[Mark Twain]

I'm seriously thinking of getting a muzzleloader this year. Not sure if I want to go traditional or inline, so I'm open to suggestions. What would you guys recommend in the $300-$500 range? I would primarily use it for whitetails, bear, and hogs.

 

[huntforfunnfood]

well i reckon your going to get alot of white recomendions
i think if i had 500 for a front stuffer i would go that route

 

[sand_manms]

Spend $300 on a gun and the other $200 on supplies! Trust me you'll need them!

 

[Underclocked]

Maybe a 299 White Ultra-Mag from Sportsman's Warehouse. .50 cal, 26" barrel, 3 breech plugs

Try emailing the Iowa or maybe a couple of the Colorado store managers - make sure you are getting new in the box merchandise. http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/stores_all.htm#ia

They are basically souped up Whitetails, should be very good rifles.

 

[callaojoe]

Inline, T/C Omega, or a White. With the White a little ahead of the Omega.

Cap & ball, I love my T/C hawken.....

my $.02..

Good luck, I just love the BP season....

 

[JackJr]

I'll go along with what UC said about the inlines. Go for a White. For a traditional I like the Lyman Great Plains and for a little more money the A&H Mountain Rifle. The Mountain Rifle is a beautifully stocked rifle and the mechanics are great too.

The Great Plains and Mountain Rifle can be had with fast twist barrels for shooting today's new projectiles.

Jack.

 

[Mark Twain]

Originally posted by sand_manms
Spend $300 on a gun and the other $200 on supplies! Trust me you'll need them!

That's kind of what I was thinking. If it's an inline, my budget would probably include a scope.

 

[Mark Twain]

Nuther question: .50 or .54?

 

[callaojoe]

.50 is probably the safest way to go, more options than any of the other cals..

My hawken is a .54 & I love it, but the .50 is always easier to find accessories, & bullets for.....

Inline - defintely the .50. If ya go cap & ball, then I'm not so sure, it's more of a personal choice.

 

[Poor Valley]

MT, I almost missed this post. Go with one of the break opens! Why? They are easier to clean than an inline and you can see that they are clean unlike a sidelock! I have a sidelock 54 and an inline 50 and I guarantee I'll never buy another because of the cleaning process required.

50 cal all the way!:banana::banana:

 

[JackJr]

Yep .50 for more projectile options. The break action like PV mentioned in the H&R Sidekick is another nice gun to consider and very reasonable price wise.

Jack

 

[Hatch]

I have a CVA Optima 50cal and really like it, Not a very expensive rifle so you could probly buy both an inline & traditional for under $500.00 you can't use pellets in a traditional and you can use both powder & pellets in a inline, My inline has NEVER miss fired or delayed, my traditional has more than once. As for cleaning them it would be a inline hands down, I just have a hard time spending allot of money on a muzzleloader when there is not much difference in what can be accomplished with them. Just my usual $.02

 

[Underclocked]

.50 as opposed to .45 (not .54) UNLESS you cast your own conicals.

Did that make any sense? I dunno. :roll2:

 

[Chad]

50 in a knight revolution and thats all i got to say about that.


chad

 

[runner]

Lyman Great Plains in 54 and with a roundball twist. It will handle any critter on this side of the planet, is a good looking traditionally styled gun, and they are pretty accurate from all reports. Go back to 30 yard traditional hunting instead of modern beanfield shooting. Come on out to one of the club events in the state and meet some good people while you are at it. If it has a scope and a plastic stock, get it in 30'06 and stop pretending!

 

[Chad]

Why not just throw rocks at them?:boohoo::boohoo:

 

[callaojoe]

eepwall:

 

[Gamegetter]

I asked myself the same questions you just asked about 2 or 3 years ago, and started narrowing it down based on what I wanted. The easiest part was deciding on a 50 cal. because it will kill deer and elk consisitantly and is the supplies are always readily available. The hardest part for me was inline or traditional. I really like the idea and looks of mountain man or Daniel Boone type of a gun. I thought long and hard about shooting roundballs out of a Lymans Great Plains rifle. This gun is in the neighborhood of $500. I handled some and considered the cleaning aspects.

I ended up deciding on inline and started narrowing that down mostly by picking them up and getting a feel for the gun. I ended up with the TC Encore, in part because I like the versatility of different barrels from shotgun to rifle. I paid a little less than $600 for the Encore in full camo new. It is easy to clean and has shot very well for me. I took a doe with it this fall using the factory sights. It is very accurate. Other guns I gave considerable thought to included the Optima and some whites. My suggestion is to narrow it down based on what you do and don't like about the gun. Bottom line is that you have to like it. :sniper:

 

[Chad]

I like the idea of the encore also. But my problem with it is for what a barrel costs you can buy a whole New England in what ever caliber you want. And ive heard how the encores are a better gun. But i floated the barrel on my NE 223. And ill tell you what there aint a whole lot of guns that will shoot with it.what kinna curacy have you got out of your encore??

chad

 

[Hoytshooter]

I have the CVA Optima and have no complaints, but if I had the money laying around to spend it would be on one of these and I'd never look back.

http://www.austinhalleck.com/