Things I dont worry about

[Confederate rifleman]

Since I decided to hunt with muzzleloaders exclusively I've noticed there are things I no longer worry about.Such as case length , overall cartridge length,case availability,case seperation,loading presses and dies,barrel erosion,primer availability,hostile legislation(yet),compromise bullet choices,leading/copper fouling,grabbing the wrong powder,indecision about powder choices,somewhat reduced theft risk( cant really imagine some gang banger wanting to light up the neighborhood with my stolen P53 Enfield or Black Diamond),misfires( believe it or not I've actually had more misfires with breechloaders than I've had with muzzleloaders).I'm sure I'll think of other things too, but muzzleloaders have given me some of my most exciting and fondest shooting/hunting memories.They require an intense focus on the task at hand and yet are very relaxing to use.If your going to have a paradox its a good one to have!I've never found them lacking in any task I've put them to and I've never regretted carrying one. I'm hoping to pop a black bear this year with my Black Diamond XR.The wife and girls are not happy with the choice...But if I poke one with a 300 grain Hornady XTP @1600 fps and it dont die, who's fault is that?I've shot 32 deer in my life and 17 of those went down to muzzleloaders.I kinda wish all 32 had...
The one thing I do worry about is the traditional vs inline feud. Makes us ALL look bad.Ought to stop it before we lose more than friends...

 

[kyelkhunter3006]

You've about summed it up, in my mind. I used to be a centerfire freak, and I do still like to shoot them whenever I can. But there's just something about muzzleloaders... I usually grab the ML even during rifle season. Doesn't matter if I even get to shoot it, just something about carrying one. The mindset you have when using one, maybe? I don't know, it just feels right and good to carry, hunt, and shoot with one.

 

[frontier gander]

tell toby that :lol: he has this crazy notion that the meer 10% ( thats his % number he gives out) Of traditional hunters are holding up all the states from allowing scopes, sabots and pellet powder.

 

[kyelkhunter3006]

Toby has a lot of good info on his site. Somethings though.... Every state has some goofy hunting regs. Yeah, you can try to change them, but sometimes, beating a dead horse over an issue ISN'T the way to do it.

In KY, we can use ANY centerfire rifle round for deer. You KNOW that there's someone out there deer hunting with a .17 Fireball just because they can. But, we can't use buckshot, dogs, or hunt from horses. Goofy.

In Ohio, you can't deer hunt with a centerfire rifle, but you can use an 30-06 to shoot groundhogs, coyotes, squirrels, or just about any other game animal except a turkey. Really goofy. I could use the whole thread to find other instances.

I think that states look at the harvest statistics and decide which seasons that they can afford to have more animals harvested. If the bow/rifle boys are taking care of say, 75% of the projected harvest, guess what, they aren't going to make the ML season less restrictive. They'd then have to tighten restrictions in the bow/rifle seasons, and honestly, we ALL know that those two seasons are where the states make their money. I know lots of guys that travel to bow hunt and to rifle hunt, but I don't know ONE person that plans to travel with their ML this year.

 

[southbow]

Well I'm coming at it from the other direction. I haven't hunted with a gun in 12 years. I've hunted deer and hogs only with a longbow, and this past year I finally realized that I just wasn't enjoying it like I should. I was to the point that if I didn't kill 10 hogs and a good buck with a longbow each year I wasn't a good enough hunter (in my mind), crazy right! I was pushing myself so hard to succeed that it sucked the fun right out of it.

I bought a CVA Accura and I don't plan to bowhunt much at all this year. I just want to relax and kill a few critters with the muzzleloader. That realization has put the fun back in hunting for me.

chris

 

[Okie Hog]

Over 90 percent of my deer and about 75 percent of my hogs since 2000 have been zapped with a muzzleloader. Really do like to hunt with a muzzleloader but when hog hunting you get one shot at a sounder nearly 100 percent of the time.

This year i have used my AR-15 and my Remington 20 gauge 670 Express rifled barrel shotgun to to good effect on the ever increasing OK hog population.

The folks whose property i often hunt on want hogs killed in large numbers and i'm trying to do that. Last weekend i killed four hogs out of one sounder with my AR-15. My partner got three from the same sounder with his Mini-14.

 

[kyelkhunter3006]

And those are points well taken, but keep in mind, we're posting this on a MUZZLELOADER forum, because we are enthusists. The guys on the centerfire rifle forums aren't posting "Man, I wish I could use my ML more often." Most people would say, "Gosh, those things get nasty dirty, why even bother with them." I know MANY dder hunters/shooters who feel this way, and don't even give them a second look.

ML'ing of any kind is the minority, whether it's traditional or modern. States don't make their hunting revenue off of the minority of hunters, the big money comes from the majority.

 

[tracker1]

Okie Hog, what bullet are you using out of an AR to kill hogs? also what size hogs?

 

[john keyes]

what about tumbling brass?

 

[Okie Hog]

Okie Hog, what bullet are you using out of an AR to kill hogs? also what size hogs?

I use the military M193 ball round. I have killed dozens of hogs with that round at ranges of 25-125 yards. They range in size from 25 to 375 pounds.

 

[gunrac]

what about tumbling brass?

Figured someone might mention that, when needed I still do them one at a time.

 

[Underclocked]

What is a "sounder"?

 

[Okie Hog]

What is a "sounder"?

A name for a herd of hogs: Probably from Europe.

 

[Underclocked]

Thanks, had not heard that one before.

 

[Harry1]

New to me too!

 

[globemountain]

Since I decided to hunt with muzzleloaders exclusively I've noticed there are things I no longer worry about.Such as case length , overall cartridge length,case availability,case seperation,loading presses and dies,barrel erosion,primer availability,hostile legislation(yet),compromise bullet choices,leading/copper fouling,grabbing the wrong powder,indecision about powder choices,somewhat reduced theft risk( cant really imagine some gang banger wanting to light up the neighborhood with my stolen P53 Enfield or Black Diamond),misfires( believe it or not I've actually had more misfires with breechloaders than I've had with muzzleloaders).I'm sure I'll think of other things too, but muzzleloaders have given me some of my most exciting and fondest shooting/hunting memories.They require an intense focus on the task at hand and yet are very relaxing to use.If your going to have a paradox its a good one to have!I've never found them lacking in any task I've put them to and I've never regretted carrying one. I'm hoping to pop a black bear this year with my Black Diamond XR.The wife and girls are not happy with the choice...But if I poke one with a 300 grain Hornady XTP @1600 fps and it dont die, who's fault is that?I've shot 32 deer in my life and 17 of those went down to muzzleloaders.I kinda wish all 32 had...
The one thing I do worry about is the traditional vs inline feud. Makes us ALL look bad.Ought to stop it before we lose more than friends...

I'm with ya! I've shot only muzzleloaders this year at the range and have had more fun than you could imagine. I don't plan on hunting with anything else.

 

[john keyes]

What is a "sounder"?

its a book about some poor black kids with a dog.
IIRC at the end the dog dies.