October 21, 2015

I Took a Shot at 273 Yards with My Muzzleloader

Miskey_day3_hdr

Editor’s Note: Avid hunter Frank Miskey from Lancaster, New York, has been a member of the Mossy Oak ProStaff for 5 years. “I'm still a fan of Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity, because it’s so versatile. Regardless of the season or terrain, Break-Up Infinity seems to fit into all my hunting situations.”

When we come back home from our southern tier hunt (see Day 2), we’ll usually muzzleloader hunt during the muzzleloader season. Primarily, we’ll be hunting for does. Or, if we have a left-over buck tag, we’ll take a buck. I shoot 130 grains of Triple Seven black powder with a 240 grain XTP bullet in my Knight Revolution muzzleloader. I went to the rifle range and experimented with loads and bullets until I got the right load that was comfortable to shoot and that shot tight groups out to 250 yards.

Miskey_day3 I took an 8-point buck at 273 yards using this load in this rifle. I hadn’t planned on hunting that afternoon. I went home, got my gun and was taking a slow, easy walk through the woods when I saw something move out on the far side of the hardwoods. I froze and kept looking and looking, until I could determine that the movement I had spotted was a nice-size shooter buck. I had shot my blackpowder rifle long enough to know where the bullet should hit at that range. I aimed and squeezed the trigger. The buck went down in the same tracks in which he’d been standing. I wouldn’t advise anyone to take a shot with a muzzleloader at that range unless you’ve spent plenty of time on the bench rest testing bullets and powders, and you’ve built confidence in your ability to shoot accurately at ranges out past 250 yards. So, I knew when I squeezed the trigger on the rifle, unless something unforeseen happened, that buck was going down.

To learn more about hunting, check out John E. Phillips’ new eBook and print book, “Bowhunting Deer: Mossy Oak Pros Know Bucks and Bows.” You also can download a free Kindle app that enables you to read the book on your iPad, computer or Smartphone.

For information on making jerky from your deer to provide a protein-rich snack, you can download a free book from http://johninthewild.com/free-books.

Day 2: How to Take Bears and Deer on New York’s Public Lands

Tomorrow: Secrets on Hunting New York’s Public Lands

Improve Hunting Success: Stand Approach is Key

Even if you have the best spot in the world, if you alert the whitetails to your presence while on the way into your site…it won’t matter. Stand approach is an often overlooked aspect of the hunt. You must get to your ambush site without alerting any animals. Obviously wind direction and thermal current has to be considered, but masking your sounds and making sure you’re not seen are equally important. There are many strategies

Big Game, Deer, How-To, Mossy Oak Gamekeepers

Latest Content

Duck Hunting Rice Fields in Arkansas: The Rich History and Modern Strategies

Although mallards had been descending on the bottomland hardwoods, bayous, and swamps of Arkansas long before the 20th century, the legend of duck hunting in the natural states tends to coincide with the advent of rice farming.

Waterfowl, Mossy Oak Companions, Mossy Oak Gamekeepers

Mossy Oak's 2024 Christmas Gift Guide for Hunters and Anglers

Whether you need Christmas gift ideas for fisherman, Christmas gift ideas for deer hunters, or Christmas gift ideas for camo lovers, there's a great selection of products on our list here.

Fishing, Big Game, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Gear

Toxey Haas's Tips for Brushing in a Duck Blind

Toxey Haas loves to hunt ducks. In these videos, he takes us through his essential kit for brushing in and repairing a duck blind as well as how he prepares his duck blinds every year.

Waterfowl, How-To

Mossy Oak's Woodsman Series is Back

The Mossy Oak Woodsman Series is Back. Rooted in everything core hunters expected from us in the early days, the Woodsman collection is thoughtfully designed, constructed with quality materials, quiet fabrics, sturdy stitching and of course, our timeless camouflage patterns. We're proud to celebrate the core of hunting, woodsmanship, and with seasonal collections on the horizon, we're excited to open the archives, add a few things and re-introduce these classic designs. The Mossy Oak Woodsman

Turkey, Big Game, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, Conservation, Land Management, Gear, Mossy Oak

From the Archive: Deer Calling Tips from the Pros

Originally published in the 1994 Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article talks to professionals like Will Primos on calling in deer.

Deer

How a Fistful of Dirt Started a Revolution

"That day was the beginning of a revolution in hunter concealment. It was the beginning of Mossy Oak, America's most effective concealment system."

Turkey, Deer

From the Archive: Ask the Pros! Mossy Oak Experts Answer Key Questions

"Pay attention as Mossy Oak Pro Staffers Will Walker, Mark Drury, Mike Fine and Stan Oakes--archery hunting's A Team--delve deep into the sport for insight and info that only they can provide."

Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Tune-Up Clinic

Originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article discusses how to make sure your bowhunting set up is perfect come season.

Big Game, Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Bob Dixon and Steve Burnett on the Art of Mix and Matching Camo

By Terry Madewell, originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine As big whitetail bucks are inclined to do, this one had done the unexpected. I'd studied this buck's pattern for a couple of weeks, being extremely careful not to leave any scent in the wrong places. I'd selected a stand site where the dense underbrush funneled into a 40-yard-wide strip. I was sure this was where he would walk and I

Turkey, Big Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, How-To

Fall Foraging: Nuts, Mushrooms, and Fruit

Check out Mossy Oak's foraging mushrooms, nuts and fruit post and learn why fall is the easiest time to forage for Beka Garris.

How-To, Ingredient Wild

How to Use onX to Map Out Your Rut Hunting Plans

Here’s a look at how to use onX Hunt to map out your rut hunting plans in the weeks ahead.

Deer, Land Management, How-To

Field Judging Black Bears

Ask any experienced hunter and they’ll tell you that black bears are among the most difficult big game animals to field judge. Part of that is because they’re far less common than deer, so hunters just don’t get much experience seeing them. And part is just the nature of the beast. Any large, black carnivorous animal will look big, especially if you don’t have something for scale nearby.

Big Game, How-To

Explore All Posts