Well, it's been one heck of a frustrating journey since I shot my first deer ever with a flintlock back in 2006. I decided to hit the woods again this morning after I got a Roy Stroh guarantee that I'd get one this weekend. That man's word is law!
The forest floor was wet this Thanksgiving morning in Indiana. It made a great day for still hunting. I came up on this deer around 8:40 this morning. He was facing me with his head down when I spotted him about 30 yards away from me. Then, he lifted his head and "spotted" me! I thought that was it, but he seemed interested and started walking towards me. I couldn't believe this, he wanted to get closer. I managed a "hunter's cock" with my shooting hand, but I didn't know how the heck I was going to get my rifle shouldered. Then, he quartered towards me and passed behind a tree and that allowed me to get my rifle up. As he emerged on the other side I got my shot. It was about 20 or 25 yards away when "Lady's Scorn" let loose a .570 ball on top of 60gr of FFg. The ball entered right behind the left shoulder breaking through a rib. It exited through the last rib on the opposite side of the deer.
Now, Roundball talks about whompability with a .58, but perhaps my lite load was too little to drop that deer in it's tracks. He trotted off about 60 yards with a blood trail that stopped after only 50ft or so. All the rest of the bleeding was internal. The left lung was ripped up pretty good.
In one of these photos is my 3.5yr old son, who was really excited about this deer. Here's the face of a future hunter and BP shooter. :grin:
Guys, thanks for putting up with my whining for the last 5 years during my "deer drought". :thumbsup:
The forest floor was wet this Thanksgiving morning in Indiana. It made a great day for still hunting. I came up on this deer around 8:40 this morning. He was facing me with his head down when I spotted him about 30 yards away from me. Then, he lifted his head and "spotted" me! I thought that was it, but he seemed interested and started walking towards me. I couldn't believe this, he wanted to get closer. I managed a "hunter's cock" with my shooting hand, but I didn't know how the heck I was going to get my rifle shouldered. Then, he quartered towards me and passed behind a tree and that allowed me to get my rifle up. As he emerged on the other side I got my shot. It was about 20 or 25 yards away when "Lady's Scorn" let loose a .570 ball on top of 60gr of FFg. The ball entered right behind the left shoulder breaking through a rib. It exited through the last rib on the opposite side of the deer.
Now, Roundball talks about whompability with a .58, but perhaps my lite load was too little to drop that deer in it's tracks. He trotted off about 60 yards with a blood trail that stopped after only 50ft or so. All the rest of the bleeding was internal. The left lung was ripped up pretty good.
In one of these photos is my 3.5yr old son, who was really excited about this deer. Here's the face of a future hunter and BP shooter. :grin:
Guys, thanks for putting up with my whining for the last 5 years during my "deer drought". :thumbsup:
