I've heard that if you go to a pawn shop right after hunting season you can get used muzzleloaders for cheap. Is that recommended? What are the pros and cons? Thanks.

As long as you can remove the breech plug and check out the barrel for rust,corrosion and pitting, pawn shop finds are fine.

A cheap but darn accurate muzzle loader is a CVA Optima. I got one in trade about 2 weeks ago and love it. Easiest muzzle loader to clean that i've owned so far.

pro: cheaper

cons: some of muzzleloaders may have something wrong with them.

check local gun shops, they have used ones come in before and after the season.

check the classifieds on the this board.

if your local walmart still carries muzzleloaders, starting at 120 to 400.

Thanks. I'm looking to find either a CVA Wolf or Optima in nickel/camo.

Go with the Optima. If you get the nickel finish, buy a polishing compound called FLITZ, its the best stuff ive used! Works great with blued barrel, Stainless and nickel finishes. Anything that gets on my nickel finish, wipes right off.

www.budsgunshop.com has greaty prices on the Optima.

Awesome! Thanks so much!

Just remember, check the bore, the trigger pull (does it break clean) pull the breech plug and check the threads of the inline, and work the action. Does the rifle have fiber optic sights or scope bases? All of this is added cost down the road.Also, know your prices. Know what a new muzzleloader sells for, and also check auction sites to see what some of the rifles are selling for. Some pawn shops are great places to get a deal. Other pawn shops are out there to make lots of money and they have no quams about cheating someone who is not experienced. For instance, a pawn shop rifle for $50.00 less then a Wal Mart might seem like a good deal, but one is new and one is unknown.

Also after the season in your area watch the fliers and adds. Many of the stores sell off their rifles and muzzleloader suppies for cheap. I have an annual Wal Mart buy out of their powder, caps, primers, etc.. Some Wal Marts sell rifles for next to nothing . So keep all of this in mind.

10-4. Thanks for the advice.

Can you dry fire a muzzleloader? Again, I used to shoot a Savage .270 and never dry fired it. I've also shot a bow and know to never dry fire it. Just not familiar with ml's.

I am sure there are ways to dry fire them, but it depends on the action of the rifle. Traditional rifles for instance we used to put a rubber pencil eraser on the nipple and then click away. On some inlines where the action is exposed, you can put a soft block between the hammer and the 209 plug, but on the Omega or Optima with the closed breech, perhaps if you left a primer in there you could dry fire it, but I really do not know. I don't own one of them closed breech rifles..

If I really wanted to dry fire one that uses 209 primers I would pry out the fired primer and put ina piece of eraser or soft plastic to give the firing pin something to hit and not go to the end of travel which in some designs is a bad thing to do as it may eventually cause the firing pin to break. I have on occasion with exposed hammer rifles put a piece of cardboard or a pencil between the hammer and the action so that it would not completely go to the firing pin impact which still allows tripping the trigger to hammer for feel. I just have this thing about never dry firing any firearm or muzzleloader. With the interest in a Wolf I would recommend either just buying one from the best price location since they are pretty cheap to start with or wait until Walmart sells them off at the end of season but that is a chance that you might not be the only one doing that and not get one anyway. I think I have seen them at Wallyworld below $100 before season. Just looked at one for my brother in law that has similar interests and for the money are pretty fair muzzleloaders. Personally I would spend just a little more and go with the Optima. I have a stainlessOptima Elite which I really like but it is quite a bit more money. In a low price break action with short barrel I think the Wolf is the best choice.