Effect of brush close to game
Question:
Mike, The true "brush-buster" is, sadly, a myth. However, tests have shown that heavier bullets with a short length, spin-stabilized, are less subject to effects of countervening brush. ANY projectile, however, can be deflected and the -least- effects are when the point of deflection is minor and nearer to the impact point. Based on your description of the area, either the 12ga slug or the blackpowder bullet should be able to negotiate the brush effectively but a careful aim is more critical and distance should be limited. You -may- want to go to a non-Sabot 12-guage loading as the typical "punkin ball" is a better projectile in this instance. — "An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." – Col. Jeff Cooper
Response:
As an archer who also rifle hunts I would clear a shooting lane for sure. I do this all the time with the bow even on one day hunts. If you wear rubber boots and gloves and do not touch the small limbs you cut, you should be fine. Just clear a couple narrow lanes to shoot through and do this at a time when you feel the deer will not be near. Do not walk around that area at all.( If you are hunting the same day, use scent on boot scent pads) Just take a good look from the stand and then walk directly to the lane you want to clear and do it in a strait line away from the stand, turn and come strait back. You can clear it with hand shears and a small pruning saw. Do not step foot on the deer path. I’ve pruned plenty of shooting lanes this way and I’ve even had deer follow my scented foot trail back under my stand the same day. Just don’t walk around leaving scent and do not use the smelly oily chain saw! If the branches are small and within inches to the deer I wouldn’t worry too much but even small branches 4 to 8 feet away will deflect the heavy muzzle loader bullet. Why take a chance to miss our wound ?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > While sitting in my treestand this morning I surveyed the terrain to > look for clear shooting lanes and decide on the optimum position > to shoot at deer. Forty yards to the east is a 10 yard wide strip of > land between a brook and a marshy area flooded by recent rains. > This wooded strip makes a very nice natural funnel for deer, and there’s > a well-traveled path right down it’s center. Whie trying to decide > at what point along the path I’d shoot a deer if one happened by, > I noticed that there really was no path which was perfectly free from > brush. Since it was rainy this morning, I had my 870 pump which pushes > out 440 grain saboted slugs at 1450 fps. I reasoned that a few yards > through these thin branches would not be a problem since the branches > were very thin and so close to the target. Is this reasoning correct? > During muzzleloader season, I’ll likely be shooting 240 grain bullets > at 1600 fps. Will the lighter bullet be much more strongly affected? > Five minutes will a chain saw would give me a completely unobstruced > shooting path, but I’ve been trying to keep such activities to a minimum > to avoid spooking an already wary herd of whitetails. Is it better to > clear the shooting lane, or stay out of the area when not hunting? > — > Michael Courtney, Ph. D.
Michael, I think you are in good stead with both of those big boys. Unless branches are fairly large and numerous, that sabot is not going to be phased a whole lot. The muzzleloader much the same. I’ve heard of far less caliber referred to as "brush guns". – J. Nystrom http://www.ilinks.net/~jnystrom PS. Hope you have a safe and enjoyable hunt.
Response:
While sitting in my treestand this morning I surveyed the terrain to look for clear shooting lanes and decide on the optimum position to shoot at deer. Forty yards to the east is a 10 yard wide strip of land between a brook and a marshy area flooded by recent rains. This wooded strip makes a very nice natural funnel for deer, and there’s a well-traveled path right down it’s center. Whie trying to decide at what point along the path I’d shoot a deer if one happened by, I noticed that there really was no path which was perfectly free from brush. Since it was rainy this morning, I had my 870 pump which pushes out 440 grain saboted slugs at 1450 fps. I reasoned that a few yards through these thin branches would not be a problem since the branches were very thin and so close to the target. Is this reasoning correct? During muzzleloader season, I’ll likely be shooting 240 grain bullets at 1600 fps. Will the lighter bullet be much more strongly affected? Five minutes will a chain saw would give me a completely unobstruced shooting path, but I’ve been trying to keep such activities to a minimum to avoid spooking an already wary herd of whitetails. Is it better to clear the shooting lane, or stay out of the area when not hunting? — Michael Courtney, Ph. D.
