Setting up a "Northwest" .50 cal

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I had my cva accura mr-x out Thursday for its first ever hunt, I am sighted in and shooting x's at 100 yards, I don't shoot any further for hunting, with 2 60 gr t7 pellets and a 300 gr xtp, well, on its first hunt, I dropped a massive 8pt that dressed out at 213 lbs at 31 yards as he was chasing a doe towards me,to my left, I got him stopped and put the german lighted reticle on him and pulled the trigger, he stumbled 42 yards and dropped dead within 10 seconds.

I calmly reloaded in stand and finished my coffee and waited an hour before I got down, no ground shrinkage, a lot bigger deer that I thought. I had him on camera at a nearby scrape. I shot him in the hardwoods coming out of a recently cut corn field. ( I hate the fold up ram rod,Its a headache,imo...)

So we caped him out and got him to butchers on Thursday afternoon, I shot him about 654 am on Thursday morning, I didn't hunt Thursday afternoon, but I got out Friday morning and didn't see much, I have waited until the Friday afternoon of my vacation to hunt a stand I hung in 2015 on my own land, I shot a dandy 10 pt first time ever in stand with my compound, after I hung it in morning.

I have hunted it 7 times in 7 years, I let 2 other good bucks go the last few years, around 357 pm on Friday, I had 2 does come out to my left, I knew....5 minutes later, here came a big 8 pt, but I could not get a shot,they chased and went out other way,as I was looking to my left, I heard some commotion to my right, I turned, seen a doe trotting, she then looked back into the thick stuff and sure enough, out walked a giant 9 pt, I waited and waited for him to walk into full view and at 78 yards I put the german reticle and red dot on his front shoulder and neck area and pulled the trigger, after the smoke cleared.

I didn't see him, just the doe. I reloaded in the stand, and waited for what seemed like n hour but was probably 10 minutes, it was about 420 pm now, about 30 minutes before dark and I am at the back end of my land in the thick slash/swamp and our property borders a neighbours who owns 400 acres and its just a slash. I got down and didn't see him, but as I crept over the ridge, I watched him about 60 yards away walking slowly with tail flickering.

I made the hard decision to leave him overnight, afraid If I bumped him, he would never be seen again. It was -9 and only worry was coyotes, what a brutal night of beating myself up, well at 8am the next morning we set out to locate him, and sure enough he was about 70 yards from last spot I seen him , he had been dead since about 5pm night before,no yotes found him. 2 days,first two hunts with cva accura mr-x and two wall hangers. This was rifle season, I choose to use a muzzleloader, 2 weeks until our actual black powder season begins and I will be looking for a 3rd wall hanger, the 2nd one dressed out at 191 lbs. Back to work for a week this morning.
 
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I am a big fan of heavy bullets for elk. I shoot 405 gr. .45-70 bullets in a sabot or size them down to fit my .45 cal guns. Many people find you get better accuracy with conicals by putting a felt wad or vegetable wad under the bullet. The FPB's shoot well in my .50 cal., but I don't believe Hornady makes them anymore, so if you like them, and can find them, stock up on them. I have killed elk and deer with the 350 gr. FPBs and they perform well. Thor bullets are another option, but expensive.
 
Thanks, It was a great few days for sure. I'll be back bow hunting Thursday until our black powder season and then after it's over,I'll bow hunt until end of December.
 
Ive purchased another Tc Impact, I bought a black/weather shield with fiber optic sights about 10 days ago and sighted it in at 75 yards with 2 50 gr t7 pellets and 290 gr hornady bore diver ftx, It took me 3 shots and I was drilling a 2" x at 100 yards,I did have to adjust the fibers to the left a bit,and up a little.

I also picked up a 2nd cva wolf v2, in Realtree Edge/SS with fiber optics, I plan on shooting it this weekend and get it dialed in at 75 yards for black powder season, I am not sure what I am going to shoot from it yet for a bullet, I have about 7-8 choices here. I am now on the lookout for an omega, but I will be a few months paying off the 2 mounts before any more gun purchases.
 
I have been thinking and talking with a hunting buddy about either having a ramrod leather holder made for me, or maybe they do already make them? I like the accura mr-x but as someone who has shot a .50 cal for 20 years with a ramrod under the barrel, I am kind of in the minority, maybe but I don't like the fold up rod, and after being in an actual hunting situation with adrenaline going through my body, in a treestand with my harness on,trying to fumble around getting that pos wannabe tent pole together to reload.......well, I think I'd rather carry a normal ramrod,maybe in a leather "holster" or case, I can attach to my pack and hang from a bow hook in stand, any ideas?......
 
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I just put together my folding ramrod when I get to my hunting location and have it near by when and if needed.
 
I have thought of that, but I actually do not like anything about the ramrod, I dont personally like the idea of a foldup ramrod and I dont like the feel and way It performs in the field, I like a normal ramrod, I am going to either have a leather case made to carry one or buy a case to carry it and strap it to my pack. I could see if I was hiking around all day but I am not, so I will figure out a way to carry a normal ramrod.
 
As stated, they don’t make FPBs any more. They are well constructed and I have killed 4 elk with them. But they were a bear to get down smaller barrels. I bought 200 of them when they stopped making them so I have a good supply for years. My brother still uses them, but I have switched over to the 350 gr federal BOR locks. My elk went 5 yards this year with that bullet

If the Great Plains 385 shoot well, they have a good reputation

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/the-elk-drought-ends.42320/
 
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I try not to post pictures online,I keep them for personal enjoyment. I am a weird bird, but I kind of like keeping them between a few close friends and family members, I never post pictures on AT, either, even with being a member for 14 years, I like keeping my trophies, mine. I hope that makes sense, and I mean no disrespect to any of you.

I can get the FPB's up here, I could probably buy enough to last me 15 years if I wanted but I can not find the Federal Bor locks in the weight I want now, I had a 6pt walk by me at 10 yards this morning, nice morning to bow hunt.
 
I try and buy American but that is tough. Just got word my Chevy truck I ordered in March went through the assembly line last week…. In Oshawa Canada.

I applaud you buying local instead of online. Of course those products may be made in USA (or China 😳). So I have no problem buying products online if they aren’t carried locally. And at least in the US, I wouldn’t be shooting/ hunting with my Muzzy without online purchases, without regard to where they come from. BH 209 is made in Canada! And I have zero options to buy BH locally

Like it or not, we are all in this together. So my take is: buy local, unless you can’t.
 
FPBs are a great bullet for game up to elk (in 350 gr). One cow I killed went thru the humerus bone just above the elbow, maybe the biggest bone in the shooting zone, and still took out the heart. They are a lead alloy, not pure lead.

I bought a short starter just for them. Once you give them a “whap” to get them started, they load somewhat easier, but are still generally pretty tight.

Like this https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/traditions-deluxe-bullet-starter-kit
 
I am about 2.5 hours northeast of oshawa, I can basically find anything local, or shops within a few hours,even if I have to have shipped other than BH 209, and cva northwest conversion kits, they seem to be impossible to find. I have another wolf ss/camo to get ready for black powder season this weekend,I didn't end up ordering any new bullets to try, as I already have a lot here and I was not sure I'd get them for this weekend. I have to say the hornady bore driver ftx is very accurate from my new impact with fiber optics. I may use it, or a 300 gr sst from the newest gun, we shall see.
 
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