I was able to sit in the drizzle last Thursday evening until this guy showed up a little before dark. The cornfield I was on had a large number of does and smaller bucks earlier but I found out a few days later that the neighbors were pretty hard on them during gun season. The buck showed up and seemed to be looking for does more than eating. I ranged him(105 yds) and shot when he was quartering on and facing a little down hill.
The sabot entered just inside the near shoulder and clipped the top of the heart before exiting just in back of the front legs. The rain prevented any trace of blood and I was not even sure I hit him so we gave up after about an hour in the rain that night and came back in the morning. The buck actually ran closer to me after the shot and only covered about 100 yds before he piled up.
This is the first deer I have taken with Blackhorn 209 and a 250gr Barnes TEZ and I was really impressed.
I killed my buck with the 290gr version. Expanded perfectly, even over only 80gr (volume) of BH. I found it lodged in the spine between his shoulders (facing shot), and even found the little blue tip.
24HCF in its entirety, is solely responsible for why my children do not have college funds, my mortgage isn't paid-off and why I will never retire early enough to enjoy the remainder of my life.
Pappy348, I thought about using the 290 grain and it seems at longer distances it might be a better option. I am really pleased I finally got a pass through on a muzzleloader deer, I never had that before and if we didn't have the rain I am sure it would have been a great blood trail.
The funny part is I have been on a much bigger deer all fall and could not hunt there that night because of the wrong wind. That buck is still there as of Saturday so I have to get back out there in the cold!
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/X0n16mr.png)
