Several months ago I stopped into a local privately owned sporting goods shop just to look around and visit with the owner. While looking around I saw a black powder rifle with a modern nylon stock but it was an old school precussion sidelock. I asked to look at it and as he handed it to me he said, "I'll make you a heck of a deal on that one today!"
I checked the writing on the barrel and noticed that it was a cva bobcat 50 cal. I asked if he had a flashlight and then checked for rust down the barrel. The rifle was pretty clean with a little surface rust around the hammer and nipple area. Then I noticed that the hammer was floppy, normally that would have been a deal breaker but I asked for a screwdriver and look at the lock assembly. I noticed that the main spring was broken. I figured I could buy the part cheap so I asked what he had to have. He said 40 bucks, I knew I had seen them for around 70 new and being the cheap guy I am I said 5 dollars sounds better to me. We ended up setting on 20 bucks and a bag of jerky if I managed to take a deer with it. We shook hands and I was on my way.
A few months went buy and I draw it out and cleaned it up and ordered the new spring for 10 dollars. Once I got it in place I couldn't wait to shoot it. But I had been so busy it would have to wait.
I decided I was going to treat it as a traditional rifle and shoot black powder and a patched round ball if it was accurate that way. I made 3 or 4 tips to the range and finally found that 80 grains of ffg black powder and a patched round ball was the ticket. The sights on it is the traditional buckhorn open sights without an elavation adjustment. I had to file down the front sight to get it dialed in.
On December 23, the day before our Missouri opener of our alternative methods season I made one more trip to the range. It was a misty rainy nasty day but the shooting area is covered. I shot 12 rounds out of it without a miss fire or a hang fire even with all the moisture. I was pretty pleased with that. I fired 5 rounds at 25 yards and 5 rounds at 50 yards and 2 rounds at 100 yards. I have a little trouble seeing the sights and I think the gun shoots better than I can see to shoot it. Here is a picture of the range but not from this day, and one from my target!
The bottom 2 holes are my hundred yard shots.
I got home and cleaned her up nice and got ready for opening day on the 24th!
I've been pretty sick ever since Thanksgiving, chest congestion, cough and you know all the other crap that comes with it. I still have a cough but after being up and around for a while it settles down and I don't cough most all day.
I got up and headed out, its about 30 minutes to my hunting spot. I was excited, all the rain the day before I should be able to get to my spot in the woods without much noise. About halfway there I started coughing, I had to pull over about a mile from where I park. I caughed so hard I puked up my breakfast. By now the sun is coming up. In the process of that I noticed 3 deer about 75 yards away that didnt appreciate my coughing. I managed to get it under controle and caught my breath. I figured I was already about there so I might as well try to hunt for a while. It was a beautiful morning, overcast, some fog, almost no wind and the temp was 41. I parked my truck and got my orange on and everything in my pocket. While I was loading my rifle my gut started rolling. I thought, not now! It kinda passed so I started into the woods thinking, im late and my gut is not liking me today I hope I can sit for a couple of hours and enjoy this morning.
NOPE! My gut hit me again and I had to go. Couldn't find my TP so I jumped into the truck and headed quickly down the road to the gas station about 10 minutes away. Now im frustrated for sure, because I knew when I drove out there this morning I would have to buy gas on the way home. So I used the restroom then pulled over to the pumps and filled up my truck. Well what the heck, its a nice day, I might as well go sit for a while.
I got back and decide to only walk in about a hundred yards and find a tree to stand by. I made it into the woods about 50 yards and noticed movement on the top of the south ridge. Finally seen what it was, 2 coyoties. They seen me and headed over the ridge away from me. I thought to myself in a little bit of a chuckle, what else can happen today.
I went a little further and found a nice oak with a good view of a few trails that I have seen deer on several times. So I started taking it all in the squirrels playing and the beautiful sileance of the wet woods. About 10 minutes had passed and I saw moovement to the south east about 150 yards out. Ill be damn, it was a good size doe, the little bit of wind was in my face and she was heading almost due west which will take her right down a trail 50 yards from me. I was looking for a nice buck that we had pictures of but I wasn't going to pass up a shot at a nice doe either.
I waited for her to get to a good clear spot. As she passed a group of large trees I nelt down and got ready for the shot. Everything was coming together, she steped into the opening and I lightly grunted with my mouth and she stopped perfectly. I leveled the sights just behind her shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
POP! No ignition, crap! I held on her in case it decided to discharde. Now I'm shaking like crazy while she stares a hole through the woods looking for what made that sound. Amazingly enough she just went back to her calm little walk like nothing happened. I got my capper out of my pocket and got another primer on the nipple. I got on her again and grunted lightly, she stopped and I squeezed the trigger again. BOOM! Lots of smoke this time! Pretty sure I saw her kick in the air. I reloaded while trying not to spill my powder. I thought I heard a crash but no kicking. So I waited a couple of minutes and headed to where she was when I shot. Something told me to walk up the hill a little and look at the base of the creek. When I did I saw a white belly. I started to get excited as I walked over. When I got close I noticed there was no bullet hole on her left side so I leaned my rifle against a tree and pulled out my 36 black powder revolver. I walked around her because her legs was facing me. Ive been kicked by a deer in a similar situation so im cautious. I got behind her and kinda kicked her a couple of times in the back hip. She was done! I actually said outloud, "I did it, I can't believe it but I did it!"
The shot placement wasn't exactly what I wanted but the ball broke her right shoulder and went through both lungs and lodged just barely under the skin after passing through a rib on her left side.
You all know the rest!
Thanks for reading this long story but I had to share it with you guy's! Here are a couple more pictures!
Patrick
Addition to our Christmas eve dinner!
