I am very new to muzzleloading actually I have never done it and I was thinking about getting into it...I am curious as to the range a muzzle loader will have...what has more range a .50cal or 45?? I will be hunting deer and if I really really like the loader I will kill the damn coyotes with it too when i get bored with my 25-06...thanks again

There are a few different flavors of Muzzleloaders (Flint and percussion sidelocks and inlines). All of which can be exceptionally accurate with practice and patience.

As for the range, with open sights you will find about the same with a centerfire = 100 yards or so or less.

If you elect to go with optics, then you are likely wanting an inline and then out to 200 yards or sowith the right load and a great deal of practice is possible.

As far as .45 or .50 caliber the range is fairly comperable in my view. I believe that a .45 will have a flatter trajectory due to reduced projectile weight so you may have a bit longer range capability.

As for a recommendation, the only thing I would suggest at this pointis a 50 caliber. You can hunt squirrels on up to elk with a 50 cal. A 45 might be a bit on the light side for larger game. Plus there is a much wider variety of projectiles available for 50 cal.

What sort of ML are you interested in (modern or traditional)? Knowing some of your basic interests will help folks make some suggestions for you to take a look at and consider.

On a side note, a flintlockand a patched roundballin a pair of capable and practiced hands and the right load is both accurate and lethal out to several hundered yards...

Tahquamenon

I definitely want a TC inline of some sort.. I love the looks of all the TC's but I just don't know where to start...

Well, I am brand new to all this too, so I can't give a lot of advice, but the next logical question is.........

What state(s) are you hunting in and what are the restrictions? Be specific if you know the restrictions and these guys will not fail you.

As far as I have found out, Oregon is the most restrictive on the equipment you can use, followed by my lovely state of Washington and then probably Idaho and other western states.

As cascadedad has mentioned, you need to ensure what the regulations are first. example: Inlines ok, open or closed ignition, projectile requirements.

As far as T/C goes I have many in both inline and sidelock variety.

As to which, that depends on you budget. You can spend a few hundred for a nice Black Diamond up to several hundered for the top of the line Encore Pro Hunter.

Honestly, your best bet is to try and shoulder as many styles as you can.

If it's T/C, then you are looking at either a Black Diamond, Omega or an Encore. I have had a Black Diamond that I still wish I had, I have two Omega's one with the fluted barrel and thumbhole stock and have shot and hunted with and will eventually have an Encore.
All of which are very good rifles.

Tahquamenon

i dont know much about the regulations for Illinois but that is something I will look into...thanks i will get back to you soon

A properly maintained and correctly loaded muzzleloader can be about as accurate as any modern rifle, with the possible exception of a topnotch benchrest gun. In addition, with the right bullets, muzzleloaderscan have plenty of range potential as well, except that due to their relatively low velocities, they have steep trajectories. This means that to hit your intended target at extended ranges, you have to be very good at range estimation, and you have to do enough long-range shooting with your rifle to know its' trajectory precisely. Here I'm talking about ranges greater than 200 yards.

During the Civil war, both Union and Confederate snipers are known to have madekills at ranges of up to a mile or so! For this work, they used heavy barreled target rifles called "slug guns" which were equipped with false muzzles for precise loading, and telescopic sights!

A Union Sniper Rifle





Long[/b] Range[/b] Muzzleloader??[/b]
British Wall Gun (727) PER THE RIFLE SHOPPE:
This gun has a 54" tapered round barrel with a 1" bore, it also has a lug on the barrel for a pivoting swivel yoke, and they are quite accurate.

There is a letter on record that Washington had a few wall guns made up that were capable of hitting a sheet of common writing paper at 600 yards.[/i][/b]

For long range shooting with a Thompson Center you would want a Encore, Pro Hunter, Omega, or Black Diamond XR. All of these are a 200 yard rifle with the right optics and practice. Using something like a 200 or 250 grain Shockwave and two or three pellets and you could knock anything down at 200 yards.

As for the caliber I would stick with a .50 caliber. While the .45 caliber might be flatter shooting you're not really going to notice the difference between the two calibers. If all a matter of what you practice with. The .50 caliber has a better selection of projectiles as well. It is legal out west where the .45 caliber is not, should you ever get the urge to hunt something big and hard to kill out there. Not that the .45 will not do the job. It's just some states do not accept the.

Also check your State regulations as to the black powder caliber allowed. For instance, if your shooting a .45 caliber and that is the minimum caliber permitted, then you can not shoot sabots as the projectile is too small... All you could shoot are concicals.

I live and hunt in IL and would recommend the Omega if you want a TC... it is legal to hunt with in all the firearm and ML seasons. If you were willing to entertain other ML's besides TC... Sabot chucker - the Savage 10MLII can be used in IL with smokeless powder in all three season (2 firearm and the ML)... I just purchased one myself. Conical chucker - White, any White ML... I took my largest buck ever at 185 yards with a 496gn conical, 85gn of T7 2f, out of a White Super 91 .504 caliber. Another good ML for accuracy is a Knight DISC Elite (I do have one for sale, I know shameless promotion).

I have hunted with a ML in in all the firearm/ML seasons here in IL for 5 years... would never go back to a slug gun. Accuracy and distance is why.

So if you like TC, you can use any model they have in IL.

I just need to ask, being a new White Ultra Mag owner... was the rifle scoped? What was the rifle sighted in at? What was the amount of drop at that distance? Did you get complete pass through? How far did the animal run? And last, what kind of damage did that conical do?

thanks...