when you hunt muzzleloaders what is the average range that you site you weapon in at? 50 -100 yards? or more? I plan on hog and deer hunting with mine in central florida. i was thinking 100yards? but im an absolute newby when it comes to hunting. I was in the marines durring the first gulf war so siting in a weapon is not new stuff to me. I havent developed my load yet but i plan on starting with 100 grains pyrodex and 245 grain powerpoint bullets. What is the effective range of a muzzleloader with this load? I know dumb newby questions sorry......

First you have to know the ballistic data for your load:

http://www.powerbeltbullets.com/docs/PBB28inchballistics.pdf

Then you can plug it into a ballistic calculator like this one:

http://www.handloads.com/calc/

Then you have to try your particular gun in the field to work out the final details. I generally sight my gun in to strike dead on at 100 yards. That is my own particular maximum range since I hunt with open sights. With that, I can just hold dead on without even thinking about it.

As far as how far your load would be lethal, try this link:

http://www.loadammo.com/Topics/July02.htm

I Know what you are using would be plenty out to 150 yards. If you want to shoot beyond that, you might as well hunt with a rifle.

100 yards is what a majority of us sight-in at. Because muzzleloaders can be so be so accuracy-diverse out-of-the-box, I'll hang two large targets side-by-sideat 50 yards to start -- then aim for the center of these two targets... that being the right edge of the one on the left .... left edge of the one on the right. If I'm not on paper to start with such wide target paper toaim at, it usually means my elevation sights are way-off. Then I'll fire at the high side center to correct it -- if that don't get me on paper, I'll shoot at the low edge.

One of them usually gets me started & on my way. That way I avoid the 25 yard range where sometimes a group of pistol shooters,adolescents and children exist. I sight-in usually at 3" high there at the 50 -- then move to the 100 yard range.

i started mine out at 30 yards finally got bulls then moved to 50 bulls. so i'm still there till later date..

Wow, 50 bulls! You must have several freezers.

LOL, sorry, couldn't resist.

Anyway, my gun is sighting in at 100YARDSand I am heading out in 2 Days!!!

On my open sighted flintlock, I sight in 2 inches high at 50 yards...This puts me dead on at 75 and about 2 inches low at 100...My maximum range for deer with that gun...

On scope sighted inlines, I sight in 2 1/2 high at 100 yards...and check at 125 and 150...With my Knight Disc and 90 grains of Pyrodex R-S and a 250 Shockwave, I'm 2 1/2 to 3 inches low at 150 yards, which I consider my maximum range for deer with that gun...

I start by shooting 2-4 in high at 50yd should be close at 100 2-3 shoots at 100 to see how things are and then you should be good to 125-150yd depending on the ml

Black Powder Journal; Sighting In Your Muzzle Loading Rifle