Lost deer

[hanshi]

For deer hunting a .45 prb is more than enough. If one can't hit and kill deer cleanly with a .45 then a .54 won't help. I'm a fan of the .54 and have killed deer with it; I just feel it's often used as a crutch for poor shots/hits. The .45 prb is my favorite deer medicine and has dropped quite a few, DRT.

 

[chix2111]

Just one question. When the exact same shot in the exact same circumstance is made, one with a .45 and the other with a .54, which is more likely to have an outcome like the unfortunate case here? It's about ethics if nothing else.
Nuf' said in my humble opinion.

 

[olskool]

Just one question. When the exact same shot in the exact same circumstance is made, one with a .45 and the other with a .54, which is more likely to have an outcome like the unfortunate case here? It's about ethics if nothing else.
Nuf' said in my humble opinion.

"the exact same shot in the exact same circumstance is made, one with a .45 and the other with a .54, which is more likely to have an outcome like the unfortunate case here"? you will get the same outcome! if the shot is poor a larger projectile will not change a thing! it is all about shot placement, nothing else. regardless of caliber, and that is 53 years of deer hunting/killing experience,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[chix2111]

I have to say that I have exactly 10 years more experience hunting than you, which might make me "olerskool".
I hate to think we're talking about gut shots here. If we are, then you are correct of course. The thought that we may have been never occurred to me.

 

[nkbj]

.45 is good.
.62 is gooder.

 

[Kansas Jake]

It seems in muzzleloading we fall into the same trap as unmentionable shooters, bigger is better or magnumistis. The old 7x57 or is more than adequate for deer, but many folks "need" a 300 win mag because they think the deer will be more dead. Same with the larger ball. That is true if shooting longer distance, but it seems unnecessary for usual shooting range. I would be hard pressed to take a shot much beyond 78-80 yards these days due to limitations of my old eyes. A larger caliber won't help much there.

 

[chix2111]

There's a man that understands ft. lb of energy and the fact that artillery lends dignity to what otherwise might be a low class brawl.
Thanks nk

 

[olskool]

I have to say that I have exactly 10 years more experience hunting than you, which might make me "olerskool".
I hate to think we're talking about gut shots here. If we are, then you are correct of course. The thought that we may have been never occurred to me.

I here what you are saying, you are olderskool than me. but I am in SC our deer season starts Aug. 15-jan1 until a couple of years ago we had no limit on bucks and could kill a lot of does. not bragging but I have killed a lot of deer in my life and tracked many that was hit wrong by me and other people. the ones hit in the right spot no matter what they are hit with die real soon. the ones hit wrong, no matter what they are hit with can go a long, long way. and you may never find them,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[chix2111]

I think a lot of people are prone to think that being able to boast "Hey I killed a bull elk with my 22-250" makes them sound like a real hunting master. Proud to say I'm not one of them.

 

[bud in pa]

Every deer is different, Like the one my buddy shot from 15 feet up in his climbing stand. He used his 62 Cal NWT gun . No blood at the sight of impact, in between the shoulders on the back and out the chest. We made circles for about 20 to 30 minutes and found it dead about 100 yards away. It was an average size doe. If a 62 from 15 feet didn't drop it right there, why does my 50 cal. drop them at over 50 yards? Who knows!

 

[SDSmlf]

Have taken many deer with 45 caliber muzzleloaders, both with round balls and conicals. First stared hunting with a 06. Quickly learned that a shot from any angle or distance worked. With the 06.

Hit a quartering towards me buck at a little over 100 yards and discovered limitations of a 45 caliber round ball. Perfectly ‘placed’ shot, bounced around shoulder/upper leg bones but never penetrated chest cavity. After a a long tracking session, aided by fresh snow, finished the deal. Lesson learned, shot placement can be critical depending on caliber. Same shot placement location with a 45 conical or 58 caliber roundball for example, little of no tracking.

I have no problem using 45 caliber round balls for deer, but keep shots under 75 yards, and make careful shot placement, much like when archery hunting. It will not penetrate the chest cavity from any angle like larger balls or conicals will. As my my high school football coach told me, boy, you are just to light in the a$$ to play this game.

 

[chix2111]

That brings back a memory of a good friend's phone call to me years ago. I said "Hey Bob, how did your whitetail hunt go?" "Well it was good till I put down a nice doe with my rifle" "What happened then?" Well I pulled out my cap n' ball .44 revolver to finish her off and shot her in the forehead....ball bounced off and hit me in the shin....hurt like hell!"

 

[hunter thompson]

I am new to the black powder world my kids bought me a kit for father's day I put together.. couldn't believe how much I enjoyed shooting it. So I decided to deer hunt with it and only use bp all year for my hunting season. Saturday I was in the stand at 1:48 pm when a buck pushing a doe came though I took a shot at 30 yards and he just kept walking. I reloaded and shot at him again at 40 yards and he just stood there for what seemed like forever probably 3 minutes . Flickering his tail and walked off . I couldn't believe it I thought I missed twice but knew he wasn't acting right I have seen deer do that tail flickering before when liver shot with a bow and then just walk off without running just like he did. So I got down went to where he was standing last and there was a thick blood spot on the ground tracked it for 70 80 yards and the blood just stopped we searched around for awhile to find nothing else even called in a dog the next morning but it did rain we never did find that deer I don't understand it and it makes me sick I was using a 50 Cal t/c minie ball 275 gr conical with 75 grains of 777 2f

Losing a deer is a truly awful feeling that one has to experience in order to understand. I've lost two, that I can recall, when using a centerfire rifle. But I've never lost, fortunately, a deer shot with a muzzleloader. While sitting on my stand years ago I had a buck trailing a doe cross in front of my position. I fired and he dropped. When I examined him I noticed 3, two huge and one small, scar tissue lesions high on the back and on the ribcage. They were healed but still looked nasty. When I dressed the deer out it became obvious to me what had occurred. At some point, possibly even the archery season which was earlier in the fall, he'd been shot with an arrow which hit and mostly skidded just under the skin without actually penetrating the body cavity. The arrow had gone through with little effect and exited.

I have on my wall at home a nice, heavy 9 pt. rack I cut off a deer I found where I was hunting. Coyotes had been at him and decay was advanced. Someone had shot this fine buck and lost him, probably from a poor hit. I salvaged the rack and the coyotes got the rest.

 

[hunter thompson]

liver shot...i trailed one with a bow shot in the liver all one day..got him the next morning..he ran into a heard of cattle..I walked away from them to get out to the road..coming a couple of miles doown off a mountain.

 

[Eterry]

I feel your pain. My first deer I shot with black powder collapsed at the shot, then got up and walked off while i reloaded. I followed the blood trail half a mile then lost it. Btw I was using a 58 caliber prb. I don't think i needed a bigger gun. I need more range time with that gun.

Bow hunters around here talk about a place on a deer, below the spine and above the lungs. They say a shot there will cause a deer to fall, then get up and walk off kinda wobbly, like mine did.

I think that's what I did, maybe what you did also.

A good friend had a deer processing business, his kids run it now. He said lots of deer come in that had a serious wound, but survived it, to be killed later by another hunter.

Now i am more picky about iffy shots, i try to put the bullet low and right behind the shoulder if I can. I pick my shots and let them walk if I don't get the shot I want.

I eat every bite of my deer, but I won't starve if I don't get one. Guys like Elmer Keith in the 20's and 30's had it different.

As in most things in life, treat this as a learning experience, but don't stop hunting.

Btw, i'm in my deer blind right now. I better go.
Good luck, hang in there.