Herb
54 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2004
- Messages
- 1,954
- Reaction score
- 454
So I'm out on Diamond Mountain, Utah on my special draw muzzleloader mule deer hunt. Took maybe four years of applying to draw. Had my .58 halfstock flint plains rifle I built, loaded with 110 grains of Goex 2F and a linen-patched roundball. On the third day, I walked south along a ridge and scared a doe which ran ahead of me. She alerted all the deer that I was coming.
I continued on over the edge into the west-facing slope of high brush. Scared out a 3 X 4 which ran south, maybe 120 yards away, but I didn't think I could hit him so didn't shoot. My "guides" who had dropped me off and driven around to watch what deer came out now drove into my line of sight from behind the hill the buck went over. Didn't know they were coming in that far, very fortunately I hadn't shot in their direction. They said I put nine bucks out of that brush, all good ones. I was behind a hill and saw only one.
Second time: We spotted the antlers of a buck lying down in the brush up on a slope. Keeping landmarks in mind, we drove about a half-mile around behind him. We snuck up to the brow of the hill and saw a doe looking right at us. there was a tall three-point lying at her feet. We took two steps, they jumped and Carl yelled "There's a big one on the right!" He was about 30 yards away and I swung on him and jerked the trigger a couple of times. Durned rifle wouldn't go off. I was still on half-cock and the trigger not set (which is why I like single trigger hunting rifles as on your English Sporting Rifle I built, Sean). The buck disappeared down the hill and I sat down to wait for him to appear. Sat right on a cactus. Carl said his horns were at least five inches past his ears, about a thirty-inch spread. A four point with heavy antlers, likely the best buck we saw on the entire hunt, out of over a hundred bucks.
Third time: We spotted a good four-point a half mile west of where the big one ran to. Started driving to get down-wind so I could stalk him. Two forkhorns stood up out of the tall brush just off the trail. Then three more deer, one a good-enough three-point. It was time to shoot something and go home. I shot him at about 40 yards, the flintlock firing perfectly, and he jumped and ran about 50 yards, staggered and fell. Though all three of us marked him down, it took about 20 minutes for us to find him in the heavy brush. My friends Carl and Carole Jackson have both killed mule deer in this area with flintlocks I built them. They have very keen "game eyes" and good binocs so were really helpful to me.
Carole, our photographer, called this The Victory Shot. I emptied my .58 flinter at the hillside. Hit it, too.
So Sean, the third time on the third day was the charm, though I had half a dozen good stalks on the first two days. Lets hope you do even better on your upcoming hunts.
I am very happy with this .58 flintlock. It can shoot as flat as a .50 or a .54 loaded to full powder loads. I did not notice the recoil of the 110 grain charge. This is a fine rifle for western hunting. We skinned the buck, the hide will go to Carole for another Indian dress (see my story about the Fort Bridger Rendezvous in "Over the Back Fence"). Laura will get the dew claws for an Indian rattle. Carl will get the horns and skull for a European (bleached skull) mount, plus some of the meat. Friend Brian will get the rest of the liver and heart. Carl and Carole and I get some of the finest hunting memories we will ever have. And we hope you enjoyed the story, and good luck to Sean!
I continued on over the edge into the west-facing slope of high brush. Scared out a 3 X 4 which ran south, maybe 120 yards away, but I didn't think I could hit him so didn't shoot. My "guides" who had dropped me off and driven around to watch what deer came out now drove into my line of sight from behind the hill the buck went over. Didn't know they were coming in that far, very fortunately I hadn't shot in their direction. They said I put nine bucks out of that brush, all good ones. I was behind a hill and saw only one.
Second time: We spotted the antlers of a buck lying down in the brush up on a slope. Keeping landmarks in mind, we drove about a half-mile around behind him. We snuck up to the brow of the hill and saw a doe looking right at us. there was a tall three-point lying at her feet. We took two steps, they jumped and Carl yelled "There's a big one on the right!" He was about 30 yards away and I swung on him and jerked the trigger a couple of times. Durned rifle wouldn't go off. I was still on half-cock and the trigger not set (which is why I like single trigger hunting rifles as on your English Sporting Rifle I built, Sean). The buck disappeared down the hill and I sat down to wait for him to appear. Sat right on a cactus. Carl said his horns were at least five inches past his ears, about a thirty-inch spread. A four point with heavy antlers, likely the best buck we saw on the entire hunt, out of over a hundred bucks.
Third time: We spotted a good four-point a half mile west of where the big one ran to. Started driving to get down-wind so I could stalk him. Two forkhorns stood up out of the tall brush just off the trail. Then three more deer, one a good-enough three-point. It was time to shoot something and go home. I shot him at about 40 yards, the flintlock firing perfectly, and he jumped and ran about 50 yards, staggered and fell. Though all three of us marked him down, it took about 20 minutes for us to find him in the heavy brush. My friends Carl and Carole Jackson have both killed mule deer in this area with flintlocks I built them. They have very keen "game eyes" and good binocs so were really helpful to me.
Carole, our photographer, called this The Victory Shot. I emptied my .58 flinter at the hillside. Hit it, too.
So Sean, the third time on the third day was the charm, though I had half a dozen good stalks on the first two days. Lets hope you do even better on your upcoming hunts.
I am very happy with this .58 flintlock. It can shoot as flat as a .50 or a .54 loaded to full powder loads. I did not notice the recoil of the 110 grain charge. This is a fine rifle for western hunting. We skinned the buck, the hide will go to Carole for another Indian dress (see my story about the Fort Bridger Rendezvous in "Over the Back Fence"). Laura will get the dew claws for an Indian rattle. Carl will get the horns and skull for a European (bleached skull) mount, plus some of the meat. Friend Brian will get the rest of the liver and heart. Carl and Carole and I get some of the finest hunting memories we will ever have. And we hope you enjoyed the story, and good luck to Sean!
