Gunsite, I am sure there are rifles out there and people out there that can make a muzzleloader shoot and consistantly hit at 300 yards. The question to me is not, can someone shoot 300 yards and hit the kill zone every time? It is more to the point of, should they be shooting a muzzleloader 300 yards at animals?

I think a lot of people have taken the abilities of the muzzleloader now and pushed them to the limit. 300 yards is a long distance even for a lot of people with center fire rifles. All it takes is to be a little off and you have a wounded animal. Animals unlike paper targets do not stand still or present a perfect broadside shot all the time. Any little thing can make the bullet hit off its mark even a little. By the time it has travelled that far, how much energy does the projectile really have anymore? Would that animal be dispatched in a good clean manner?

I would have a real hard time with people who tell me they shot this deer at 280 yards with a muzzleloader. My first thought is, that is a long way to shoot a powder gun, and my second thought (no matter how good a shot they are) is that person was lucky they did not end up wounding a deer. I really think it is up to the hunter to know the LIMITS of their rifle and themselves. After all, if I can hit a deer at 280 yards then why not shoot at that monster buck at 350 yards.. and so on.

I admit I fell into the long distance trap of muzzleloader shooting. For 25 years I hunted with a sidelock. My longest shot was 80+ yards. I started hunting with a muzzleloader because the center fires lost their appeal. With the CF the deer walked out into the field unaware I was even close, I took the 7mm mag and shot, then went home. Now here I am with two in-lines working loads up to see what is the best one for 100 and even 150 yards.

All I have to say to the people that shoot extreme distances with a muzzleloader is good luck, hope it was a clean hit and the animal went right down because other wise you better be a good tracker.....