom of the cloud as he dropped and rolled over on his side. As I was reloading he tried to get back up, it was obvious by the way he was moving, or not moving, that the round ball had hit his spine. I shot him a second time to stop his struggling. Luckily I didn't need a third shot because I reloaded again only to have the ball stop about a 3rd of the way down the barrel. No matter what I did I could not move it.
I recovered the ball from the first shot under the hide on the far side. It is almost 80 cal. I am impressed that it stayed together after hitting the shoulder blade and a couple sections of the lower spine.
album-72157688946683062

Turns out that although this buck is only an 8 point he is much bigger than any deer I have taken, and to do it with a ML from the same stand as Dad's best buck made this year very special.
It has also renewed my interest in hunting and shooting a ML. I continue to be impressed with the effectiveness of a patched round ball.
album-72157688946683062

I returned to that same spot during the late antlerless season to take a doe at about 30 yards with the same ML.
She was quartering toward me also. The ball hit a little low in the shoulder, shredded part of the heart, the lungs and the liver on the far side then exited. She ran about 60 yards leaving an easy to follow blood trail in the snow.
That cloud of smoke and loud boom has me hooked.
I am having trouble figuring out how to add pictures please let me know if they are here.
 
Nice Buck...I have tried shooting wrong handed..and missed.
Your Dad must have been thrilled.
Great pictures... congrats again!
 
Did not weigh him. Had one that dressed right at 200 lbs a few years ago, he was not quite that big. Skinned both these deer, neither one had any fat on them, burned it all of chasing girls. They are well fed here.
The 8 pt. appears to be 3.5 yrs old.
 
What an outstanding story with great photos, congratulations! You and your dad both have a right to be proud. You didn't say but I am assuming your Big Bore is a .58 caliber. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :bow:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Great story, we have Geezer shoots and we have to shoot opposite of normal, good practice, cause you never know!
Congratulations! :thumbsup:
Nit Wit
 
It's un-fortunate that the "Hunting Journal" has now become open to additional posts.
It used to be a good place to read a good story.
 
Great looking gun and the buck is great Plus the story :surrender:
 
It still is "a good place to read a good story", John. You can stop after the original post, if that satisfies you. But additional posts can enlarge on the account, and give more information, such as loads, etc. And it give readers a chance to interact with the OP.

BTW, Northern MI, thanks for a good read, the left handed shot added to the story. Congrats on a really nice buck.

Richard/Grumpa
 
Thank you Grumpa, I always enjoy reading the stories posted here. I agree with you about commenting on a post, what is there to complain about ?
 
I believe you went and shot someone's horse and glued a small tree on its head. :thumbsup:
 
Back
Top