Blackpowder hunters? What are you using?

[El Jefe]

Okay, I decided that this would be the year I'd give the muzzeleloader deer season a try. So I purchased a CVA Optima, inline. I figured it's a decent place to start. Matt, my eldest will most likely inherit this rifle and I might get one of the Savage inlines in a year or two. :)

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/3613/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg (http://img811.imageshack.us/i/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg/)

Stainless, fluted barrel.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3613/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/i/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg/)

Break open with hand screw out breech plug.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3613/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg (http://img213.imageshack.us/i/bubsawardandmuzzleloade.jpg/)

I've got some experimenting to do yet. This rifle is designed to use the 209 primers. I've got some Winchester Triple 7 209's. Thus far I've picked up a container of loose RS Pyrodex and a package of Powerbelt bullets. I'm also going to try some Barnes sabots, and the White Hots pellets. I'm hoping I'll find a combination that's accurate and dependable.

So, what are you guys using?

[old Grump]

Lyman Cougar inline with 90 grains of FFg and a patched round ball. I had an aperture sight installed which stretched it from 50 yards to 100 yards for me. I could do better with sabot or minnie balls and a scope but I know my limitations. Not a bad gun but not one I would buy again, To damn hard to pull the breech plug, had to mess up a soclet to make my own wrench for it since none was supplied and couldn't find any on the store shelves that would work.

I have no problems whatsoever with accuracy or ease of shooting. Anything from 45 to 110 gr of pyrodex makes it shoot where I point it.

[El Jefe]

OG, have you taken deer with it? Where I'm hunting during our muzzie season, a 50 yard shot is about as far as I'm going to get, it's real woolly back in there.

[old Grump]

Pistol, Revolver, shotgun and centerfire rifle but not BP yet. If I get one this winter it will be it's cherry shot. Also hope to take one with my crossbow. So far shots avaliable for the crossbow have been to far and last year I was sick during BP season. Didn't get a deer during regular gun season so I'm laying high hopes on the late season.

[El Jefe]

Pistol, Revolver, shotgun and centerfire rifle but not BP yet. If I get one this winter it will be it's cherry shot. Also hope to take one with my crossbow. So far shots avaliable for the crossbow have been to far and last year I was sick during BP season. Didn't get a deer during regular gun season so I'm laying high hopes on the late season.

Well good luck with it. As of now we can't hunt with a crossbow yet, I think they'll eventually be allowed but it hasn't happened thus far. Oddly enough for the first time you can hunt deer now with an atlatl, I guess that's okay, but I have a hard time justifying their use but no crossbow. I also really doubt many deer will be taken with them.

[Dieselbuilder]

When I do, I use a semi-custom .45 flintlock.

Can't stand the look of them new fangled inlines. Just as well be shooting a cartridge rifle.

[old Grump]

When I do, I use a semi-custom .45 flintlock.

Can't stand the look of them new fangled inlines. Just as well be shooting a cartridge rifle.
:coffee: I was waiting for somebody to make that observation but I didn't think it would happen so soon.


IN-LINES
A plethora of designs for use with the new percussion principle appeared in the early 1800's. The
Swiss genius Pauley invented the paper cap, then invented a percussion muzzleloader in 1808 and
breech-loader in 1812. His 1808 patent was the first to design and patent a muzzleloading in-line action
in which the cock of the sidelock was replaced by a cylindrical hammer driven by a coil spring.
His in-line invention was capitalized on by Dreyse, who worked for Pauly between 1808-14 and
who used it as the basis for his 1838 turnbolt design which became the Prussian Needlegun of 1848.
Paul Mauser later used the Dreyse needlegun design as a basis for his tumbolt cartridge rifle of 1868,
first patented in the U.S., but adopted by the German military in 1871.

http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com/histor6.gifThe Dreyse needle gun of 1848. It was so advanced that
any soldier who lost one paid with his life for his carelessness

White later used the Mauser inspired Springfield ‘03 as a basis for the White Super 91 of 1991,
once again a muzzlelader, making the cycle one grand round.
[Pauley]...was the first to design and patent an...inline action in which the cock of the sidelock
was replaced by a cylindrical hammer driven by a coil spring... (1808)


http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com/history_muzzleloading.htm

[stevelyn]

.54 Lyman caplock GPR with a pillow ticking patched roundball.

[Gunner1558]

.50 cal repro, patched ball over 70 grains of FFFg.

Too much going on this season for me to get out even once.

Have taken deer with centerfirerifle, rimfire(very little noise when the season is only open for a couple of minutes) shotgun, and pistol. Have yet to take one with the bow or black powder.

[klauss]

When I get the time,I use a .50 cal TC pennsylvania match rifle. IF i ever get a wheelock would like to try my and use that.

[robert]

tc encore fifty Ive only kilt one with it 8 point kinda small plenty O hogs thoe

[alismith]

For deer, I used either a CVA caplock .50 caliber or a CVA flintlock in .50 caliber. It depended on what kind of mood I was in at the time and the weather. If it were wet out, I'd go with the caplock;if dry, flintlock.

I'm more of a traditionalist, so didn't use any of those newfangled inlines. I like a 1:60" twist and round ball.

For anything that required a shotgun, I used my 12 ga., CVA single-shot muzzloader shotgun.

[Schuetzenman]

When I use to hunt deer with BP I used a 50 cal. Poor-Boy type rifle. It had a swamped barrel so despite its length, it wasn't muzzle heavy. I used a 198 gr. round ball with 90 grs. of 2FG poweder and an RWS cap. Plenty of power with that load. At 25 yards I took a face on shot and it went through the animal end to end and exited.

If I were to hunt again with them it would be another traditional looking weapon. No wiz-bang seald breech shotgun primer, sabot loaded, scoped or red dot sighted ray guns here.

[Flinter]

62 Caliber smoothbore fowler.

46 inch barrel.

I've used this one to take everything from squirrels to deer. It's just about the only gun in my safe that I hunt with these days;

http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac263/Ridge/MUSKET.jpg

Forgive the "gentleman" horn and pouch. I usually use those for pics because they are the flashiest I own.
The ones I typically hunt with are pretty damn grimey.