My friend Joe and I have put in for New Mexico Muzzle Loader elk tags. We've applied for units 15, 13, and 10. I doubt I'll ever draw another unit 15 tag again, but Unit 10 does have possibilities. If we draw we'll be going guided with New Mexico Big Game Hunting. The hunt is a no frills deal where we have to provide lodging and food; they provide the elk expert. Overall the cost isn't much more than a DIY and my friend, Raul, would be the guide. The odds suck, but hey you won't draw if you don't apply.
If we draw I was contemplating getting a new in line ML. I was looking at TC Encore or CVA accura, but I swear my old CVA Apollo (the one I bought in 1995 for $50 and shoots 50 cent piece sized groups at 100/6 inch if I aim 20 inches high groups at 200 if I aim 20 inches high) is begging me to reconsider retiring her. I got to thinking, that a ML is pretty simple; a barrel, powder, and primer.
It goes without saying that a 1;24 twist would be much more accurate than my 1;32 twist, but honestly who cares as long as you kill the animal you are shooting at. I got to thinking (especially after replacing the cheap scope on my .17 WSM BMag with a good one and dramatically improving the accuracy at 200 yards) about the quality of optics and how they affect the overall performance.
I'm considering getting a Nikon BDC or Leupold scope for my Apollo. Regardless if I have a new gun or not, 100 grains of 777 is only going to push a 300 grain CVA Aero light XXX far. Of course the twist and barrel length matter, but if you practice the fundamentals of marksman ship then it "should" all be mute (FYI failed to do that in 2010 resulting in me missing a 320 class NM bull elk).
Currently I have an old Simmons Deer Slayer scope that I also bought for in 1995 for $50 at the Andrews AFB exchange. Over the years that scope has been the death of at least a dozen whitetail deer. However, that scope doesn't have the adjustable zoom nor the BDC aiming points that new, modern, scopes have. My thought is that if I retire my old scope and replace her with a new one then I'll be just as effective while saving my wallet close to $800.
What do ya'll think?
If we draw I was contemplating getting a new in line ML. I was looking at TC Encore or CVA accura, but I swear my old CVA Apollo (the one I bought in 1995 for $50 and shoots 50 cent piece sized groups at 100/6 inch if I aim 20 inches high groups at 200 if I aim 20 inches high) is begging me to reconsider retiring her. I got to thinking, that a ML is pretty simple; a barrel, powder, and primer.
It goes without saying that a 1;24 twist would be much more accurate than my 1;32 twist, but honestly who cares as long as you kill the animal you are shooting at. I got to thinking (especially after replacing the cheap scope on my .17 WSM BMag with a good one and dramatically improving the accuracy at 200 yards) about the quality of optics and how they affect the overall performance.
I'm considering getting a Nikon BDC or Leupold scope for my Apollo. Regardless if I have a new gun or not, 100 grains of 777 is only going to push a 300 grain CVA Aero light XXX far. Of course the twist and barrel length matter, but if you practice the fundamentals of marksman ship then it "should" all be mute (FYI failed to do that in 2010 resulting in me missing a 320 class NM bull elk).
Currently I have an old Simmons Deer Slayer scope that I also bought for in 1995 for $50 at the Andrews AFB exchange. Over the years that scope has been the death of at least a dozen whitetail deer. However, that scope doesn't have the adjustable zoom nor the BDC aiming points that new, modern, scopes have. My thought is that if I retire my old scope and replace her with a new one then I'll be just as effective while saving my wallet close to $800.
What do ya'll think?
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