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Muzzleloader research project.50
- Thread starter muzzleloadingat18
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I took this approximately 180 lb. corn-fed Pennsylvania whitetail doe in October 2022.
Rifle: LH Cabela's (Investarm) Hawken, .50 caliber, 29" barrel.
Load: Hornady .490 round ball, 70 grains of 3Fg, either Scheutzen or Goex, I forget, .020" patch lubed with Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil Tallow.
The shot was from about 55 yards, measured with a range finder. The ball hit the right side just behind the shoulder and did massive damage to both lungs. It also caused massive bruising on the offside but did not penetrate.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit. Normally we'd wait 30 minutes but it was very close to sunset and didn't want to try to find the deer in the dark. Although the chest cavity was full of blood when I dressed it, there was very little blood trail.
There probably would have been more of a blood trail if I'd hit it lower on the chest because drainage would have been better.
The backstraps from this deer were huge and probably the best meat I've ever eaten.
Rifle: LH Cabela's (Investarm) Hawken, .50 caliber, 29" barrel.
Load: Hornady .490 round ball, 70 grains of 3Fg, either Scheutzen or Goex, I forget, .020" patch lubed with Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil Tallow.
The shot was from about 55 yards, measured with a range finder. The ball hit the right side just behind the shoulder and did massive damage to both lungs. It also caused massive bruising on the offside but did not penetrate.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit. Normally we'd wait 30 minutes but it was very close to sunset and didn't want to try to find the deer in the dark. Although the chest cavity was full of blood when I dressed it, there was very little blood trail.
There probably would have been more of a blood trail if I'd hit it lower on the chest because drainage would have been better.
The backstraps from this deer were huge and probably the best meat I've ever eaten.
I took this approximately 180 lb. corn-fed Pennsylvania whitetail doe in October 2022.
Rifle: LH Cabela's (Investarm) Hawken, .50 caliber, 29" barrel.
Load: Hornady .490 round ball, 70 grains of 3Fg, either Scheutzen or Goex, I forget, .020" patch lubed with Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil Tallow.
The shot was from about 55 yards, measured with a range finder. The ball hit the right side just behind the shoulder and did massive damage to both lungs. It also caused massive bruising on the offside but did not penetrate.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit. Normally we'd wait 30 minutes but it was very close to sunset and didn't want to try to find the deer in the dark. Although the chest cavity was full of blood when I dressed it, there was very little blood trail.
There probably would have been more of a blood trail if I'd hit it lower on the chest because drainage would have been better.
The backstraps from this deer were huge and probably the best meat I've ever eaten.
Hmm. Dave, I use the exact same load that you do. I am surprised that your ball didn't do a complete pass through. Mine always have on broadside shots under 75 yards.
The only difference I can figure is that your shorter barrel at 29 inches vs. my barrel at 42 inches maybe makes a difference in velocity/energy.
BTW; I shoot a left-handed rifle, too. ():>)
My guess was that in this case it was due to the size of the deer. This doe was huge for PA. It was the largest deer either my friend or I have ever taken, probably about 180 lbs. on the hoof. It was a beast to lift into the back of my truck.
That morning, my friend took a button buck that was around 110 on the hoof using a Euroarms Kentuckian Carbine, which has a 26" or 27" barrel. His load was a .440 PRB on top of 60 grains of 3Fg. From about 30 yards his broadside shot passed completely through. He must have clipped a major artery because there was a lot of blood on the ground, and it only went about 15 feet.
That’s a Boone and Crockett doe.I took this approximately 180 lb. corn-fed Pennsylvania whitetail doe in October 2022.
Rifle: LH Cabela's (Investarm) Hawken, .50 caliber, 29" barrel.
Load: Hornady .490 round ball, 70 grains of 3Fg, either Scheutzen or Goex, I forget, .020" patch lubed with Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil Tallow.
The shot was from about 55 yards, measured with a range finder. The ball hit the right side just behind the shoulder and did massive damage to both lungs. It also caused massive bruising on the offside but did not penetrate.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit. Normally we'd wait 30 minutes but it was very close to sunset and didn't want to try to find the deer in the dark. Although the chest cavity was full of blood when I dressed it, there was very little blood trail.
There probably would have been more of a blood trail if I'd hit it lower on the chest because drainage would have been better.
The backstraps from this deer were huge and probably the best meat I've ever eaten.
The shot was from about 55 yards, measured with a range finder. The ball hit the right side just behind the shoulder and did massive damage to both lungs. It also caused massive bruising on the offside but did not penetrate.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit.
That there sounds like an elk. Tremendous will to live. I shot a spike Cous 3 years ago with ST Louis wawkin. .490 PRB 65 gr 777 2f mink oil. 40 yds pass through ran 15. NO BLOOD but 15 yds was like 3 hops sooo?
25 pacakages of meat. These guys are tiny. No More spike cous deer! Rather the animal live than provide so little meat. Triple the meat for a spike Mulie.
The deer ran about 400 yards uphill after being hit.
That there sounds like an elk. Tremendous will to live. I shot a spike Cous 3 years ago with ST Louis wawkin. .490 PRB 65 gr 777 2f mink oil. 40 yds pass through ran 15. NO BLOOD but 15 yds was like 3 hops sooo?
25 pacakages of meat. These guys are tiny. No More spike cous deer! Rather the animal live than provide so little meat. Triple the meat for a spike Mulie.
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Cous are extremely wary animals. The fact you got within 100 yards makes it a trophy in my book.
35 yds from his great great the year before. In a blind. 35 yds broadside for like 5 min. COULDNT SHOOT! horrid buck fever. He got his drink and left. Was a record book Cous deer. No regrets. least I saw him!
passdaboolits
Pilgrim
She was quartering slightly away at exactly 80yards. Placed front sight between facing shoulder and neck, basically aimed a brachial plexus, ball struck well. Deer may have ran about 3 centimeters 
no tracking required.
Home cast roundball travelled length of deer and exited behind last rib found under skin on opposite rear hind quarter
. Hard to find more effective and economical the the 54 with a problem.
Older Investarms cap lock plains style rifle, self cast .530 roundball .018 ticking spit lubed, 100grn 2f Goex. Ball recovered for recasting, recycling at its finest. Ball shows patch impressions still, so I'm guessing confirmation good patch/ball combo. Southern Whitetail mountain doe weighed 146# on the hoof good groceries.
no tracking required.Home cast roundball travelled length of deer and exited behind last rib found under skin on opposite rear hind quarter
. Hard to find more effective and economical the the 54 with a problem.Older Investarms cap lock plains style rifle, self cast .530 roundball .018 ticking spit lubed, 100grn 2f Goex. Ball recovered for recasting, recycling at its finest. Ball shows patch impressions still, so I'm guessing confirmation good patch/ball combo. Southern Whitetail mountain doe weighed 146# on the hoof good groceries.
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One thing for sure about traditional muzzleloaders, fresh faces don't mean fresh ideas.
no. the reason is you were 13 inches closer
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118 lbs field dressed whitetail doe. .45 caliber Southern Mountin Rifle. 46" barrel, .440 round ball, .018 patch, lubed with boar butter, 70 gr. Goex FFFg powder. Primed with FFFG powder do to misty rain conditions. 63 yard shot center shoulder, complete passthrough, dropped in tracks.
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