need advice please


rackmaster

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The muzzleloader season in Illinois was this past weekend. On the last evening i had giant 8 pt come out that I knew had been in the area. It was right at last light and he was at 225 yards. I tried to call him closer but he wasn't having it. I had shot my gun at 200 yards so i steadied the crosshairs where i thought they should be and pulled the trigger. I could not see anything after the shot. I went to where he was standing and found no blood. The next morning i went back and found no blood or sign for 200 yards from where he was.

I went out today and shot my gun at 225 and from what i could tell i should have hit the deer. I am shooting a tc omega with a nikon 3-9x40 and 150 grains of 777 pushing a tc shockwave (250 grains).

After the shot i remember thinking that i did not hear that tell tale whap. I was wondering if anyone had any experience in situations like this. How much would the deer have bled and should i have heard the bullet hit? I have been going over the shot in my head a thousand times a day, so any input is greatly appreciated.

I put up two trail cameras in the area but not sure if he will come back if he is alive?

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Dont know if you would have heard it from that far away. Thats a pretty good poke at last light.

If you didnt find any blood or hair anywhere in the area it sounds like a clean miss. If you really think you hit him, all you can do is keep looking.

Sounds like you missed. No blood, no hair, what else can you do? If he was that big, get a dog and give it another shot, may be worth your time.

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Sounds to me like a miss. When I shot my muzzleloader recently I would hear the sound of the impact against the target (heavy rubber at 100 yards), but I do not have experience in shooting deer and hearing an impact sound.

Today I shot a doe at about 120 yards or so. My first with a muzzleloader. I didn't hear the impact at all. I also thought it was a pretty far shot and at this point wouldn't even consider a 200 + yard shot with my muzzleloader. Just don't have the practice in at those ranges and probably just wouldn't do it.

I shoot a Knight revolution with a Nikon 3-9x40 scope. Two triple 7 pellets and a 240 Sierra bullet.

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Thought I would give you all an update. I checked my cameras on Christmas with no pics of the big boy, I was very disappointed. Then that night I drove by the field he was in when I shot and sure enough there he was about 30 yards from my stand. I would have liked to have gotten him but just knowing that it was indeed a clean miss was the best Christmas present I got. Plus there is still a little bow season left.

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