Thinking about getting into BP hunting- help!

[FL-NC]

I know nothing about the rifles that load one at a time from the wrong end, but I understand the basic principle and the fact that it can give me more flexibility in hunting and potentially more days in the stand. So, I'm looking to possibly expand the hunting arsenal. These are what I found on clearance at Wally World:
1. 50 caliber buckstalker, cerakote- $139 (was $196)
2. 50 caliber Pursuit G4, stainless- $199 (was $279)
3. 50 caliber buckstalker w/ 24" barrel, and 3-9 scope (not sure what scope) $169 (was $224)
4. CVA 50 caliber CVA PR2110 Wolf- $124 (was $167)
There is only a $76 difference from most expensive to least expensive, so the price really isn't that important. That considered, what would be the "best" deal? I'm looking for accuracy, reliability, and simplicity. Are there special considerations for scopes for BP guns, or can any scope do the job? I understand that some scopes are junk, but is a specific type needed? Also don't want to get into one that needs specialty components, want to be able to load common primer, powder, bullets (if that's even a concern).

 

[Armored farmer]

Are you SURE you won't consider traditional bp rifles??

Maybe learn the old ways?

Jim Bridger? John Coulter? Hugh Glass? Joe Meek?

Tomahawk. Long knife. Powder horn?

 

[rdstrain49]

Just wondering, are you going to buy your next car at Target?

 

[Patocazador]

I don't own an inline muzzleloader but from what I've read and heard the CVA Wolf is a very accurate gun. Considering the cost is less than 1/2 of a big speeding ticket, you can't hardly go wrong with it.

Since you profess to know diddly about front stuffers, you can easily ruin one by being lazy and not cleaning it after each firing session .. especially if you use Pyrodex as a propellant.

 

[FL-NC]

Just wondering, are you going to buy your nest car at Target?

I don't know what this means. I don't shop at target cause I'm not welcome there. Or chipotle, or starbucks.

 

[FL-NC]

Are you SURE you won't consider traditional bp rifles??

Maybe learn the old ways?

Jim Bridger? John Coulter? Hugh Glass? Joe Meek?

Tomahawk. Long knife. Powder horn?

I'm just trying to hunt some more. Pretty sure those guys would have gotten Rem 700's in belted magnums if they had been available. Didn't Glass get eaten by a bear?

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I'm encouraged that it sounds like there is another person interested in the muzzleloading experience.
Most of the discussion in this forum revolves around more traditional arms but many folks here also have an interest in more modern muzzleloaders and even shooting cartridges.
I don't have any firsthand experience with any of the models you specifically listed but none of them are top shelf models. That said, I agree wholeheartedly with Patocazador. I don't think you could really go wrong with any of those if it gets you to the range for a little fun and then some extra time in the woods. The resale value on lower end inline muzzleloaders isn't very good. However, even if you decide muzzleloading really isn't for you it should be too hard to get at least $50 bucks back out of it so why not give it a shot.
I did a quick look online at those models and think If it were me, I'd lean toward the Pursuit G4 in stainless. Just don't think stainless means you don't need to clean it.
You just might really enjoy the muzzleloading experience and find yourself getting deeper and deeper into it.

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

you're about like me not welcome at some places
target and car like buying something from somebody that don't know diddly squat about the product.
You need to do research online and gun stores that understand guns and hopefully black powder
you have these basic choices
traditional and inline, while I am for progress I wouldn't bring an inline home but it's your money
round ball or conical or gasp! sabots
A heavy barrel will help reduce felt recoil by absorbing it.
Of course a good traditional will likely cost more
find a gun store that can help train you or a friend BP really isn't that hard or a pawn shop that will let you test some used ones
what are you after deer pigs elk moose? 50 cal or 54 I've used 50 cal on all but 54 would be better on elk and moose
Mine is a 50 cal 1:48 twist 1978 CVA mountain rifle and I shoot pure lead conicals haven't hunted in several years
don't need the meat and getting to old to walk the mountains and I won't kill an animals just for fun

 

[Armored farmer]

I'm just trying to hunt some more. Pretty sure those guys would have gotten Rem 700's in belted magnums if they had been available. Didn't Glass get eaten by a bear?

Maybe so, but they made history with their traditional rifles.

You had better read up on the regulations for muzzleloader seasons in the states where you expect to hunt. Some don' allow the use of modern equipment like scopes and closed ignition. They are meant for more traditional equipment.

And as for Ol' Hugh.....?
Well, maybe you should read it for yourself.

 

[Armored farmer]

With the traditional rifles you can not only hunt, but also participate in a whole sport of black powder shooting.
Competitive matches
Rendezvous
Check NMLRA website for clubs in your area.
Never say never. I didn' think I would do it either.....but now I am a 2x Illinois territorial mountain man champion. (That, and $1 will get you coffee)


If you only interested in inlines......T/C has the best in ines imho. My son has an omega....his wife has a triumph (I think)....both are tack drivers. Seriously.

 

[JeffG]

Are you SURE you won't consider traditional bp rifles??

Maybe learn the old ways?

Jim Bridger? John Coulter? Hugh Glass? Joe Meek?

Tomahawk. Long knife. Powder horn?

 

[FL-NC]

Maybe so, but they made history with their traditional rifles.

You had better read up on the regulations for muzzleloader seasons in the states where you expect to hunt. Some don' allow the use of modern equipment like scopes and closed ignition. They are meant for more traditional equipment.

And as for Ol' Hugh.....?
Well, maybe you should read it for yourself.

That's cool if that's what you are into. Where I will be hunting (mostly if not all in Fl- where the BP deer season is only 2 weeks) in lines and scopes are fine.

 

[alsaqr]

The Traditions Buckstalker is a good rifle. Years ago i received a Buckstalker for Christmas. i own several other inline guns and that rifle laid around unfired for years. Finally cleaned the gun up, scoped it with a cheap refurbished Nikon scope and developed a load. That gun shoots as well as my TC Encore, maybe better.

Best load i've found for the Buckstalker is 100 grains of Black MZ powder and the .430 240 grain XTP bullet in the crush rib sabot. Sportsman's Warehouse has Black MZ powder at $9.99 per pound.

 

[stringnut]

For just plain hunting go with an inline. The models mentioned should all be adequate shooters at 100 yards are so. I use an inline , scope, bullets with shots and triple 7 powder. No it's not traditional ,but, I really don't care. My set up is easy to use and effective. I have shot traditional stuff in the past and will again when I have time. I know several guys that are into traditional in a big way and run down inline stuff every chance they get. I have caught 2 behind my house on the state land carrying the most modern guns available in bad weather. Sure got them a lot of ribbing at the sportsman club when I was able to provide pictures.

 

[rdstrain49]

FL-NC, what I mean is, you don't go to a burger joint to get lobster, neither should you go to Wally World to get your first muzzleloader. Why? Well, from what you said I must assume that you know next to nothing about muzzleloaders, don't worry, we all started where you are. At Wally World it is very unlikely that you will find anyone who knows any more than you about these rifles.

My suggestions are as follows. Find a local muzzleloader club or group, find a mentor (if you were around here you could likely shoot 15 to 20 different weapons of many different descriptions). Locate your local gun shop that hopefully deals in muzzleloaders, just because someone works in a gun shop or gun department that does not necessarily mean they know anything about muzzleloaders. Go to any available muzzleloader shoots within a reasonable distance. Learn as much as you can before you purchase anything. At this point you don't even know what kind of rifle you are really interested in or what will suit your needs and wants.

While I very much enjoy The High Road, there are sites that are Muzzleloader only, you will probably get more and better information at these specialized sites.

Finally, if my initial response sounded a little "snarky" it was, after all you referred to the weapons of my passion as being loaded from the wrong end. Just sayin'. If you find yourself in need of unbiased information, PM me, I'll be happy to share my 50+ years of muzzleloading with you.

 

[expat_alaska]

If I was going to hunt with a "traditional" BP front-stuffer I would opt for a .54 instead of a .50. I hunted moose when I lived in Alaska and a .50 round ball is not big enough, but it should be for deer. My hunting buddy had a .54 Hawken and it was one shot, one kill, more than once, with a round ball on a moose. All shots were taken at about 50 yards (we were stealthy!). One must remember to put the shot in a vital area. The .54 rifle shot first and I was the backup with the .50. We hunted as a team and always split the meat: lots of it on a 1,000 lb. bull or a 800+ lb. cow. I always hated wading into the carcass so I was the clean guy sharpening knives and putting pieces into clean game bags and loading them into the truck bed. My buddy stayed on the skinned hide so as not to get the meat dirty. When we got it all to the butcher shop the butcher was very pleased that the meat was clean.

We usually came back with at least 300# packaged each after the butcher shop visit, and we never spared any thing. Neck meat and lower leg meat, et al, always went to ground meat. Most went to roasts. Once my boys ate mooseburgers they had a hard time going back to beef when it was gone.

Long time ago...

Jim

 

[Mn Fats]

If you only interested in inlines......T/C has the best in ines imho. My son has an omega....his wife has a triumph (I think)....both are tack drivers. Seriously.

I'll second that. And I believe T/C has a $75 rebate going on until the 31st. Easily a better value then the guns you mentioned imo.

 

[rdstrain49]

I'm not a huge inline fan for a number of reasons, however the only inline I have is a TC contender.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Here are some general factors to consider. Yes I own both modern and traditional ML rifles, and traditional shotguns, and I for the past ten years have exclusively hunted with traditional black powder arms.

You want to extend your hunting season. Nothing wrong with that. That's what got me started in black powder hunting. I was in college and by the time I got home for Christmas break (it was Christmas break back in those days instead of Winter Break today) the only deer season open was black powder, AND if you wanted to participate in that season, you had a caplock or a flintlock since inlines weren't invented yet.

Inlines do look appealing since they resemble modern rifles, but this can be slightly deceiving. Inlines when they come with open sights, the sights are crude so you will need a scope. An inline like the traditional muzzle loaders will need for you to work up an accurate load. It's a bit more involved than a modern rifle where you can go to the range with a few rounds from different ammo makers and see what shoots well. Plus the cost of the rounds tends to be on par with modern ammunition in many cases.

One common inline mistake is fellows think it's as weather secure as a modern cartridge rifle. They are better than flintlocks, but pretty much on par with traditional caplocks when it comes to rainy, damp situations. Most fellows with an inline use a black powder substitute since they think it burns "cleaner", and some do, but the substitutes also are tougher to ignite and so damp weather causes problems too. AND if you want to shoot any kind of ML, expect a few minutes of a dirty, stinky cleanup. It's not that bad.

Another common mistake (imho) is fellows try to duplicate a modern hunting round with their inline. So you see these folks launching a projectile with somewhere between 100 to 150 grains of powder. You wrote, " Pretty sure those guys would have gotten Rem 700's in belted magnums if they had been available." Probably true, but they weren't available and more important for you, don't try to make your inline perform like that. The tech is limited, even if you buy something that looks like a bolt action and is stainless steel. That's the whole point of the extra season, because the tech is limited, it's not simply grabbing a different rifle and harvesting venison. There is more to it. So..., you're going to need to work up a moderate load, that is very accurate out to 100 yards, and I'd recommend you use a loose powder and a powder measure to do this and forgo the large pellets. This is going to take a little range time and some $ since the projectiles aren't cheap. Plus you'll need to learn to get the animal in range if you're used to farther shots. Your're only going to get one shot, and making that single shot count is the whole key to ML hunting. Now since I see you're in the Florida Panhandle, you probably have close shots at 100 yards or less, so in that case you're good to go.

So in short, loose powder, try several different projectiles to get the one that works well, and even then shoot at the range more than just sighting in the scope, since loading and handling the primer are a bit more involved than simply putting a round into the rifle and closing the breech. Get to know your rifle.

AND after all that, Good Luck Sir! We'd love to see photos of your hunt.

PS you might consider next year, perhaps getting a traditional caplock, and shoot patched round ball out to 100 yards. It's way cheaper, and much less impact on your shoulder, you can mount a scope on a traditional caplock if you wish, AND the deer are just as dead. If my flintlock can launch a .530 round ball through a deer at 110 yards, it wouldn't know the difference if I had launched a sabot round through it at the same distance.

LD

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

If an inline is what you want $124 is a bargain for a CVA Wolf. I have one and have taken several deer at up to 200 yards.
Inline guns aren't expensive to shoot if you don't buy prepackaged components and pellets.
A package of 100 sabots are about $6, bullets are $18 to $35 per hundred maybe less for cast. 209 shotgun primers are 3 cents and the go bang just like the "special" inline 209 primers. Haven't bought any recently but I think pyrodex or 777 is about $25lb.
Inline guns are far more weather proof, have much more range and are easier to clean than traditional BP rifles.
All that said, it is much more rewarding to take a deer with a patch and ball from a traditional front loader.

 

[big-ugly]

The modern inlines are easier to clean, unload, carry, scope, etc... But after using both, the traditional rifles just "do it" for me. I've got a Buckstalker and it's been a great rifle, aside from the craptastic front plastic sight that literally moves 1/16" when you tilt the rifle left/right. Couldn't figure out why I was shooting a 1' pattern at 50 yards, then I noticed the front sight... Because you are just trying to get into the black powder game, I would highly recommend the buckstalker (or Wolf, either are great) and a pound of Pyrodex RS. I started with pellets, which are handy for hunting. I recommend a .50 caliber because nearly anything you could want or need is readily available for it (even at Walmart). If you decide you really enjoy black powder and are good with your hands, I then recommend building a kit rifle. Be very careful though, as these are highly addictive.
One last piece of advice I have is to grab a camouflaged fannypack in whatever camo you desire. I hate fannypacks too, but it works awesome for carrying everything you need on your hunt with your front stuffer.

 

[fiddleharp]

Seeing as how you are in the Florida Panhandle, I guess I can reply specifically, since I've hunted on public land there most of my adult life. A basic Hawken-style rifle is all you need there, since the chances of 500yd shots are pretty few and far between.
The Florida FWC calls our archery and black powder hunts "Primitive Weapon Season", but unfortunately, there's nothing "primitive" about it anymore, what with super-duper compound bows and stainless inline, scope-sighted rifles shooting saboted slugs.

 

[BigBore44]

While I agree the more “traditional” front stuffers would be more fun and give you more satisfaction, you’re just trying to get to hunt more. If you want an in-line, I highly suggest the CVA. Maybe in a year or two you can purchase a “real” muzzleloader and see what the rave is all about.

I plan on my next purchase being a traditional muzzleloader. I fell in Love the first time lost sight of my target in that big cloud of smoke.

 

[alsaqr]

Muzzleloaders, be they traditional sidelocks or inline guns, are not rocket science: Nowhere close. It matters not that no one at Wal Mart knows anything about muzzleloaders; the prices there are right. This stuff is easy to learn.

Folks like to start food fights over traditional/inline muzzleloaders. On one site i sometimes visit folks dare not talk about inline guns. The vast majority of posters there do not hunt.

Buy yourself a serviceable inline muzzleloader and have at it.

 

[WestKentucky]

They are all budget guns in similar configuration. Shoulder them and see which feels best. My dad has a buckstalker that he likes. I no longer own a inline, but if I did I would be looking at the wolf.