Petey
Gold $$ Contributor
I always save a tag or two for our PA ( primitive ) Flintlock season. Around these parts it's like a tradition. One last hurrah after Christmas, to get together with family and friends and fill the last of your tags (or for some.. attempt to fill) So many stories of mishaps, guns not going off, clean misses at near point blank ranges... in short it's just a hoot, especially when it's not you that's getting made fun of. Over the years, I've become pretty deadly with my ol' TC Renegade, punching my ticket on quite a few whitetails. Before PA allowed conical bullets, you're only option was patch and ball. Those times did result in a lot of tracking deer with retrieved flattened round balls. When they opened it up, I molded and greased my own 249gr maxi-ball. It was just the ticket and actually what that TC was rifled for. Deer started not running as far, plus it was super accurate out past 100 yards. Super as in 2" with those big ol flat boiler plate iron sights.
When the Sabots made their debut, I figured I'd try those out. Main point of this post is to discuss this awesome bullet combo, where I've taken many deer and almost every one fell right in their tracks when hit with this combo. So I'll set it up, TC Renegade 50 Caliber. I'm shooting a 240gr Hornady XTP hollow point in a 44 mag pistol bullet, inside a .490 green sabot. The velocity that old flintlock pushes this particular bullet must be IDEAL, as it has performed flawlessly for me over the years. As stated, 90+% of the deer hit with this bullet fell in it's tracks. Head on shots, broadside, angled, you name it...
Leads me to this past week. I haven't got out much as it's been typically raining for the most part of the season. Rain and even wet snow doesn't bode well with that pan powder. Nothing worse than getting a pan full of chicken shit looking powder that wouldn't go off if you used a torch, let alone a single spark from the frizzen/flint. The wife says "you do realize we only have 2 jars of canned venison, right?" Well, no I didn't, but that's an easy problem to fix. I'll go out for an evening sit, now that we had a small dusting.
14 degrees out, the little shanty and buddy heater was nice and cozy. Out steps 6 deer in the lane pictured, around 60 yards and they start heading my way. Once the lead doe hit 35 yards, I put my front bead on her chest and ... Fffftt...booom. She stood straight up and rolled over backwards, like she was hit with Thor's hammer. Pretty typical reaction from this combo. You normally know if you miss, because they aren't laying there once the smoke clears.
of course her fawn from this year didn't scatter too far, as I reloaded. In fact she had to come back to investigate, why mom is laying there. Looks like about 14 quart jars of canned meat to me, problem solved!
So on to the performance.. As I'm cutting her up I find my slug in one of the hind quarter roasts. That bullet traveled through the chest, through the whole body and lodged in the rear ham. After cleaning the bullet up, she only lost 20 grains, with a better than perfect mushroom. Now I've shot this same bullet into deer, with a pistol and not had the same affect. I believe the velocity that ol smokepole pushes it, is the optimum velocity. Case in point..
retained weight.
Anyhow, I know the world of muzzleloader bullets have come a long way since the round ball, but I'd recommend this combo for any whitetailed size game (or bigger). I've shot many deer, with this combo and it's never left me down.
What do you all use?
When the Sabots made their debut, I figured I'd try those out. Main point of this post is to discuss this awesome bullet combo, where I've taken many deer and almost every one fell right in their tracks when hit with this combo. So I'll set it up, TC Renegade 50 Caliber. I'm shooting a 240gr Hornady XTP hollow point in a 44 mag pistol bullet, inside a .490 green sabot. The velocity that old flintlock pushes this particular bullet must be IDEAL, as it has performed flawlessly for me over the years. As stated, 90+% of the deer hit with this bullet fell in it's tracks. Head on shots, broadside, angled, you name it...
Leads me to this past week. I haven't got out much as it's been typically raining for the most part of the season. Rain and even wet snow doesn't bode well with that pan powder. Nothing worse than getting a pan full of chicken shit looking powder that wouldn't go off if you used a torch, let alone a single spark from the frizzen/flint. The wife says "you do realize we only have 2 jars of canned venison, right?" Well, no I didn't, but that's an easy problem to fix. I'll go out for an evening sit, now that we had a small dusting.
14 degrees out, the little shanty and buddy heater was nice and cozy. Out steps 6 deer in the lane pictured, around 60 yards and they start heading my way. Once the lead doe hit 35 yards, I put my front bead on her chest and ... Fffftt...booom. She stood straight up and rolled over backwards, like she was hit with Thor's hammer. Pretty typical reaction from this combo. You normally know if you miss, because they aren't laying there once the smoke clears.
of course her fawn from this year didn't scatter too far, as I reloaded. In fact she had to come back to investigate, why mom is laying there. Looks like about 14 quart jars of canned meat to me, problem solved!
So on to the performance.. As I'm cutting her up I find my slug in one of the hind quarter roasts. That bullet traveled through the chest, through the whole body and lodged in the rear ham. After cleaning the bullet up, she only lost 20 grains, with a better than perfect mushroom. Now I've shot this same bullet into deer, with a pistol and not had the same affect. I believe the velocity that ol smokepole pushes it, is the optimum velocity. Case in point..
retained weight.
Anyhow, I know the world of muzzleloader bullets have come a long way since the round ball, but I'd recommend this combo for any whitetailed size game (or bigger). I've shot many deer, with this combo and it's never left me down.
What do you all use?
