Muzzle loader advise.

ron hilchey

ron hilchey

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Pugwash
DNR opened a new muzzle loading season in my area.
I shoot F-class, service rifle, and IPSC, and although I know nothing about muzzle loaders I m not new to shooting.

In your experience, what should I be looking for as my first muzzle loader? I understand the buy once, cry once principal.
What are realistic accuracy goals?

I want to shoot deer, probably from stand out to 150M or so.

I see a site sponsor is selling CVA Wolf guns for about $200.

Thanks.
Ron.
 
I think it depends on your sight set up primarily and your own shooting abilities. Those traditional buckorns that are often mounted are about 100 meters absolute maximum range for my own eyes, with a deer standing broadside and perfectly still IMO. But that's just me. Others could probably do better than myself.
 
"...know nothing about muzzle loaders..." First thing is that BP is loaded in grains by volume, not the weight. Still trying to get my head around that.
Buy a copy of Lyman's BP Handbook and Reloading Guide. About $30 in your local shop or Amazon. Good read.
"...out to 150M..." Depends on the rifle and its load. Doable with a scoped in-line ML and a sabotted bullet though. Ballistics tables are on-line. Hodgdon's ML BT is here. http://www.hodgdon.com/ml-warning.html
 
Do yourself a favour and stay away from the potmetal made CVA guns (Google Randy Wakemans reviews on these). I have had a bunch over the years and the best bag for the buck would be one of the Knight rifles. The Bighorn or the Wolverine model would not break the bank and would outlast you. Get yourself some Blackhorn 209 and some 250gr Hornady SST and work up some loads . Try and keep the Max load at 100 gr or the recoil will be brutal. Anywhere between 90-100 gr will easily get you out to 150 yds. Good luck and go make some smoke.
Regards
 
Thanks guys.
Bought a used Traditions Lightning Bolt from the EE. I guess that it's not very pretty, but will give me chance to ply a bit before next season.

I will certainly purchase the reloading guide.

Thinking 250 g Hornady sst ( come with the gun) and 80-100 grains of pellets to start?
 
CVA makes great guns. I have been shooting the Accura V2 and it's a pleasure to shoot. Don't let the old regurgitated stories mislead you. Try before you buy if possible, lots of great ML out there, one will be right for you.
 
Depends on how good of a shot U are with primitive iron sights and or how much trigger time U are willing to put in on the range. If yur a good shooter I would recommend a Lyman Great Plains Rifle either in cap lock, flint lock, in 54 caliber. U can have yur choice of a bullet shooter (Hawken Great Plains Hunter) or a PRB in a Hawken Great Plains rifle gun. The above two smoke poles are of course not modern in lines with the likes of fancy scopes and such. They are what our ancestors settled the west with and went out into the great plains to hunt grizz, Buffalo and other critters. When yur hunten with one of these rifles you have more of an appreciation of history. When U master them with competent shooting there is a great feeling of satisfaction.
 
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