Today's challenge.

[Britsmoothy]

Was to be a pheasant or two with a muzzloader.
A challenge in its own right but it had been ages since I last used my .45 smoothbore.

Weirdly I used #5 shot today also. I normally don't go larger than #6 and favour #7.

I tipped about 50gn of 4f powder, a thin card, two more thin cards with a scoop of vasaline, rammed them down and tipped 3/4oz of shot filled by another card and set off for a cock pheasant. I left the hens alone today.
Actually the first shot was a squirrel but the second shot was a rising pheasant that came down stone dead but landed in a flash of water .

Then it went downhill.
I missed the next three! And a partridge .
Finally I got one more chance and with a frantic retrieve we got my second bird.

I had a good old time this morning and the pigeons, wow, a thousand birds easily.

If I had to choose just one muzzloader I'd really struggle to not choose this little .45" smoothbore.

 

[oldwood]

Thanks for sharing Brit. Love it. Your doggie is special , too.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Makes me jealous. I grew up hunting pheasants in Illinois, USA. Using my no-no double barreled shotgun my favorite shot size was 5 1/2. Believe that size is no longer available today. I never saw huge flocks like that. Congrats on a great ml hunt.

 

[SOLANCO]

Thank you Brit!

 

[painter]

Makes me jealous. I grew up hunting pheasants in Illinois, USA. Using my no-no double barreled shotgun my favorite shot size was 5 1/2. Believe that size is no longer available today. I never saw huge flocks like that. Congrats on a great ml hunt.

Ballistic Products sells 5 1/2 sized shot, but only nickel plated. Nice stuff, but ridiculously expensive at $57.60/11 lbs plus shipping.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Was to be a pheasant or two with a muzzloader.
A challenge in its own right but it had been ages since I last used my .45 smoothbore.

Weirdly I used #5 shot today also. I normally don't go larger than #6 and favour #7.

I tipped about 50gn of 4f powder, a thin card, two more thin cards with a scoop of vasaline, rammed them down and tipped 3/4oz of shot filled by another card and set off for a cock pheasant. I left the hens alone today.
Actually the first shot was a squirrel but the second shot was a rising pheasant that came down stone dead but landed in a flash of water .
View attachment 269982
Then it went downhill.
I missed the next three! And a partridge .
Finally I got one more chance and with a frantic retrieve we got my second bird.View attachment 269983

I had a good old time this morning and the pigeons, wow, a thousand birds easily.View attachment 269984

If I had to choose just one muzzloader I'd really struggle to not choose this little .45" smoothbore.

thanks for sharing your story.enjoyed it all. love the pictures too.dang thats a lot of pigeons

 

[ppg1949]

My legs being not what they were ten years ago and not being able to hunt anymore, I love to read about your adventures. Great photos also. Good to see Jess at your side.
Thanks for sharing, Brits.

 

[Britsmoothy]

My legs being not what they were ten years ago and not being able to hunt anymore, I love to read about your adventures. Great photos also. Good to see Jess at your side.
Thanks for sharing, Brits.

Friend, my knees and right ankle are telling me my days are gonna be shorter in the field!

 

[Dave Marsh]

Enjoyed your post. I can taste those pheasants on the grill doused in butter and pepper or wrapped in bacon. Wish we had pheasants around here.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Was to be a pheasant or two with a muzzloader.
A challenge in its own right but it had been ages since I last used my .45 smoothbore.

Weirdly I used #5 shot today also. I normally don't go larger than #6 and favour #7.

I tipped about 50gn of 4f powder, a thin card, two more thin cards with a scoop of vasaline, rammed them down and tipped 3/4oz of shot filled by another card and set off for a cock pheasant. I left the hens alone today.
Actually the first shot was a squirrel but the second shot was a rising pheasant that came down stone dead but landed in a flash of water

WTG Nathan! Love your outtings and the stories that go with them. Beautiful country too!
What pray tell did ya do to that thumb???????
Larry
I do have to be nosy though

 

[TDM]

Great hunt @Britsmoothy!

 

[Banjoman]

WTG Nathan! Love your outtings and the stories that go with them. Beautiful country too!
What pray tell did ya do to that thumb???????
Larry
I do have to be nosy thoughView attachment 270096

That’s the hand of a working man

 

[ETipp]

That's awesome. A big congrats to you, bro.

You're quite the hunter there, Britt.

 

[jarentz]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[The Crisco Kid]

That’s the hand of a working man

It sure is. It sticks out like a sore thumb!

 

[Jaeger]

Nice pictures, and nice-looking country, too!

 

[3Setters]

That's some good shooting.....and eating

 

[Britsmoothy]

WTG Nathan! Love your outtings and the stories that go with them. Beautiful country too!
What pray tell did ya do to that thumb???????
Larry
I do have to be nosy thoughView attachment 270096

Gone done dropped a piece of steel on it weeks ago....the air was blue for a while!!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Nice pictures, and nice-looking country, too!

Was a damp warm day.
That's my village in the distance.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

You live in some pretty steep country!