Starting out.

[rem338win]

Well i beleive that the time has come for a change in my hunting habits. I have taken big game with a bow, rifle, Shotgun and rimfire (don't go there).
It si time that I tried a smoke pole.
I am not overly concerned about such things as 'traditonal' or modern, I just want to get into the sport at under $500 with open sight only. If I wanted to shoot far enough away that a scope was necessary, I'd use my 338 or 270. I can hit 12" paper plates with an open sighted 303 10 for 10 at 125yds and would like to use this smoke pole for that distance two. That gun is 3 MOA at the best of times.
I would like some guidance on reliable guns, bullets (i want one bullet from deer to moose), powder, etc. And I prefer peeps over open.

 

[snowshoe]

It sounds like you want a challange, so I will recommend a traditional style rifle in .54, and use round balls. Lyman or T/C are good guns for the money. I just got a new Lyman Trade rifle in .54 this past winter from Wholesale Sports for under $400, and there are lots of good used rifles to be had too. The round ball from a .54 is big medicine for deer and plenty for moose too, as long as you get close enough.

 

[fester]

It sounds like you want a challange, so I will recommend a traditional style rifle in .54, and use round balls. Lyman or T/C are good guns for the money. I just got a new Lyman Trade rifle in .54 this past winter from Wholesale Sports for under $400, and there are lots of good used rifles to be had too. The round ball from a .54 is big medicine for deer and plenty for moose too, as long as you get close enough.

I secind that motion I have a 50 cal T/C Hawken. I have yet to take an animal but it will happen.
It is so much fun at the range.

 

[Alias]

I'd also recommend a Lyman Trade Rifle, but instead of .54 using the round ball, I'd get .50 cal and I'd use the 405 grain Powerbelt. I've used these in both 1:28 twist and 1:48 twist guns and the actually shoot best in the 1:48 twist. Using 90 gr blackpowder, you can expect 2" 5-shot groups @ 100 yds.
if you install a rear peep sight. After that you'll need to clean between shots.

In the same type gun (Hawken .50 cal) I've tried all the commonly available conicals:
- buffalo
- Maxiball
- Maxihunter
And every sabot I can find - nothing comes close. Don't buy the lighter powerbelts - they shoot as bad as the sabots & other conicals. Use real blackpowder - no hangfires like the substitutes. Clean you gun after every shooting session.

 

[rem338win]

Is WSS selling the Lyman Trade Rifles for $400 new? The .50 sounds good. The whole patch and wasp nest things sounds too tinkery. Then again I used to deburr all the falshholes for my hunting ammo reloads, so no excuse. Any recommendations for auxillary equipment; ramrod, bullets starter, powder measure, etc.

 

[gunasauras]

I have a 50 cal T/C Renegade......deadly accurate with both patched round ball or maxi hunters.....I cast them myself....

 

[fester]

Is WSS selling the Lyman Trade Rifles for $400 new? The .50 sounds good. The whole patch and wasp nest things sounds too tinkery. Then again I used to deburr all the falshholes for my hunting ammo reloads, so no excuse. Any recommendations for auxillary equipment; ramrod, bullets starter, powder measure, etc.

All the gear is pretty cheap at Sirmailorder. I bought most of mine there to start and then have built a few range rods and a fancy starter for fun.

 

[snowshoe]

I think my Trade rifle was $339. If you do a search on WSS for "Trade rifle", it should come up. You will need a powder measure, a good cleaning rod, short starter, capper [T/C "star 7"] etc. A few speed loaders are handy to carry extra loads in the field. I like shooting patched balls, because they work so well, and I find clean up a lot faster at the end of the day. A .54 is the way to go if you shoot balls, but if you want to shoot bullets, the .50 has a lot more to choose from. WSS also has the Lyman Deerstalker for around the same price. I have one in .50 and think it is a great hunting rifle. With it's 24" barrel, it fits more like a good shotgun. Good luck choosing whatever you get.

 

[Alias]

Here's a thing that I do to my muzzleloader but do not recommend any others try:

The breechplugs from the factory are usually very tightly fastened. I remove them (not easily done & usually marks up the barrel a bit) then slightly file the end of the barrel so I can replace it finger tight (aligning the barrel flats).

This way if you forget to load powder or do not shoot your gun, you can unload it at the end of the day & not have to shoot (& clean) the gun at the end of every day.

Of course I put the pink threadsealing tape on the threads, or else I can't easily unscrew it after firing.

This is similar to what the inline rifles do but do not need tools

 

[Hotwheels81]

i STRONGLY recommend a delrin ram-rod..... the hardwood that came with my hawkin got safely packed away after the first time i had to pull a ball.

the TC's are hogged out on the end so a .015 patched .490 ball does NOT need a ball starter and i have loaded alot of maxi ball without (seem's to fit real loose) and GP conical's are easy to load as well.
but keeping it under $500 you maybe hard pressed to get TC and all your goodie's.

are you going cap lock or flint?

my possible's bag is dead simple...

pill bottle with a cleaning brush, patch worm, ball puller, q-tip's
small container of pre soaked cleaning patches
pre-lubed patches
adjustable TC powder measure
TC clearview powder flask
pan primer
round ball's and/or maxi/GP conical's

i also have my ramrod trimmed down so it fit's flush with the barrel with my jag on the end of it.

 

[Republiman]

I've got a Lyman Deerstalker in .50 flintlock that cost about $450 to order a local gun shop. Great gun. It's got a fast ignition time with FFFF if you keep the vent clean (and the pan dry for that matter,) a carbine, and unlike many of the fancy muzzleloaders out there it doesn't have any brass so it reduces the shine. The short barrel and low glare make it ideal for hunting. It also has a rubber recoil pad so you hardly know you're shooting a .50. It comes with an open sight but I think Lyman makes a couple different optional sites that you can buy for their muzzleloaders. I use a .490 roundball with prelubed patch and 110grains of FF and it shoots consistently as long as you keep the barrel clean.

Whatever you do with your muzzleloader, don't make the same mistake I made the first time cleaning it by jamming a wire brush down there with a bunch of fowling. It jams up and I spent the entire morning and afternoon trying to pour hot water and soap through the tiny little exposed area around the jammed ramrod. I would've just ended up throwing out the brand new barrel had it not been for a bit of advice from this forum.

 

[mooncoon]

If you twist the brush as you pull back, it will come out. My standard method of cleaning is with a 20-28 guage bronze brush plus hot water in .50 and .54 cal rifles. After a few cleanings the brush gets crushed enough they will come back without twisting.

cheers mooncoon