Lucky today, the deer wasn't...

[Anvilboy]

I got a nice doe this morning with my percussion .45 Bedford Co rifle. I wanted to tell someone about it.
The deer came at me up the path that two bucks had come earlier this season. I had killed one and missed the other with my .62 flintlock smoothbore. I took careful aim at her shoulder and touched it off! Down over hill she went. I watched until she disappeared. She didn't look hurt.
I tried to reload, but I could barely get the patched ball into the bore. I don't know if the patch material I got was too thick or what. I finally got the ball down about halfway and couldn't get it any further - then the ramrod broke! At least, it didn't go through my hand!

Not having anything else to do, I packed up and went to check if I had hit her. I walked over and saw the sapling that I had evidently been aiming at. I though, no wonder she didn't look hurt! Then I saw a tuft of hair... No blood, but individual hairs on her trail showed up as I tracked her. I was carrying my unworkable rifle following a possibly wounded deer.

I trailed her to the bottom of the hill, looked up in the direction she had last been seen and there she was - dead. Thank Goodness!

The bullet went through the sapling and into her shoulder. No exit, but her chest was full of blood so the ball did some damage. Someone was looking after me, but not the doe...

 

[bassncrap]

Congrats man!!!

 

[david w]

Do you mind posting some pics of your Bedford County? I had to sell mine a while back. It was the prettiest rifle I ever owned.

 

[Magungo1066]

I got a nice doe this morning with my percussion .45 Bedford Co rifle. I wanted to tell someone about it.
The deer came at me up the path that two bucks had come earlier this season. I had killed one and missed the other with my .62 flintlock smoothbore. I took careful aim at her shoulder and touched it off! Down over hill she went. I watched until she disappeared. She didn't look hurt.
I tried to reload, but I could barely get the patched ball into the bore. I don't know if the patch material I got was too thick or what. I finally got the ball down about halfway and couldn't get it any further - then the ramrod broke! At least, it didn't go through my hand!

Not having anything else to do, I packed up and went to check if I had hit her. I walked over and saw the sapling that I had evidently been aiming at. I though, no wonder she didn't look hurt! Then I saw a tuft of hair... No blood, but individual hairs on her trail showed up as I tracked her. I was carrying my unworkable rifle following a possibly wounded deer.

I trailed her to the bottom of the hill, looked up in the direction she had last been seen and there she was - dead. Thank Goodness!

The bullet went through the sapling and into her shoulder. No exit, but her chest was full of blood so the ball did some damage. Someone was looking after me, but not the doe...

Nice work!

 

[Jaeger]

I got a nice doe this morning with my percussion .45 Bedford Co rifle. I wanted to tell someone about it.
The deer came at me up the path that two bucks had come earlier this season. I had killed one and missed the other with my .62 flintlock smoothbore. I took careful aim at her shoulder and touched it off! Down over hill she went. I watched until she disappeared. She didn't look hurt.
I tried to reload, but I could barely get the patched ball into the bore. I don't know if the patch material I got was too thick or what. I finally got the ball down about halfway and couldn't get it any further - then the ramrod broke! At least, it didn't go through my hand!

Not having anything else to do, I packed up and went to check if I had hit her. I walked over and saw the sapling that I had evidently been aiming at. I though, no wonder she didn't look hurt! Then I saw a tuft of hair... No blood, but individual hairs on her trail showed up as I tracked her. I was carrying my unworkable rifle following a possibly wounded deer.

I trailed her to the bottom of the hill, looked up in the direction she had last been seen and there she was - dead. Thank Goodness!

The bullet went through the sapling and into her shoulder. No exit, but her chest was full of blood so the ball did some damage. Someone was looking after me, but not the doe...

That gun is what they call a "brush buster".

 

[Anvilboy]

Here she is, it was my first build other than T/C kits. Sharon Rifle Barrel, Siler lock, curly maple plank. L&R hammer on the Siler lock.

 

[david w]

Nice! I had mine built. It sported a bronze hand forged lock made by a builder from Bedford County. I supplied the Hoppy Hopkins barrel and the grade 5 stock from Pecatonica. Does yours have cast-off?

 

[Anvilboy]

Yes, I put some cast off in the stock. Now, this was completed in 1986 and I did the best I could with only books to guide me.

 

[Percy]

Well done!

 

[2 shots]

nice job, with a little luck added in. are you going to mount that branch? i would

 

[TDM]

I’ll take luck over skill most any day.

 

[Okie Hog]

Good shot.

 

[Loja man]

I brought a doe home this last weekend. The bullet went clear throught and hit a tree on ther side. At first I just saw the bullet hole in the tree truck and my heart droped! It was the first shot I had on a deer this season. Then I saw the hair and finally some blood.
Bummer about the ram rod!! Glad you didn’t need it!

 

[Stykbow]

Congrats on the doe.

 

[Andrewmtnman]

That’s a good story. Made me chuckle. My dad once shot a tree, and didn’t get the doe. Lol. I still know what tree it was from 30 years ago. Hope she makes some good eats!

 

[renegadehunter]

A new method I hadn't considered.
For reliable RB expansion, shoot through a tree first!

Congrats on the deer Anvilboy!

 

[Hood2]

Congrats!

 

[user 48679]

For a lot of hunters, it's a good thing deer aren't armed with a gun....