wny9p

I'm in agreement with most of the solutions offered here. My only addition would be to set up State government so that NYC politicians have no influence on how the ADK is managed. Most of the ideas provided by city environmentalists are uniformed and emotional.

My opinion is that your ML problem is the load or loading procedure. Make sure that you seat your bullet the same way every time. DUMP THE POWERBELTS because I don't think they seat or seal as consistently as a sabot. At least two of my hunting partners, one shooting a Knight and the other a TC Encore, have found that the Powerbelts are VERY inconsistent. When they changed to 250gr Sabots their MLs became much more consistent. My profile picture is the buck I took on 11/25 this year with my TC Encore .50cal ML and 4-9 Bushnell scope. I'm zeroed at 100 yards. He was about 120 yards out and the bullet hit him exactly where I aimed. I was loaded with 100gr (2 pellets) of American Pioneer powder and a 250gr Hornady Sabot. I used a run-of-the-mill Winchester primer. I should mention that the powder is over 5 years old. He went straight down after he was hit, never to take another step. I love my Encore and except for an occasional outing with a M94 .30-30 is the only long gun I hunt whitetails with.

Nice buck!

I know. I looked at that deer for over 10 minutes before I decided it was a medium sized doe, which is my favorite size for filling a DMP. His face didn't have that pudgy look and I couldn't see his nubs even through the 2x scope on my pistol. I'm going to cut some stakes and set them up so I can measure a deer when it comes by me. Maybe some paint on the trees around my stand.

I use the factory American Eagle 240gr JHPs. At about 50 yards I got a very nice exit hole. I double lunged the deer and was amazed at how much damage the JHP did on it's way through. I have no experience with any other .44mag round. Younger guys listen up - I wear ear plugs when shooting AND hunting with any firearm because I want to preserve what hearing I have left. I wish I had worn them when I was younger.

I'd pass at this point in my career. I've passed on several just like that and larger in the past few years. Anything with a scrubby track is on my hit list though. I tell the new folks to shoot the first deer they see that's legal, but for me it's wait for a bruiser or a decent doe. My decent doe, this year, turned out to be a big button buck.