Small-ish 8 pointer at 50 yds, 1.5-2.5 yr old...was overlooking a trail that winds through a bottom and crosses a deep drainage ditch...heard a rukus coming about 4:15pm and a spike comes fast walking up the trail down through the ditch and back up on high ground on my side...stops and looks back.
I know the drill so I get ready and sure enough, in a few seconds this other buck comes stalking along all stiff legged and stops across the other side of the ditch, where he proceeds to give the 1st buck the "glare'em down look" with hair all bristled out, etc.
It was absolutely deathly quiet, so quiet you could hear a leaf land on the dry leaves on the ground, and I just knew as soon as I set the set trigger they'd bust me.
But they were focused on each other so hard, when the trigger clicked the 8 pointer's near-ear swiveled towards me but he never took his eyes off the smaller buck.
Before I could shoot, he came down through and up to the other side of the ditch heading for the smaller buck, I was able to whistle stop him broadside, shot him in the heart.
He sprinted about 25 yards along side that ditch and when he fell, he fell down into it...ball made a complete pass-through...haven't recovered either of the .570 balls I've shot so far, but .58cal seems more than enough for eastern whitetails at typical woods distances.
Components were:
100grns Goex FFg
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .570/278grn ball
Goex FFFFg prime
Black english flint
TC Hawken Flintlock
GM 1:70" Flint barrel
I know the drill so I get ready and sure enough, in a few seconds this other buck comes stalking along all stiff legged and stops across the other side of the ditch, where he proceeds to give the 1st buck the "glare'em down look" with hair all bristled out, etc.
It was absolutely deathly quiet, so quiet you could hear a leaf land on the dry leaves on the ground, and I just knew as soon as I set the set trigger they'd bust me.
But they were focused on each other so hard, when the trigger clicked the 8 pointer's near-ear swiveled towards me but he never took his eyes off the smaller buck.
Before I could shoot, he came down through and up to the other side of the ditch heading for the smaller buck, I was able to whistle stop him broadside, shot him in the heart.
He sprinted about 25 yards along side that ditch and when he fell, he fell down into it...ball made a complete pass-through...haven't recovered either of the .570 balls I've shot so far, but .58cal seems more than enough for eastern whitetails at typical woods distances.
Components were:
100grns Goex FFg
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .570/278grn ball
Goex FFFFg prime
Black english flint
TC Hawken Flintlock
GM 1:70" Flint barrel
