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Halloqeen was the opening day of muzzleloading season in Virginia. Here's my story.
This was the first year I participated with a ML. In past years I would hunt with archery equipment during the ML season (legal here in Va), but I wanted to try this ML thing out.
The rifle I was carrying was a Thompson Center White Mountain carbine. It had belonged to a good friend, who died unexpectedly. I cAmr by the rifle alone, since he had not hunted or shot it in many years.
Having zero experience with muzzleloader a I spent significant time reading threads here (the sticky on "What you need to shot your rifle" was invaluable). I found this little carbine really liked the Thompson Center cheap shot 240 gr lead HP sabots over 80 gr of 777. With this load I was able to shoot golfball sized groups at 25 yards and baseball sized groups at 50 yards. My eyes + iron sights meant I was limiting myself to about 50 yard shots, so I felt the performance of myself, the rifle and the load were good to go for this range.
I was originally planning to shoot the Cheap Shots for practice and coarse sight regulation, then switch to a premium sabot for final tuning of the load and sights, then hunt with the premium sabot. However, this little carbine really liked the cheap shots, and I decided at 50 yards a 240 gr lead HP projectile would be just fine for Eastern whitetail.
Halloween morning found me sitting along the Potomac River, overlooking a field near a spot where several obvious game trails criss-crossed. About an hour into opening day three young does trotted out into the field to 150 yards, moving towards my position. When the nearest moved inside where I had ranged 50 yards I decided to make the shot.
I placed the White Mountain carbine in the crook of a tree limb, lined up the sights and squeezed the trigger. Through the plume of smoke I saw two deer running for cover and one deer lying on the ground. While forld dressing I found I had hit a little higher than intended, and at the quartering angle took out one lung, but more importantly also the spine. The doe never moved a step after being hit.
Here is my view taken near the tree where I took my shot:
This was the first year I participated with a ML. In past years I would hunt with archery equipment during the ML season (legal here in Va), but I wanted to try this ML thing out.
The rifle I was carrying was a Thompson Center White Mountain carbine. It had belonged to a good friend, who died unexpectedly. I cAmr by the rifle alone, since he had not hunted or shot it in many years.
Having zero experience with muzzleloader a I spent significant time reading threads here (the sticky on "What you need to shot your rifle" was invaluable). I found this little carbine really liked the Thompson Center cheap shot 240 gr lead HP sabots over 80 gr of 777. With this load I was able to shoot golfball sized groups at 25 yards and baseball sized groups at 50 yards. My eyes + iron sights meant I was limiting myself to about 50 yard shots, so I felt the performance of myself, the rifle and the load were good to go for this range.
I was originally planning to shoot the Cheap Shots for practice and coarse sight regulation, then switch to a premium sabot for final tuning of the load and sights, then hunt with the premium sabot. However, this little carbine really liked the cheap shots, and I decided at 50 yards a 240 gr lead HP projectile would be just fine for Eastern whitetail.
Halloween morning found me sitting along the Potomac River, overlooking a field near a spot where several obvious game trails criss-crossed. About an hour into opening day three young does trotted out into the field to 150 yards, moving towards my position. When the nearest moved inside where I had ranged 50 yards I decided to make the shot.
I placed the White Mountain carbine in the crook of a tree limb, lined up the sights and squeezed the trigger. Through the plume of smoke I saw two deer running for cover and one deer lying on the ground. While forld dressing I found I had hit a little higher than intended, and at the quartering angle took out one lung, but more importantly also the spine. The doe never moved a step after being hit.
Here is my view taken near the tree where I took my shot:
