Muzzleloaders??

[Thunderchicken]

Thinking of getting into muzzleloading next year and want to ask a you guys that do it a couple of quations.

1. What kind of muzzy do you us and why do you?

2. What kind of bullet do you shoot?

3. Do you shoot with open sights ( I have to over here in SD ). And if you do what kind do you use?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

[Neiko]

I just bought a CVA Kodiak and am going to use the Powerbelts with Triple 7 powder. It is an inline ML and it is easy to clean and they protect the primers from the elements. I have already taken bear with rifle,pistol and bow so the next one was Muzzleloader. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on the sport until I know I will like it. The Kodiak is a knock off of the T/C Omega and from other boards I have come across it seems like they shoot about the same for the common hunter. A lot of the serious shooters use the T/C. I wish I could buy one but it is hard to justify it until I know if it is something I will do alot of.

As for sights mine has fiber optics sights and I have not shot it yet. I plan on doing it this weekend after I get my baits out.

[WAG416]

Getting started I wanted something inexpensive just to try blackpowder hunting and I am looking to make an upgrade soon, possibly for the 2006 season. Looking at possibly a CVA optima.

1.Currently armed with a CVA Hunterbolt .45 cal = Cheap to start with, I believe it was in the price range of $150 brand new. Use pyrodex pellets 50 grain, maybe gonna try the triple-7 pellets this year. Federal 209 primers.

2.Powerbelt Hollowpoints = Couldnt tell you why I use them, Never had a problem with them thus far, although I did have a friend that used the aero tip powerbelts I believe thats what he was using and he had a problem with the tips falling out or something similar to that, I dont know if anyone else has had that problem or not.

3. And just regular ol' open sights. All pretty much standard stuff.

And for cleaning the smoke pole, I couldnt live without the Bore Snake, saves on cleaning time and I use way less cleaning patches.

Good luck with whatever you choose, It's a blast.

WAG

[Walleyeguy31]

I have a little more than I need. I have the T\C encore 209x40. I have had it for 3 years, it has downed 5 deer in those three years. It is extremely accurate and very convenient. I have 3 other barrels so I can have/make other rifles out of the encore as well. Kinda spendy, but well worth it.

[gorrilla]

WAG416 I just read your post. I also shoot a CVA hunterbolt but I wouldn't mind getting another one cheap for a spare since I have all the CVA accessories(scope rings, etc.) so if you're interested is selling if let me know. [email protected]

[WAG416]

gorrilla has mail

WAG

[Mr.Seaguar]

I just bought my first, a New England Firearms Sidekick, $160. I wanted a break open and hated the sights on the CVA Optima. I really liked the NEF sights and how it felt shouldering it in the store. I have buddies who have muzzied for years and they all said, buy Hornady bulk green .429/.430 sabots and 100 pack .430 XTP bullets. I actually got Sierra .4295 pistol bullets but they look the same. My buddies advised me against PowerBelt bullets, the guy in Sportsmans Warehouse tried to sell the heck out of them tho. He said he loved them. Theres a ton of bullet choices. I bought American Pioneer Powder. Supposedly, its cleaner and less smoke. My buddies use Pyrodex and Clean-Shot, but the Pyrodex users said, dont use Pyrodex. And Goex quit making CleanShot. If I didnt want break Open so bad I would have gotten the $90 Wind River in Cabelas catalog. Ive only heard good things about it. Good Luck.

[icehousebob]

My smoke pole is a copy of an 1840 Sam Hawken rifle. It has a 35 in. Les Bauska barrel that takes a .535 round ball with a cotton patch. It has an L&R lock and double set trigger. The stock is walnut that I carved myself. I hammered out most of the hardware. It has a full buckhorn rear sight and a blade front. My powder horn is carved from a buffalo horn and the shooting bag is from Elk hide with a Hudson's bay blanket strap that I sewed myself. When I lay a deer down with that piece I feel a lot of satisfaction knowing that I built the rig myself. Most people don't want to spend that much time on a hobby, but the sense of accomplishment of hunting with a truly primitive weapon is satisfying.

[Thunderchicken]

Thanks guys. I'm leaning towards one of the knight rifles, this is only because someone I know has one and said he wouldn't buy anything else. He also said that the power belts were the ticket. He also said that the pyrodex powdwer pellets makes it easy too. Do any of you guys know anyone that has a knight??

[Mr.Seaguar]

One buddy has Disc Extreme, 1 has a Wolverine. Shoot a 100yd ragged cloverleaf with the Wolverine, disc extreme slightly larger groups but still tight shooter. Only issue they have is the ramrod wont go down the barrel breechward. Meaning you cant clean it by pushing the ramrod forward. One uses a boresnake, other one pushes all the stuff out the breech, which might push it into the action, in theory at least. They like them. The Knight rifles are good quality and straight shooters. But they are pricing themselves out of the market.

Pyrodex is a thing of the past. Every salesman will tell you its dying, they sell very little. Triple Seven is good. But everything I hear is American Pioneer Powder. From message boards to salesman. Everybody who tries it loves it. Thats why I bought it. Everybody cant be wrong.

[benelli_dude2002]

I shoot a Knight Disc 50 cal. I shoot triple seven and tried several type of bullets. My favorite is the Hornady SST but I like the way powerbelts load with ease. I taken 2 deer with it so far and this fall I plan to hunt moose in Canada with it and I plan to shoot a 300 gr Nosler. I want to try American Pioneer powder but havent got to that part yet. I love the gun and I get good groups with it. About 1.5 inch at 100 yards with open sights and my group opened to about 4-5 inches at 200 yards with open sights also. Not that I would should a animal at 200 yards but i thought I would try that range just for the heck of it. I surprised my buddies when I did shoot at that range and I surprised myself too. T/C makes a good muzzleloader too. I just dont really like the looks of them but thats me. Good luck in whatever you choose and let us know what you get. Shoot safe! Brian

[bigbucks]

I'm not being critical, just curious. If you can shoot a 4-5" group at 200 yards, why wouldn't you shoot a deer at that range? The weapon is obviously capable of it & that kind of group is plenty adequate to take out the vitals on a whitetail.

[jlm]

Wow, 4-5 inch groups at 200 yards? If that is the case, we need to get you signed up for some tournament shooting! That is beyond awesome for a ML with open sights! I suspect you are maybe streching the truth a little or you are shooting once and calling it a group! Sorry, had to get you on that one. Anyway, glad to hear your ML performes well!

[benelli_dude2002]

I think its just like any weapon, you do your time in at the range you are going to get better. Whether its bow rifle shotgun muzzleloader. When I shot my bull moose with a bow back in 1996 i had the bow for month and with shooting it 2-2.5 hours a day I felt that confident to go out and hunt with it. My dad shot a bull moose at 500 plus yards with his 270/open sights. When I got my 300WSM, i picked it up 2 days before rifle opener, went home put a scope on it that night, went out the next morning and sighted it in 3 inches high at 100 yards. then next morning which was opener i made my longest shot ever on a buck at 400 plus yards. I shot twice cuz I thought I missed the first shot and walked up to the deer and the 2 shots where about 4 inches apart. I havent shot my Knight much this year but last year I was shooting it quite a bit. Thats what I was told is do your homework at the range. Patience, practice and it pays to do it. I dont plan to shoot competitive since I am gone from home 4 1/2 days a week for work. I do enough travelling. I did enter a muzzleloader shoot last year locally and I was one only that showed up. They were giving turkeys away for prizes. I never fired a shot but went home with a 10 lb turkey for 2 bucks. They never had it this year. Shoot safe!