Thanks for all your favorite BP stories. How about the best BP shot you ever took? Mine. I join this site. I get really infatuated with the BP guns. I decide a .50 flinter pistol is gotta just be the koolest thing I ever laid eyes on. I ask you all for advice. I have been making my own BP for a while. I load up my gear. I put up a 12" target a 15 yds. Check my gear. I wonder, what would the guys be telling me to do and look for. Measure, pour and pack. Sprinkle the pan, and cock. Funny grip, I think as I line myself up. Breath be calm and hand be steady. Fire! Lots of smoke. Check target. Dead center! I gotta do more of this! Wife and dog are playing fetch the stick as I have just made the most awesome shot in the history of BP! Thanks for the addiction THR members!
The best shot I ever took
- Thread starter CANNONMAN
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robhof
Member
robhof
My 1st B/P deer 7 yrs ago here in Ky. last day of B/p season raining, drove up to farm I had permission to hunt on. It was just after noon, I was going to get to my stand for the evening feeding, doe already in center of field,I worked the fence line til doe got antsy, leveled .50 and aimed slightly high, shot looked to be about 100 yds, fired, bang, drop waited a short while with no movement, paced it at 135 paces, the rain poured the entire time I was fld drsng the deer, but all in all a great day!
My 1st B/P deer 7 yrs ago here in Ky. last day of B/p season raining, drove up to farm I had permission to hunt on. It was just after noon, I was going to get to my stand for the evening feeding, doe already in center of field,I worked the fence line til doe got antsy, leveled .50 and aimed slightly high, shot looked to be about 100 yds, fired, bang, drop waited a short while with no movement, paced it at 135 paces, the rain poured the entire time I was fld drsng the deer, but all in all a great day!
expat_alaska
Member
Worst Shot I Ever Took With A Frontloader
Lived in Alaska and ~1982 went moose hunting with a buddy just north of the Willow-Fishhook Road several miles east of Willow. I was using a CVA Hawken .50 percussion and my buddy had a (unknown make to me) .54 percussion. We got to our hunting site just before the sun broke over the mountains and hid about 10 yards from a creek (which muted any of our loud whisperings) in some thick willows overlooking a cleared area. About 10 minutes later a very large bull magically appeared in the clearing and stood still, broadside. Our pact was that I would take the first shot. Feeling somewhat lucky I tried for a upper neck shot to save edible meat. BOOM! That bull swapped ends faster than I ever thought possible and still stood. My buddy was at the ready and downed "his" moose through the heart/lungs. When we checked the moose and canvassed the area wondering why my "perfect" shot did not down it, we found a deep horizontal groove in the top of the moose's neck and a strip of hide/flesh/hair on the ground in the same area.
My buddy also had a permit for a cow moose which he filled a week later, so we both had beaucoup moose meat for the year. (As an adjunct, we ground a lot of the leg, brisket and scrap meat with 15% beef fat. After we ran out of that my two boys had a difficult time eating store-bought ground beef for a long while.)
I dried that souvenier, kept it for many years, and never again tried a "fancy" shot.
Sorry to be so wordy. Just reminiscing...
Lived in Alaska and ~1982 went moose hunting with a buddy just north of the Willow-Fishhook Road several miles east of Willow. I was using a CVA Hawken .50 percussion and my buddy had a (unknown make to me) .54 percussion. We got to our hunting site just before the sun broke over the mountains and hid about 10 yards from a creek (which muted any of our loud whisperings) in some thick willows overlooking a cleared area. About 10 minutes later a very large bull magically appeared in the clearing and stood still, broadside. Our pact was that I would take the first shot. Feeling somewhat lucky I tried for a upper neck shot to save edible meat. BOOM! That bull swapped ends faster than I ever thought possible and still stood. My buddy was at the ready and downed "his" moose through the heart/lungs. When we checked the moose and canvassed the area wondering why my "perfect" shot did not down it, we found a deep horizontal groove in the top of the moose's neck and a strip of hide/flesh/hair on the ground in the same area.
My buddy also had a permit for a cow moose which he filled a week later, so we both had beaucoup moose meat for the year. (As an adjunct, we ground a lot of the leg, brisket and scrap meat with 15% beef fat. After we ran out of that my two boys had a difficult time eating store-bought ground beef for a long while.)
I dried that souvenier, kept it for many years, and never again tried a "fancy" shot.
Sorry to be so wordy. Just reminiscing...
Crawdad1
Member
Not me but a feller I knew, since has passed away, but a NMLRA registered shooter and a stand out at the weekly Westmoreland County Longrifles shoots, his custom built Lancaster with its swamped Don Getz barrel stood head and shoulders above the competition. Trouble is, he knew it. 
In Canada for a hunting trip this feller took his mighty Lancaster of local repute but the Canadian Guide was worried. "Can you hit anything with that?" the Guide questioned, and proceeded to put a plastic gallon jug of putrefied orange juice on a log a distance away. "Hit that or drink it" The Guide said. Our Feller responded, "Lets make a bet. I'll not only hit it but if I blow the cap off it you'll drink it." Everyone present was worried except the Guide of course. They all thought, what do we do if the Guide is so sick from drinking putrefied orange juice that he won't be able to go hunting?
To make a long story short, after the shot, the Guide didn't have to drink the orange juice.
In Canada for a hunting trip this feller took his mighty Lancaster of local repute but the Canadian Guide was worried. "Can you hit anything with that?" the Guide questioned, and proceeded to put a plastic gallon jug of putrefied orange juice on a log a distance away. "Hit that or drink it" The Guide said. Our Feller responded, "Lets make a bet. I'll not only hit it but if I blow the cap off it you'll drink it." Everyone present was worried except the Guide of course. They all thought, what do we do if the Guide is so sick from drinking putrefied orange juice that he won't be able to go hunting?
To make a long story short, after the shot, the Guide didn't have to drink the orange juice.
Patocazador
Member
Best (luckiest?) shot ever was deer hunting during muzzleloader season. I had a 'souped up' Blackhorn 209 load with a Hornady HP-XTP in a sabot. Shot a small buck in the shoulder at 35 yards. The pistol bullet blew up on his shoulder bone and crippled his LF leg. He hobbled past me and stopped 45 yards away.
After about half a minute, I realized the shot was bad and I unholstered my Ruger Old Army and shot him in the lungs at about 45 yards as he hobbled away. He ran 50 yards and dropped. The conical cast lead bullet through his lungs was the lethal shot.
After about half a minute, I realized the shot was bad and I unholstered my Ruger Old Army and shot him in the lungs at about 45 yards as he hobbled away. He ran 50 yards and dropped. The conical cast lead bullet through his lungs was the lethal shot.
Browning Guy
Member
I am reminded of years ago when I shot a lot of BP in my TC Hawkins and my Ruger Old Army. That was the favorite form of entertainment for me and my two brothers. A group of friends gathered a couple times a summer for an informal BP shoot and a pot luck. A friend named "Fred" showed up with his new Ruger OA and had a miserable day. He just wasn't happy with the pistol and it was "the guns fault". Finally I took his loaded pistol and aimed at a metal gong probably 75-80 yds out. Two shots and 2 dings. Handed it to my brother, 2 shots-2 dings, handed to my other brother 2 shots-2 dings. Gave it back to "Fred", and said "yep it's the guns fault". I do have to credit Fred though, he kept working with it till he became a pretty good shot with it. At another shoot we were playing "split the card" when he tried it with the pistol. He shot at a card and hit the edge of it. The card was bent however so it wasn't a fully cut card, there was about 1/3 of the card still holding. Later I heard Fred telling the tale that "well I loaded it just light enough so the bullet wouldn't cut all the way through. I needed a couple more grains to get all the way through". So Fred learned to shoot his pistol and made a natural born black powder "tale teller" at the same time.
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kBob
Member
With BP? No question and that it was luck.
A friend at a German shooting club showed up on a Wednesday night when small cannon (.50-.75 table top models) and BP guns were encouraged to shoot so as to not smoke up the range when "serious shooters" were about with modern weaponry.
He had a muzzle loading military rifle which he described as a "Austrian Enfield" It did look a bit 1853 Enfield-ish, but not quite right either and had a weird set of auxillery sights for when the bayonet was affixed.
The guy planned to shoot patched round ball in it. We loaded with two "shots" of powder from a Colt pistol flask of some sort so I am guessing 60 grains and a PRB with pre lubed patches.
One of the club know it alls was going on about how innacurate muzzle loading BP rifles are don't cha know.
We sent a target to 50 meters on the electronic cable pully system and I took the frist shot from the stand. Now I was a serious three position 50 foot indoor shooter, so my stand was not bad and some members knew that. WHile we prepped for the next shot someone pressed the button for the target return and bit of paper came up and stopped right infront of us. The center ring of the bulls eye was a 25mm 10 ring and barely touching said ring from the inside at nine o'clock was a 13mm hole.
I studied it carefully for a moment and so did the club champ and he turned to Mister Know-it-all and said in German, "You were correct the darn thing throws them way left." and with a straight face.
Mr. Know it all stormed off not to be seen that night on any of the firing lines.
I never even touched that 10 ring from the out side for the rest of the evening, but that one "slop shot' made the evening and got talked about for ages.
-kBob
A friend at a German shooting club showed up on a Wednesday night when small cannon (.50-.75 table top models) and BP guns were encouraged to shoot so as to not smoke up the range when "serious shooters" were about with modern weaponry.
He had a muzzle loading military rifle which he described as a "Austrian Enfield" It did look a bit 1853 Enfield-ish, but not quite right either and had a weird set of auxillery sights for when the bayonet was affixed.
The guy planned to shoot patched round ball in it. We loaded with two "shots" of powder from a Colt pistol flask of some sort so I am guessing 60 grains and a PRB with pre lubed patches.
One of the club know it alls was going on about how innacurate muzzle loading BP rifles are don't cha know.
We sent a target to 50 meters on the electronic cable pully system and I took the frist shot from the stand. Now I was a serious three position 50 foot indoor shooter, so my stand was not bad and some members knew that. WHile we prepped for the next shot someone pressed the button for the target return and bit of paper came up and stopped right infront of us. The center ring of the bulls eye was a 25mm 10 ring and barely touching said ring from the inside at nine o'clock was a 13mm hole.
I studied it carefully for a moment and so did the club champ and he turned to Mister Know-it-all and said in German, "You were correct the darn thing throws them way left." and with a straight face.
Mr. Know it all stormed off not to be seen that night on any of the firing lines.
I never even touched that 10 ring from the out side for the rest of the evening, but that one "slop shot' made the evening and got talked about for ages.
-kBob
Arkansas Paul
Member
I had a bad miss one time that turned out good.
Had a doe step out about 60 yds and stand broadside. I put the cross hairs on her shoulder and touched her off. When the cloud of smoke cleared I saw her white belly on the ground. I thought all was well.
She was dead enough but when I got to her I saw the bullet hit her in the neck. I thought, "Huh, I guess I pulled the shot or jerked the trigger or something." I shot the gun later that day and sure enough, it was about a foot high and a foot left. I had sighted it in several days before. I don't know what happened. Glad it ended well and didn't just wound her.
I don't know that modern in line scoped MLs are what you were meaning, but there's my story anyway.
Had a doe step out about 60 yds and stand broadside. I put the cross hairs on her shoulder and touched her off. When the cloud of smoke cleared I saw her white belly on the ground. I thought all was well.
She was dead enough but when I got to her I saw the bullet hit her in the neck. I thought, "Huh, I guess I pulled the shot or jerked the trigger or something." I shot the gun later that day and sure enough, it was about a foot high and a foot left. I had sighted it in several days before. I don't know what happened. Glad it ended well and didn't just wound her.
I don't know that modern in line scoped MLs are what you were meaning, but there's my story anyway.
Starter52
Member
I hit a 4" round target at 60 yards with a .50 caliber T/C Renegade flintlock with factory iron sights and won a turkey at the fall turkey shoot some years ago. It was the best BP shot I ever made.
J-Bar
Member
In the 1980s Branson, Missouri was booming as the country music/live entertainment center, and Silver Dollar City was booming as the hillbilly amusement park as well. SDC had a gun and knife shop where blackpowder rifle and handguns were sold and knives were forged. They had a short shooting range set up next to the gun shop and the tourists could shoot a Hawken style percussion rifle. Twice a day they had a contest to see who was the best shot. I had never shot a black powder firearm before the day I entered one of the contests. We were shooting offhand at a "V" notched piece of paper at 15 yards...closest shot to the apex of the V wins. I nailed it. Absolutely perfect. The five other contestants were close but not perfect. I still have the belt buckle prize, and both of my kids were witnesses, and enjoy telling the story.
They don't shoot at Silver Dollar City anymore. Stray shots might hit the roller coaster they built behind the gun shop.
I did not own a black powder firearm until 1999, when I bought a used TC Hawken to extend my deer hunting season. The first deer I took with that rifle is the largest whitetail buck I have ever shot, a 9-pointer, who is on the wall in my den.
Sorry, I guess that's two good shots!
They don't shoot at Silver Dollar City anymore. Stray shots might hit the roller coaster they built behind the gun shop.
I did not own a black powder firearm until 1999, when I bought a used TC Hawken to extend my deer hunting season. The first deer I took with that rifle is the largest whitetail buck I have ever shot, a 9-pointer, who is on the wall in my den.
Sorry, I guess that's two good shots!
MIL-DOT
member
I had been telling a skeptical shooting buddy how bad-ass modern break-barrel pellet rifles are, and brought over my .20 Beeman R9 .
I first put 6-out-of-6 shots through the lid of a steel juice can, at just shy of 90 yards, which just dropped his jaw.
But then, using at least 8" of Kentucky windage, in one try, I put a shot dead-center and completely through an oyster shell,at 25 yards. I felt that was about as good a shot as I ever made.
I first put 6-out-of-6 shots through the lid of a steel juice can, at just shy of 90 yards, which just dropped his jaw.
But then, using at least 8" of Kentucky windage, in one try, I put a shot dead-center and completely through an oyster shell,at 25 yards. I felt that was about as good a shot as I ever made.
Officers'Wife
Member
The best shot I ever took wasn't with a black powder weapon but an ancient 9 shot .22 revolver my Dad kept on the rack in the kitchen.
I looked out the window and saw this rabbit munching on the lettuce in my garden. I yelled at it but it just kept on chewing away. I got the pistol and put in a bullet intending to shoot behind it's tail to scare it away. Whether the handgun's lack of accuracy or my lack of skill the ball entered the left eye and exited the right.
Not knowing what else to do I dressed the creature and fried it in lard with baking powder biscuits, mashed potatoes and milk gravy. After supper Dad gave me a strong lecture about shooting rabbits out of season and a box of .22 shells. Twelve years later I'm still wondering if it was a mixed message.
I looked out the window and saw this rabbit munching on the lettuce in my garden. I yelled at it but it just kept on chewing away. I got the pistol and put in a bullet intending to shoot behind it's tail to scare it away. Whether the handgun's lack of accuracy or my lack of skill the ball entered the left eye and exited the right.
Not knowing what else to do I dressed the creature and fried it in lard with baking powder biscuits, mashed potatoes and milk gravy. After supper Dad gave me a strong lecture about shooting rabbits out of season and a box of .22 shells. Twelve years later I'm still wondering if it was a mixed message.
Texas Moon
Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2004
- Messages
- 483
I had an 1858 Enfield reproduction made by Euro Arms.
Civ War re-enactor gun. Not accurate at all. 20lb+ trigger. Just awful shooter.
One re-enactment event was going to allow live fire at paper targets.
Targets were at 50 yds.
We were to fire one at a time.
Allowed one shot for $1.
Top 3 shooters split the entry money. 1st 50%, 2nd 30%, 3rd 20%.
Paid my dollar. Loaded an original style minie, aimed, touched her off.
SLAP! The bullet struck the target dead center! Keyhole tho. Hahahaha.
I couldn't believe it. Neither could Mr.Shootsbetterthan you.
He spend $20+ trying to beat that keyhole shot! LOL!
He finally gave up and I won $78.
Civ War re-enactor gun. Not accurate at all. 20lb+ trigger. Just awful shooter.
One re-enactment event was going to allow live fire at paper targets.
Targets were at 50 yds.
We were to fire one at a time.
Allowed one shot for $1.
Top 3 shooters split the entry money. 1st 50%, 2nd 30%, 3rd 20%.
Paid my dollar. Loaded an original style minie, aimed, touched her off.
SLAP! The bullet struck the target dead center! Keyhole tho. Hahahaha.
I couldn't believe it. Neither could Mr.Shootsbetterthan you.
He spend $20+ trying to beat that keyhole shot! LOL!
He finally gave up and I won $78.
Noz
Member
A friend was attending a "Mountain Man" demonstration. One of the events was shooting a Hawken type at a bullseye target. My friend took his shot and said that it was undoubtedly the worst gun he had ever fired. Recoil was heavy, sights were poor and the trigger pull was somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pounds. Yep! Dead center pinwheel 10 ring.
A smart mouth standing near by offered 20 dollars if he could do it again. My friend accepted the bet and the reloaded rifle. He aimed about 4 feet to the side of the back stop and fired again. He then asked for his money because he claimed both shots were in the same hole.
He said it was the most satisfying bet he ever won.
A smart mouth standing near by offered 20 dollars if he could do it again. My friend accepted the bet and the reloaded rifle. He aimed about 4 feet to the side of the back stop and fired again. He then asked for his money because he claimed both shots were in the same hole.
He said it was the most satisfying bet he ever won.
Patocazador
Member
dickydalton
Member
There's a few others in SW Missouri that need careful watchin.....
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