not grouping at 25 yards

[cokeman2]

thank you sir. I see your in north Ga. what part? Ill be up there weekend after next for a week hunting with my uncle just outside of Rome Ga

 

[azmntman]

KEEP messing with t. A TC in good shape should shoot that 1" group all day at 50 yds.

 

[Rifleman1776]

You need to wait for at least an hour before trailing a deer. You do not have the "shock" factor, that a modern rifle has. Pushing game too early with bow and round ball, will end up bad.

A lot of times, there will be very little blood trail. Most of the bleeding, is internal and you must give the animal time. I look for deer, in an instinctive manner, trying to figure where the deer might head. Looking for cover near water, along a game trail, and often down hill. One hundred yards, can seem like a mile, in heavy cover.

Strongly disagree. :shake:
I reload and begin going after a shot deer immediately. All but one was found in less than 100 yards. The one that went further left a good blood trail. (shot with a .45 round ball) Let 'em go and you might have much further to drag it out. And, here is the Ozarks that means uphill to boot, they always try to head down.

 

[Wes/Tex]

You'll get a variety of answers to this one guys. I'm a 'give'em a couple minutes' sort of guy cause that's how I was taught. My uncle would roll a Bugler cigarette and smoke it before he started out after them. 99.9% of the time they'd only go a short way and if not pursued would usually lie down if they felt sick or hurt. That's where we'd usually find them. To each his or her own! :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

You'll get a variety of answers to this one guys. I'm a 'give'em a couple minutes' sort of guy cause that's how I was taught. My uncle would roll a Bugler cigarette and smoke it before he started out after them. 99.9% of the time they'd only go a short way and if not pursued would usually lie down if they felt sick or hurt. That's where we'd usually find them. To each his or her own! :thumbsup:

Have to confess to losing one. Shot it across a small ravine and he started running. I reloaded then started looking for him. Couldn't find him. Wife had heard the shot and came from her stand to help me. It was a hillside clearing and we searched and searched. Blood everywhere. No deer. We set up a systematic checkerboard pattern, her going one direction, I perpendicular to hers. Never found it. A week later I was back in the same area and stumbled over it's carcass. We had almost walked on it and never saw it. :shocked2: I guess it blended in so well with the ground. Dunno. :idunno: But, I felt really bad about it going to waste. :redface: BTW, waiting would not have helped change that outcome.

 

[Eterry]

Another thing, about round ball hunting is, that you must treat the situation, much like bow hunting. You need to wait for at least an hour before trailing a deer. You do not have the "shock" factor, that a modern rifle has. Pushing game too early with bow and round ball, will end up bad.

A lot of times, there will be very little blood trail. Most of the bleeding, is internal and you must give the animal time. I look for deer, in an instinctive manner, trying to figure where the deer might head. Looking for cover near water, along a game trail, and often down hill. One hundred yards, can seem like a mile, in heavy cover.

A peep sight, is so much better, for hunting than a regular open sight, in my opinion.

You have to "want" to hunt with a traditional muzzle loader, to have success and that means practice and patients.

I always hated to lose a deer, but felt a little better when my father-in-law said to me. Son, you're not the only one on this planet, that has to eat. The critters, have to eat too. It's painful, to wound an animal, I know, but one bad result shouldn't stop you.

Best of luck, in the future.

If you wait an hour on the public land I hunt someone else will have your deer and be gone before you look for it. I think an hour is a little excessive...I bow hunt and the longest 30 minutes of my life is waiting what people say I should wait. My buddy never waited...I helped him trail up a couple deer, one got away.