first muzzleloader


Arh75

New member
I am going to try out deer hunting this season with something I have never done before. I would like some opinions and or ideas on what would be a good beginners gun. Now I am very experienced in rifles and shotguns and handguns but never muzzleloaders. I have looked at a few but this is where your opinions are needed. Thank you in advance!
 

I've always wanted to get a muzzleloader, mostly for the historical aspect. Maybe a Kentucky longrifle. Every once in a while I see a guy at the county range with a modern, hunting MLer. It's pretty cool. Let us know what you get and how you like it.
 
I do not understand the interest in modern muzzle loaders.

Synthetic pelletized propellant, jacketed, sabot, GPS guided-laser targeted projectiles, and modern ignition..oh it loads from the front!

-Doc
 
I do not understand the interest in modern muzzle loaders.

Synthetic pelletized propellant, jacketed, sabot, GPS guided-laser targeted projectiles, and modern ignition..oh it loads from the front!

-Doc

I guess for some people it gives them another hunting season.
 
A Little Muzzle Loader Information

I am going to try out deer hunting this season with something I have never done before. I would like some opinions and or ideas on what would be a good beginners gun. Now I am very experienced in rifles and shotguns and handguns but never muzzleloaders. I have looked at a few but this is where your opinions are needed. Thank you in advance!

Arh75,

I have deer hunted with only muzzle loaders and a bow in Ohio since 1971. Talk about a beginner, I bought my first muzzle loader at the Back Bone Mountain Gun shop some place in Maryland on my way to Seneca Rocks West Virginia where I was working construction at the time.

When I got it home the fun began. They didn’t have maxi balls at the time and I used patched 44 cal. round balls and about 60 grains of black powder. The first buck I shot , I had to track over four miles and ended up shooting it three more times in the right spot before I could start dragging it home.

So what have I learned in the last 40 years.

You can’t go wrong with a Thompson Center Hawkins Rifle 45 cal. is what I use but a 50 cal. Is also good .

Percussion is much easier to use than a flintlock, but some states such as Pennsyvania only allow flintlock.

Maxi Balls are made for the TC 28 in twist barrel I have cast my own for years, but I must say the new (Powerbelt Hollow point bullets) do a great job with both accuracy and knock down power.

Black powder is getting harder to find, so I tried many of the different synthetics and my favorite is Jim Shockey’s GOLD FFG.

All guns, powders, and projectiles shoot different, start with a 70 grain load and work up and look for the best groups using different loads. I sight-in dead on at 75 yards.

If you over load the powder you will just be wasting and pushing powder out the barrel. One way to check this is either over a white sheet or over a new snow. You will see un-burnt powder on the white surface.

When sighting in or establishing a load you will need to have a cleaning rod, and I use a 45 cal. Brush with a clean patch dampened lightly with a little black powder solvent and wipe the barrel after every three shots.
If you use a synthetic powder you will only need to wipe the barrel after every ten shots.

The most important thing is the proper cleaning of the black powder rifle.
If using a percussion rifle, remove the nipple, remove the barrel and place it (nipple end down) in a bucket of very hot water with a little dish liquid added. Use your cleaning rod with the proper size brush and cover it with a patch. Use the rod as a plunger and flush the barrel, by drawing water up through the nipple opening until you see your bush at the muzzle and than push the water back down and out the nipple. Keep pumping the water in and out of the barrel until it has been flushed of all powder. I also use a tooth brush to clean around the rest of the barrel and lock and trigger area to be sure I remove all powder residue. Than dry the hot barrel inside and out with clean patches.

Dip your nipple in the hot water and I use a paper towel and roll a small corner to clean the inside of the nipple. Hold it up to a light and make sure you can see thru it before reinstalling.

Another very important thing is the proper prep before a cold morning hunt.
I set my muzzle loader out in the unheated garage the night before the hunt.
The next morning I run a clean patch down the barrel, and then load the rifle with powder and bullet, and leave it in the cold garage, do not bring your rifle back into the warm house until you are ready to clean it and put it away.
Condensation can ruin your day.

In Ohio a muzzle loader is considered un-loaded as long as it doesn’t have a cap on it, or no powder in the pan on a flint lock.

Have a great hunt, and if you have any questions just ask.

This is a picture of my test results using Powerbelt bullets.

Link Removed

Chuck
 
Chuck;
Your response was perfect thank you so much for the info it really will be helpful and greatly appreciated! Alan
 
I shoot a tricked out Knight, not much less capable than my centerfire guns, only 1 shot though. I shoot 120 grains of Blackhorn 209 & a 250 grn SST saboted bullet.
 
One is all you need

I shoot a tricked out Knight, not much less capable than my centerfire guns, only 1 shot though. I shoot 120 grains of Blackhorn 209 & a 250 grn SST saboted bullet.

Sourdough,

One is all you need, I know of a least 50 deer that can attest to that.
 
Thanks for the good info. I am also looking to get a muzzle loading rifle. More for play than anything else. Who knows though. Maybe I'll get the itch to hunt with one.
 
CVA,
Makes great affordable Muzzle Loaders. TC also makes great Muzzle Loaders, but CVA are allot less Inexspensive,Especially for the begginer.

I would Reccomend the .50 Caliber in what whatever Manufacturer you choose.I've been using an muzzle Loader for about 6 years.I find them Extremely Accuriate. The .50 Caliber has great knock down power out to 100 yards.

I've also jave shot Deer out to 150 yards, though at that distance they did not drop, but only went about 50/60 yards.

I have the Nikon Scope on my Pro Hunter.
The most Important aspect of Muzzle Loader, is Properly cleaning the weapon after every 3/4 shoots I use 150 grains of Black powder with Aero tip Bullets.

Good Luck on which ever avenue you choose, but remember Cleaning your Muzzle Loader is the most important thing you can do.
 
I shoot an old 50 cal plains style cap and ball rifle that I picked up at a guns show about 3 years ago (pretty inexpensive). it's an older italian made gun. Shoots great. Killed my first deer with it last year with a patched round ball. I'm going to start a build of a 50 cal Hawkins type rifle, Lyman kit, after the first of the year.

If you're going the traditional route, I would suggest finding a club or group that has shoots and rendezvous. You'll learn tons about black powder shooting. A friend of mine's father who has built rifles for over 40 years has helped me tremendously on getting the Plains rifle to shoot as well as it does.

good luck with it. it's a lot of fun.
 

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