Hit us with your best shot

[musketman]

What was the best shot you ever did with a muzzleloader?

Back in the days of better vision, I hit a small print Reader's Digest with a .58 caliber Zouave at 125 yards using an old style minnie-ball.

It was a solid hit, paper went everywhere...

I have drove in spikes, cut cards, split branches at the "Y" of the limbs and even shot an axe trying to split a round ball in flight.

What wonders have you done with your smoke poles?

 

[Randy]

Some years back, also when my eyes were brighter, I wanted to get a little practice in before deer season. I caried my target out into the pasture about 75 yds. Equipped with only one nail, I fastened target to a tree placing the nail dead center in the bull. (I naturally figured this was the safest place) On the very first shot the target fell off the tree and I had to get a new nail to put it up again. This was an off-hand shot with 50 cal rifle I built myself. Custom barrel by James Goodoine. Also, I remember The gun went off just slightly before I was ready. (That says something for those who shoot quickly instead of "waving" the barrel at the target for half a minute before they pull the trigger). I was so surprised I walked out to look first before I got my new nail. I had only one good shot that day but plenty of exercise.
Horse Dr.

 

[tg]

Some years back when I was smart enough to only shoot one gun I had an old CVA .45 Kentucky and one day while target shooting up in the hills with a friend, I dug out an old deck of cards from my truck and found three aces.. spade, heart and diamond I think, I set them up 35 yds out and resting over the hood of my friends truck fired three shots and took the center spade, heart and diamond out with barely touching any of the "white" of the cards, I still have a couple of the cards around here or a pic of the two surviving ones. Now I could not even see the center figure on a card at 35 yds.I never tried to repeat the feat for obvious reasons(VBG)

 

[RJR]

I used to enjoy doing the novelty shoots at the matches I attended. They were the only thing I could seem to do with any consistency. Stuff like split ball on the double bit axe, card shoot to cut the card in half edge wise with one shot, feather shoot, candle snuff, swinging egg, all that kind of stuff. When I was shooting paper I was hit or miss, sometimes on, sometimes not. But I always seemed to be on shooting the fun stuff. Guess it was because I didn't have to get serious about it. Of course my eyes and control were a lot better then, now I'm lucky if I can see the targets and hit the backstop.

 

[Ashelocoa]

Once when a group of us were spending some quality time at the range I brought out my muzzleloader, something most had never seen before. It was a Traditions deerhunter .50 caplock, and they did nothing but deride me for it. They were all convinced it was an antiquated stick that couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. I loaded without a word, shouldered it and promptly picked off a can at the fifty yard marker they had been shooting at.

While not a spectacular shot it was sufficient to gain their quiet respect-- and they paused to watch every shot I made with it the rest of the day!