deer hunting

[bendjoseph]

This will be my first year deer hunting with a muzzleloader. Should I reload the gun as soon as I shoot at a deer or wait to see if I need too?

 

[house]

Yes that would be the wise thing to do. Always be safe rather than sorry.

 

[roundball]

This will be my first year deer hunting with a muzzleloader. Should I reload the gun as soon as I shoot at a deer or wait to see if I need too?

Food for thought from my experience is that a fast second shot is almost never needed or possible.
Either a deer has been dropped in it's tracks in which case a second shot is not needed, or;
Even in the case of a fatal wound, a deer will usually lunge / sprint 20-30 yards which invariably puts trees and brush between you and the deer...no quick second shot possible.

Plus...when that happens you're never certain how lethal the hit was at the moment...and if it's a marginal hit, its best not to push the animal too soon...give animal 20-30 minutes to lay down and bleed out before going looking for it.

Speaking for myself, I use that time to thoroughly clean/dry/lube my Flintlock, reload it, and then not have to worry about fouling being in the bore for an unknown amount of time until I'm back at the house.

Good luck

 

[William O.]

I would keep my eye on the deer to make sure that it's hit and which direction it goes after your initial shot, then begin reloading. A lot is going to depend on where you hunt and what the terrain is like as well as where you hit it and with what. At the range, practice reloading while looking at your target. Always practice safe loading procedures and be aware of your muzzle direction.

 

[Spikebuck]

If a hit deer runs off I don't "quickly/immediately" reload because there's no shot to be taken right away anyway. I take my time to reload while I wait an appropriate amount of time to follow the blood trail. But I will have a load in when trailing just in case it is needed. Better safe than sorry.

If it drops in it's tracks I reload immediately because it may just be "shocked." Many years ago my brother knocked down a buck and while patting himself on the back was surprised and "empty gunned" as it came to after a few moments and ran off. A quick reload in that circumstance would have allowed a second shot as the buck struggled back to it's feet vs a lot of disappointment.

Personally, I've never had that happen and happily have never needed it, but I'd rather have a second shot quickly available to be sure a DRT deer is really down for the count.

If I see it run AND go down, I don't bother to reload anymore. I'll sit quietly a while and just watch it, then move in slowly but pretty well knowing it's over.

 

[hanshi]

Reload right away! Why? Well on nearly half the occasions I've made a deer kill as many as three more have come along a bit later allowing me to take several deer on that one trip. I have normally waited 30 min to 1 hr before leaving my stand/blind and have often been rewarded with a couple more deer. In fact I've had to let many of them walk since three deer are a lot to handle.

 

[Treestalker]

By all means reload, and also have an 1860 Army Colt's or Remington 1858 for a backup. If you're a flinter, have a Kentucky or Hawken pistol in a holster ready to go. Expect the unexpected. Treestalker.

 

[Roguedog]

I'm in the camp of those that reload immediately. In my experience, you may need to shoot again. Maybe not immediately but while trailing the deer or as others said, you may have other deer approach. I like being prepared and don't really care to tote around an empty gun. JMTC.

Jeff

 

[Brokennock]

Reload sorta rich away, but not hurried. Make sure you pay attention despite the nerves and do it right. I say sorta right away because if you're sure you had a hit and the deer runs, you should be watching the deer. Once it's out of sight and you've burned a landmark at the last place you saw it into your brain, take your time and reload. It will give the deer time to bed or do its thing without you pushing it further, and reloading after it leaves sight but before you leave the spot will assure that you do reload before possibly busting the deer out of a bed and not getting a second shot.
If the deer stick/s around, either dropping at the shot or or milling around looking dazed but nervous, reload, but remember hurried is not fast. Smooth is fast, be smooth and methodical, this would not be the time to drop things or dryball.

 

[Roguedog]

I guess this topic would lend itself to the different means of reloading. I typically carry a small tube containing a load of powder, a patch and a ball. With this, I can typically reload my rifle pretty quickly.

Jeff

 

[Loyalist Dave]

....from my experience is that a fast second shot is almost never needed or possible....no quick second shot possible.

...its best not to push the animal too soon...give animal 20-30 minutes to lay down and bleed out before going looking for it.

:bow:

This is very sage advice and observation.

I have seen a second shot made once (not by me), once in 38 years of black powder hunting... and it was from a double barreled rifle.

If you're not as fast as either cocking the other hammer or cock on a flinter on a second barrel, OR you don't have a swivel breech, you're not going to reload for a quick second shot. It's that simple.

Either the deer is down, or it's going to move a short distance to drop.

So YES I do reload immediately after I have fired, and lost sight of the deer as it moved off if it didn't drop (and assuming a great cloud of white smoke didn't simply hang in front of me). The reload is for two reasons, but neither is for a second shot while still watching the same deer.

First, we are allowed where I hunt, more than one doe per season, and sometimes after downing a doe, a companion doe or two will venture back to see what happened to the one I shot. Since I am reloaded and staying put for 20 minutes... so if another deer wanders by, and they have in the past... that's my second shot. I've only had one "second deer" once when I had reloaded, and once when I hadn't and it left while I tried to load. but I have seen them come back several times and stay out of range.

The second reason is that you want to be loaded when you go out looking, after you've waited, just in case...again you may encounter another deer...for I move slowly when going after the deer I shot... but truth be told I've never had a hit deer jump up after I waited, and never had to take a second shot on the same deer.

OH, and preloaded "speed loaders" are simply not fast enough.

LD

 

[blackpowderscout]

Last season I shot at a doe 4 times. The same doe. 4...FOUR...times. So, yes it helps to be quick on your reloads, LOL!

 

[silly goose]

It would help a lot more to shoot once, accurately! :grin:

 

[blackpowderscout]

I know. Funny thing is, that rifle shoots real good and I've never missed anything else I ever shot at with it or any of my other flintlocks.

I think it was global warming or something.

 

[pab1]

I always reload right away. Never needed it but I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Besides, my first shot might have attracted hostiles in the area! :grin:

 

[bpd303]

My grandfather taught me to reload right away. He would take his shot, reload, then sit down and light his pipe and take a few puffs. Then we would go and collect his deer, never having to track it more than 50 yards.

 

[robinsroost]

The first thing I do after I have shot is to run the ramrod down the barrel to make sure there is no fire left behind, the I pull the cork from the preloaded test tube from my pocket. Then I push down one of the balls and patch from the loading block that is around my neck. The test tube of which I speak, is a blood sample tube I got from my vet. He uses them to send in blood samples for a brucellosis test on cattle. Keep yer powder dry......Robin

 

[Patocazador]

Reload right away. An empty gun is useless. I learned that last year when I had a doe tag along when a buck and doe walked by together. I opted to take the buck which I did with a neck shot. The doe did not run off but hung around while I rummaged through my bag for another load only to find out I didn't have a percussion cap. She finally sauntered off. I never filled that tag as she was the only doe I saw.

Cover your bases and you won't be sorry.

 

[longcruise]

Immediately after the shot I'm all ears and eyes. Next I reload. Why not?

 

[Stumpkiller]

A fast second shot is seldom or never needed. But, occasionally a slow, deliberate coup de merci is. Reload and listen to where the deer is headed and, after half an hour, follow and collect your meat.

Best case is you're out $1 in load components; but can pull and re-melt the ball.

Worst case is you watch a deer struggle to it's feet and that's the last you ever see of it.