Being that I really do not know what this fall/winter will hold in store for my ability to get afield. I still need a helpful outlet to plan for a hunt anyway. It appears elk will be out of the question this year so I'm going to put all my effort into the use of "Die Jägdschwestern" my two flint Jägers and chase hogs and possibly a blackbuck on the cousins ranch.

But definitely pigs are in!!! The little .40 flinter for those pesky 30 pound porkcicles is just the medicine.

It was 99F here today but fall is not that far away! What are your muzzleloading plans for this season???

Elk? Deer? Squirrel??? I would like to hear!

Hey Kaywoodie, welcome back!

I can't add to your survey of ML plans, but wanted to say hi anyway!

Welcome back KW..
Do DemoncRats ever go out of season? No season on vermin..
My state is overrun wit'em and needs to be culled.

Bob, good to hear from you. I will, as always, hunt the Oct. muzzle-loader season here, and most likely hunt the 2 or 3 days that we have in Dec. That hunt varies and I have not looked at this years dates, but there is always one between Christmas and New Year, along with a short modern rifle hunt. miles

Im sûre if I get out, my trips will be close. 45 min to an hour and a half tops from the house. Haven't really cared much about deer for several years now. But pigs are always a treat. The small ones are easy for me to handle and store in freezer.

But if I happen across a big boar, and I'm toting the .62 that day, who knows? 😊

Finally got the daughter up to the ranch I spent my formative years on last week. Showed here (well pointed in general direction), spot where I made my shortest muzzleloading shot on a deer. Maybe 12 ft! LOL! Ran right up on me he did!

"Porkcicles," I like it.

I'll be hunting elk this year during the early season here in CO but it'll be with a bow in my hand. My buddy from VA couldn't draw a muzzleloader tag where I like to hunt, so we'llbe bowhunting.

Should be entertaining, at the least. But if we want porkcicles, we'll have to go to the grocery store.

Smokepole,

Yeah. Those porkcicles are whole hog. The ribs we termed "pigcicles". 😂 They do look so cute there on the pit! All lined up!! Very regimental of them!

You elk bowhunt sounds Outstanding nonetheless! Keep us posted!

My buddy and I got drawn for Elk this year for Thanksgiving week in a great area of AZ. We only put in for bonus points for deer this year. Hopefully I can get him and his dad on some nice elk. It would be his first big game kill. I had him on a nice 3x3 archery hunting last year,,, 30 yards broadside,,,,,, forgot to knock his arrow,,,, fell to the ground 3 times :-) finally the deer trotted off.

Outstanding Roadrinner!!! Keep us posted on that hunt!!! Looking forward to the pics!

Me and the boys will be hunting the same little VA farm as last year. The good news is it's currently planted in soybeans. Hopefully, they'll still be standing when ML season comes around in early November. There's not a lot of woods, but on the back side there's a couple of nice meadows the deer seem to favor early and late. The longest shot from my stand is 158 yards, well within range of my inline, but two of the three deer I took there last year were at 40 and 20 yards, easy shots for my "new" .54 Renegade, even with RBs, if that turns out to be my boolit of choice. Got a REAL mold for it too. Gotta get over to Back Creek for some Old Eynsford before it's all gone.

In VA, the ML season effectively IS the rifle season now, and last year anyway, the rut was on so I got to see some interesting "chase scenes". A basic deer license allows you to shoot 5 or 6 deer depending on the area, two of them bucks and they don't care which season you take them in, excepting for the Earn-a-Buck areas that make you kill a doe before you shoot your second buck. I didn't plan well last year and had to let the biggest buck I saw all season walk as a result.

Pappy,

Will be watching for your hunting report too!!! Good luck to you and the boys! Mebbe that big one will give you a second chance! 😉

Pappy, when is the ML season now?

Yes, welcome back KW, hope all is well and gets even better.

58 cal round ball over 140 grs 3F will get it all done for me this fall, be it deer, hogs or any coyote that may wander by.

West of the Blue Ridge the early season is Nov.4-17. There's no late season as it would coincide with the general firearms season. On private land in Clarke County, where I hunt, it's either sex. Public land has a complicated web of regs that give me a headache and since I don't plan to hunt deer there, matters not.

That big one, so far as I know, wasn't taken last season, so might still be around. My plan this year is to shoot does for meat and shoot a nice buck or none at all. Assuming we get to keep hunting that property in the future, I think that will pay off in time.

👍


Me likey!!

I really enjoy shooting pigs at the Ranch with my .54 caliber Hawken. I prefere a Round Ball and 100 grains of Swiss Black Powder.

One of these days, I'm going to get myself a flynt lock.

You need too!!! Loads of fun!!!

Fort campbell 3rd saturday in sept wtd , trigger patience season last till end of dec. Then tn ml season in nov, kinda hoping tag out on ftcky and spend some time dove hunting 2nd season , whatever happens, will happen.

Renegade that should like a plan. Got an old hunting buddy from here in Texas that retired out of Army and now live at Hopkinsville. Talked with him
other night.

If you get the chance to hunt ftcky, dont pass on it . Your friend from hopkinsville hunt on post and know areas fairly well ???im you need to jump on the chance, their are 180, 190 class bucks on post, best time is the last wk in oct to mid nov , i might even know the guy, been hunting on post since 91 when i 1st got stationed their. Getting licensed and computer check in seems hard but once you learn system its easy

I don't think he hunts on post. I know he hunted with a bunch of locals somewhere up there on private land. Always has good stories!! One of his hunting bud's thought his trapdoor Springfield was some kinda Mossberg rifle. 😁

Oh my gawd......... mossberg rifle wtf.... montgomery county tn , christain county ky and ftcky. All connected and all = big deer outside the norm for both states.

Me too, crushed a giant 260 lb wt buck with it at 44 yards, hit the buck in the right shoulder and to my amazement the 58 cal ball exited left rib cage, buck went straight down, it was then that I discovered how good of a killer the patched round ball really is.

I shot one buck with a round ball out of a .54 caliber Hawkins, and immediately changed to a maxi ball. The fat in the deer, I guess, plugged the holes and there was little blood trail, even with a lung shot. I was very lucky to find that deer. After I found it, I back trailed to where the blood started and it was close to 100 yards from where I shot the deer. If there had not been snow, I most likely would not have found it. Snow is scarce in Arkansas during hunting season. miles

That will work Miles!!!

Kilt lots of critters with PRB. And folks may say I'm full of you know what (LOL) but two things that I've discovered is #1, I go for a good bone crush/vital organ combo shot if that's what's needed and #2 is RB wound has never left much of a blood trail for me if any. But never really had any issues with PRB. Had a few hogs run Mebbe 15-20 yds, but that's about it. Most all my deer were DRT.

Majority of kills were with .490 RB and 70 grains FFFG. Have used .395, .440, .490, .530, .535, and .595. on pig/deer sized critters. Like I say, just me. But sounds like you got good load and success with your maxi, so I says use what works for you! 👍

Miles, I cast my 58 cal round balls outta 20 to 1 alloy, they are pretty hard, and when driven to 1988 fps, hit like a damn red brick inside of 125 yards, two deer and two DRT's so far with my 58 and round balls, the other was a nice medium sized doe at 80+ yards, she dropped from a right shoulder hit with rib cage exit as well.

These were bought balls so have no idea of the mix. Probably should have shot for bone. Used to a regular rifle where a lung shot leaves a good trail. This was back in 1983, I think. miles

Don't know where yours was hit, but even with a modern rifle I try to keep lung shots low in the chest. It just takes too long ( and maybe never) for blood to start leaking from mid to high chest hits. Low hits that disconnect the heart have given the best trails, especially if you get some pumping action.

It was higher than I would have liked. Deer was closer than I thought. Still should have bled good without fat or something plugging the holes. I shot one with my .308 one time that there was a piece of lung on the ground where it stood, and still no visible blood trail for about 40 yards, then it was obvious. Not at all normal, but deer hunting seldom is. miles

People tend to think blood appears immediately. I guess it does if you blow big enough hole in them. However ,generally it takes a few seconds to start leaking out. Figure how far a deer or elk can travel in a few seconds while blood is still going to the brain. I have experienced that the blood isn't seen until 15-30 yards. Sometimes further

I have seen it all, from a big spray of blood on the ground where they were standing to none for over 100 yards, from shots that look very similar. The problem with the one with the muzzleloader and the round ball is that I was shooting black powder and all I saw was a cloud of smoke. I had no idea which way he went. Lots of tracks on the ground going every which direction, and thick woods. miles

Bought round balls were most likely pure lead, ahhh 1983, halfway through higher education, I miss having hair and red whiskers.

I liked roundball in my 50's.
Sometimes the BT was scary weak for a bit, deer down before 100 yds though.
A few were down very close to impact spot.
Accuracy was exceptional.
Farthest MZ kill, 178 yds, offhand, iron sight. Jumped doe in CRP..............she ran all the way to top edge of field (I had J hooked it). Lined her up w dead tree in background and found a nice aiming point on the tree. Lined it up 3 times, she quartering away..........and touched it off. Saw tail up through the smoke and was WTH? Then she fell. Bullet entered just ahead of onside hip and exited opp side of windpipe. Not a big deer, tasted great But was a tough shot (for me) and I pinwheeled it.

At the club our 100 yd backstop is big. Clays on it, stepping back into parking area (when nobody else around). Buddy and I shot for fun........175 yds. Got pretty good at learning the drop.

Gun was TC Renegade.......got cheap because prev owner missed an elk with it. Turns out the tang/hook didnt seat right. Bbl channel was too deep, plus some other screws were run.
Glass bedded and redid screws. It shot great (I used the bbl sights- guy that missed the elk had a peep on tang).

Sold that gun to another coworker, told him how it shot.
About a yr later he comes to my area and is all crazy happy, said that was the best MZ he'd ever shot.
Duh, told him it shot great.
Think I sold it because I got a Knight, ran that a couple yrs and then stumbled upon a new Hawken Silver Elite.
My Hawken SE..............most PITA MZ I ever had. Sure is pretty though.

My roundball guns were two TC Renegades and a New Englander. All got FFg Goex and #11 caps. 100gr charge w a Hornady .495 ball w thick cotton patch.
New guns required at least 50 shots to stop vertical stringing. At about 100 shots there were golden.
Lost my target in a move.............had cloverleaf of 3 in the X at 100 from the bench (New Englander).
Only shot one deer with it, a decent 9 pointer on the trot at about 35 or 40 yards. Hit him where neck meets shoulder, coming in. Bullet went through both lungs and stopped in hide behind shoulder on opp side. Still have the bullet

Cheaper gun IMHO, liked the Renegades better.

Bought a .54 Renegade .with killer wood about 3 yrs ago from a buddy. It was like new.
Gave it to another buddy that wanted to get into MZ hunting.
Told him to try roundball in it (keep recoil down).

Still entertain ideas of a reg Hawken, my SE, a Cougar and a Supreme..........get four and hang em on the wall.
Buddy has a Cougar he doesn't use, keeps asking me what I want to trade for it.

My plans are to hunt gray squirrels with the T/C Seneca 36 caliber and whitetail deer with the 54 caliber T/C Renegade caplock rifles. I get "anxious" about this time of the year.

I bought a 36 cal T/C here on the 'Fire with full intentions of giving it to a kid and his dad up the road from me, the man in Tx that I bought it from told me it was his dads gun, when I opened the shipping box the rifle was flawless, not a mark on it and the bore looked like glass, I damned fell outta my chair it was so clean.

I couldn't give that rifle to that kid to go banging around in the woods with scratching the hell out of it, later found a T/C hawken in 45 cal in town and took it to the kid and his dad, all is well, now I have a little 36 I don't know what to do with, maybe hunt squirrels like you this Winter.

I've got a .32 that shoots real well, been meaning to get out and do some small game hunting. Only problem is, around here the squirrels up on public land where you can hunt are small and inedible (pine squirrels) and the big fat fox squirrels are all in parks where you can't hunt. Either that or in my back yard stealin' tomatoes.....

" Either that or in my back yard stealin' tomatoes!!!"

Pesky little blackguards!!!

My .54 Hawken is scary accurate with round balls & 100 grains of Goex ! And deadly on pigs. Love the smell of Goex burning when you shoot it! And the huge smoke cloud that follows.

I worked up a load in my 36, dead on at 25 yards, don't figure I'll ever shoot more than 75' up a tree for squirrel, don't have my load book handy, but IIRC that little ball is moving out near 1950 fps, gotta keep em in the head I figure.

All this talk is getting be in the hunting mood! Can't wait for It to cool off a bit! Was 97 yesterday when thunderstorm came thru. Cooled down to 91. Nice and steamy! 😁


Édit! Need to set up lead pot and run some .395 RB's. But a bit warm for that too

Yes, KW, let the frosty leaves appear, I'm ready.

You're supposed to drop to all fours and look under the smoke, don'tcha know?😛

Of course, by the time I get on all fours these days, the meat will have spoiled (unless I just happen to fall on my face).

That's why I try to hunt with the boys! That way I got someone to help my gimp azz up!!!

Another thing. Hence my enamoration with shorter rifles now. Arthritis or something tearing up both shoulders, upper arm and back pain. Getting damn hard to hold up a long rifle or even attempt off hand shot. So I cut me a cedar ( ok Ashe juniper) staff with a fork on top, Just the right length for An off hand shot. Kinda like them old rests for a matchlock or arquebus. Also assist the knees and hip!!! And handy for getting back up from kneeling or setting position. I currently do not see any quick off hand shots in my future. I'll just take my time and try to be stealthy! 😂

I'll try to post stick photo shortly. For those that have never seen a stick before.

New stick!



Yeah, it's a little bent and crooked, like me. Just right amount of cast off for my off hand shots!😉

Been packing a stick for a while, just not so long. Got a Kieffer pear that sends up straight shoots after
I prune it. I harvest them for walking sticks and garden stakes. Very sustainable!

Early October 'Zona cow tag on the Mogollon rim, south of Williams. Got some good intel from Fire members, and my AZ hunting pard has been checking them out. I'll let you know how it goes.
John(Dog)

John Dog!!!!

Sounds like a fine hunt in the making!!! Good luck ! And yes, keep us posted!

Last year I had enough preference points to "guarantee" a ML-only deer tag here. With no points remaining, I had only a 12% chance this year but I beat the odds and drew the same tag again. Starting mid November I'll be back out there looking for a deer with my TC Seneca .45.

I've thought about trying to call coyotes and cougars in close enough in brush for a good shot. Haven't done it yet.

.45 isn't legal here for elk so that's out.

Tom

Congrats T_O_M!!! And good luck!!!!

Casted a bunch of .395 and .600 RB yesterday. Need cooler weather now! Hard to see and shoot with sweat running in your eyes! 😁

Thanks, and thanks! It's a fun hunt for me. I learned deer hunting in the strip between coastal and inland conditions. Early rifle season was generally too warm and bone dry, then one morning we'd wake up to 45 degrees and inches of rain a day. This is different, it starts 6 weeks later (2 weeks after the regular season ends) and, though most people who draw the tag seem to focus on the low elevation oaks and farmlands, I head high and hunt the bottom of the snow. We never had snow in regular deer season where I hunted. It's something new to me, new things to learn. Then add the black powder single shot aspect ... yeah, I'm a happy camper.

Tom

This December here in Missouri I will be using my Cabela's Hawken rifle in 50 cal. A 385gr HP conical on top of 70gr of fff Goex is my standard hunting load for deer. Last season I got a nice big doe with this set up. Good luck on your hunt.

👍 Excellent 4350!!! Good luck!!!!

Gawd yall are making me think i should have never put on the darth vader helmet and gone dark side with an inline🤔had a renegade .50 and a lyman plains pistol in .50, the force is too strong in me from the dark side to come back. I got a crack cocaine addiction to an AR15 right now anyways😂😂😂

I have a switch barrel billinghurst with 45 fast twist, 45 roundball and 54 roundball barrels. Also have a 32 on a Allen foundry underhammer action.

I plan on shooting anything I can this year. Probably squirrel and deer. And rabbits.

Don't sweat it; there is (or should be) room for all under the ML tent. The thing that unites us (or should) is the limitation imposed by using a single shot weapon that loads from the front. The rest is just personal preference and maybe concessions to diminishing eyesight. I use both kinds, and want more.

Have to say however, that there's something about the "hang" of a traditional gun in the hand as you slip through the woods that's matched only by a long- or recurve bow. Ancestral memory?

Agree with Pappy. Used what you like. Gotta do what works for You!!! And enjoy!!!!!!!

But main thing Is to get out in the woods!! You really take it for granted until you're in a position where your trips become limited!

I run a couple patches down my bore and reload my 58 at the conclusion of shooting or hunting, reload it, then run an olive oil patch down the bore, cover the nipple with a leather strap I made for that purpose, the strap of my shooting bag hangs over to cover the muzzle to keep the air out.

Have been doing this for years with my muzzle loaders, took my 58 out before dark last night, picked the nipple, capped it, got a steady rest on the bench and proceeded to hit 3"s high and about an inch left of dead center on my 100 yard gong, that damn rifles just like lunchmeat KW, it's always ready!

BTW, this system of loading and storing has never caused any barrel corrosion or rust problems, even with my 8 bore burning 300 grains per shot.

My little Knight is a fun piece. It can be a .44 mag, a pretty stiff .45/70, or a .50 thumper, depending on how you load it and how much 'fun" you can take on the back end. It weighs maybe 7 pounds all up. It could well serve as my only deer rifle at need. Fortunately, "at need" hasn't happened yet. I bought a cap ignition setup for it for using BP, but now I've got the Renegade to satisfy my primal urge to smell bad, so that notion is on the back burner for now.