Just wrapped up our muzzleloader season here at home, and I had the good fortune of filling a tag last week after a cold, damp vigil high in a white pine at the edge of a creek-bottom swamp.

The afternoon sit was rather uneventful until a twitch turned into a tail, which turned into a deer that happened to be a 2-1/2-year-old doe. She was all by herself (odd) as she ambled along the swamp’s edge about 80 yards in front of my perch. D&DH-TV’s David Gilane was perched above me, capturing the events on video as we waited and watched, hoping a buck might be tailing her.

Fifteen minutes ticked by, and no other deer appeared. Thankfully, the doe moved closer and eventually presented a nice broadside shot at about 55 yards. I slowly raised my CVA Accura and diverted all of my attention to the “corner pocket” — specifically the ball joint connecting the doe’s scapula with its humerus bone.

Steady. Steady. Squeeze.

KerPOW!

A flash of flame. An audible, “whaw-ap!” And a puff of Triple 7 smoke. The doe mule-kicked, stumbled and sped off on a frantic but short death run.

Venison procured.

I’ve been a muzzleloader hunter for 27 years now, and all of my hunts have been with what would be considered “modern” muzzleloaders. I don’t see the point in arguing about equipment anymore. You either embrace it or don’t. Technology has advanced slightly in this arena, but at the end of the day, it’s still all about jamming a bullet down the barrel and making sure you stick within your limits. It’s a one-and-down deal when you’re whitetail hunting.

New Muzzleloading Bullet

This year I’ve been shooting a new muzzleloading bullet – Bore Drive FTX  from Hornady — that captured my fascination at the gun the range. I’ve shot a lot of different bullet types through this Accura over the past few years, and they all performed admirably. Full disclosure: I’m not a distance dude. For me, 150 yards is about as far as I want to shoot at a whitetail with any type of muzzleloader. I don’t care what the advertising literature says, a muzzleloader is a relatively low-energy firearm. I simply don’t want to be trailing a deer across God’s creation because I “thought” I could hit it at 200, 300 or even 400 yards. To me, muzzleloading is a lot like bowhunting — get them close to where you know it’s going to be a slam-dunk situation, and then enjoy the experience.

Anyway, back to that bullet. The Bore Driver is 50 caliber and 290 grains. That’s a bit heftier than the loads I had been shooting, and I was predictably skeptical when we went to the gun range to sight-in my gun. Imagine my surprise when I didn’t even have to move my scope. The first shot was about an inch right of the bullseye. Each shot after that keyholed the shot prior. Good enough for me. Gun was cleaned, back in the case and ready for action.

I’d chalk up the accuracy to my awesome shooting skills, but I’m not that good of a liar. It was all about the engineering that went into this bullet. At the heart of the system is a polymer base (not a sabot) that seals the bore to deliver maximum energy transfer and accuracy. Atop the base is the FTX® bullet, featuring a rugged gilding metal jacket coupled with patented FlexTip® technology and an InterLock® ring that deliver maximum lethality. In short, a streamlined design that milks every ounce of energy and accuracy out of a gun that is already tackdriver with lesser loads.

A few more of the features of the Bore Driver FTX include:

LOADS FAST AND EASY

•Without a sabot, the Bore Driver™ FTX® seats quickly and easily for shot after shot performance. The diameter is .499.

MAXIMUM LETHALITY

•The FTX® bullet incorporates an InterLock® ring that helps retain bullet weight upon impact that when coupled with a tough copper alloy jacket delivers deep penetration and expansion for the ultimate in on-game lethality.

TIP TECHNOLOGY

•FlexTip® initiates expansion even at low velocities enabling enhanced muzzleloader terminal performance.

ALL ABOUT THAT BASE

•The polymer base features a post that fits into the bottom of the bullet. This post swells in diameter at ignition for better torque engagement from inside the bullet and the centering petals grip the bullet’s boattail while the skirt engages the rifling to maximize energy transmission.