Do You Hunt With A Muzzleloader?

[Chas1]

I have to admit I have little if any knowledge about muzzleloaders so can anyone tell me with a good quality muzzleloader and in the right hands, generally speaking how far out can one shoot with reasonable accuracy? Also in terms of cost what is one looking at in order to be setup properly-what components/cost. Thanks.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Long Island Shooting Range of Brookhaven. Good range and one of the last public places to shoot on LI. All concrete benches at the 200yd line. Unfortunately, they get $18 per day to shoot there.

Long Island Shooting Range of Brookhaven

 

[Chas1]

Varmint Hunter, so I take it that's where you get practice in??? Do you hunt and if so where? upstate...PA? $18 a day, heck it's $18 a day here too but, that's in north Florida.

 

[Iowaboy]

Sure do, I shoot a savage ML-II. Got my first cow elk with it this september in CO. It kills me to have to take the scope off and shoot BP but hey thats what Colorado DOW says we have to do. But Hey those powerbelts and a load of 777 will do a number on an elk. One shot and about 10 yards and she was down!

 

[edge]

I have to admit I have little if any knowledge about muzzleloaders so can anyone tell me with a good quality muzzleloader and in the right hands, generally speaking how far out can one shoot with reasonable accuracy? Also in terms of cost what is one looking at in order to be setup properly-what components/cost. Thanks.

Are you thinking modern ML?
Can you use smokeless powder?
Are you limited in Bore or Bullet diameters where you hunt?

Personally I would go smokeless if you can, and go with a .45 or .40 caliber and shoot sabotless.

I see no reason that you can't easily deer hunt to 300 yards.

edge.

 

[Chas1]

EDGE, thanks for responding. Like I said in the earlier post I know little if anything about muzzleloaders. Didn't know there was modern versus I guess old or type of powder or projectile allowed. Just curious on distance...300 yards, much further than I thought. Good to know. Again, thanks for responding.

 

[ROBSTER]

I used IMR`S Whitehots this year they shoot very clean better than Shockeys gold.A few people at the range could not figure out what that white stuff was that I was putting down the barrel. hopfuly this summer I can shoot some across a crony and see if the fps is any better than shockeys or black horn.
robster

 

[glockman55]

300 yards is pushing it a bit..I think twice about shooting 300 yds with my modern rifles at game..LOL Not saying it can't be done, Hell people shoot their Bows out to 100 yds at game. To each their own.

 

[TheHardWay]

I started hunting with a muzzy a few years back. I love it! A lot of times it lets you hunt close to the peak of the rut for elk without having to use the ol stick and string.
I shoot 348 gr powerbelts over a dose of Triple 7.

First elk taken with a muzzy 198 yards

Last year's CO bull taken at 98 yards.
A little short on the main beams, but he had 7 on one side which sealed the deal for me.

 

[edge]

Those are great animals, thanks for sharing

edge.

 

[cornchuck]

Sure do hunt with a front loader. Here in Ohio we can either use a shotgun or muzzleloader for our firearms deer season. The shotgun only comes out if it is raining. We can't use rifles here so carring my Rem 700ML is as close to a rifle.

Jason

 

[winmag]

Yep. Ive got a Lyman Plains Rifle, in .50 cal with a 1;48 twist. I shoot a .490 Horndy Roundball with a .015 prelubed patch to equal .505 ttl with 110gr of FFG syntheticAmerican Pioneer powder. Switching to 777 FFG tho as the American Pioneer seems like rock salt compared to the 777. Measures alot easier too.
So far Ive killed 3 Mule deer with my ''front end loader'' (thanks cornchuck), and am consistantly whacking the 3inch steel spinner at 100yds with the spare tire of my Jeep for a rest.
**Just as a side note, If you use your Jeeps spare tire as a rest, make sure the muzzle is well past the edge of the soft top. If not you get a big ol grey mark thats a real bear to scrub off canvas**

 

[TheHardWay]

**Just as a side note, If you use your Jeeps spare tire as a rest, make sure the muzzle is well past the edge of the soft top. If not you get a big ol grey mark thats a real bear to scrub off canvas**

Don't ya just love those 'don't ask me how I know' pieces of advice. Haha

 

[winmag]

Don't ya just love those 'don't ask me how I know' pieces of advice. Haha

yephehehehe

Say, how does Durango look these days? I havent been back since 2002' when I was on the Missionary Ridge Fire.
That was a rough year.