VT_Hunter1980

I'm interested in trying muzzleloading this for the first time. The problem is, I can't afford to spend a lot of money. I might be able to muster $200 for a rifle and accessories.

I notice that cabelas has quite a wide selection of muzzleloaders for $150 and less. What do I look for and what do I stay away from?

Black Bellamy

I heard a few people recommend the Sidekick

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0027233215447a&type=product&cm Cat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3Aha sJS=+&QueryText=sidekick&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas %2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.22&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&N=4887&Nt k=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt =sidekick&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jsp

Rebel Hog

American Knight 50 Cal Blued Barrel, Composite Stock 22" by Knight


OUT OF STOCK
Our Price: $161.25*

Send me Email when this item is back in stock

Encorepete

Please do yourself a favor and do not buy a cheapy muzzleloader as your starter. For the $ 200 you have, you can look around and score a quality gun from T/C or Knight. I would suggest the Knight American or T/C black diamond. In addition several other models of T/C such as the firehawk and Thunderhawk inlines and several different model sidelocks are also available for under $200.00. In addition to the American, Knight also has the wolverine, Disc,and Disc Elite rifles which can also sometimes be found for around $200 or less as well. Personally, I'd stay with either the T/C Black Diamond or the Knight rifles due to their removable breach plug for ease of cleaning. These companies offer a lifetime warranty on their guns and they have some of the best reputations in the ML industry. You can check www.gunbroker.com / www.auctionarms.com / and www.gunsamerica.com for sales of these ML's. Many ML's can be shipped regularly with no restrictions or FFL required depending on your state's laws. Another good place to look is the clearance section of Wal Mart. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.
The last time I was in Gander Mountain, they had the T/C Black Diamond Premium Pack with the gun and a lot of accessories for $199.00 as their everyday price. If you have on nearby, you may want to chck them out.

AmericanPioneer

Go to Cabelas and check the bargain cave. They have the Pedersoli Brutus 94 muzzleloaders that look like the Kahnkes for 199.99 on the site. When the sales person places your order it comes up as 149.99. You can get moth wing camo or the one with black soft touch stocks. It is actually rubber coated wood. I ordered one and it is nice. The frame is color case hardened and it has a kick eez recoil pad. The camo has a blued frame. They originally sold for $449.99 and $499.99, the first being the black one. They also have some others dropped way low on price in the bargain cave. Bass pro has some Knight disc elites in .45 cal. at real low prices. The Sportsmans Guide has some .50 cal. Knight disc elites also at good prices and they have the rings and bases included plus it has the new quick release bolt feature on the side and fast bolt take down without using a tool.. There are other brands on the Sportsmans Guide too. If you buy from the Guide they have a lifetime warranty as long as you have the receipt. If you shoot it and dont like it, just send it back for exchange or refund. No questions asked. If your a member of the Guides buyers club you get 10% off. I buy alot from the Guide. Good luck!!!! Hoped I helped.

hillbilly17

I was in the same situation this year being my first yearwith a Muzzleloader. I bought the CVA wolf 209 with a tascam scope for 179.00. I swear by it now. I could open a pepsi bottle from 125 yards with this thing. Muzzleloader had been open for a week and I have 6 Doe and 1 buck already. I am super impressed with this riffle for the money!

bradisthebest

I suggest trying the CVA Hunterbolt it is not to expansive but is built better than most of the compatition.

khuengo

I just got a Hunterbolt from Cabelas (2 barrels) and tried out with .50 cal barrel. It is deadly acurate, got one inch group at 50 yards. The ML is stable and firm, it is easy to load/unload/clean although the optics fiber sights looks cheesy and cheap but overall, I rate five star out of five for that ML based on its performance and price. Go with it.

cayugad

What to look for is what interests you the most. Decide what kind of rifle you want first. If you want a modern inline rifle or a traditional side lock style rifle.

Then decide on what kind of action you like. The new break open are said to be the easiest to clean. The way I look at it, you have to clean them all anyway, so what might take an extra five or ten minutes is of no real concern to me.

When we talk purchasing a rifle based on price, we usually talk about imports. As you might be aware, there are concerns and questions about BPI barrels. These are the Spanish madebarrels found on CVA, Traditions, Winchester, New Frontier, and other brands. The issue of testing barrels for pressure tolerances bothers some people, and others really do not get too concerned about it. That choice is up to you. There are people on the net claiming that these barrels are accidents waiting to happen, that they are not safe for the kind of loads we put through the rifles. Then you can see by the posters on this thread that there are many who take no concern over this barrel issue and are very pleased with the way their BPI/CVA, etc. rifles shoot. they will also tell you they are safe to shoot. I own a CVA Staghorn Magnum. It is a good shooter.

In the Cabela's bargin basement, there are some New Frontier rifles for as low as $69.00 . It does not get much cheaper then that to get into the sport.

I like the NEF Sidekick offered for sale. A good solid made shooting rifle..

VT_Hunter1980

Cabela's has a nice looking CVA inline in it's bargain cave for $129. It's a .45 cal. I notice that most .45 cal sabots contain a .40 cal pistol bullet such as the 180 grain XTP. How does such a bullet perform on deer at ML velocities? I would fear that it would blow up before penetrating.