Muzzleloaders

[Sam Dunham]

I traded for a Knight "American Knight 5 or 6 years ago. Being a Hardcore Bowhunter I never messed with other than to coat the bore with oil and stick it in the closet.
This year my time has been limited and the taste of tenderloin has gotten the best of me!
I drug it out and cleaned it up, shot it until I found my laod which is 80 grains of RS Pyro and a saboted XTP.
One hole three shots with my Burris compact mounted at 75 yards.
Big medicine on whitetails for sure.
I popped a Doeby yesterday at 50 yards, POOOOOM! Ran 50 yards and fell over.
Tenderloins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went out the first day which was the 22nd and sta down in a good spot, watched squirrels and listened till 9 am. Got up and eased about 20 steps, saw a guy with a crossbow hunkered down above me, Hey, DO NOT SHOOT ME! Startled, Ok he said.

Now before I had gotten up, I had done a short rattling sequence and waited for 15 mins before deciding to move a little.

I talked to the guy, Nice fella and moved off the hill about quietly bout 50 yards, there stood a nice little 6 pt. Pooooooooooom!
Dead Buck and I saw the guy ease off the hill toward me. "I saw that Deer" he said. "Was trying to get up on it for a shot when you blasted him", OK I said, Are you hungry for tenderloin? I asked. Yessssssss! He said.
We walked up to the Deer and I told him he was welcome to it if he wanted?
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! He said. Ok, I will come in here with the 4 wheeler and help you carry him out, be back in 30 mins.

Came back and the guy was admiring his trophy. " I can check him in" he said. Nope! I said, neither one of Us is going to lie about a thing, I killed it, I'll check it!
Wow he said, "Nobody will know but us". That is exactly the point I said, we would!:cheers:

[koger]

YOu da man Sam!

[DanaC]

There's something attractive about old flintlocks etc. but you have to have a taste for tinkering. I prefer modern ML's, gave my old caplock TC Renegade to a kid last fall.

Now I carry a SS Savage ML-II. 100 grains of Blackhorn 209 behind a 250 grain sabot hollow point.

I can, and have, loaded this gun a lot hotter. It will actually stand up to certain smokeless powders, which brings it to a whole other level of ka-boom! You do need to use a *tough* sabot to shoot those loads, tho'.

Was talking to a friend of mine, former Savage engineer, asked him how hot the gun could be loaded. His answer floored me - "We've gotten 3000 fps out of it." I didn't even ask how they did it!

[Dave Holquist]

The inlines have never interested me much. IMHO not much difference between them and a modern centerfire.

It used to be that part of the muzzleloader mistique was whether the dang thing was gonna fire! Not so much anymore... I built a .45 cal Thompson Center kit gun back in the mid-70's and killed a few deer with it. Even the .45 maxiball is potent whitetail medicine out to 125 yds or so.

[Sam Dunham]

Your right Dave but,,,,,,,,,,,, It is fun, especially with limited time this year. The thing of it is that; I have nothing much in the rifle and found out it is a real jewel. Mine is the 22 inch version of the Bighorn and really shoots good. The whole thing is that like a Bow, there is only gonna be one shot! I have trimmed my rifle collection down to pay bills and have found that I really do not need many rifles? lol
I really do need my 22's and have only kept a 223 600 Remington along with two shotguns and a Baretta single bl, 3 inch for Turkey.
I have pretty much consolidated my handguns to two, Ruger SP 101's and two lite weight Chiefs specials.
I have a 22 mag American Arms mini revolver that I can hit a tin can with at 10 yards and one 22 Ruger Bearcat.
I sold all my high dollar 1911's and Glocks.
I am in the market for a 357 Marlin lever gun and that will tidy up all I need.
I could actually survive with only a 22 for my needs.
This may sound crazy to some but it is the truth! I can eat and defend with a couple of Ruger 10-22's and 5 thousand rounds, several 25 round ruger mags and my shotguns.
Much is overdone with heavy firepower on animals and other?????? needs.
Just a good Bow and several BHed arrows is a really good thing to have!
Yep! I have a Stihl chanisaw bar awaiting the pattern of a "Book of Eli" short sword to be made.
I am kind of a rudamentory guy that likes slingshots, knives and other toys to keep me occupied, lollllllllllllllllll I like it allllllllllllll:cheers:

[falconpro]

I may have to break the trad muzzleloader rules and mount a compact scope on my Hawkins 50 cal. I love the iron sights, But my eye's are such that in poor lighting, I just can't see the darn sights. Dim hours of the morning, or front lighting looking towards the light, and I can forget about seeing that brass pin up there. I think it's time to mount some optics on it and enjoy my smoke pole.
I just purchased a 10/22 for my daughter on her 13th. bday. Beautiful little carbine, it's actually the only high capacity rifle I have. Needs some trigger work though. Other than that, it appears to be a good quality arm.

[Sam Dunham]

Civil war snipers mounted long tube single optic scopes on their poles and started shooting Officers at long range. Grant started wearing Private stripes because of it! Civil war era is traditional enough. Stick a scope on that puppy and enjoy it. Pooooooooooooommmm! I kind of like the report of a Boom that does not hurt my ears so bad like a crack.:)

[CJ5]

The last words of Union General John Sedgwick...."I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance"

Ooops.......

[DanaC]

CJ5, actually his last word was 'dist...' ;-)

[Sam Dunham]

Just swapped some junk for a Spanish made (older) 1-66 twist ball gun. Hawken type percussion single trigger. Brass hardware and decently made. Gonna make a set of sights and get a load cut/pour some balls etc. I like the poles for sure.:)

[1bjd]

Sam with all your talking about frontloaders I might have to visit the shop and pick up some fixins for that longrifle I got last year!
Thanks for the push I need it! Been too long since I made some meat with a patched roundball!

[Sam Dunham]

I think the ball guns is my calling! lol Just found out about spit patch cleaning and one of buddys hunts with 40 flintlock. I think I'm kind of hooked on this because they are effective hunting tools and fun to boot!:)

[DanaC]

1bjd - this'll push ya over the edge ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9oW0Nk7Dm4