Muzzleloader recommendations

[AZDAVE]

For your stated requirement a TC Encore is what I shoot in a modern ML and would recommend them.

 

[curtism1234]

Also - at this point in the year, I would wait a month or so and see what comes out in 2022

 

[Tra3]

I got in to muzzleloader hunting about 15 years ago as an excuse to have a longer hunting season. Having used a variety of them over the years I can say that I’ve been Most impressed with Knight rifles and CVA. I bought a Knight ultralight and am very pleased with it. I use blackhorn 209 powder and like that I can modify the load more than with pellets. The blackhorn 209 is also much easier to clean. Cleaning is the biggest pain related to muzzleloaders in my opinion.
The Knight ultralight is, in fact, very light. I think it is around 7 lbs with a leupold scope. With a full load of powder it has a stout recoil. For close range deer hunting that isn’t necessary. What I like most about the knight rifle is the safety system, it has a standard safety switch, and also a piece that screws down to stop the pin from firing. It is simple and easy to operate.

@Rickmt what distance will you be shooting? Will you be hunting in Montana? I think the regs don’t allow scopes, but I haven’t checked recently.

 

[lockingblock]

I would like to know what this community would recommend for a new muzzleloader. I haven’t bought one in 20 years . Would be used for whitetail. A scope recommendation would be appreciated as well.

I use a CVA Optima with a basic Leupold 2-7. For the money, it’s superb…durable, reliable, easy to clean. It’s basic…I dislike the molded in plastic sling swivels and the iron sights are marginal. However, it’s well made, perfectly balanced, easy to clean, and as accurate as the shooter.

I strongly recommend using Blackhorn powder and full power 209 primers. You need the Blackhorn adapter but it’s worth it.

if you want to upgrade, the Accura is better…better barrel, tad longer, option of peep sights if u want.

bullets matter a lot…Barnes sabots or Hornady bore riders seem optimal.

buy a lot of cleaning gear. You need it.

 

[TOBY458]

I have a T/C Strike and it's excellent. Easy to clean and very reliable. Much better breach plug design than any others I've seen. Also very accurate.

 

[Bonk]

I have a Remington UML .50 cal. I got it solely to extend my deer hunting season and it's allowed me to put at least one extra deer per year in the freezer. This year I killed an 11pt with it. It's basically a Remington 700 in stainless/laminate. It uses a proprietary ignition system with what looks like a cut down 308 case with a magnum rifle primer in it. You load the powder and projectile like any other muzzle loader and then chamber the primered case just like you would as if it was a center fire rifle. Works really well but, as @Red Leg said, it's slightly more difficult to clean than the break open style rifles.. Remington claims it's a 300yd rifle and maybe it is but I've set a personal limit of around 150 yards. Every time I've pulled the trigger in the field it's put deer in the freezer.

Having said that, if I were starting over with a new ML or getting someone else started I'd go with one of the CVA break open designs. Less expensive, easier to clean, and just as accurate. My buddy has a CVA Wolf he bought new a month or two ago for $179. The stock is flimsy as hell but it's very accurate and a perfectly adequate ML for killing deer. My UML is a really nice rifle but I think I'd be just as happy with a simple basic CVA model.

 

[leslie hetrick]

to me our late flintlock deer season is a time to match wits with a deer, by stalking and trying to get close enough for quick kill shot. to me the hunt is just as important as the kill, as is knowing your rifle and how to make it dependable in the different weather conditions you will find in the woods. if its just about meat a inline may be for you,but not me.

 

[Rickmt]

The distance would be out to 125-150. Thanx everybody for your advice

 

[Bonk]

to me our late flintlock deer season is a time to match wits with a deer, by stalking and trying to get close enough for quick kill shot. to me the hunt is just as important as the kill, as is knowing your rifle and how to make it dependable in the different weather conditions you will find in the woods. if its just about meat a inline may be for you,but not me.

\View attachment 443637

Is that an inline or flintlock 4Wheeler?

 

[Hogpatrol]

Is that an inline or flintlock 4Wheeler?

A juxtaposition of methods, using a flintlock, then hauling it out with a four wheeler.

 

[deewayne2003]

Latest and greatest at moderate price

As someone who has hunted with a lot of modern make and models …..

I stuck with the T/C Triumph stainless & Nikon 3-9x50 BDC; firing 250gr Barnes T-EZ bullets, 150gr of IMR white hot pellets & Remington Kleenbore primers.

Killed a 240lbs buck & 4 doe with it this year and lost count how many I’ve killed with over the years.

if you wanted to step up in price; then go with the T/C Encore.

Use Barnes bullets though…. Most of the other muzzle loader bullets are just glorified pistol bullets with a sabot.

 

[Woodcarver]

Quite a bit is going to depend on the states regulations on where you plan to hunt. While some allow smokeless powder most do not.

I have a few muzzle loaders. I have a side lock Thompson Center Renegade .54, but it would just look out of place with a scope on it. I also have a Thompson Center Triumph .50 that I use to hunt here in Colorado. It is tapped for a scope mount but here in Colorado we can not use a scope on a muzzle loader during the muzzle loader hunts, nor can we use sabots or pellet powder. Only black powder or its substitute. I also have a CVA Accura V2 that has a scope on it which is very accurate. However I only use that rifle in Utah during the muzzle loader hunt where scopes and sabots are allowed.

On powder I find that I can get a lot better accuracy using loose powder as compared to those pellets.

Along that line, some states, like CO, don't allow the use of sabots or pelletized powder or scopes during muzzle loader season, but used during regular rifle seasons, perfectly legal to use all of the above.

+1 on the TC Triumph. Mine has Leupold QR base for an old Redfield 4x scope when I'm hunting in KS. Fixed sights available for use here at home. Took a nice CO muley with a drop tine in the backyard this year at 60yards.
120gr of Triple 7 with a Powerbelt 245gr bullet. Shoots 1.5"-2" off the sticks at 100yards. Around 4"-5" at 200 yards; a little better with the scope. That's as far as I've tried shooting it so far. This load chronies at 2150fps.

 

[NDWoods]

Current combo: CVA Wolf with Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x
Approximate cost for both was $400
If I had to do it over again I would move up to CVA Optima or Accura and scope with better glass. I grossly underestimated how much fun and how effective it would be.

My 18 year old son and I got into muzzle loading this year after waiting for technology to catch up to what we were willing to accept/tolerate. I will accept being called lazy, but the bottom line is that we just did not see joy in the maintenance they required until we found the combination we use.
What did it for us is an inline with 209 primer ignition, Blackhorn 209 powder, and Barnes bullets.
We can shoot this combo over and over again maintaining great accuracy, and the bullet still seats without requiring a gorilla (me) to jam it down the barrel. My friends that would invite me to shoot their rifles with pellets and saboted bullets were happy to get off a few shots without having to clean. We can fire 20 shots and still seat the bullet easily on shot #21 because of the bullet and powder combination we use.

In our journey and research it got interesting with break action and 209 ignition (we chose CVA), then got more interesting without the plastic build up of sabot bullets (Powerbelt then Barnes was even better), and became a game changer when we discovered Blackhorn 209 powder.

This is our first full year using it, so I absolutely do not claim to be an expert. The CVA is just the brand we chose, and the trigger (already mentioned) and accuracy exceeded our expectations. It blows my mind what we are doing with a setup costing less than $400.

No matter what make/model of 209 ignition break barrel you choose, I strongly recommend getting away from saboted bullets due to the plastic build up they cause (not to mention performance), and recommend Blackhorn 209 powder as the biggest game changer. I was impressed with White Hots pellets and could accept those, but the Blackhorn 209 powder made me wish we had a few years head start on our muzzle loader adventure. It is so much easier to clean and you can go so much longer without having to clean when you are trying to enjoy yourself on the range.

Our first score was a nice wild boar at night. We hunt pigs at night all year so I chose Burris with illuminated reticle. At the time I did not know how much fun we would be having so I was trying to keep cost down. As always, get the best optic you can reasonable afford/justify.

It was a lot of trial and error on our part but we are now hooked and having a blast together with our CVA. I will be buying an Accura this year and will top it with a Vortex scope of some flavor. We now also have two of the CVA Optima 50 cal pistols and they are crazy fun. We hope to score a pig or deer with the pistol over the next two days.

I sure hope that helps give you a head start!

 

[leslie hetrick]

at 78 its very hard for me to drag a deer 1/2 a mile, the wheeler gets me in and out with out a heart attack, i did drag many deer out in my younger days. i park the wheeler and walk on the hunt, if i get a deer i walk back to the wheeler and go load it up for the trip out.

 

[Hogpatrol]

at 78 its very hard for me to drag a deer 1/2 a mile, the wheeler gets me in and out with out a heart attack, i did drag many deer out in my younger days. i park the wheeler and walk on the hunt, if i get a deer i walk back to the wheeler and go load it up for the trip out.

I hear you on that! My dragging days are long gone. I shoot them in fields or open areas. If I can't back up the truck to it, or drag them out with the ATV, I'm not shooting.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Randy Wakeman has tested, hunted and written extensively on muzzleloaders. He even has several Youtube videos out there now.

A 2017 article on the 3 best muzzleloaders: https://randywakeman.com/TheThreeBestMuzzleloadersYouCanBuyToday.htm

RANDY WAKEMAN OUTDOORS: Inline Muzzleloading

Randy Wakeman Outdoors is the independent resource for candid, hard-hitting firearms information, evaluations, and opinions.

randywakeman.com

RANDY WAKEMAN OUTDOORS: Muzzleloading Propellants, Sabots, Bullets

Randy Wakeman Outdoors is the independent resource for candid, hard-hitting firearms information, evaluations, and opinions.

randywakeman.com

Savage https://randywakeman.com/savage3.htm

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were some serious safety issues and litigation with CVA.

RANDY WAKEMAN OUTDOORS

randywakeman.com

 

[WAB]

Who are the best makers of traditional muzzleloaders today? I’m thinking of custom guns, not production guns.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Before I went smokeless, I shot a Thompson Center Omega using Barnes 250s and Triple 7 pellets. Killed a lot of deer with it and would recommend that brand to those looking to shoot a black powder substitute rifle.

 

[Mountaineer]

I have a Knight Disc Extreme and love it. Had several others before, but after I got the knight I sold all the rest. If you are in a state that requires open sights , Williams makes a nice peep sight for it.

 

[Dirtdart]

Who are the best makers of traditional muzzleloaders today? I’m thinking of custom guns, not production guns.

The MuzzleBlasts magazine published by the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association would be a good place to start. The NMLRA is a great pro-second amendment organization.