Hunt starts Sept. 30

[cynthialee]

I will have from the 30th of September until the 8th of October to get any buck. Last couple years it was any deer. I don't think the Fish and Wild Life dudes have counted the same deer I have. We should likely have a 2 or 3 tag any deer limit around these parts. But no....we have a 1 buck a year limit.

I really want to take the rifle I am refurbishing. CVA .50 1:48 twist

The barrel didn't like more than 50 grains of 3F in the plastic stock. I am hoping the wood stock will change some things for how the barrel performs. I know the extra weight will be welcome. That old plastic stock doesn't have enough weight to control the recoil. With 50 grains of 3f it was kicking harder than the TC Hawken with 80 grains of powder.
I put lead under the stock, but it made the weight wonky and it still was a cheek slapper.

 

[Patocazador]

Sounds like you have a CVA Bobcat. My 9 y.o. granddaughter used a Bobcat to kill her 1st buck.

It will do the job. She used a PRB with 45 gr. of 3F.

 

[cynthialee]

Mountain Stalker, which was a store brand Bobcat. Just a different name on the barrel. The wood stock came from a Plainsman rifle. The parts are 100% interchangeable.
The partially roached and ugly Plainsman barrel will go on one of the 3 Bobcat/Mountain Stalker stocks I have.

 

[cynthialee]

Now if this rifle doesn't shoot to my satisfaction I will drag out one of the T/C long guns. I am thinking the .56 smoothie with a thick patch and a .535 roundball. I just can't find the .55 mold with out paying an arm and a leg. And no one is selling .55 roundballs. I like how the barrel performs and I can hit in the kill zone at 50 yards every shot. (at least on paper)

I really like my T/C Hawken but it kicks me harder than the other guns I have.

I probably should have kept the New Englander...but I couldn't find the 12 gauge barrel at a reasonable price and I got over it. The round barrel is not aesthetically pleasing to me. Octagon barrels are my favorite.

Edit to add:
Is it just me or are smoothbore long guns more forgiving at 50 yard range than a rifle?

 

[cynthialee]

I have never seen the smoke so thick around here. This is our third year in a row getting choked out with smoke, but it has never been so think. It isn't safe for man nor beast out there. So I am spending the day arguing with the dogs and cats about outside time, instead of dialing in my CVA rifle. Fine, I will use the Hawken.
I can pick that thing up after a long absence and still hit the inner rings on the first shot every time. 90 grains of 3f, an over shot wad, .490 ball and a .010 or .015 patch, either works well and then bingo! I don't know why I am so keen on taking the CVA other than to say 'because I fixed it'. But that seems to be motivation enough.

So no shooting. Going through BP withdrawal as this is the time of year I get it all together.

 

[cynthialee]

I woke up to clear skies. The smoke has lifted!
I will be soaking the range area today and if the good lord is willing I will do some target work tomorrow to see how me and my rifles get along. The temps are lower so I don't have to worry about the water drying up in short order.

Have a great day!

 

[rushlake1]

Verified my happy load for deer 2 weeks ago...

Season not till end of November..

Enjoy your pre-hunt routine...

A good sign your still in the game.

an accurate load builds confiadance..

Go-get-um!

 

[cynthialee]

Thank you.

The other half said she didn't care if I soaked the range or not, she didn't want me shooting in this dry weather and I would panic the neighbors if they heard shooting when it is so dry. Also I can't shoot during office hours because my roommate is working from home in the office this week.

I didn't say anything other than OK. Haven't maintained this relationship for 14 years by back talking when I know she is right. *sigh*

I have been wanting to shoot for weeks. And I never know when the bug will bite. I go months between shooting times. More and more looking like I will take the Hawken.

Plan is to go get my deer tags tomorrow. Think I will add on a turkey tag. Last time I shot a turkey it went down, I didn't want to set my gun on the ground so I ran it into the house and then saw from the window my turkey get up and fly off...Next time I will just set the guns metal butt to the turkey's head and prevent a recovery. That shot probably killed that bird eventually but I never found it. Scouted for a few hours. Turkey are tough.

 

[cynthialee]

I now have my hunting license, deer tag and turkey tag.

Only 5 months late on getting them. It was one thing after another. If one thing wasn't interfering with my plans it was another.

So for Turkey it will be 100 grain measure of powder and an equal measure of shot with the requisite cards and wads. For deer...still to be determined.

News said we are breaking the old record for day without rain. Record was back in the 1900's at 43 days. Today makes 46 days. Dry as a bone out there. Drier than an Englishman's wit. Drier than a nuns....never mind.

:haha:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Well good luck, nuns or no! :wink: We know all about dry days and in a row...2011 was 90 days over 100 plus another 20+ in the 98-99 range. Not sure what the difference was! :haha: Deer go deep and find shade and only seek water at dusk and dawn, or so ours did. Very best with your hunt. Just be extra careful with smoldering wads or patch :thumbsup: es.

 

[nwtradegun]

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/127/3 http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/shooting-supplies/bullets-balls-and-slugs/
550 round balls

 

[cynthialee]

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/127/3 http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/shooting-supplies/bullets-balls-and-slugs/
550 round balls

THANK YOU!!!

YAY!

I have 50 .550 roundballs on the way from ToW.

 

[cynthialee]

Seriously thank you again. Last time I checked ToW they didn't have any .550 balls and it never occurred to me to look again.

 

[cynthialee]

my .550 roundballs showed up today. And there is rain in next weeks forecast! So if I get a chance I have 2 guns to test out and dial in before the hunt starts.

I am really leaning to the .56 T/C smoothie. I have wanted to get the right bullets for it for a long time for a hunt. A 251 grain roundball should have plenty of whompability. I don't know how many fps it will be getting with 70-90 grains of powder pushing that large ball but I am sure it will kill deer.

 

[Wes/Tex]

One of our local guys had one and used a .550" ball, .010 compressed patch and 70 FFFg or 80FFg for a charge. He is fairly short and can't weight 120 pounds with his pockets full of buckshot and fishing sinkers so Jerry cut it off there. Being a big lunk, I took it up to 100 grains FFg but the 70 FFFg seemed to be the accuracy champ. It ought to get you about 1500+/- fps and should knock Bambi into smothered venison steak on noodles deliciousness! :thumbsup:

 

[ny griz]

:hmm: An old black powder shop owner once told me anything over 70 grns of powder,you're just burning extra powder.Griz

 

[cynthialee]

:hmm: An old black powder shop owner once told me anything over 70 grns of powder,you're just burning extra powder.Griz

Well I don't know about that. My .50 TC Hawken won't give a decent group with anything less than 80 grains. At 70 grains I am all over the target.

Now with my Barbie gun anything more than 50 grains of 3f is a waste.

With the .54 Renegade I need 90 grains of powder to get the ball in a group. At 80 grains it is all over the place. At 100 grains it opens up a bit but I am still minute of deer at 50 yards.

For the .56 I suspect I will find my group somewhere in the 70-90 grain of 3f range. If that don't work for me I'll try out the 2f and hope that I don't need any more than 100 grains. I am pretty confident I can get a good group with this smooth bore in a range of powder charges. It seems to be a fairly forgiving barrel when I use the .535 balls and a thick patch and keep the range at 50 yards or closer. Certainly doesn't act as finicky as any of the rifles I have or have had in the past. I suspect the .550 balls will work just as well or better.

 

[smo]

Good Luck on your hunt 👍

 

[cynthialee]

It rained last night!
First thing I do every morning is take the dogs outside and when I opened the door the smell of fresh rain greeted my senses. I was so happy. And outside everything is drenched. I did a bit of a gouge in the soil to see how much we got and it is wet down about 1/2 inch. YAY! That is not a lot of wet, but I'll take it for now. Fire danger has reduced a tad and there is more rain in the forecast. Air needed a scrubbing also. The smoke is rained out some.

Probably be Saturday when I can get some range time.

 

[cynthialee]

Well we have been thoroughly soaked the past few days. The land is WET.
Makes it safe to shoot but I need some dry now. I get to turn a turkey into diner in 3 more days.