Traditional muzzleloaders

[dbpredator]

I've recently really been looking at a traditional muzzleloaders and thinking of getting one in the near future. Anybody still hunt with one? Feel free to post up pictures of yours and kills as well. Which ones a good starting rifle? Flintlock or percussion cap?

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[hpdrifter]

I target shoot and just for fun with my traditional. Got 4 of them.Used to hunt with them. Last time was about 2 years ago. I've had poor luck with "left over" charges. They seem to go "plunk" when fired the next day. I use real black powder so I don't care for shooting one shot and having to go thru 30 minutes of cleaning for 1 shot, especially at deer camp. I don't see enough deer to take chance on a squib.

I switch to in line just this year for that reason. Still use black powder and iron sights...at least semi-traditional. At the end of the day, remove breech plug and empty charge. Refresh next use.

Myself, I would start with Lymans Great Plains rifle, but cheaper "Hawken" replicas would probably work fine.
I would also start percussion, but if really interested, investigate which rifles might have interchangeable flint locks.

PS don't let anybody tell you Pyrodex isn't corrosive.

[flywise]

I have a Hawken. I shoot it from time to time and really have fun with it. Actually never shot a deer with it but practiced with it a lot a few years ago because we got drawn in NM for a quality traditional mule deer hunt. Missed a big buck because i misjudged the distance in the fog. I dont use it much not because my eyes have gotten worse and its hard to see the iron sights. Get one, you will enjoy it

[Phillip Fields]

This thread has some really good info on traditional muzzleloaders:

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=665325&highlight=plains

[Geezy Rider]

I have two. A TC Renegade in .50 cal , sorry, no pic.
Also, a Lyman Trade Rifle in .54 cal.

I use the TC for maxi balls and the Lyman for patched round balls.
I love hunting with them.



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[tvc184]

I've recently really been looking at a traditional muzzleloaders and thinking of getting one in the near future. Anybody still hunt with one? Feel free to post up pictures of yours and kills as well. Which ones a good starting rifle? Flintlock or percussion cap?

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I would not use a flintlock to hunt. I have had a few of both percussion cap and flintlock rifles and handguns and hunted many times with a percussion. Unfortunately I lost all of them in a house fire several years ago.

But…

Flintlocks are fun to shoot but it bothers me having that flash near my face and also it seems to me to have a little lag time between the time the flint falls and the round is discharged. It is not a long time like maybe a quarter or half a second but I can tell it is not nearly so instant. A cap and ball/percussion cap acts much more like a modern firearm. I do not ever recall having a misfire with a cap although certainly possible but have had some with a flintlock.

The flintlock is a great thing to experience but it adds another element of difficulty in my opinion. If I was shooting for fun, flintlock would be great. If I was trying to kill a deer, the cap would be better.

[Phillip Fields]

My .54 Lyman Great Plains Rifle ready to go.

With my Lyman Great Plains Rifle I have taken several deer at 100+ yards shooting a patched round ball. My load is a .530 round ball, patched with .015 pillow ticking lubed with Thompson Bore-Butter, 110 grains FFg black powder, and a CCI #11 percussion cap. I did change the open sight to a peep sight.

If you decide to go traditional decide what bullet you want to use. If patched round ball choose a rifle with a twist rate around 1" in 60". If you want to use a sabot or an elongated bullet opt for a twist around 1" in 28". A lot of modern traditional muzzle loaders were built with 1" in 48" twist which will do a fair job of shooting either patched round ball or elongated bullets.

For deer/pigs I would choose a .50 if I was going to use sabots or elongated bullets. If I was going to use patched round balls I would opt for .54, a .50 will cleanly take deer size game with a round ball but I prefer the extra weight of a .54 (230 grains) round ball over a .50 (175 grains).

[dbpredator]

Thanks for the info so far everyone. Sounds like a percussion cap is the way to go. I'd like one that would shoot round balls for sure. Will be doing more research and hopefully can get one and be ready to hunt by next season.

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[Briar Friar]

My .54 Lyman Great Plains Rifle ready to go.
I did change the open sight to a peep sight.

I need to do this. Buckhorn sights suck.
Im about a 8moa at 100 with the Lyman GPR buckhorn sight.

Ive only got one kill. It was on a doe that blew me all last year… but…
I smoked her!…come muzzleloader.

[30-30]

Love my Hawken. Killed several pigs with it but I need to get after a deer with it this year. I shoot it well enough out to ~80 yards.