Old man getting ready to put a whopin' on some Elk!

[suavegato]

My dad drew an Elk hunt this year and it's Muzzle loader only. He has never shot one before so He came up to my place today and we went to the range to familiarize him with and shoot the muzzle loader. Results were, well...

...let's just say that if we get him anywhere within 100 yards of a cow, she doesn't stand a chance! Here is a pic of his target. Not too damn shabby for a 70 year old man, shooting a muzzle loader, with open sites, 100 yards,for the first time EVER! He shot a 4", 3 shot group and put the final two about 3/4 of inch apart!

Those are 1" squares on the target. The first shot may have been a jerk or could have been because we didn't clean the Barrel before the first shot, so it still had the oil in it from last time I stored it. NOT GOOD for a ML. It is ABSO-FREAKING-LUTLEY imperative to clean it in-between each shot for accuracy!

Anyway, he still managed a 4" group! When I went to retrieve the target I got a look at some of the other "great white hunters" that were there with their scoped magnums etc. and my dad's group was tighter than most of them with open sites from a Muzzie! (proud son moment)

Good job pops, you'll knock'em dead for sure!

 

[Shmave23]

Sounds like it's in the bag!!!! I cant wait to read the story and see the pics.

-Dave

 

[ltdann]

Good shootin' Tex!

 

[inchr48]

Minute of Elk, "flyer" or not. Go get some, guys!

(Is he giving the ML back?)

 

[suavegato]

Minute of Elk, "flyer" or not. Go get some, guys!

(Is he giving the ML back?)

LOL, I like that "MOE"... I hope he gives it back but won't blame him if he doesn't, he shoots it better than I do! I'll certainly post some pics WHEN he takes his cow,
Thanks!

 

[TonyS]

I"m surprized somebody else didn't say this. Buy some BH 209, and use CCI primers. Remember to always pop a primer before you load. Then you can forget that swabbing the barrel stuff. I took a little buck last year at 157 yds with iron sights.

 

[cjack]

70 years young? You've got alot of years left to hunt with pops. Make the most of it. Good luck!

 

[TwoShot]

I"m surprized somebody else didn't say this. Buy some BH 209, and use CCI primers. Remember to always pop a primer before you load. Then you can forget that swabbing the barrel stuff. I took a little buck last year at 157 yds with iron sights.

Haven't heard of popping a primer before loading your first load. I'll give it a try, what does it do to help?

I was going to add in the initial post you mention cleaning before every shot, you might want to know how the rifle shoots after that first shot in case of any follow-up shots. My Omega moves a little after the first shot, but I know what it does and keep aware of it when I have to shoot after that first shot.

And yes, hopefully you will have many years of hunting with your father, but always keep in mind, it ain't the years, its the mileage

 

[suavegato]

Haven't heard of popping a primer before loading your first load. I'll give it a try, what does it do to help?

I was going to add in the initial post you mention cleaning before every shot, you might want to know how the rifle shoots after that first shot in case of any follow-up shots. My Omega moves a little after the first shot, but I know what it does and keep aware of it when I have to shoot after that first shot.

And yes, hopefully you will have many years of hunting with your father, but always keep in mind, it ain't the years, its the mileage

Thanks two shot & Tony. I was wondering the same thing myself? I've heard that firing a primer before loading will make sure that your ignition hole is clear but I don't believe that will "clean the barrel". We did in fact fire a blank primer before any shots, just to make sure the ignition hole was indeed clear but it is such a small "pop", I seriously doubt that it will clean out the oil I lubed the barrel with last time I cleaned it or worse yet if it was stored with bore butter?

I think "best practice" is to clean it and then fire a primer off before your first shot, and then clean between each shot at the range, maybe between every 2 or 3, if needed in the field? Maybe popping a blank primer after a shot in the filed will help reduce some of the particles left in the barrel? Tony, is that what you meant? But I don't think it is an ample substitute for a good windex dooshing...

And good idea "two shot" on knowing how NOT cleaning after 1 or 2 shots will affect your trajectory for follow shots in the field when you can't clean in-between shots... make good sense! Too late now but good advice for future hunts, let's just hope he only needs 1 shot!

Thanks everyone!

 

[suavegato]

P.S. hey two shot, do you find that bullet moves consistently in the same direction when the BBL gets dirty? Been thinking about what you said and was just curious if the fouling causes it to move randomly or erratically or if yours goes to the same place whenever it's dirty? Also, does it move to the same place with different types of powder too or does that change it's movement?

Thanks

 

[TonyS]

Popping a primer is what Thompson/Center recommends in all their blackpowder videos. It is probably not only to make sure the primer hole is clear but also pushes some of the oil out or scorches it.

If you get rid of the pyrex/pellets and shoot BH209 you can go back to using the windex for windows. You won't need it for BH209. Then you clean with Hoppe's like you do any other gun when you are through shooting. I am surprized 410 hasn't been in to tell you that.

 

[TwoShot]

P.S. hey two shot, do you find that bullet moves consistently in the same direction when the BBL gets dirty? Been thinking about what you said and was just curious if the fouling causes it to move randomly or erratically or if yours goes to the same place whenever it's dirty? Also, does it move to the same place with different types of powder too or does that change it's movement?

Thanks

My bullet seems to be rather consistant on shots 2 & 3. After that first shot they move right about an 1 1/2" and stay there. Sometimes I clean after every shot, other times after every three shots to verify how the rifle shoots dirty. I have also shot with both a scope and iron sights. I had a mule deer hunt in New Mexico a few years back and they allowed scopes so I used one, but before that and now I just have the iron sights. I haven't used my muzzy in a couple years, but hoping to get drawn for a pig hunt in October and dust it off again. Good luck to you and you pops on that elk hunt.

 

[suavegato]

Well guys, I wish I could tell you the story had a happy ending but no love. We hunted VERY hard but it wasn't in the cards for him this time. Day 1 we had a great game plan and executed to "near perfection", me & my brother pushed a group of Elk right to him but unfortunately his shot was about 2" off and he gut shot a cow. We spent hours & miles searching for her, Only saw her once and then I lost her and there was no blood to follow. The rest of the day and next day were spent looking but we could never find her. We hoped that maybe it was just a grazing shot but unfortunately on day 3, I found her about a mile away, well I should say the buzzards found her. Obviously we were unable to recover the meat at that point. I talked to Joe, the DFG Elk guy and he said to keep hunting that as long as we gave it a "good faith effort" to recover her, which we did and THEN SOME, it was ok to try and take another one.

By this time however, the 2 bull hunters had taken theirs and the other 3 cow hunters too and with all that activity, the animals left the hunt property. We never saw another one the last two days. We (me and 1 or the other of my brothers) hunted our butts off to try and find and or then push the elk our dads way or get him to come hunt'em up but he just can't move too good anymore. At 70 years, a few Lbs. overweight, pretty bad arthritis and 95+ degree temps, he could only do so much. I'm still proud of him for the effort he put in, he probably did about 4 - 5 miles each day and I know he was pushing himself REALLY hard, he wanted to take "one last elk" before he can't anymore and this was his last shot, so I know he pushed his own limits. It just wasn't meant to be though. He felt bad for letting us down but we tried to explain to him that we were just happy to be out there with him!

One consolation prize, I did pull the Ivories from the cow and the incisors for Joe & the biologists, so we do at least have a memento from the hunt. I'm not sure what to do with them but thought I'd make something out of them for him, any suggestions?

Oh, and one last note, my brother & I found about a 6" point that one of the bulls broke off on a fir tree while thrashing it. Talked to Pat Callihan from Snow Mtn. outfitters and he mentioned that one of the bulls taken had broken a point off the night before the hunt. So he put me in contact with the guy who took it and it's a long shot but I emailed some pictures of it to him and he thinks it's his point! So it's in the mail and I'm waiting to hear from him to see if it fits? How lucky would that be for him to get his point back for his mount! I'll post back when I hear from him if it was, hopefully with a picture of his rack too?

Take care guys, thanks for all the advice, compliments and encouragement for my old man, wish I had a happier ending but it was a great 7 days spent with the old man nonetheless!

 

[suavegato]

here's a video I shot while trying to find him a cow. Had some fun with a rutting bull for a little while!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4hSWN_nQVM

 

[AZ Jim]

Cool Video ! Sorry to hear your Dad did not take one, but those kinds of memories, just being out there hunting with family last forever.

 

[inchr48]

I'm sorry the story didn't end the way you had it scripted, but I'm glad you're thankful for the time you had with your Dad.

Cool story about the broken tine, too!