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Cow elk with a .50 flinter and rb

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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
I can only imagine the results if you'd hit that critter with the (WHOLE BALL) /Ed
 
Congratulations! Beautiful cow and a great shot! :thumb:

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.
Nothing major but quite a few small things.

Priming in the wind with snow coming down.

Snow getting stuck in the crevices around the pan.

Just being able to shoot a little further would help a lot.

Those are the main reasons I want to try out a percussion too. I made a gun sock out of waterproof material and that stayed on most of the time. When I was in the red zone or trailing a herd I always had the gun out. Seemed like there was always either snow blowing around or falling off trees. I think I could make a small little cover for the lock to help some too. I may be wrong and go back to flintlock but now that I’ve scratched the itch a little I want to see what else is out there (and what fits me).

I hunt with longbows and recurves that I build myself too so don’t anyone think I’m looking for an easy way out. 😂
 
I hunt with longbows and recurves that I build myself too so don’t anyone think I’m looking for an easy way out. 😂
Nice job! Getting a cow elk is on my bucket list, but may or may not ever get the chance.

I’m just catching the self bow bug. Been reading the Bowyers Bibles and about to cut my first Osage log today. Next summer I’ll take down a hickory and try that, too.

Enjoy that meat!
 
Nice job! Getting a cow elk is on my bucket list, but may or may not ever get the chance.

I’m just catching the self bow bug. Been reading the Bowyers Bibles and about to cut my first Osage log today. Next summer I’ll take down a hickory and try that, too.

Enjoy that meat!
O, you are in trouble now. Never will you be able to drive past a hickory or osage tree and not see the bow potential they have standing there. Been years since I made the last self bow, or sinew backed recurve, but the tools, supplies and staves still speak to me when I walk past them. Them damdable TTBB's were the bane of my existence for quite some time. Couldn't seem to put them down or stop trying another type of wood or style of bow to make. Man, that was a fun, utterly enjoyable period of life to look back upon. The craftman's juices were flowing. Fellas at 3D shoots would come up to me with their compounds and to say they wanted me to build one for them. The little shop in the detached garage was organized and buzzing all hours of the day and night. It was exhilarating, that is until the wife's jealousy of the hobby tore our happy home apart. Proceed with caution. You've been warned!
 
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
congrats. dang there is a lot of meat laying there.ive never hunted elk.that elk makes the deer i hunt look like babys lol. good shooting friend
 
Congratulations! and thanks for the nice photos! Research cows knee to cover you lock . Also when hunting in snow or rain keep a piece of tape over the muzzle to prevent snow or rain from running down the barrel. I also refreshed the charge in the pan couple times a day. I have taken several deer in snow with my flintlock without a a misfire.

Mwal
 
Thats a BIG Cow. My wife shot her 1st BP elk and got a herd cow. Standing next to the herd bull (7x8 monster) she was notably bigger. One shot in the spine with a .50 Hornady great plains conical. 333 lbs boneless meat (frozen). I love that you boned and packed it out. I have had to do that just once and I LOVED it! I'm into the historical part of this here crazy sport so the others where we could drag or drive to the elk were not half the fun! Her was a short 50yd down hill drag (under a barbwire fence, still got a scar) and right into the bed of the truck!!
 
Congratulations! and thanks for the nice photos! Research cows knee to cover you lock . Also when hunting in snow or rain keep a piece of tape over the muzzle to prevent snow or rain from running down the barrel. I also refreshed the charge in the pan couple times a day. I have taken several deer in snow with my flintlock without a a misfire.

Mwal
Cows knee is going to be the ticket for sure. I knew about them before but didn’t get around to making one before the hunt. Lesson learned.

I definitely hope to keep a flintlock around for tighter woods and stuff. Plus it’s a ton of fun.
 
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