Thanks Guy's for all your help.

[1100 Remington Man]

Well this year and my second year hunting Iowa's Muzzeloader season. I bagged a Doe Sunday, no big deal but with Pyrodex and a Saturday with heavy rain and thunder.
Everything went fine Sunday Fired without a hitch.
After getting soaked on Saturday I went out Sunday and with high winds and the rain I stalked up on a doe in its bed and bagged it from 50-60 yards.
I was using my TC Rengade .54 with a Hornaday .530 ball .018 patch lubed by Dutch's recommendations. and a Remington Cap and 90 grains of Pyrodex by volume and a piece of electrical tape on the muzzle, it fired striking a little farther back than I like and it hit dead center on the liver, the doe ran 60-75 yards and that was it, my first deer with a muzzeloader and patched round ball. It did not pass through.
I wanted to thank everybody here on there tip's and advise and where to buy accessories, you guys have been a lot of help.
Thank You.

 

[azmntman]

:thumbsup: Congrats! Lil surprised the ball did not pass through! Nothin but ribs if it was a side shot, did you shoot through a hip or other large bone?

 

[Wes/Tex]

Good going. Surprising how often those balls don't pass through a whitetail. :thumbsup:

 

[wattlebuster]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Walkingeagle]

Congrats. Now I gotta get my butt in motion. Still looking for this years deer!
Walk

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well done :hatsoff:

B.

 

[Dr5x]

Stoy,
The only intent and purpose of my Dry Lube System is to prevent some shots landing higher and some shots landing lower because that system gives you the same amount of lube on each and every patch. It has no other effect on accuracy.

Congratulations on a relatively clean kill/


Dutcch/

 

[Spikebuck]

Congratulations! :hatsoff:

Oh how I wish Iowa allowed non-residents into that early Muzzleloader season. I'd pay the high non-res price to get a crack at that time period! I have heard that the late muzzleloader season can be a big buck mecca, however, if on the right property. Might have to try that sometime.

Mike

 

[BrownBear]

After getting soaked on Saturday I went out Sunday and with high winds and the rain I stalked up on a doe in its bed and bagged it from 50-60 yards.

That's getting it done. Once you get your weather act together, it's neat to discover the hunting is usually better in bad weather or just after.

Keep it up!

 

[jrmflintlock]

GreenMtnBoy made an interesting statement that made sense to me as to why the ball does what it does.

Not an exact quote and yardages may be off, but something like..

0-50 yards ball has enough energy to completely upset (get bigger) and stop against far side hide.

50-80 yards ball has slowed down enough to not upset, but still has the energy to punch through.

80-100+ yards ball has enough energy to penetrate, but not enough to get past hide.

And this was all relative speaking and not absolute But It made sense to me. He even had pictures of recovered balls from both extremes if I remember correctly.

I'm terrible at searching the forum but someone else might be able to find it.

Congrats on your first ML deer Harvest!

 

[Skychief]

Congratulations Stoy :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

jrm, GreenMtnBoy's experience lines up with my own.

Best regards, Skychief

 

[hanshi]

Stoy, you did great! :thumbsup:

I have recovered more .50 ball from deer than .45. My experience at 100 yards - admittedly only two deer - was that both .50 prb were pass throughs. Up to 50 yards or so, I agree mostly agree with Greenmntboy on that.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Of course, it does make a difference how pure the lead is!
A little hardness can make big changes in terminal performance.

B :thumbsup:

 

[Skychief]

Of course, it does make a difference how pure the lead is!
A little hardness can make big changes in terminal performance.

B :thumbsup:

Indeed. I've been known to use harder than pure lead in my .45. They'll whistle right through a deer except on the closest of shots.

Good point friend. :thumbsup:

Best regards, Skychief

 

[robinsroost]

Congratulations Stoy, you are now hopelessly addicted. Venison flavored with black powder tastes much better. Keep yer powder dry..........robin :bow:

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Well today ended my 2017 Muzzeloader season. I hunted 6 different days and was rained on three days one over a inch.
Well today I finished my season with another Doe at about 25 yards looking right into my .54 I had spotted her at about 60 yards but she went behind some trees but it came right to me and when It rounded a tree I fired offhand hitting a front left shoulder and it exited the right side on the last rib.
At the shot I lost sight of her and when the smoke cleared she had fell straight down, I had clipped the top of the lungs.
I had put in a lot of hours and the most disappointing thing was I never saw a Buck, I found some scrapes and a few rubs but never did see a Buck.
The performance of .54 round ball was good other than my first shot just a little farther back than I like, but it all worked out. For Deer I see no reason to change from patched round ball.
Thanks again guys for the tips from cleaning this to weather proofing it to Dutch's system for Patches and thickness to try.
Good Shooting & Hunting Guy's may your season be good.