Shotgun vs Muzzle loader in Ontario
- Thread starter Ted
- Start date
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
muzzleloader will open a few more seasons for you over the shotgun, take a look at the seasons and dates in the areas that you plan to hunt and see if the muzzy will get you hunting more
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Depends where you are.
Personally I would go with the shotgun. Nothing worse than a bad shot or miss and not being able to take a second.
And before the "don't take a bad shot" guys come around it happens. Give it a rest!
Personally I would go with the shotgun. Nothing worse than a bad shot or miss and not being able to take a second.
And before the "don't take a bad shot" guys come around it happens. Give it a rest!
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
I assume you mean the small part of Ontario wher no rifles are allowed for big game.
The 12 gauge makes good sense if weather is an issue; otherwise, the inline muzzleloader is accurate, fun, and may give you more time afield and more areas to hunt.
The 12 gauge makes good sense if weather is an issue; otherwise, the inline muzzleloader is accurate, fun, and may give you more time afield and more areas to hunt.
If you are part of a gang that is pushing I would get the slug gun. Slug guns kick. When I mean kick man they kick. However if you find the right slug you can get 1 inch groups at 100. I have a slug gun (actually 2) and a smoke pole. The ml is pretty fun and if you are hunting by your self sitting on stand I prefer the muzzleloader. I am hunting the same wmu and still have decided what I going to use. The mossberg 930 combo is a real great option. Slug barrel and bird barrel. Picked up my at ellwood epps for 600 taxes and shipping in. Sabots slugs cost $3 a shot. However you can try challenger slugs which are cheaper and work with a slug barrel. I also a CVA Optima and this gun shoots easily 1 inch groups with no work. I may take both and switch it up. For the long shots I prefer the smoke pole. It really depends how you plan to hunt. Both have pro`s and cons. The combo deals are hard to beat.
That is too bad about no bears in the area. I like the idea of being able to have both but will likely only purchase one this year. I might have to also sell one of my guns to buy a 270 for the zones that are limited to that caliber. I plan on checking out Epps soon. I have been looking at a Mossberg 500 combo for a shotgun but nothing really firmed up for a muzzle loader.
I have the 535 which is the 500 for 3.5 and I have the 930. Get the 930. The semi auto's recoil is much lighter than the 535. I took a bear with it and didn't feel much recoil. You may also want to consider a 20 gauge is you are using slugs. 350 gr lymans do a real nice job.
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Just pay attention to the restrictions for game seasons.
The .270 restriction is a discharge restriction, and doesn't necessarily mean you can hunt deer with it.
The regs are absolutely retarded here in Ontario.
I can hunt coyotes with a .243 but on the same property I can't hunt deer with anything but a crossbow, shotgun, or muzzle loader.
Pretty funny considering the 270 and 243 are such flat shooting cartidges, but a 30-30 or 44 mag is somehow illegal to shoot!
Another case of a bunch of ignorant beurocrats being responsible for laws they have no understanding of.
i have been waiting for T C to build a double barrel shot gun just for slugs . good sights and nice and short . make the perfect slug gun fo us southern boys that push bushes to groups of watchers . just like an express rifle . but in 12g oreven a 20g . mayby one day DUTCH
We hunt deer in WMU 87 (Guelph) which has shotgun or ML season, in addition to the archery season. I use a 870 Express, scoped, with a fully rifled barrel. To reduce recoil I have added a Decelerator recoil pad and lead weights to the stock (we hunt from tree stands so weight is not really an issue). This works reasonably well. As others have suggested, Challenger slugs shoot well, especially for practice. I sight my gun with Challengers and then fine tune with the more expensive Lightfield Hybred sabots. This works for me but sitting in the gun safe is an unfired Thompson Renegade 54 calibre ML- maybe one of these years, but the access to a quick second shot (never yet needed) keeps me picking the 870.
Yeah looks like |I will have some reading to do here to catch up on all the issues. I wonder who came up with the 270 under bore rule for coyotes etc. What happens if you are hunting wolf and deer....
Why 20 over a 12 ga - are you thinking for recoil? The only time it would be really noticeable is sighting in. I find I don't really ever notice when shooting at game. Hunted with 338 win mag and 45/70 so should be fine. And of have fired slugs off in my 12 ga. Will think about the 930 - have heard there are feeding issues with the 535.
Why 20 over a 12 ga - are you thinking for recoil? The only time it would be really noticeable is sighting in. I find I don't really ever notice when shooting at game. Hunted with 338 win mag and 45/70 so should be fine. And of have fired slugs off in my 12 ga. Will think about the 930 - have heard there are feeding issues with the 535.
pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
A semi auto would give you a lot less felt recoil...and it's a repeater. I'd go with the shotgun unless there's seasons in Ontario for primitive weapons...
The 835 probably sold. If you put wtb ad you will probably get a response. Guns on the ee go on all the time. Just know what you are looking. If you are just looking for a dedicated semi the mossberg 935 combo deals (turkey and deer) are also not a bad deal. Just depends what you budget is. Used is always cheaper. Good luck. I have a mossberg 535 as my dedicated slug gun with a 4x scope and it shoots just fine for me.
