My muzzleloader season so far

[idahoron]

This year I drew for a antelope and a deer tag with a muzzleloader. I built a 45 years ago to be my antelope rifle but I never drew a tag. So this was the year to use the Hot Rod Hawken.
My load is a paper patched RCBS 11mm rifle bullet I make my self. I paper patch it with 25% cotton onion skin paper, and size it to .446 and is ready to go.

After shooting and scouting the summer my first hunt was for the antelope.











I got an outstanding antelope. that surpassed what I expected. I got to use the cross sticks I made. I got to use the rifle I built, the knife I built, and the bullets I made. I could not be more happy with him.


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On to my Deer hunt.
My son Jacob an I left on the 1st to go on our deer hunt. We got there about midnight in the middle of a rain storm.
In the morning we left the camper and it was still raining and fog. I decided I was not leaving the 4 runner, NOT. We found a buck that was swallowed up by the fog. Then we found a bunch of four that were in a spot we could get at them. The biggest one was a 24" wide two point. Well I said I wasn't going to get wet but I did. Jacob got a shot at the big one but missed. I think buck fever got him a bit.

We got back to the truck, got some dry clothes and got ready for the evening hunt. We headed out on the ATV and Honda 90. I built the mount for the scabbard for the 90. I saw two bucks bedded down and we sneaked in on them.
Jacob got on the cross sticks and the bucks got up at about 40 yards. His bullet hit the buck near the last rib and went forward into the cavity. Then it exited through several more ribs 7 total before it lodged under the skin in the neck. The bullet was a 460 gr Paper Patched Lee 500 S&W bullet, it still weighed 408.8 grains. The Knife in the picture is one I built for him.









Well the next morning we got up early. I headed into a place I hoped that I would see more bucks. I saw around 50 head of does and not one buck. We got back to the camper and another storm hit. Dang my luck!
About 4 pm the rain let up and we headed out. We got about 1/2 mile from the camper and I see a buck on the ridge. I get ready to shoot off my sticks. The buck got wind of what was going on and started to head out. My paper patched 409 gr RCBS 11mm rifle bullet hit him hard. Jacob said you gut shot him! I said no way I saw that hit. So I reloaded and we headed up the hill. I found the spot where the buck was hit, it was a 90 yard shot. No blood, well for the first couple jumps. Then I saw the pink blood. He jumped a log and blood was on both sides, but he was running up hill. I get to the top and he had ran 100 yards without lungs, he was done. The bullet hit a couple ribs but that was not enough to stop that train.






I told Jacob to go back to camp and get the 4 wheeler and I would drag the buck to the road.




We got it back to camp and skinned it out.








We had a good trip. I don't get as much time with Jacob as I would like. We both had the plan for big bucks but in the end we had tons of fun with these little one. Maybe next year.
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[nijimasu]

CONGRATS!!! This is so cool! I love to see stories like this, and am really thinking it's cool you made it happen with tools of built yourself. VERY NICE!!!
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[AverysAdventure]

Nice job Ron. Like I said on FB I'm pretty sure thats the goat I was playing with during bow season. Missed him at 78 yards and almost cried.
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[idahoron]

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[fish-o-holic]

Awesome! I think you should change the name of your ML to the "Hot Ron Hawkens" it shoots tighter groups than both of my MLers. Congrats on a great year.
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[PACKFAN]

Great story and pictures, congrats.
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[Kent]

Congratulations Ron on getting both an antelope and a deer with your muzzleloader. That is great that you are able to hunt with a rifle and bullets that you made yourself.
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[idahoron]

Thanks!
It is very satisfying to use a rifle I made, bullets I made, Cross sticks I made, and knife I made. It was a great year.
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[windriver]

You always have great stories to go with your pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Windriver
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