No More Muzzleloading

[nygunguy]

Here's my story -

I snuck out for an afternoon of deer hunting and before I even got going I walked into a hay field and saw five deer feeding. Three of them were nice doe so I decided I'd take one of them.

Well, I got within 200 yards of them and ran out of hay bales to duck behind so I set up and waited for a good shot at one of the big doe. Finally, she gave me a good broadside and I put the crosshairs just above her back and squeezed. All I got was a click. Apparently you can get a primer in a Knight Disc Extreme without fully cocking it, or the primer wasn't seated proplerly. Anyway, I took my eyes off the deer and futzed around with the primer for only about 30 seconds. I pulled up (once again) and shot the deer that was standing right where the big doe was. Too bad I didn't stop to reevaluate the situation because when the smoke cleared there were still 3 big doe standing there and it looked like a small one picking itself off of the ground, running about 20 yards, and dropping. When I got to the deer it was a small button buck.

Other than the misfire the Knight .50 cal performed as advertised. I sighted in at 150 yards and with 150 grains of Pyrodex and a 240gr TC sabot it dropped about 8 inches at 200 yards. Impressive.

However, I'm going back to my .44 mag and my bow. Shooting a deer at 200 yards just didn't seem like hunting. Heck, when I shot the rest of the deer stuck their heads up for a few seconds and then went back to feeding. If I had used my .44 I may not have gotten a deer but I'd have had a great time trying the stalk. If I had gotten close enough to shoot I'd have a nice big doe instead of that little button.

The little part doesn't bother too much because they eat very well. Its the buck part that really bothers me. I usually take a little doe at the end of the season, but its way too early for that now.

From now on the ML is a last ditch, last day venison gun. I'm going hunting with the .44 and my bow until then.

 

[mousecat33]

cant say I blame you, you'll get over the buck after the next bow/pistol kill.
not a ml owner nor an enthusiast. no offense to others, just not my game.
ain't nothin' like stalkin' prey....

Regards from TX
mc

 

[Delmar]

You can stalk with any of the weapons you listed-wouldn't take it out on the ML because you didn't stalk closer?

 

[Old Fuff]

Part of the reason for special muzzle-loading seasons is because the limitations imposed by the firearm require one to stalk the game, just as the original owners had to. As a general rule I would limit a shot with a traditional muzzleloader to 150 yards or less - preferably less.

And while I am a good handgun shot I would hesitate to shoot at any big game over 100 yards away if using a conventional .44 Magnum revolver with iron sights.

There is too high a probability that wounded game will get away, and we have enough trouble with anti-hunting/anti-gun advocates as it is without giving then anything more to complain about.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Rather than giving up muzzleloading, why not go traditional?

I think you'll find that there's a world of difference between inlines and a flintlock shooting roundballs.

 

[Dr.Rob]

200 yards with a smoke pole is pretty impressive.

However, while in-line rifles are legal here, optics, sabots and pelletized powder is not.

Last time I looked at a deer at 100 yards with my TC Hawken .54.. I was pretty sure I could hit her.. somewhere in the front half of her body... the front sight kind of covered what I was trying to aim at.

Thats a long way with crude sights.

 

[nygunguy]

Dave - I have considered it. I was talking with a frontier re-enacter at Fort Niagara this past Summer and he was filling me in on the round ball stuff. I just may do that.

Here in NYS we can set up a muzzle loader any way we want. Mine has a 3-9x variable scope. I know lots of guys that sight in at 250 yards.

The sort of goofy thing is that we can't use rifles at all in the Southern Tier. A single shot .30-30 with open sights is illegal but the decked out ML is just fine. I guess it goes to show how well our "leaders" inform themselves before they vote.

BTW - Those .50 Cal HP's really make a hole!

 

[RCL]

NYgunguy, I went back to a more traditional aproach myself this year. I've hunted with a Knight T-Bolt the last couple of years, the whole pellet and sabot thing, and it's kind of lost it's luster. About a month ago I picked up a used T/C .54 cal. caplock (New Englander), I'm loading it with Hornady Great Plains bullets over a stout charge of 2F black. Dropped a doe in her tracks opening day down in the Tier, about a 60 yard shot.
I've done a lot of round ball shooting, and if you were to go that route, you might want to consider a larger caliber like a .54 for the heavier projectile weight (175 grains vs 235 grains). Or stick with a .50 and shoot conicals like the GPB or T/C Maxi-Hunter.
Fort Niagara is a great place, I live about 15 minutes from there. Had a distant relative stationed there in the early 1800's.

 

[kentucky bucky]

Get yourself a flintlock ML and tell me how easy it is. No offence, but I just don't consider an inline a muzzleloader the same as I do a traditional muzzleloader. If you are hunting with a muzzleloader for a challenge, why does a person get the most modern inline with a 3x9 scope and modern ignition? With a roundball gun, 80 yards is a long shot and 60 yards is more realistic for a clean kill. Use a .54 caliber and it will drop them with NO trouble with moderate loads. Don't give up, try some REAL muzzleload hunting.

 

[smokemaker]

I agree that there is a definite difference between inlines and roundball guns, and I hunt with both. a long shot with my Great Plains Rifle in .54 isn't even at the top of the arc shooting the Omega. (The latter rifle is set up for 200 yards) I don't take the Omega out if I'm in the woods, just my GPR or sometimes my rifle-musket. The inline comes out in the rain or snow, or if I have a rare chance to sit on the edge of a field. BTW, 75 yards is as long a distance with a round ball gun as 200 yards is with a scoped "magnum" ML. Oh, and RCL, good show with the cap gun. I've seen 13 deer so far but haven't gotten a worthwhile shooting chance yet. All too far away for the GPR, but in range for the Omega, ironically. Has the weather been awful for deer hunting, or what? I mean, I like it warm, but it makes for crap hunting.

Shoot straight y'all

 

[nygunguy]

Sound like I REALLY, REALLY need to get a new gun. I've been thinking about a true musket for some time now and you folks have just about put me over the edge. Now all I need is help convincing my wife that she needs a musket for Christmas.

Nice to hear from the WNY 'ers. How about this deer huntin' weather! Nothing like fog, rain and heat in November.

 

[keano44]

I fail to see how you can blame the gun here. You don't have to use three pellets, and you don't have to use a scope. Just by limiting (challenging) yourself to two pellets and open sights would bring your experience a lot closer to what you are thinking of trying. (You can still get the musket if you want one, of course) You can also limit yourself to whatever range you choose, like you would with your archery equipment, or .44 mag.
Look at it this way, the problem (fail to fire) you had was a typical traditional muzzleloader problem. Even with the highly modern Knight DISK, you still had the same age-old problem the old timers have always had. You were able to overcome the problem, and still get venison on the ground. So, you got a bit shook-up when the gun didn't fire, and hurriedly took your shot, instead of re-evaluating the situation. I think a FTF situation would shake-up most hunters, when you're trying to put meat on the ground. I have often mistaken button bucks, and even small spikes, for does on either sex days. They were legal to shoot, but when you think you shot a nice doe, and recover a small buck, it makes you realize that its not so easy to distinguish them, on the hoof, under hunting conditions.
On the lease I am in now, I have to do a better job of picking my shots. Only mature does are allowed on either sex days, and only 8-points or better for bucks. No button bucks, young bucks, or yearling does are allowed.

 

[smokemaker]

nygunguy,
when you say true musket, do you mean smoothbore .69-.75 cal?? May I suggest a rifle-musket, like an enfield or zouave, or maybe a springfield. They are rugged, accurate, and just plain cool to shoot. I only stoke my .58 with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and a 500 grain minie ball. I'm only doing about 1,000 fps, but 500 grains is a lot of smack out to 100 yards. Plus you have a few more choices in bullet weights and styles over a round ball. Remember Col. Townsend Whelen's statement "Only accurate guns are interesting." I did the smoothbore shotgun thing with slugs for a while, and gave it up as soon as ithaca came out with rifled barrels. So I'm not a huge fan of smoothies, but hey, to each his own, right?