# which muzzleloader?



## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

I havent shot a muzzleloader in probably 20 years and before that most of my smokepole shooting was limited to a flintlock. I am going to switch over this year and hunt the muzzy hunt as I am done with general season rifle. Before I really start looking at my options I would like to hear some of your opinions on the current offerings of muzzleloaders. I will say that I have been leaning towards CVA but am open to whatever.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

I have a cva optima. great price, super easy to clean, shoots straight, and shoulders well. I put a hawken hunter 1x scope on my optima. I've killed two deer and an elk with it in the two years I've had it. I was looking to upgrade to the cva apex but the optima shoots great and won't change for awhile. I know people like TC and they have a quick breech release like cva but something about the quick release breech on TC that I didn't like as much as the threaded breech on cva. I think CVA or TC you can't go wrong with but just personal preference and price.


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## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

I have been looking at the apex, but was wondering how much of a difference really existed between that and the optima.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

Get an Optima... I bought one last year and it shoots lights out for a muzzy! I'm still fairly new to muzzy hunting, but the Optima has been awesome. I took my first muzzy buck with it this past fall. As mentioned earlier, it's way easy to clean and very accurate. I don't think there's enough difference between the Apex to justify more money. Depending on where you live, Walmart has their muzzys on clearance. The stainless optima with open sights is something around $170 right now at the north walmart in Logan. They also have the stainless/camo thumbhole for $40 more - that one doesn't have open sights (as it's made for a scope).

Here's the load I settled on... 300 Gr. Traditions Smackdown SST on top of 2 50gr. pellets of T7. 3 shots at 100 yards with a Traditions 1x32 scope... I pulled the one on the left just a tad.
[attachment=1:2j5pgd50]muzzload.jpg[/attachment:2j5pgd50]

When I finally found a buck within a comfortable range, this is how the 300 Gr. SST performed:
[attachment=0:2j5pgd50]muzzyhunt3.jpg[/attachment:2j5pgd50]


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

the optima also likes 130 grains of triple 7 in pellets (2 '50s and 1 '30 grain pellet) and we shot a 290 grain barnes tez bullet. I know 3 people that shoot that load out of the optima and get 1 inch groupings at a 100 yards. Pretty easy loading bullet also. My buddies big bull elk went 5 yards, my two deer went a combined total of 20 yards and my cow elk went 5 yards. Great bullet and powder combo, knocks them dead.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

If you want a really high quality build, get on knightrifles.com and order a Mountaineer or Long Range Hunter. The CVA or T/C rifles aren't even in the same ballpark.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

I got into muzzle loading about 7-8 years ago. 

When I got into it, I wasn't aware of this site, if it existed or not. I did have a good friend, colleague that was very much into muzzle loading. He had owned a Knight for a while but switched to Thompson. 

His suggestions were to find something with a 28" barrell. I was able to find a Thompson with the 28" barrell. I have been extremely pleased with this muzzie. I have been on 6 muzzie hunts and have harvested 5 bucks. I have used 130 grains of powder (I've just always used Pyrodex 2-50s, 1-30).

The accuracy of this muzzie has been awesome! My first buck with it was a 100 yard shot right through his heart. Second kill, a one shot kill at 209 yards (ranged) right through his heart. I have been more than impressed with this gun.

That said, being that it is 7-8 years old, much has changed since I have purchased this Thompson. Like everything else, everything changes every year. But my Thompson with just a simple Cabelas Pine Ridge 1X20 has been durable, accurate, and plain fun to hunt with. 

Good luck on finding your muzzie


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## Dukes_Daddy (Nov 14, 2008)

CVA Optima with 1x scope.

I bought one last year when I decided to hunt muzzy again. 

Still have the Hawken but the accuracy and performance of the Optima is great. Killed spike elk this year and he dropped hard.


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

If you're just getting started, Traditions Vortex or even a Buckstalker will be accurate enough to get going at a reasonable cost. There are some muzzies that will reach out there pretty far defeating the purpose of stalking and taking game with muzzle loaded firearm. If that's your thing, I suggest sticking with rifel. My first was the Buckstalker and it took me a while to get used to it but it was easy to load and the quick breach plug comes out fast for good cleaning. I started with T7 100 grain with a 250 SST Sabot. It hated the sabot at first, but someone in camp had me shoot with Blackhorn 209 and my world changed! I'll never use anything but BH 209 and not only did it work well in the first and second muzzies, the Encore loves it too. I have switched to the T/C Encore Pro Hunter simply for accuracy but also the interchangeable barrels. I'm grouping 1 in at 100 yards with 110 grains of Blackhorn 209 and I'm still using 250 SST's. I've put a T/C 1x32 muzzy scope on it and have been getting consistently around 1920 fps on the chronograph. 

I'm relatively new but have access to years of experience in our muzzy hunt camp. There are around 11 of us and only three have the Encore because of the cost but the rest of them shoot a wide variety of smokepoles. It will take you some time to find what you like but make sure there is some kind of shock absorption on the stock butt, make sure you can get supplies for that gun, take your time finding the load your gun likes, SPEND THE MONEY on a scope (recoil is huge and cheap will let you down), then practice, practice, practice! Have fun! I've bowhunted my entire life until being dedicated and getting a chance to muzzy hunt. I really can't way which I like better now.


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