I grew up in Northeast Missouri where shooting a deer at a distance of 300 yards with a rifle wasn’t uncommon at all. The long-range capabilities increased your opportunity to harvest a deer drastically.  My family moved to Iowa when I was 10 and accomplishing the task of harvesting a mature buck became much more difficult. I shot a hand-me-down 20-gauge shotgun with open sites. I could confidently shoot up to 80 yards but after that it was mostly a shot in the wind. 

I can’t even begin to add up all of the times I’ve sat in my tree stand and thought, If only I could shoot farther that buck would be dead.  In 2013 I spotted an absolute monster just out of range and decided that would be the last time it would happen. A good friend of mine informed me that I could use a muzzleloader during the shotgun season. I wasn’t exactly sure how accurate a muzzleloader was but I knew it was more accurate at a longer distance than my shotgun. I also had little to no experience with muzzleloaders. I ended up doing some research and selected a .50 caliber CVA Accura V2. To be honest I thought the gun really stood out in the looks department, I know it doesn’t affect the guns accuracy, but I have to admit it caught my eye. I then looked at the barrel and was pleasantly surprised, it was a Bergara barrel known for their accuracy and quality craftsmanship. After picking the gun up I knew it was the one I wanted. The grip was comfortable and it felt balanced as I held it up.  I ended up buying a Nikon In-Line XR 3-9×40 scope. I really liked the simplicity of the scope; site it in at 100 yards and your good to go up to 300 yards.

As the 2014 season grew closer I was more than excited to take out my new muzzleloader. I could confidently shoot up to 300 yards and I was ready to see the puff of smoke that would hide the sudden thump of success. My good friend Ryan and I were set up on a slight hump and could see approximately 800 yards across a large cornfield. We typically film our hunts and as we sat there waiting for a buck to walk out it wasn’t long before the final minutes of shooting light were upon us. With 20 minutes of light left we spotted a pretty good buck. He was nearly 600 yards away and we knew we would need to close the distance. We ended up making a mad dash for it and got within a comfortable shooting distance. He pulled up the range finder and we had made it to within 150 yards. My heart was already pounding from the scurry over there but the size of the antlers didn’t make it any better. I pulled up my gun and placed my crosshairs just behind the front shoulder, held my breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger. With the flash of the muzzle and the thud of my 250-grain Powerbelt I knew I had hit the buck. As soon as the smoke cleared I spotted the buck, he ran about 80 yards and was lying in the open cornfield.

The increased range and accuracy of the muzzleloader gave me the confidence to make the shot. I’m looking forward to another great season with my CVA Accura V2 and the memories I will make in the field.

 

EQUIPMENT:

MUZZLELOADER: CVA ACCURA V2

SCOPE: NIKON IN-LINE XR  BDC

LOAD: 250-GRAIN .50 CALIBER AEROLITE  WITH 100 GRAIN IMR WHITE HOTS