# Why Muzzleloader?



## fishingdan (Jan 7, 2010)

Hi everybody,

I am thinking about getting a muzzleloader, and putting in for those hunts next year. Just wondering what is your draw to a muzzy? 

Also any tips on purchasing your first muzzleloader? What makes a good gun?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It is plain simple fun. It takes a little bit of time to load so you don't have the rush rush that you can with a center fire and everything is at a slower pace. If you are more of a purest and using a powder that smokes quite a bit it is fun to pull the trigger and than have to wait to see the results. That along with using either a sidelock or a flintlock makes hunting a lot more satisfying to me, but I also don't have any real problems if you want to use one of the modern inline ones, but I do have a problem with scopes, even the 1x ones. I actually believe that there are better sight options out there and are just as good if not better than that 1x scope.


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

TC Encore Pro 50 cal Or Traditions Vortek 50 cal are solid but honestly, every single muzzleloader has its own personality. Each likes different rounds, powder loads, primers. If you know anyone that has a couple including the flintlock variety, ask them to take you shooting. Once in the field and hunting a muzzy season, you'll be addicted! I never thought I'd do anything but archery but I love muzzy deer hunting in Utah!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Just smelling the smoke of a shot blackpowder rifle is enough to get you addicted to them.
It used to be there were not as many hunters on the muzzy hunt, but that is a thing of the past now. I got hooked on muzz hunting 38 years ago, before Utah even had a special season, you would find me out on the general deer hunt with all the other 200,000 people and I was carrying my 45 cal, Kentucky rifle. There were several years in my hunting camp that I was the only hunter to bring home a deer.

You might want to go to a mountain man rendezvous and watch the people shooting before you decide on what kind you want. Most of them would be happy to let you shoot their rifles too. That way you could try out a flintlock and sidelock. Then find someone with an inline and shoot that (but you won't find one of them at the rendezvous). A front stuffer is a front stuffer and they sure are fun to shoot.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

For me it's the love of the more traditional feel; and what used to be smaller crowds.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I just wanted to get away from the crowds of the rifle hunt! I've done 2 muzzleloader seasons and I've enjoyed them a lot. Definitely more of a challenge (even with an inline). My friend used an old school muzzy with percussion cap and round ball this year to take his buck and I'm thinking I'd like to try that out next time.

I feel like muzzleloading has helped me to become a better hunter - I'm more aware of my surrounding, better at stalking and watching the wind. You can get away with those (to an extent) on the rifle hunts.


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## WeaselBrandGameCalls (Aug 16, 2010)

It's easier to draw a tag and fewer hunters. Real black powder is still fairly reasonable in cost and you can cast your own balls or bullets.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Easy tag, not crowded and there killing the better bucks. 

Who wants sloppy thirds any ways


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

swbuckmaster said:


> Who wants sloppy thirds any ways


Oh man, there is NOTHING like when the smokepole hunt was after the rifle hunt... it was amazing. Rutt coming on, big bucks showing up in areas, it was AMAZING.

I started in the 80's when the ML season was a $10 extension to the rifle tag, hunting in Nov was just fantastic. Virtually no-one else did it, you had entire mountain ranges to yourself and with the rutt... oh lordy, please please please bring that back!

-DallanC


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I got into muzzleloaders out of necessity. My family owns a cabin in northern Utah and the landowner's association ruled that only "primitive weapon" hunting would be allowed on the property. So, we hung up the rifles and picked up the "primitive weapons." After several years of zero success with a bow, while my grandfather filled his muzzleloader tag annually, I decided to give it a try.

I love the mid-week opener, the weather is ideal (not hot like the bow season & not especially cold like the rifle), and the company is top notch (my grandfather, brother, father, uncle, and one of my good friends... plus a couple little boys looking forward to joining us because it'll get them out of school). Best move I ever made.


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## sbs20ga (Sep 20, 2009)

Dallan, you and I both know, (but one of us won't admit it) that we could get "most" of that feeling back if we just outlawed those modern rifles. They belong on the "any legal wepon hunt" not on a season initally set aside for primative weapons. admit it or not, those things are the reason we lost our season.


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## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

sbs20ga said:


> Dallan, you and I both know, (but one of us won't admit it) that we could get "most" of that feeling back if we just outlawed those modern rifles. They belong on the "any legal wepon hunt" not on a season initally set aside for primative weapons. admit it or not, those things are the reason we lost our season.


All in favor of sidelocks say aye.

Roy says "AYE!!!!"


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

I love the time of year,, doesn't get any better. also I like hearing all those bugling bulls while deer hunting. just adds to the whole thing.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Sidelocks, no scopes, black powder only, no sabots. 

Count me in.


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## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

Critter said:


> Sidelocks, no scopes, black powder only, no sabots.
> 
> Count me in.


Crap. I use Pyrodex and a CCI #11 Magnum. I would switch to FFG in a heartbeat though. I use a .54 cal maxi-ball in my T/C Renegade.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

Critter said:


> Sidelocks, no scopes, black powder only, no sabots.
> 
> Count me in.


I'm ok with pyrodex or any loose BP equivalent. I don't see them as an advantage over the real thing. But I like the rest of them. I'd like it to get back to a more primitive hunt. So I'd add pure lead only projectile to the list.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I could go with the pyrodex and or loose black powder. My .54 T/C Renegade loves shooting T/C maxi balls behind 90-95 grains of either black powder or pyrodex. I have also never shot anything other than pure lead round balls or the maxi balls out of it or my .50 cal.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Well I say if we digress back to the good ole days for muzzy hunting then the same must be true for bow hunting. Get rid of all these high tech compound bows, recurve, short and long bows only with none of them fancy sights they have now days. Finger release only and wooden shafts!! yup that's what we need to do!! Technology has no place in them there primitive hunts!! :roll::roll:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

sbs20ga said:


> Dallan, you and I both know, (but one of us won't admit it) that we could get "most" of that feeling back if we just outlawed those modern rifles. They belong on the "any legal wepon hunt" not on a season initally set aside for primative weapons. admit it or not, those things are the reason we lost our season.


But thats just it, it was never a "primitive" weapon hunt. I have my old hunting permits all the way back, they all just say "Muzzleloader" on them.

*People making the argument to ban inlines over technological advancements, cast a blind eye to the technological advancements SIDELOCKS benefit from.*

I've always considered high tinsel strength coil springs one of the greatest technological advancements in muzzleloaders. Before those came along, people used flat springs which weakened and broke, went out of alignment and generally caused all kinds of mechanical ignition failures. With todays coil springs, springs used in BOTH styles of muzzleloaders, mechanical misfires are virtually a thing of the past.

Today, hawkin style muzzleloaders are built on the same CNC machines as inlines, to the same tolerances, have the same barrel twists... and same accuracy with the same load. I rebarreled my hawkin years back to a fast 1/28" twist barrel that shoots almost identically to my inline, at the same velocity.

Ever hear of the Black Mountain Magnum muzzleloader? Its a FLINTLOCK that was specially designed to ignite pyrodex pellets! It shot a magnum 150grn charge, 1/28" twist for sabots, specialty flint for reliable ignition, black composite stock and fiber optic sights... you want to explain to me how that is any less advanced than a inline?

*COMPONENTS* is what people should look to limiting. Get rid of sabots, get rid of smokeless powders, require exposed ignitions.

Finally... please dont forget: Inline muzzleloaders were invented 100 years before the sidelock hawkins we emulate today. Germany had them in 1734.

I own BOTH types of guns... killed one heck of alot of deer with my hawkin. My boy used my hawkin this year to kill his first ever deer. How about you let me hunt the way I want to legally hunt with my smokepole, and I let you do the same?

-DallanC


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## sbs20ga (Sep 20, 2009)

O.K., ok, hunt the way you want to hunt-------- but do it during the proper season.
no body cares what they shot in the 1700 in Germany. the fact is, when the in-lines came out and got popular, everybody looking to have a modern gun during the special season, got on board. most of those folks don't know or care about all the technical stuff you want to talk about. All they know is they have a modern, easy to load, fast, and accurate, single shot rifle during a special season-- now that special season is gone.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

I have no issue with an inline; I don't think that is an advantage either; by it's self. I do believe a shotgun primer is an advantage and it's the magnum loads that are near centerfire in performance that bother me. But I'm not going to kick you off the mountain and I'm not advocating change at this time, I'm just lamenting the loss of something I enjoyed that's becoming more of a single shot hunt than what I believe the intent of the hunt was. But then what I believe is not necessarily reality and may be flawed and I know that. I wouldn't mind some changes that could accommodate all of us. Like areas that are limited to my idea of muzzle loaders and open areas but then that may just make a mess of things.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

I just wished they would let me put a 3x9 on my magnum inline so I could accurately shoot the 250gr bullet that I'm pushing 2100fps, 300 yards (during the muzzy hunt of course) :mrgreen:


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

If you really want to make a difference, forget guns, powder, and bullets.......simply require moccasins and a coonskin hat. That would keep all those rascally new age guys away from the muzzy hunt.------SS


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I like it because there are usually less hunters. I was really bummed out when the Nov. hunt was changed to Sept. but now I have come to really like the Sept. hunt.


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## jimmy_hat (Feb 8, 2014)

I heard the reason they quit the late hunt was because the bucks were chased during the rut and didn't get the deed done until late December, and a lot of the fawns being too small to make it through the winters. But blaming it on inline muzzleloaders sounds good.


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## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

Maybe have an additional primitive hunt only season???

I'd get a longbow or a muzzy for that!


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