muzzleloader season

Hey, whoes all ready for the muzzleloader season? I have a 50 cal. Hawkins I just got sighted in the other day. Touching holes at 50 yards so its good enough. Any traditional gun shooters in here or anyone have an inline? 8)
I like open sights more then scopes, I have a terrible time trying to hit a running deer with a scoped rifle unless it has open sights.

Redtail

Hi Redtail I have the same rifle and love the accuracy. i limit my shots to about 50 yards & have great success Pa season starts soon & I'm ready Most of my hunting is in the woods so I don't need a scope & we use flint in PA so it makes it even more fun! Have a good season John

There was a beautiful 20 point buck shot with a muzzleloader near New York Mills, Minnesota on the 8th of December. I tried to paste the address but it won't take it for some reason. Will probably be some sort of record.

I have a Hawken I built also. It is very accurate. Just a bitch to carry when elk hunting.....HEAVY. I bought an T/C Omega last summer for my next muzzleloader elk hunt. I wasn't to keen on getting an inline but after carrying a sidelock for the last two years in the snow and rain I changed my mind.

In the Hawken I had excellent results with Maxi-balls. The Omega shoots sabots very good but can't use them in Colorado. I shot a few Powerbelts through and they seem to shoot very good also.

Try a peep sight for the running deer. I never really cared for a peep until I was in the military and got on the Marksmanship team. Once you get used to a peep they are very fast and accurate.

Keith

Nice. 20 pointers make some pretty wall mounts. Be nice to have one..lol. I have only used roundballs, as accurate as they are out of my hawkens I never bothered to try the other ammunition.
Last year I shot an 8 point buck at 100 yards running. It was a quartering away shot. the ball struck him in the middle of the waist, went through the heart/ lung area and stopped on the left side of the neck. Thats the only time I have ever dropped a deer in its tracks.
When I first learned to hunt, I had a peep sight on a 22. I was able to hit empyt shotgun shells at 50 yards. The scope is on a 6mm rifle, rather not touch it. I think what makes the difference is a greater area of sight where its much smaller when you are looking through a scope.

What comparisons do you have on the maxi-balls and sabots compared to the roundballs such as the trajectory and powder amount you are using?
I am using only 80 grains of powder. I have used 90 and 100 but the only thing I notice is more smoke out the end of the barrel.
I haven't had a poblem with my sidelock, it has never misfired. But what I have done is instead of using the number 11 primer I switched to the musket cap. A much larger spark results in a good clean fire.
I've had too much crap with the number 11 cap.
If I could get a flint, I would but I dont have the money right now for one. Get that in a hawkens, that would be incredible.

Redtail

Hi guys.

I'm no expert, but I've been reading alot of info lately.

conicals versus round ball:

Obviously a conical will weigh more than a round ball of the same caliber. Maybe a LOT more, depending on the conical bullet design.....and will take more powder to get the same velocities.

From my reading, rifling twists faster than 1 turn in 66 inches are usually reserved for conicals, some twisting as fast as 1 in 24 inches for really long projectiles. Some rifling for round balls is as slow as 1 in 104 inches (Pacific Rifle's "Zephyr" http://www.pacificrifle.com/intro.htm )Maybe someone more experienced will chime in here on that topic.

Redtail, you probably already know that you can retrofit a flint lock onto some percussion lock sideplates and switch them out at will, depending on lock and rifle brand. If you didn't know, just do a search and you'll find tons of info.

Also, I asked for opinions on muzzleloading a while back and got a good response from plenty SC.org members. Lots of info. at that thread.

Hopefully this thread will start up the 'talk' again. DAVE

Hey Dave,

Yeah I just saw the thread yesterday as I scrolled down alittle. Didn't see it the first time, looks like alot of good information.

Sorry but my Hawken is .54 cal so the loads would be different. I also don't have any of my load data here in Hawaii with me. But I do remember that the Maxi-balls were very accurate and better than the round balls. I believe the twist in My Hawken is 1:48.
As for the Omega, it is .50 cal but I haven't shot it enough to get a lot of info on loads yet. I was having excellent results with 110gr. Pyrodex with Sabots. I think they were 300gr Hornandy XTP.
Keith

congrats on your new gun have some fun and bust some caps, however, in my opinion, the reason for shooting blackpowder is like traditional bowhunting, it not about the kill, how fast it shoots etc... its the reason your hunting or shooting. Black powder smells like rotten eggs and tastes just as bad but hay its black powder. as far as sabolts verses maxi balls well it ain't traditional. no offence to anybody but in this day of bigger faster sometimes we just need the basics. just a thought.

Keith,
I really like Hornady. They makes some nice loads. Hornady is what I use with my roundballs and for varmit hunting.

jobadias,
I've had the gun for alittle while but had to get it sighted in again for deer.
You know how summer comes and you get bored and kinda want to tinkle around with shooting distances, powder charges and such. By the time hunting season comes everything is screwed up..lol Some might frown at messing with a gun when its already sighted in but just something to mess around with.
I love traditional hunting, I just got a kodiak recurve, so that is new. I haven't shot it yet. Looking forward to hunting with it. I have a fred bear trek compound bow I need to get rid of if anyone is interested in it. 70 lb drawback. I like to use the heavier poundage bows but it can be adjusted to your fit.

Adias, exactly how I see it and why I hunt with them. Their really nice but its like shooting a high powered rifle and I just like the little extra challenge in the traditonal weapons. Nothing wrong with any of them and each guy has his own style. 8)
But I have thought of trying the other loads out for kicks, just to see how they perform.