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  1. E

    Let's mix a couple of forums

    To be honest, I don't think small game is going to be the thing that increases interest in muzzleloading. I enjoy hunting with my muzzleloaders but if I'm after small game, the .22 is coming along. Small game hunting as a whole has the lowest participation among hunters. Big game and...
  2. E

    2020 Cow Elk Hunt

    Well, just like last year the September Archery season ended without me punching my tag but my hunting partner Ben also did not fill his so we both set our sights on the late season cow tag. A third would join us for this hunt, Jason. I had hoped to take at least 3 days off for this hunt...
  3. E

    2019 Elk hunt

    I forgot to mention this was my first elk with a muzzleloader. I have previously killed a few deer and a bear with this rifle but this was the first time I attempted an elk hunt with a muzzleloader. .535 caliber patched round ball, 100 grains of 2F swiss black powder.
  4. E

    2019 Elk hunt

    2019 was a tough season. After not killing an elk in 2018 the freezer was only sustained because of remaining moose meat and some charity elk meat from a friend. By the time September came the freezer was nearly bare. My partner and I decided to try a new area during archery season and I...
  5. E

    Are you under 40?

    I'm 32 now and started shooting black powder 11 years ago. It was something I had always wanted to get into ever since I saw "Last of the Mohicans" and "Jeremiah Johnson" when I was kid. To this day I do not know anyone else who shoots side locks so I still don't have anyone to share my...
  6. E

    Anyone hunt deer with the .50 cal patched round ball?

    yep, it kills 'em dead.
  7. E

    Buck vs doe

    The only difference I have noticed in deer meat is between older and younger animals. A few years ago I killed an old buck in early October and then a spike buck in mid November. The flavor was identical but the older buck was noticeably tougher when compared side by side. I have not...
  8. E

    Best Elk Rifle?

    The energy tables that I have looked at and produced don't show a lot of difference in energy between a 54 and a 58 prb. The reason is that the 58 has a lower muzzle velocity and a heavier bullet but the 54 has a faster muzzle velocity and lighter bullet. I don't have exact numbers with me (I'm...
  9. E

    Powder Fouling

    How many shots can you fire before the fouling builds up enough to prevent loading? When at the range I typically swab between each shot because when I hunt I will be firing from a clean bore. On a recent bear hunt which you can read about here...
  10. E

    Black Bear 2014

    There are not many guys on this forum from my state but even so the most detailed I will get is that this occurred in Idaho. This is a long story and while I am embarrased by some of what happened in this story, I cannot change the facts and will tell it how it happened. Since I began hunting...
  11. E

    Question on cleaning during a hunting trip.

    I have left mine loaded for a couple weeks and it went boom. However 2 years ago I popped a cap on a black bear after leaving it loaded for 2 weeks. I had initially loaded it and after 2 or 3 days I noticed that the clean-out screw on the drum was missing. I replaced the screw and should have...
  12. E

    David Thompson

    I've been trying to decide on a book detailing David Thompson and Finn Mcdonalds travels, especially those down through Idaho and Montana. I've down several searches and turned up some book titles but don't want to commit the money to a book that turns out to have little in the way of specifics...
  13. E

    Quick second shot?

    I have heard of loading a bare ball for quick follow-up but I would range test it before I ever tried it in the field. Quick follow-up shots are needed from time to time. In the case of a miss you would certainly want to be able to follow-up quickly and only practice can help you with that...
  14. E

    PRB High Shoulder Shot Field Results - Whitetail Deer

    In addition to the ranges that the deer were killed which you posted I am curious about the internal damage. When field dressing did you see/document the damage to the scapula and the spine? You said that the shots were pass throughs but I'm still curous about what exactly it passed through...
  15. E

    Afternoon/evening hunts

    I go when I can, morning, evening it doesn't matter because the deer and elk are out there all day long. When I have a full day to hunt, then it is from dawn to dusk. I don't have a preference but a quick mental run through the last few years tells me I kill more in the morning than...
  16. E

    Consider Body Language

    I find this to be true for deer and elk. I find that most of the time the animal sees me first or at the same time. If I continue to walk at the same pace as if I haven't noticed, the deer tend to stay still and watch me. I just keep walking until I pass behind some brush or a large tree and...
  17. E

    The hunt or the kill ?

    The kill. I thoroughly enjoy my time in the mountains but my purpose for being there is to obtain meat. While I can afford to buy meat at the store, I prefer not to and I have not purchased any meat in 8 years besides chicken and some pork. I enjoy packing the animal out of the woods, I enjoy...
  18. E

    Keeping your powder dry?

    Use wax or something similar to seal around the nipple and cap. Then keep the muzzle pointed down.
  19. E

    my ethical dillema

    I'm sure that our black powder fore-fathers would not have hesitated to shoot a deer that walked past their back door. Sometimes it's about the meat and not the experience.
  20. E

    PRB for Hunting

    I would say that at ranges that traditional muzzleloaders are used there is no difference between a conical and a PRB. I say that even though I have never used conicals. I got into the traditional game because I wanted to use PRB. In the debate about which kills better I think we all got left...
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