Cow elk with a .50 flinter and rb

[Felix40]

This weekend I was lucky enough to kill a cow with my Lyman Deerstalker .50 and a patched round ball. Shot was about 50 yards. I hit slightly forward of the shoulder crease and she ran 90 yards downhill. The ball was bulging out the hide on the opposite side.


Ive done a lot of hunting with a synthetic stocked open sight ML but this is my first “traditional” type gun. I really enjoyed it. The flintlock is kind of a pain in all the snow so I may be shopping for a percussion rifle soon. The deerstalker was kind of a trial rifle for me to see if I liked it

 

[user 31232]

This weekend I was lucky enough to kill a cow with my Lyman Deerstalker .50 and a patched round ball. Shot was about 50 yards. I hit slightly forward of the shoulder crease and she ran 90 yards downhill. The ball was bulging out the hide on the opposite side.


Ive done a lot of hunting with a synthetic stocked open sight ML but this is my first “traditional” type gun. I really enjoyed it. The flintlock is kind of a pain in all the snow so I may be shopping for a percussion rifle soon. The deerstalker was kind of a trial rifle for me to see if I liked it View attachment 274582View attachment 274583View attachment 274594

Congratulations on a fine hunt!

 

[azmntman]

mmmmm steak!

 

[kelvinator]

Nice job.
Loose your barrel wedge?
I hate when that happens.
Looks like you were able to fight through it, kudos!

 

[JeffG]

Great hunt. Congrats, thanks for sharing!

 

[2 shots]

how can you shoot an elk with a deerstalker?? nice cow.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Nice shooting, @Felix40 ! Congratulations on a fine elk!

I‘ve never shot anything that big. However, I have read a number of times of muzzleloading round balls lodging just under the animal’s skin on the side opposite the entry wound. J.R. Mead was one of them. He was hunting buffalo for the market in Kansas in the 1850’s. He described recovering his bullets exactly as you did, from a bulge under the hide. I seem to recall that one time he ran out of bullets, and “chewed” a couple of his recovered balls round enough to load again so he could continue shooting.

Thanks for showing the recovered bullet. It doesn’t appear to have lost any of its mass… just changed shape.

Notchy Bob

 

[Horizontal Hunter]

Congratulations on a nice cow. How much powder were you using?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Felix40]

Nice job.
Loose your barrel wedge?
I hate when that happens.
Looks like you were able to fight through it, kudos!

Sure did. I had it strapped to the pack all day so there was no backtracking 11 miles to try to find it. I was pretty worried about it but apparently 7 wraps of tape is good enough. Thank goodness.

 

[Felix40]

Congratulations on a nice cow. How much powder were you using?

Thanks,

Bob

75 grains FFF

 

[Stykbow]

Congrats!

 

[Spikebuck]

Congratulations! Beautiful cow and a great shot!

You mentioned that the flintlock was a "pain." In what way? Curious if we have tips for you. A flinter should be fine in the snow.

 

[oldwood]

Good adventure with a fine kill.

 

[ORBushman]

Congrats on the cow! You're hooked now so, look forward to seeing what your next percussion will be.

 

[ETipp]

Congrats on a nice kill. Lots of good eating right there.

 

[snakebit]

Sure did. I had it strapped to the pack all day so there was no backtracking 11 miles to try to find it. I was pretty worried about it but apparently 7 wraps of tape is good enough. Thank goodness.

Add one more use for duct tape to the list! Awesome job buddy! Backstraps as big as your leg! The makings of an "official adventure" right there!

 

[LANEY REECE]

NICE job on your doe elk , will be eating good for awhile.

 

[deermanok]

Congrats.

 

[Christophero]

I take it you quite enjoyed your trial run of using a traditional sidelock. With those results, I would too. That PRB combination did the trick well and put meat on the ground. Beautiful cow and wonderful story to go along with the photo. Thanks for sharing.

 

[waksupi]

Congratulations! Beautiful cow and a great shot!

You mentioned that the flintlock was a "pain." In what way? Curious if we have tips for you. A flinter should be fine in the snow.

I agree, flinters are more reliable in wet weather, regardless of what those who have only shot cap guns may say.

Good kill, and good choice on your meat. It didn't take me long to find out if you want good meat, shoot a cow, and let the bull go for the pilgrims to shoot.