“The Settler”, my new .62cal Early Virginia smoothbore, put down a Doe just before dark this afternoon...and the 5th deer I've delivered to that needy family out near where I hunt.
I had tried to walk up a squirrel yesterday afternoon with some #5s...only saw one and so many leaves have come off the trees I couldn’t get close enough...tried again this afternoon and didn’t even see any. Anticipating that repeat I had paced my still hunting and route so I’d work around to a good spot to sit for deer by 4:00pm. When I got there, I pulled the OS card and dumped (saved) the shot charge, pulled the 2 Oxyoke wads, poured in an additional 30grns Goex 2F I’d taken with me to get the powder charge up for my round ball load, seated a patched ball, and sat down.
Started sprinkling but I had rain gear and the Flintlock’s rain cover so I got all that on, then waited to see if anything would show. Sat there for a little over an hour, refreshed the prime a couple times, and just before it was too dark to see I saw a lone Doe picking her way through the trees and when she crossed in front I put the ball through the boiler room right at 50 yards...the Flintlock didn’t even hesitate. The bright flash plus the smoke in that low light made it impossible to see for a bit and I didn’t even know if I’d killed her, but I figured she’d swap ends and try to sprint back the way she’d come regardless.
By the time I cleaned the Flintlock it was pitch black, walked over to where she’d been coming through, found where the leaves had been lurched up a bit and in just a couple body lengths saw where blood was just pouring out. I just walked along upright with my headlamp on following the heavy trail that a blind man could have seen”¦she only made it about 30 yards before piling up. The ball had gone in broadside just missing the right elbow, through the heart, out the other side and through her far elbow.
What great flexibility to be able to hunt small game with a Flintlock for a while using a shot charge, then pull the shot charge, reload with a PRB and start deer hunting...sure makes the case that if I was only allowed to have one muzzleloader for all my hunting...turkey, doves, squirrels, rabbits, deer, crows, etc...this would be the one...a .62cal Full Jug Choked Early Virginia smoothbore Flintlock...this one is beautiful, accurate, and versatile for sure.
:thumbsup:
I had tried to walk up a squirrel yesterday afternoon with some #5s...only saw one and so many leaves have come off the trees I couldn’t get close enough...tried again this afternoon and didn’t even see any. Anticipating that repeat I had paced my still hunting and route so I’d work around to a good spot to sit for deer by 4:00pm. When I got there, I pulled the OS card and dumped (saved) the shot charge, pulled the 2 Oxyoke wads, poured in an additional 30grns Goex 2F I’d taken with me to get the powder charge up for my round ball load, seated a patched ball, and sat down.
Started sprinkling but I had rain gear and the Flintlock’s rain cover so I got all that on, then waited to see if anything would show. Sat there for a little over an hour, refreshed the prime a couple times, and just before it was too dark to see I saw a lone Doe picking her way through the trees and when she crossed in front I put the ball through the boiler room right at 50 yards...the Flintlock didn’t even hesitate. The bright flash plus the smoke in that low light made it impossible to see for a bit and I didn’t even know if I’d killed her, but I figured she’d swap ends and try to sprint back the way she’d come regardless.
By the time I cleaned the Flintlock it was pitch black, walked over to where she’d been coming through, found where the leaves had been lurched up a bit and in just a couple body lengths saw where blood was just pouring out. I just walked along upright with my headlamp on following the heavy trail that a blind man could have seen”¦she only made it about 30 yards before piling up. The ball had gone in broadside just missing the right elbow, through the heart, out the other side and through her far elbow.
What great flexibility to be able to hunt small game with a Flintlock for a while using a shot charge, then pull the shot charge, reload with a PRB and start deer hunting...sure makes the case that if I was only allowed to have one muzzleloader for all my hunting...turkey, doves, squirrels, rabbits, deer, crows, etc...this would be the one...a .62cal Full Jug Choked Early Virginia smoothbore Flintlock...this one is beautiful, accurate, and versatile for sure.
:thumbsup:
