Muzzle Loading Luck

by Mark Buckley

What a beautiful morning on Saturday...

I was hunting a fence row that borders about 5 to 6 acres of cover that we've planted, including clover, switch grass, and some warm season grasses. It was a long time getting light for some reason, and I'd gotten out early besides.

Just before daylight - you know, when its too dark to shoot, but your binoculars seem to gather enough light to see a ways, I spotted this guy bedding down in the grass. When he bedded, I could just see the tips of his antlers when he would raise his head. The grasses and such that he was bedded in are about chest high on me, and i'm 6'4, so it was a stroke of luck that he bedded in a spot where the i could still see the top of his rack.

He was nearly 100 yards away, northwest of me, with a gentle wind out of the north.

For the next two hours, I watched. Two doe crossed within 75 yards north of him, and he didn't even turn his head. I had a hunt planned in Mt. Pleasant for the afternoon, and I was just about ready to call and cancel. I wasn't moving until he moved. It was pretty gut wrenching, waiting for this guy to do something.

God bless pheasants. After two long hours, a rooster flushed about 40 yards from him. I was watching through the binoculars, and I saw his head jerk. I quickly raised my muzzleloader, and rested it on my safety strap (was 30 inches up with my tree saddle) - by the time I put the scope on him, he was standing, quartering hard towards me. I put it right on the base of his neck and touched it off. he collapsed without taking a step. The shot entered the base of his neck and traveled through the far side shoulder. Its hard to see in the photo, but this guy had the tips broke off from three tines.

This was the first deer I've killed with my new savage 10 MLII. Shooting 42.0 grains of AA5744, with a Hornady 250 grain XTP and a MMP 45/50 short sabot. The brass cases on the muzzleloader are spent 30-06 brass, that hold measured charges and 209 primers. Handy tip I got on another board. Fortunately, I broke down and sighted my Savage with 777 as well, so I could continue using it into muzzleloading season.