I would like to get into the traditional style of muzzleloading a little bit. I was wondering what would be a good muzzleloader to start with, powder choices, ball choices, maybe some loading tricks and anything in general I should know as I know little to nothing about the traditional muzzleloaders.
Well it you are really new to all of this I would suggest a traditional rifle with a #11 ignition. Unless of course you really want to try and learn the flintlock. Also decide on the kind of hunting you want to do with the rifle. It will help determine what kind of projectile you want to shoot, and even what caliber.
When someone asks me to suggest a good traditional rifle they can target shoot and hunt with, I normally suggesta T/C Hawkins of Renegade in .54 caliber if you can find it, or .50 if you can not. They can shoot roundball and conical bullets and are a lot of fun to shoot and beautiful to own.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
This is probably the easiest thing to do. Buy a good Lyman flintlock in 50 caliber. Some BP, patches, round balls, and a few accessories. And go shoot. That is all you need. Tom.
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I have been shooting inline for like 5 years. I shoot pellets. So, when I buy powder am I buying black powder or can I buy something like Pyrodex in grain form and measure it? I guess Cayugad, I would want to shoot something like a number 11, not flintlock. Tc Hawkins sounds like the one to get from all the posts I've read on here.
another good choice on the market is lyman. get the biggest caliber offered. that being 54cal for the lyman. Lyan Trade rifle or the great plains would be nice.
In a traditional rifle if you want to hunt with a roundball, the .54 caliber is just a superior ball to hunt with. Very little can take a hit from them and I personally feel the .54 is more accurate then the other calibers.
If you're going to shoot #11 then Pyrodex RS will work just fine. Although if you like a lot of smoke, a big stink, and just a lot of fun, black powder is sure hard to beat. I like shooting black powder. It is no more dirty then Pyrodex RS to clean up and it ignites much easier then Pyrodex or any other powder for that matter.
If you get a T/C watch the auction sites. A Hawkins or Renegade are great rifles. Plus you can get Green Mountain drop in barrels for the stock as well. I really like Renegades. They are kind of a no frills bread and butter rifle, but they sure shoot well and are made good and heavy.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
Listen to Cayugad and get yourself a .54 Renegade (1st choice) or Hawken. If you run across a New Englander at a good price grab that. You're going to end up with one of each anyway. Then you can move on to a Lyman Great Plains or two.
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You guys are a wealth of knowledge. So, might as well shoot regular black powder then, sounds fun. What are these auction sites to watch? What is a good price to pay for a Renegade or Hawken? I appreciate all your time and comments.
these are two good sites... I have picked up Renegades as cheap as $150.00 all the way up to $300.00 depending on what I want. Flintlocks are usually more expensive. Just look for something NIB (new in box) condition.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
a little education
Then you can move on to a Lyman Great Plains or two. 
