A while back I asked for a lot of help from you guys regarding muzzleloaders as I was having no end of trouble getting information and gear in Australia. Thankfully, it eventually all went to plan and I ordered my muzzleloader last October, eight months later it was here. In my first two weeks with it I managed to take a fallow doe and young sambar hind which was great, both with one shot and no troubles.
Shooting open sights I quickly developed a load with 110gn Alliant Black MZ and 240gn Hornady magnum XTP's that was getting decent accuracy.
Our deer cast late July to late Sept, the big boys earliest. I spent the rest of the time I had chasing a big old red stag I've been after for a few years I named "Charles". I got 3 looks at him this year all bum on as he was running away and on the fourth occasion I found him he'd cast! So that was the end of 2014 trophy hunting for me, or at least I thought.
Late August the freezer was beginning to get low so I decided to go out and try for a red deer hind to fill the freezer. I hadn't put the muzzleloader down since I bought it so there was no question I'd be taking it out.
After skirting the edge of the open paddock without seeing anything I decided to head into the bush. I came across some fresh stag tracks, by the look of it a couple of younger stags. After hunting for a while I sat on a ridge over looking the creek below and the opposing ridge. After seeing nothing I laid back to soak up the sights and sounds of the bush. No sooner had I done this that I heard the unmistakeable clash of antlers. It sounded like light timber and being so late in the year I figured it was just a couple of young fellas having fun.
The wind was bad so moving in from that point wasn't advisable, so I decided to swing out on an arc and intercept them on the creek that I reckoned they'd come along.
I slowly got near the creek and stopped next to a tree leaning on a 45 degree angle to glass the opposing side. After seeing nothing I took two steps forward and there (previously obscured by the leaning tree) 60 m away was a young stag standing front on looking at me. I immediately raised my rifle, cocked the hammer, put it on the base of his neck and squeezed the trigger. Once the smoke cleared there he was, hadn't moved a muscle.
He is far from my biggest being a 3 year old 10 point stag, but for my first bone with the blackpowder he means as much to me as the best of them. And he tasted sensational!
Jack
Shooting open sights I quickly developed a load with 110gn Alliant Black MZ and 240gn Hornady magnum XTP's that was getting decent accuracy.
Our deer cast late July to late Sept, the big boys earliest. I spent the rest of the time I had chasing a big old red stag I've been after for a few years I named "Charles". I got 3 looks at him this year all bum on as he was running away and on the fourth occasion I found him he'd cast! So that was the end of 2014 trophy hunting for me, or at least I thought.
Late August the freezer was beginning to get low so I decided to go out and try for a red deer hind to fill the freezer. I hadn't put the muzzleloader down since I bought it so there was no question I'd be taking it out.
After skirting the edge of the open paddock without seeing anything I decided to head into the bush. I came across some fresh stag tracks, by the look of it a couple of younger stags. After hunting for a while I sat on a ridge over looking the creek below and the opposing ridge. After seeing nothing I laid back to soak up the sights and sounds of the bush. No sooner had I done this that I heard the unmistakeable clash of antlers. It sounded like light timber and being so late in the year I figured it was just a couple of young fellas having fun.
The wind was bad so moving in from that point wasn't advisable, so I decided to swing out on an arc and intercept them on the creek that I reckoned they'd come along.
I slowly got near the creek and stopped next to a tree leaning on a 45 degree angle to glass the opposing side. After seeing nothing I took two steps forward and there (previously obscured by the leaning tree) 60 m away was a young stag standing front on looking at me. I immediately raised my rifle, cocked the hammer, put it on the base of his neck and squeezed the trigger. Once the smoke cleared there he was, hadn't moved a muscle.
He is far from my biggest being a 3 year old 10 point stag, but for my first bone with the blackpowder he means as much to me as the best of them. And he tasted sensational!
Jack
