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Finally...

Jake_C

Junior Member
I'll start by saying: Chad, I forgot to take any pics and it's too late now she's in the freezer!

So I finally filled my tag today. It wasn't a nice mature buck like I had hoped but, with the new position at work, all of the traveling every week and still trying to spend time with my family, I just haven't had much time to get in the woods since late October.

I'll tell her story because I'm happy about it and it's the strangest deer kill I've had to date.

I ended up getting to come home Friday night even though I wasn't supposed to be home until mid next week. I decided to spend Friday afternoon and Saturday morning with the family and try to get out Saturday afternoon and today since I did buy my first muzzleloader this year, I figured I needed to break it out at least once. I didn't see a thing last night and slept in this morning. I have to go to Washington court house tomorrow morning so I knew this afternoon would be my last hunt of the year. I dumped a bag of corn at about 10am and hung a stand in a cherry tree that's engulfed by a big pine I've wanted to put one in for a while now. I waited until about 4, got dressed and headed to the stand. About 5 3 doe made their way across the bottom of my property like they always do but one of them spotted the corn pile and they all headed to it. I picked out the biggest one and let her rip. The shot sounded weird, not quite as loud as expected and I didn't hardly feel any recoil. I thought it must be the adrenaline. I watched as the three of them ran about 60 yards and stopped right on my property line. I saw the one I shot at stumble a few times but make her way around the hill and out of sight. I waited about an hour and went to the spot where I shot her. I found the wad from my hornady laying there with some hair in it... strange that it shot that far. Didn't see a spec of blood so I backed out for about an hour then crept in to the last place I saw her. No blood anywhere. Not a drop. I knew she had crossed onto the neighbors property so I looked up his number and called for permission to track. He wanted to come along so I waited for him and we followed her tracks around to where I had last seen her. About 15 yards past where I could see we found her dead. Not a drop of blood anywhere. None from the mouth or nose and we couldn't find a bullet hole anywhere! At this point we're both concerned maybe this is a different deer so we do a big circle around his property but don't find any blood or deer. I thank the gentleman for allowing me on his property and drag the deer out. She was full of blood and I did find a tiny hole in her heart and maybe a tiny hole in one lung. After we got the hide off I see the slug must have broken apart or something because there are 2 small holes in the heart/lung area and 2 small holes in her shoulder. This is the first deer I've killed with the first muzzleloader I've ever owned. Needless to say I'm not real happy with the performance of that hornady. I feel blessed that I was able to recover the deer.

I hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable season!
 

jlane

Junior Member
523
0
dunn nc
Congrat on the meat.That is strange the way it broke apart, I.ve never had that happen as i know of.
I would inspect the bullets and powder, then get a decent bag of sand and shoot a few a few and look at the slug.
Also inspect the barrel to make sure there is no restrictions in the rifling through the barrel.
No recoil and no loud bang sounds like somewhat moist powder.
Did you load in the house, or was the gun warm. sometimes a warm black powder after you bring it out to extreame cold will condensate and get a little moister in the powder.
I keep mine out in a case or dry box to keep from changing temps too rapid, I also lube bore butter after every cleaning and shoot 3/4 powder shots (no bullet) thru the barrel,then a full load to check accuratcy. Once loaded I will lightly bore butter the barrel to keep everything smooth for the shot.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
That's weird. Good job on you for not giving up on looking.

Whatcha doing in my neighborhood? Want to meet for lunch? I'll be over that way myself.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Congrats on the recovery. Is it possible you under loaded the powder? Didn't get the bullet seated all the way down? I don't know. Just guessing.

I am not going to say jlane is all wrong, but that sounded like a lot of bore going on. I have had accuracy issues in the past and many asked me about bore butter and how/when it was applied.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I guess that's the only way, but never heard of that, but I haven't heard of a lot of things.😐

 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,735
274
North Carolina
Jake, congrats on your doe.... Glad too see you were able too make it back out with he new muzzy....

How you enjoying the new position so far???


 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
The bullet had to hit something before hitting the deer causing it to break up. It would not have to be anything big to cause that. I have seen that before. The sabot reaching the deer is very unusual and I have no way of explaining that as I have never seen that. Even a tight fit sabot to the bullet isn't going to stay on there at 1700 FPS +. How far away was the deer when you shot it?

jlane, bore butter in a barrel shooting sabots is not recommended, even by the makers of the stuff. The friction between the sabot and barrel is what provides the accuracy with the rifling. Smooth or loose fits are not your friend in a MZ.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Congrats on the recovery. Is it possible you under loaded the powder? Didn't get the bullet seated all the way down? I don't know. Just guessing.

I am not going to say jlane is all wrong, but that sounded like a lot of bore going on. I have had accuracy issues in the past and many asked me about bore butter and how/when it was applied.

I know the powder was right and it's pretty new powder. I used 2 pellets for 100 grains. I believe the bullet was seated right. My rod was inserted the line that i made on it when breaking the gun in. I have not used bore butter but I did clean and inspect the barrel and the rest of the gun the night before and it was good to go.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Dunno. Just ruling out the basics. That is weird.
Yea I agree. The strangest thing to me was not a spot of blood. I went back and looked this morning in daylight and still nothing.



Here's a picture of the wad right where she was standing when I shot her. She was only about 30 yards away but I usually find these less than 10 yards from me when I shoot. I think the bullet hitting something before the deer makes the most sense. She was on the far side of a pine there may have been some small branches between her and I that I didn't see. Still crazy that the slug blew apart like that. Also I don't think the lung had a hole in it from part of the bullet. After further examination I think I nicked it with my knife while field dressing as it was a long shallow slice. So it looks like one small hole in the top of the heart and 2 in the shoulder. I guess I got lucky on this one.