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Can you take two muzzle loaders hunting?
andersk
Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
Here in Massachusetts we can only hunt with muzzle loaders. [V] (Oh, yes, there is a two week shotgun season, too).
Since I'm kind of new to BP guns, my follow-up shot would not be too quick! Is there any reason why one could not take a second gun and while hunting in a stand, just have in handy in case you need a follow up shot?
Just wondering? [?]
Since I'm kind of new to BP guns, my follow-up shot would not be too quick! Is there any reason why one could not take a second gun and while hunting in a stand, just have in handy in case you need a follow up shot?
Just wondering? [?]
Comments
If two guns are illegal, I have never heard of it.
I did carry a pistol into the stand with me a few times, along with the rifle, in case I got a close shot on a small deer. Never got the chance to use it.
I would say, it would be a real pain in the * to lug two rifles around. Better to practice a lot and make sure that the first shot counts!
I have a doe permit and the regular deer permit ... what if I saw two deer at the same time? Just wondering? [?]
That said, the legalities of what and how many guns you can carry differ from state to state. Here in Indiana you can pack in as many firearms that are legal for that season's hunting as you can stand to carry. However, IN isn't MA, so check with your state DNR and be sure to get something in legal writing if the response you get seems in the least iffy.
Oh, and good luck!
Deer are weird sometimes. I will agree with allen to try to make the first shot count. Plus, it probably takes only a little longer to reload than it would to hang one gun up, grab the other and get situated to take another shot. Invest in a couple of speed loaders too.
I was scouting, and found a hot scrape, fresh urine and crap in it. I knew the deer would come back that afternoon.
I set up my stand at 4pm, 35 yards downwind from the scrape. I had my .50 T/C Hawken. I already had killed 5 deer with this rifle, and it was deadly at ranges under 80 yards with the patched round ball. Always had taken lung shots.
In a few minutes here came a nice 6 pointer. He was standing in the middle of the scrape. I decided to go for the neck shot and drop him in his tracks. I fired and he dropped like the earth was * out from underneath him.
I sat there looking at that beautiful scene. A dead buck, the autumn leaves, the blue smoke hanging in the air. I thought, "I am the modern age Daniel Boone."
Just then, the deer flicked his ear. Then he moved his head. I thought, "What the h..., he is dead!" I grabbed the speed loader and dumped the powder down the barrel.
The deer lifted his head up.
I shoved the patched ball down the barrel with the short starter.
The deer got on his legs, wobbly.
I started the ramrod down the bore.
The deer ran away, full speed, seemed to be uninjured.
I was thinking, "Damn, wish I had a bolt action."
I knew something was wrong, I could hit a dime at that range. I climbed down and found, ten feet in front of the scrape, a one inch grape vine cut in two by the bullet.
There were two little drops of blood on the ground.
I looked for four hours for that deer, and came back the next two days, looking for deer or vulture, found nothing.
That bullet was deflected high by that vine, and hit the very top of the neck. It caused shock to the deer's spine, enough to knock him out, but caused very little tissue damage.
I am pretty sure the deer lived, and was healthy once his neck healed up.
I felt very badly for blowing the shot, and for wounding an animal and causing suffering.
Had I gone for the lung shot, and had the bullet deflected high 3 inches, still it would have been a perfect shot and a dead deer.
Had I had a scope, I would have seen the grape vine.
The moral, don't get cute with a PRIMITIVE weapon. Take the lung shot, he won't go 50 yards.
Also the moral, reload as soon as you pull the damn trigger, you never know when you will need a second shot.
I easily could have reloaded and killed this buck had I not been sitting there patting myself on the back.
I remember once shooting a doe and waiting my 30 minutes, and she dropped right there and was not moving an inch. I check her out and then at that very second big buck that I had not seen at all jumps up not ten feet away and takes off at full speed. I would not have shot, anyway, but it sure surprised me! (Sometimes it is pretty hard to see in the woods even from a stand!)
This is what makes deer hunting so much fun!
good luck
good luck,
Ed
W.D.
happy hunting/
dean
Merry christmas!!!!!