Muzzleloading Deer Season opened on October 12, 2002 in Georgia, and I got to go out on the third day of season to try out the Knight .45 caliber Disc Extreme . No scopes are allowed in Georgia during the week-long Primitive Season, so I was hoping for a shot that would not strain my old eyes. Bucks or Does can be taken in this season, and I was looking for a nice Doe or a Buck with eight points or larger. I was anxious to see how the new .45 caliber rifle would perform. The load was 110 grains of Hodgdon Triple Seven pushing a 195 grain AeroTip Powerbelt bullet.
The morning was perfect. Cool weather for the first time this year. A shower had moved through a couple of hours before dawn, so I was able to move quietly through the tall pines and white oaks in Wilks County Georgia. I was hunting on a new lease for the first time, and this trip was a scouting and hunting trip. My friend Mack Hamilton, owner of “From the Ground Up” and founder of the hunting club, had told me of a good area with some established stands. I started working my way through that area, scouting and looking for signs of deer. I soon found one of the stands Mack had told me about and climbed up for the morning hunt. Five minutes later there were Does in front of me. The first one came out for a perfect broad side shot at 50 yards. I was ready when she came into the opening and touched the trigger.
The shot hit her in the center of the shoulders and she went straight down without taking a step. The 195 grain Powerbelt bullet hit the 100 pound Doe at almost 2000 feet per second, and the bullet did not exit. I prefer complete penetration through an animal for a better blood trail, but the bullet devastated the lungs of the deer and no trailing was necessary. The freezer is packed, so it is Bucks only for the rest of the year. Hope to have some good pictures of a nice Buck in the next story.
BBD on 2nd Day of Muzzleloader Hunting
A little work and a lot of luck paid off on the sixth day of Muzzleloader season. After getting in the stand around 7:30, the deer started moving. I have never seen so many deer in one day in my life. I lost count of the does and fawns at about 25. Then the big boy showed up and gave me a great 50 yard shot. One Powerbelt AeroTip through the lungs. Again the bullet did not go all the way through and there was almost no blood trail, but the kill was quick and he did not go far, about 80-100 yards.
I am shooting a 195 grain .45 caliber bullet at about 2100 fps. I did not recover the bullet, but I think these pure lead bullets are mushrooming to about double their size at this velocity and while they expend all the energy into the animal and kill very quickly, but they don’t completely penetrate through the animal. I will be sure to break a shoulder on my next shot instead of just a lung shot. I will also go to a heavier 225 grain bullet soon.
The Knight Disc Rifle shoots great. Without a doubt, this is the most accurate muzzleloaders I have ever shot. Combined with 110 grains of Hodgdon Triple Seven Powder and Powerbelt bullet, this rifle shoots better than most centerfires. The best thing about this combination is consistency of the shots. No fliers that used to drive me crazy. I know that I can put the bullet exactly on target, and a 100 yard shot is just a walk in the park. One thing that gives a hunter the big edge is confidence, and with this outfit, my edge just when up to a higher level. Good Hunt’n to you and be safe.
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