Blackpowdersmoke

Well,... I suggest you visit some local shooting ranges or gun clubs in your area and talk to some of the members. Ask them if they shoot/hunt with muzzleloading rifles. Gather some opinions and information if you can. Maybe you'll get an invite to meet and shoot with some of them. Go to some of the local sporting goods retailers and gun shops and see what's available so that you can handle some rifles. Do some online research and try to match your hunting preference or particular season(s) to what you might be looking for in a rifle prior to spending your hard earned $$$.

Personally, I prefer traditional style sidelock ML's both flint and percussion, but I do own a few in-lines as well. When the smoke clears (no pun intended), it's all about what YOU feel is right for you.

BPS

Gm54-120

Put a good steel mount/rings and that scope on an Ultimate and it will easily break 10lbs if not 11lbs. I would not trust the heavy recoil to aluminum hardware.

Lets compare bare weight to bare weight shall well

Rem Ultimate I would rather tote around a CVA Optima all day if i didn't already have a couple sub 7lb rifles. I have no less than 2 guns that exceed 10lbs ready to hunt and they stay home every season.

Foxtrot13

This will be my first muzzleloader. At this time I mostly hunt deer.
I appreciate all the replies and see I have a lot of homework to do

Muley Hunter

.480? I kind of doubt it.

lemoyne

Without more information about what and where all you will hear is what someone else has found that fits their needs not what you need.

Muley Hunter

Nothing can be recommended until we know where he's going to hunt. You can't use all muzzleloaders in all states. Same thing for bullets.

He might want a traditional ML for all we know.

falcon

Find guns made by several maufacturers. Check them over for fit and feel. Break action muzzleloaders are wildly popular but, IMO, they are not the muzzleloader to end all muzzleloaders. Check the out the Knights; they are very nice guns, if a little pricey. They will also last a lifetime.

Don't rule out a nice used gun. There are numerous used Knight, TC, and CVA guns for available. My .54 TC FireHawk cost $100 at a pawnshop. Methinks it had never been fired. That gun is accurate as about any gun made today.

d.winsor

If you would have read his post you would see that he is going to hunt deer. The link I gave him for CVA guns has at least 3 NW guns listed. He said he was new to Muzzleloading not hunting, I would hope he would check out the ML regulations, which if he hunts deer I would assume he will. But giving no information is no where for him to start. If he is wanting to hunt deer and is new to muzzleloading I will give him information for break action guns as they are easier to clean and take care of and less finicky. Break Actions are the best thing the OP can learn on, easy to use, easy to clean, easy to shoot. He can tell us if he doesn't want a break action then the traditional guys can step in. From this thread it would be a wonder if he hung around.

Gm54-120

I would like to understand how a break action in less finicky? Ive seen plenty of hinge pin issues and you can never truly float the barrel without a special hanger system. I havent read of a break action winning a single Manufactures match at Friendship either. Bolt actions dominate nearly every big modern shooting competition including the Inline Hunter match.

I would agree some break action are easier to clean until we include the NW editions. How would a NW edition CVA break action be any easier to clean than a Knight Bighorn? That firing pin bushing needs to be removed, cleaned and oiled. There is no "firing pin" on the Bighorn and the trigger comes off the action with one hex bolt.

If the number 1 goal is "clean", get a Savage or any other SML and quit worrying about cleaning every time you shoot.

d.winsor

This thread is not about which guns are more finicky, hinge pin issues with a particular gun should be addressed to the OP so he can avoid that gun, The OP is not trying to win gun matches, just trying to acquire a good gun. The OP is not trying to enter any inline muzzleloading shooting matches, If the OP lives where he needs a NW edition he will just have to put up with cleaning a NW edition muzzleloader. I don't know anything about cleaning a knight bighorn, I have never owned one, I don't know anything about cleaning a CVA NW edition, I have never owned one, I feel my CVA is Accura V2 (standard edition) is easy to clean. I guess this is the kind of information the OP needs if your information is correct. Every piece of a muzzleloader that can be removed should be removed, cleaned and oiled. Good information for the OP. Who said the #1 goal was about clean, but that is a good point for the OP when using a muzzleloader. If you feel that a SML is what the OP needs explain more to the OP about it. Tell him about the initial investment dollar wise also. I do clean everytime I shoot, I want that first shot accuracy, I don't have to though I use BH 209, cheaper than going to a SML. This thread was suppose to help the OP select a good muzzleloader, thanks for the opinions, I don't know if it will help the OP or scare him off.