6.5_sWv
Beginner
- Mar 5, 2019
- 199
- 187
I havent been serious about Muzzeloader hunting maybe ever. I havent really cared about it since about 2011 and that was the last deer I killed with one. The last Muzzeloader I had was a Remington and although revolutionary at the time, it was a real pain to clean it. Since 2011 the world of Blackpowder rifles and hunting has really had a boost in popularity and technological improvements.
Fast Forward to July of 2020. I was looking for a way to add a challenge, more meat on the table, and spend more time in the woods. I found a smokin hot deal on CVA's webiste mixed with a sale and promo code, I had to buy a muzzeloader. I picked the CVA Accura V2 with the 30" barrel. I spent most of the summer trying to find some Blackhorn 209 blackpowder substitute and after I finally found a bottle, I dived into developing a good grouping bullet combo to go with the Blackhorn. I settled on the Barnes Expander MZ 250gr with a charge of 110gr of Blackhorn 209 and lit it with a Federal 209A primer. The gun would consistently shoot a 3 shot 1.25inch group at 100 yards.
A fella I work, Grant, and I had been talking about going to try our new muzzeloaders out (he bought a CVA Optima) and we have had our eye on some public ground close to our area that we assumed didnt get hit much except during Thanksgiving week. So with new gear in tow, we headed to this "New To Us Territory" and we arrived to find about 2 inches of snow on the ground. We came up with a game plan and we split up and hunted wide berths towards one another hoping to stir something up for each other. This was big woods with lots of hardwoods so much of this was an exploration just as much as it was a hunt.
Around 11:30am, we met one another and compared notes on each others sightings, observations and what not. As it turns out neither of us had much to talk about because we hadn't seen any deer, but had cut several tracks from either yesterday or the day before. After some coffee from a thermos and a few snacks, we were going to slowly still hunt back to the truck. We devised a plan to put Grant on an old logging road in a creek bottom and I would walk the ridge above the creek bottom and we would parallel each other. We hoped we could at least jump a deer and one of us would get a shot. Well..... It worked. About 20 minutes after we split up, I was creeping through the woods and out of nowhere, I mean thin air, a deer just materialized. I was so dumbfounded and not expecting it, I couldn't get a shot off. The deer, a doe, vanished as quick as it appeared, and I stood just unsure of what to do. After about 15 or 20 seconds, I decided I would creep forward another 10 or so yards and hope to get a shot opportunity. So, with the gun at the ready, and my mind right, I crept forward and guess what, she was about 75yards away broadside looking right at me. So I found her in the scope, centered the crosshairs and fired. After I came out of recoil, I saw the doe run off, but her tail was up, and I thought I might have missed. I felt good about the shot, but I loaded up again and went to look for signs of a hit. I found fresh kicked up snow / leaves and about 5 yards past that I saw BLOOD everywhere. After my episode during rifle season, I was ready for a jumped deer keeping my hands and eyes on the ready. It was all for naught because I followed right to her. Piled up, "DIDNT GOOOOOO TWENTY !! " I was elated about the shot (offhand) the entire encounter, and a nice fat FREEZER QUEEN.
This was the first time we had hunted this ground and I honestly never expected to find success, especially not 2 deer in one year on public land. This was also my first deer with a muzzeloader since 2011.
So as it should be expected a .50cal projectile puts quite a hole in something. These Barnes bullets seem to work just fine. Call it a product review, but I thought I share some performance pictures.
Entrance wound
Exit Wound
Well, there's not much I can say about the 2020 deer seasons that I havent said already, but I'll just summarize by saying its been a while since Ive seen this much action in a hunting season. Call it luck, or just coincidence, but Ill be humble and honest and just say that the Lord has truly blessed me this year.
Thanks for letting me ramble on, and I hope Ive added some reading material to your day for a few of you.
Ben
Fast Forward to July of 2020. I was looking for a way to add a challenge, more meat on the table, and spend more time in the woods. I found a smokin hot deal on CVA's webiste mixed with a sale and promo code, I had to buy a muzzeloader. I picked the CVA Accura V2 with the 30" barrel. I spent most of the summer trying to find some Blackhorn 209 blackpowder substitute and after I finally found a bottle, I dived into developing a good grouping bullet combo to go with the Blackhorn. I settled on the Barnes Expander MZ 250gr with a charge of 110gr of Blackhorn 209 and lit it with a Federal 209A primer. The gun would consistently shoot a 3 shot 1.25inch group at 100 yards.
A fella I work, Grant, and I had been talking about going to try our new muzzeloaders out (he bought a CVA Optima) and we have had our eye on some public ground close to our area that we assumed didnt get hit much except during Thanksgiving week. So with new gear in tow, we headed to this "New To Us Territory" and we arrived to find about 2 inches of snow on the ground. We came up with a game plan and we split up and hunted wide berths towards one another hoping to stir something up for each other. This was big woods with lots of hardwoods so much of this was an exploration just as much as it was a hunt.
Around 11:30am, we met one another and compared notes on each others sightings, observations and what not. As it turns out neither of us had much to talk about because we hadn't seen any deer, but had cut several tracks from either yesterday or the day before. After some coffee from a thermos and a few snacks, we were going to slowly still hunt back to the truck. We devised a plan to put Grant on an old logging road in a creek bottom and I would walk the ridge above the creek bottom and we would parallel each other. We hoped we could at least jump a deer and one of us would get a shot. Well..... It worked. About 20 minutes after we split up, I was creeping through the woods and out of nowhere, I mean thin air, a deer just materialized. I was so dumbfounded and not expecting it, I couldn't get a shot off. The deer, a doe, vanished as quick as it appeared, and I stood just unsure of what to do. After about 15 or 20 seconds, I decided I would creep forward another 10 or so yards and hope to get a shot opportunity. So, with the gun at the ready, and my mind right, I crept forward and guess what, she was about 75yards away broadside looking right at me. So I found her in the scope, centered the crosshairs and fired. After I came out of recoil, I saw the doe run off, but her tail was up, and I thought I might have missed. I felt good about the shot, but I loaded up again and went to look for signs of a hit. I found fresh kicked up snow / leaves and about 5 yards past that I saw BLOOD everywhere. After my episode during rifle season, I was ready for a jumped deer keeping my hands and eyes on the ready. It was all for naught because I followed right to her. Piled up, "DIDNT GOOOOOO TWENTY !! " I was elated about the shot (offhand) the entire encounter, and a nice fat FREEZER QUEEN.
This was the first time we had hunted this ground and I honestly never expected to find success, especially not 2 deer in one year on public land. This was also my first deer with a muzzeloader since 2011.
So as it should be expected a .50cal projectile puts quite a hole in something. These Barnes bullets seem to work just fine. Call it a product review, but I thought I share some performance pictures.
Entrance wound
Exit Wound
Well, there's not much I can say about the 2020 deer seasons that I havent said already, but I'll just summarize by saying its been a while since Ive seen this much action in a hunting season. Call it luck, or just coincidence, but Ill be humble and honest and just say that the Lord has truly blessed me this year.
Thanks for letting me ramble on, and I hope Ive added some reading material to your day for a few of you.
Ben
