Black Powder

[KI Crabber]

Numbers in Bedford County are way down. I have a cabin there. Years ago, I would count over 300 shots opening morning. Last year my buddy only heard about 50 all day. We used to kill about 35-40 a year there. Last year they had 11 all season. Only 2 so far this year. They are having a tough time getting the populations evenly controlled.

[ChrisS]

good numbers in certain places....there is good numbers in Bedford cty....one of which you drive thru....around the tunnels

I do see alot in that area.

[ChrisS]

Hunter numbers are also way down too

[flounderpounder]

Numbers in Bedford County are way down. I have a cabin there. Years ago, I would count over 300 shots opening morning. Last year my buddy only heard about 50 all day. We used to kill about 35-40 a year there. Last year they had 11 all season. Only 2 so far this year. They are having a tough time getting the populations evenly controlled.

hmmmmmm....kill 35-40 a year and wonder why numbers are down...

[flounderpounder]

Hunter numbers are also way down too

good....way too many hunters in PA for the amount of deer here....lol

[ChrisS]

I tried counting shots one opening day.....I lost count, interest and fell asleep after ten

[KI Crabber]

hmmmmmm....kill 35-40 a year and wonder why numbers are down...

They had been doing that for about 20 years before I got there. That's off of almost 300 acres. I think the biggest thing is the clearcuts are growing up and don't have the cover that used to be there. I don't deer hunt there anymore. Can't see driving that far to kill what we have 13 miles from home...

[ChrisS]

KI....Its the comradery, not the kill for me. I killed that buck last week with my club, and it was great to show it off and listen to the same stories of the big bucks of the past.

I hunt because I love the people I hunt with.

[KI Crabber]

KI....Its the comradery, not the kill for me. I killed that buck last week with my club, and it was great to show it off and listen to the same stories of the big bucks of the past.

I hunt because I love the people I hunt with.

I know what you mean. The day before buck season up there was like Christmas eve. The excitment in the air was great!!!

[ChrisS]

You just cant explain that feeling to people who ask why we hunt.

[KI Crabber]

You just cant explain that feeling to people who ask why we hunt.

And I tell my son when he doesn't feel any of that feeling anymore, if he gets to that point, it's time to give it up....

[madcrabber1113]

Plus there are people to help deal with the deer,decoys etc.

[dr.crab]

I purchase the new TC IMPACT for $216.00 with the camo stock. Then purchased a TC 3x9 scope for $60.00 which comes with rings and bases and can,t wait to shoot it.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my original question

[CrabDog]

Congrats.  I have owned many TC BP guns all all top quality and fairly priced, CVA has come along way from their early days and have gotten alot better...so either one would more than adequate for a nice deer gun.;...
as for sabot in your inline....  I use the Hornady 50 in my TC and they shoot as well as power belts and shock wave ammo.. and half the price... just a thought.  I use pyrodex pellets over loose powder as it is much easier to use and reload and does not corrode or make as much fouling as loose powder... start with 2 - 50 grain and see how they do and you can go up to 3 -50 grain , but I would not go above that.... I use 2 - 50 = 100 grain charge and hae killed deer and 155-160 yards.  My brother likes the 3 pellets  150 grain as it even more devasting as fair as dropping them out....also if you do use loose powder the old rule of thumb is anything 50 cal and up use 2 F and below use 3 F..... I use 3 F on my 58 cal Enfiled civil war musket when I use to shoot NSSA competitively, rule of thumb is to use 10 grains less than you would on a 2F load as the 3F burns hotter and creates more pressure, but the advantage to using a finer grain BP is that is burns cleaner and creates less fouling in the bore......trust me on that... and clean .. clean .. clean after you shoot always clean your BP weapon... and then pull it out the next day and clean it again..... you will be surprised at the amount of fouling you will pull out the next day on what you thought was a clean gun.   I pull mine out every 6 months and wipe them out even if they have not been shot......  I use to use Black Solve for my civil war weapons which works great.. for heavy fouling and is economical.. hard to find except at civil war shoots .... concentrate mix with a gallon of water....  but for my in line I really like the knight pre soaked cleaning patches .. work great clean with a few patches... remember to keep running patches til they come out as clean as they went in........ make sure to grease your breech plug and nipple too.... good luck and enjoy... and before loading always snap a few caps or primers prior to loading to burn out any residual oil in the bore / breech to avoid hang fires.....  have fun as black powder is a lot of work in some ways, but a real craft to find the right loads per gun and much more of an accomplishment to take a deer or shoot one into tight groups....

[dr.crab]

In response to the people who hunted in BEDFORD county, I hunted this county on my Wife's cousin's farm for 15+ years and we almost always got 2 or 3 buck's in our group of 4 or 5 hunters each year. I would sit in my treestand and count 40 to 60 deer a day passing in the open fields but the last couple of years you were lucky to see any deer at all. The farmers put their land in Soil Bank thus less food for deer and most standing timber was cut for $$ and the young people moved out thus less hunting pressure on the remaining herd and nobody in the woods to move the deer.

[dr.crab]

A big thanks to CRABDOG for the advice .