Benefit to a PRB hot load?

[Walkingeagle]

Yup, too high of velocity from the close shot often results in no pass through.
Congrats
Walk

 

[4stringdude]

Congrats on a nice buck! Thanks for all the detailed pictures. This should be a memorable hunt.

 

[Gettincloser]

Details on a 12 yard shot!

Details is where you have to be honest. You are going to read the truth as it is excitingly embarrassing!

I used some Golden Estrus on a wick as I walked into the field (I was running late and only got in the tree 45 minutes before light). As I walked across the field I would drag the wick over small clumps of taller dried grass about ever 5 to 8 yards and walked past the tree where I was going to hunt by 15 yards and slapped the wick on a 2" pipe. Right at 1st light I could see about 6 or 7 doe in the field and trailing them were this buck, a tall 8 (I like the tall racks) and a monster, heavy mass 8. The buck I shot hit the sent line at about 80 yards and followed it right in (the other bucks we scattered out to about 120 yards). Once the buck passed my tree and I had a quartering shot, I made my move and let him have it as he stretched his neck out to smell the 2" pipe where I had put the scent.

The honest and excited embarrassing part: I have been hunting since a kid. (1st pig in a trap at 5 years old and 1st deer with a .222 rifle at 7.) I was so excited, I forgot everything I knew about shooting. When I said "I let him have it", I grabbed hold of that trigger and pretended I was starting a chainsaw! I ripped that trigger so hard, I swore I missed! All the smoke didn't make it any better. I was already kicking myself before the smoke lifted and no deer! The buck only made about 35 or 37 or so yards but he fell behind a big oak and I could not see him in the open field from my stand. I called my brother sick to my stomach and asked him to come out and help me track and see if we could even find blood...

When I climbed down, I walked to the spot where he was standing and ... no blood. I looked in the direction I assumed he would go and THERE HE WAS! I was highly relieved and very excited again!

There you have it! 1st kill with a muzzleloader and I turn back into a 7 year old boy who ripped the trigger. (Sure glad he was close!) ***if you look at the internal rib cage of the buck, you will see that i shot from an elevated position but hit about 3 inches high*** Either way, it was a clean kill and took out both lungs and the main artery on top of the heart. (Figured I wouldn't post that picture)

Thanks for all the help ahead of the hunt and support guys!

 

[Gettincloser]

Well done... often the close range hits with pure lead round ball don’t exit but flatten out into a .70 caliber pancake. Beautiful animal you’ll eat well this winter!

I was curious and had my wife put the shot "ball" now pancake on a tape measure. Feel free to make fun of the sewing tape but it got the job done!
Looks like it flattened out to 7/8th of an inch (on the long side). I knew it was flat but didn't expect that!

 

[Bad Karma]

Hahaha well done and a great story for the grandkids! We’d all like to be the steely eyed life taker who was weaned on Novocain but honestly, (again!?) it’s the excitement that brings us back again and again...

I didn’t start bow hunting elk until my late 30’s but id been hunting them with rifles, handguns and muzzleloaders since I was 12. The first time I dropped the string on a bull elk (nice fat 5x5) I was so shook I don’t remember picking a spot but I am pretty sure I anchored somewhere behind my right ear and my dad says the arrow cleared his back by a couple of feet...

 

[Gettincloser]

Hahaha well done and a great story for the grandkids! We’d all like to be the steely eyed life taker who was weaned on Novocain but honestly, (again!?) it’s the excitement that brings us back again and again...

I didn’t start bow hunting elk until my late 30’s but id been hunting them with rifles, handguns and muzzleloaders since I was 12. The first time I dropped the string on a bull elk (nice fat 5x5) I was so shook I don’t remember picking a spot but I am pretty sure I anchored somewhere behind my right ear and my dad says the arrow cleared his back by a couple of feet...

I know what you mean. I started bowhunting in 2010 and never really got excited with a rifle... until this past weekend! It has added excitement to the "rifle" game again!

 

[Bad Karma]

I know what you mean. I started bowhunting in 2010 and never really got excited with a rifle... until this past weekend! It has added excitement to the "rifle" game again!

Getting closer... that’s a big part of it. But as a youngster I got that worked up, hell, remember trying to get to sleep night before opening day? Worried you wouldn’t wake up on time (yeah! As if that would be a problem!)