It is getting very close to my Blacktailed deer muzzleloader season and i am anxious to get out there.I find the challenge of muzzleloading to be much more fun than hunting with a scoped gun although i do that as well.I hunt with a Thompson Center New Englander that i have taken quite a few Blacktailed deer with and it is very accurate and has a great trigger for a muzzleloader.Here in Oregon we have pretty strict limits for our muzzleloader season no lighted sights,no scopes,no closed ignition,no jacketed bulets and no pelletized powders so it is a challenge for sure.Anyone else use a muzzleloader?

 

the utah hunt starts sep 27 my daughter and i will be there we both shoot 50 cal with 100 grains and 350 grain bullets we have some restritions, no magnafiing scopes but that is it good luck.

 

i hunt with a muzzeloader in vermont with my father, we hunt with thompson center encore 125 grain and 250 grain bullets good luck in the up coming season

 

I have a Hawken 50 that my father in law made years back. I put a peep rear sight on it and it's a joy to shoot. Smashed a lotta rocks, dirt clods, water jugs, and other dangerous game with it. Want to take a deer with it this year, after getting my first handgun deer last year (Blackhawk 44 mag iron sights). I like them old things sometimes and the pictures look cool on our company Christmas card. I shoot with Pyrodex 100 grains under the round ball, and will use the regular hunting bullets like those 350 grainers for game.

 

ShadyRascal the T/C 370 grain maxi-ball with 80-90 grains of pyrodex makes for a very good deer load in a .50 caliber rifle.I have taken 15 or 16 deer with this load and i have not lost one yet,it really puts them down.Handgun hunting especially with iron sights is another way that i hunt and it is quite a challenge.I just this year bought a Freedom Arms .454 handgun and although i have not shot a deer with it yet it is very accurate and has way more energy than is needed for deer and hopefully i will get a chance to see how it does on deer.

 

Wow...that is pretty strict, but you guys have it the way it was meant to be! We have literally no restictions in Oklahoma. There is almost no difference between muzzleloading and hunting with a rifle now. With all that said...lol...I do hunt with a Encore with a Bausch and Lomb Elite scope. I have had a problem though with it shooting 150 grains of powder. The gun claims it can do it, and people say they shoot 150 grains, but I cannot see how they can be accurate. With 150 gr's, I am all over the target. I have to shoot 100 gr's to be accurate. If anyone who reads this is shooting 150 gr's, please give me some helpfull hints. I am going to try Pyrodex POWDER and not pellets to see if it helps.

 

okiedude you are right it is very restrictive but we as hunters here in Oregon voted on it and that is what me came up with.I am guessing that you are shooting a saboted bullet in your Encore and if so you may want to try a reduced powder charge and a lead bullet like the T/C Maxi-Ball instead of a saboted bullet to see what it does for your accuracy.A solid lead Maxi-Ball acts more like a large caliber handgun hardcast bullet and relies on penetration rather than velocity but expansion and maximum velocity do not always mean the best accuracy or the most lethal load.If you can find a good used T/C New Englander like i use you might just be surprised at how accurate it can be with the right load.I say a used New Englander since i dont think they are made anymore.

 

I've got a Savage Model 10MLSS-II that I use if the weather is really crappy. If I have the choice though I have a pair of matched Austin & Halleck Select Mountain rifles one in flintlock and one in percussion that I prefer to hunt with.

The savage is really nice though since it is all stainless and you can use smokeless powder in it. Makes it easy to clean and take care of. None of that tedious cleaning. That and with my other muzzle loaders I have to be so careful when I'm hunting so I don't scratch or drop them and then all of that cleaning after firing. With the A&H rifles I'm actually in the spirit of muzzle loading I guess. The Savage might as well be a centerfire high powered rifle. It bears very little resemblance to a muzzle loader. It's for putting meat in the freezer and filling tags to put food on the table. No nostalgia or anything. Another way to get in the woods and hunt. Not that it's a bad thing mind you.

 

Good advice on the load, I'll try that. Your 454 will do wonders on deer, my little (in comparison) 44 went clear through this little buck I shot and left a trail of carnage inside that was trememdous. Just a factory 240 grain soft point jacketed bullet. Shot him at fairly close range like 23 yards and he didn't go very dang far!

 

ShadyRascal i dont know your background with handloading but i have a 44 load you may want to try.This has been the most accurate load in any of my previous 44 mag handguns and also the best at dropping a deer.24 grains of 296/CCI350 primer/Hornady 240 grain XTP bullet/Winchester cases.I shot a 1 1/4" 100 yard three shot group years ago with this using a T/C Contender with a 10" barrel and a 2x Leupold scope.If you are ever experimenting with 44 loads you may want to try this one.I have also had very good success with this load in a Ruger Super Blackhawk.