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brush-busting with roundballs

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I feel it is a un-ethical hunter whom would run the risk of wounding a deer or other animal by attempting to rush a shot through brush. Why not wait and plan a shot as the deer moves around eventually the animal will present a clear shot in a opening. I have personally watched deer for over a 1/2 hour waiting on that magic moment. It is understandable that occasionally a un-noticed limb or small tree will accidentally appear out of nowhere. Case in point is I have never shot at or harvested a deer over 100 yds. with either a muzzle loader or high power rifle. I have harvested a bunch of them. First Monday Maryland rifle season I hunted with my fathers rifle as I always do since he passed, watched a seven point buck 45 mins. work his way towards me through very thick brush, with his girl friend in the lead. He is now venison in the freezer. Patience in my part is a part of being a true hunter.

Well written..., :thumb:

Yet, it should be noted that the patience referenced in the quote was based on ..., experience...., so instead of guessing that maybe that ball will smack it's way throught the twigs to the deer where it needs to hit..., and taking a chance (buck fever can sometimes get the better of a fellow)l,... again, I'd suggets he try it on some paper targets going through some local brush. Learn that it's not a good idea. Knowing from direct experience is sometimes the best lesson, eh? Then a person will be more apt to not even think about giving it a try, and when you hear of somebody claiming they did it..., knowing either the guy is shall we say exaggerating the tale, or foolishly lucky. ;)

I've seen modern rounds even, compared, and they don't like going through stuff like twigs.

LD
 
I've seen modern rounds even, compared, and they don't like going through stuff like twigs.

I can certainly verify that doing your own testing is better than taking anyone's word for it.

Not to go too far down the modern road, but my own testing included 500 grain bullets from a 458 Winmag and 300 grain bullets from a 375H&H. Using a twig as thick as my thumb for an obstruction 25' in front of my target, I was able to completely miss my 4'x8' plywood backstop.

Bringing it back to muzzleloaders, while field shooting with reduced charges in 54 and 58 caliber rifles, I've had twigs smaller than a pencil deflect balls enough to miss rabbit heads- range to rabbit about 50' and the twigs unseen no more than 10' in front of the rabbit.
 
There was an article in American Rifleman many years ago that was about testing center fire rounds ability to pass thru brush and still hit the target. What they found was that high velocity, heavy bullets with a lot of spin were the best, but they were all bad. The article said that slow bullets with relatively little spin are inherently unstable in flight and the most easily deflected. I don’t know if any of that is true, or if it’s applicable to muzzleloaders, but I found it interesting.
 
I remember back in the early 70s when I started deer hunting so called "brush busting" rounds were advertised as such and many, myself included bought into that myth. I never hated a gun more than the 35 Rem Marlin lever gun I bought starting out because I thought one needed a 'brush buster".
 
Rifling could make a PRB react like a pool que ball, we can smack that lil white thing and make it stop, come back etc depending on the "spin"? I would say a spinning PRB would likely deflect more than a non spinning one?? disclaimer.....NOT INTO PHYSICS
 
I remember back in the early 70s when I started deer hunting so called "brush busting" rounds were advertised as such and many, myself included bought into that myth. I never hated a gun more than the 35 Rem Marlin lever gun I bought starting out because I thought one needed a 'brush buster".
Oh man....send that .35 Marlin to me!!

I think that the OP was asking an honest question, more than qualified it in the original post...and was not seeking a specific answer. I'm not seeing the reason for being hard on him, or being so indignant about it.
 
I read a magazine article maybe 30 years ago. They set up wooden dowels to simulate brush. All were from modern rifles, not smoothbore. They tested with the dowels close to the target and close to the gun. The closer to the gun, the more effect. They found that the old traditional "Brush Gun" loads with round nose bullets actually did do a little bit better than the pointed bullets. But all were affected enough to be of great concern for hunting. Their conclusion was that no round will plow through brush and still head to the target with any dependable accuracy for hunting.
 
I am curious, why was my post deleted? Please PM me with a more thorough explanation beyond it relates to another post deleted. I neither did nor wrote anything wrong.
Robby
 
I am curious, why was my post deleted? Please PM me with a more thorough explanation beyond it relates to another post deleted. I neither did nor wrote anything wrong.
Robby
burlesontom made a post and video that was about modern cartridge guns only. I understand why he did it but because of our rules, posts that don't have anything in them about muzzleloading guns are usually removed.
Your post was in direct response to his post so after his post was removed, your's didn't stand on its own.
 
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