Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

The most accurate muzzleloader out of the box is a toss up for me. The Knight Disc Elite and the T/C Triumph are really close. I’m going to leave that a tie.

The worst out of the box Muzzleloaders for me are the Encores. They take a lot of tweaking to get them to work right. Triggers, hinge pin, fouling in firing pin. A couple companies made a living on making the Encore better. I will mention when T/C copied the Triumph breech plug for the Endeavor it did take away the fouling.

My favorite Muzzleloader is no doubt the Encore. I just loved hunting with that gun. To most they are ugly, but looks don’t kill the animals. Mine was strictly for Muzzleloading, no CF barrels at all for me. It was also really easy to handle on a Quad as well. It was a great fit for me. It just takes some money to get it really good.
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RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Grouse45

This is really a tough post for me to provide good answers.... I really like all of mine as all of them are great and members of the family....

The most accurate muzzleloader:
Probably in this order.... Remington 700ml, Omega after a couple of fixes, White U-Mag. The jury is still ou on the Triumph

The worst out of the box Muzzleloaders I do not want to bring up old wounds but by far the worst was a CVA Firebolt... (but I do not like the looks of the Encore)


My favorite Muzzleloader I think it still remains the Rem 700's if you are talking inlines and definitely Renegades if you are talking sidelocks....

All that said - I will keep all of my ML's as they are all in a class by themselves and I like em...

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

45cal Disc Elite-Most accurate:)

Also VERY good accuracy obtained from CVA 45/50cal MagHunter, 45cal Kodiak, and 50cal Optima, and 50cal Wolf.


My favorite=45cal Disc Elite...far and away Excellent!!;)

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

I had an winchester X150 that would shoot anything I fed it into nice groups, but it was heavy

My Omega X7 is a sweeet little gun that shoots great & carries like a dream. It kicks like a mule on crack if I try to push 250 grain bullets too fast. So I stick with the 200 grain bullets

OT but my next ML is gonna be a .45 cal . Had to sell my last one to help heat the house this year[&o]

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

most accurate out of the box. Required the least effort to work up a load.. My Triumph

Favorite: My Lyman Great Plains Rifle 54 cal. This may change as I have other Caplocks now that I haven't shot yet. ( T/C Hawken with 4 different barrels,Gibbs,etc.) I am hoping that the Hawken with the sharpshooter barrel will be all I hope it to be. Then it will become my new favorite.

Worst: without a doubt my CVA Kodiak Pro 45 cal. Thanks to my first CVA, it will be my last.
And since MD54 will probably see this, yes I contacted CVA customer service at least 4 times and that experience was worse than the performance of the gun.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Where's my free prize now for taking the survey:D:D

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

I'm going to add my very limited $0.02 here. And I mean limited.... :)I've only owned two different muzzleloaders.

MOST ACCURATE: Definitely my Encore Endeavor. Being that the only othermuzzleloader I've ownedis a Remington Genesis.

FAVORITE: Encore Endeavor. Everything about it screams quality to me. I haven't fired a lot of other muzzleloaders but I have handled them and the Endeavor just feels better and the components look like they're made better. It has great balance and the trigger is awesome. Honestly, if I had a professional gunsmith offer to tweak this rifle for free, I would pass. Absolutely NO blowback due to the superior breech plug design and very accurate.

WORST: Remington Genesis. Not that it's a bad muzzleloader but I've only had two and one has to be the worst. The trigger needed tweaks to make it smooth and I did them myself. It had some blowback that would accumulate on the scope but not a whole lot. Pretty accurate but not as accurate as my favorite.

I'd really like to get a Knight some day and give it a go. But it's going to be a tall order to out-do my Endeavor. But I'll remain open minded.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

The most accurate muzzleloader out of the box would be my Thompson Center Black Diamond XR. I took it from the box, with open sights, and using their suggested load of 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and a 250 grain shockwave, shot such a tight group at 50 yards, I thought something had to be wrong. It is a boring rifle. A very close second would be my White Ultra Mag.

The worst out of the box Muzzleloader for mewas a CVATracker Carbine. I have yet to figure out what it truely likes. Also the trigger was garbage, I sent it back and finally on the third time back, they fixed it. Not that I do not have some good ideas, but I have not shot it enough to really learn all its quirks.

My favorite Muzzleloader is a Thompson Center Renegade in .54 caliber. Its fun to shoot, accurate, and by changing out barrels, the rifle can do anything.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Most Accurate: My Disc Elite has a slight edge over my Omega.

Worst: None.. I can honestly say after owning 3 Knights, 2 T/C's and 2 Whites, that none disappointed me. Any problems were due to operator error.

Favorite: Currently my Elite...but someT/C Triumphand Endeavor owners have gotten my attention with some really good accuracy with BH209.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Well my experience with inlines has been limited to 2 - a CVA Optima Pro when they first came out and a Remington Genesis. Of these 2 they were both comparable in accuracy with a slight edge to the Genesis.
Most of my muzzies are sidelocks and all are T/Cs. One Renegade and 5 Hawkens. I would say that my one 50 cal Hawken with the GM LRH barrel is probably the most accurate including the Genesis. The 45 cal Renegade and Hawken with GM barrels are a very close second.
My 'worst' shooting ML is my T/C Hawken flinter with the GM LRH carbine barrel. And even though I consider it the worst, it ain't bad and I carry it most of the time during PAs primitive season in Dec - Jan.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

The most accurate muzzleloader
That is easy, the 2nd time I shot my Savage with 300g SW, I shot this 5 shot group, which I have never done again, of course I never shot SW again. I was astonished at this group, because I had NEVER done that well with any rifle of any caliber.


The worst out of the box Muzzleloaders
You know I would have to say the Savage also, because you gotta know a lot to shoot it properly.I had issues with sabots and loading and didn't have a clue as to what was wrong, and none of my inline experience was applicable.

My favorite Muzzleloader

That is a tough one. I love my Savage, since it is accurate and no cleaning and a great shooter, however I also like my Knight and my Omega and my Flintlock, each has a purpose. I took the scope off my Knight and buought some RMC V-peep to shoot open sights, got a nice doe with the gun at 50 yards with 300g Barnes Expanders. I love my Omega, since it is accurate, with a 3-9 scope and shoots 300g Expanders and 300g Noslers very well. I like my FL also, since I switched the barrel to a 21" Green Mountain. So I have a gun for every season and every purpose. I use the Savage in Rifle season instead of a CF. I use the Inline in MLer season, 2 weeks before rilfe season. I use the Knight on close hunting situations, I have a couple. I use the FL in FL season in PA. So a gun for all seasons.
Keeps things interesting and fun. Also have an extra gun or two if some needs to borrow something.
Great question.
Chap

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Chet, You still have the .45 kodiak?

What kind of trouble was it giving you?

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Yes,I still have it. I got it about a year ago or a little over. It wouldn't group no matter what combination I tried. everything from 80 gr up to 120 gr. Pyrodex to Triple 777. Powerbelt 195, 225, you name it. I couldn't get it to shoot good. I wrote CVA and they treated me like a moron that doesn't know anything. I have 18 muzzle loaders and have been shooting muzzle loaders for 30 years. So I wrote it off after about the 4th e-mail. They didn't want to do anything. I shelved it. Well finally a month or more ago I tried it again. The 200 gr sst's I found did the best it has ever shot but nothing to brag about , so that is the story. I am not as disappointed in the gun (those things happen) as I was with the treatment I received. I still think it should shoot better than it does . Right now I wouldn't even consider hunting with it.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

BEST.....T/C Pro Hunter.....Put Nikon omega bdc scopeon it.. had it bore sighted. Used 3 pellets.. 250g Shockwave and thats all it was. Just as Greg Ritz said in the video. Gun still is the best I have and not to mention awesome looking.

Worst.... CVA Apollo Rocky Mountain Elk foundation series thumb hole stock could not hit a barn from 50yds.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

chet, in all seriousness i'd be more than happy to take a look at it. i have plenty of ammo to find a load and can buy some stuff too if need be.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Best shooting muzzelloader i have ever shot was my Knight Magnum Disc Rifle, it will shoot anything i can shove down the barrel and shoot it great.
The worst shooting muzzelloader i have ever shot and own was a Traditions Long Range Hunter.Could not hit a 2x2' foot piece of card bored 10 Foot from it.Now that is saying something thats for sure ,But i have also own and shot nearly 30 CVA's since the early 70's that was dearn near as bad and nerver did have one of them to shoot worth a flip either

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

The most accurate muzzleloaderfor mehas to be the 700ML. I have yet to find something it won't shoot well.

The worst out of the box Muzzleloaders forme the Traditions Thunderbolt. Wouldn't shoot straight, dirty and just plain cheaply made.

My favorite Muzzleloaderfor me would be the Genesis. It's not top of the line but I've owned two and have not had the first minutes trouble out of them.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Most accurate out of the box: CVA wold. Paid $100 for it, took it to the range and dropped down two pellets and a powerbelt. First shot was through the bulls eye at 50 yards. 2nd shot was right next to the first. Couldn't complain about that.

Worst: another vote for the traditions thunderbolt. Was glad to get rid of it.

Favorite: H&R Sidekick. Shoots everything well, has a nice wood stock, was only $125, and made in the USA. Plus, every time I have taken this rifle in the woods deer have a habit of standing broadside to me at close range. I have come to believe this is my good luck charm.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

most accurate,CVA hunterbolt that was 10yrs ago and it still cuts holes at 100yds

worst would have to be a number of knights that friends have tryed to get to shoot.i've seen 5-6 that i couldn't hit a pie plate at 100yds with,no matter what you put in it.

favorite now,my tc triumph. easy to clean,shoot great,carries well.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

The most accurate muzzle loader
Knight Revolution shoots nice tight groups
The worst out of the box Muzzle loaders
CVA Hunter Bolt trigger pull is terrible, blow back is bad, not balanced very well, pain in the butt to clean
My favorite Muzzle loader
Knight Revolution Remington Genesis running a very close second place needs more field testing only one out of the three that will shoot Black Horn 209

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Favorite: Pro Hunter in the .50 caliber, stainless Thumbhole stcok. I am hooked on those TH stocks now. I like my Wolf scoped as it is quick short woods walking shooter.
Worst: Traditions Tracker 209, it gave me fits, but it was also my starter gun, blow back and i new nothing about MLing.
High on List my Lyman Deerstalker flint in 50. I never new how much fun it could be to shoot that firestarter.
New and virgin TC New Englander, found one cheap, great shape and reading great things about this caplock.

I am so new I probably don't know good from bad, I do know what is comfortable and fun, that is my judge right now! Cheers to the originator of this thread!

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Most accurate was/is My White Super 91 in .451.

Worst was a old TC Firehawk in .58 cal. Never could get that thing to shoot.

My favorite is my White Super 91 in .504. I can load and shoot that gun all day long without swabbing.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

You should be receiving your CVA Wolf any day now!!

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

No ! Didn't you read his post... he wants to take a stab at another CVA Kodiak Pro .45 Cal.

Sorry.. couldn't resist.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Most accurate: 50cal Pro Hunter. Right out of the box it was a shooter. Made it even better with some trigger work I did.

Worst accurate: Out of the three MLs I have owned (and still own) I will have to say my Lyman Deer Stalker...but don't get me wrong...it's a good shooter and I love to shoot PRB out of her. Out of the box with the flip up rear sight it shot good but I improved that with a Lyman Peep.

Favorite: The Pro Hunter but I'm really likeing that 45cal Accura with the thumbhole stock.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

I noticed your Lyman Deer Stalker not being accurate. Did you know it's a 1 and 48 twist? I have had alot better success with 1 and 66 twist using prb. My DeerStalker is really accurate with Sabots.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

No...actually I think it is accurate. I use it for PRB mostly and realize a slower twist may be better for that projectile but that's what I enjoy shooting out of her. I have tried sabots also but like to use my inlines for that type of shooting.

In other words...I do not have any inaccurate guns. But of the three I own I guess I would have to rate the Lyman least accurate. But that could be because I haven't experimented enough with it.

RE: Most accurate, Worst, Favorite out of the box Muzzleloader.
 

Anybody got a Knight Disc Elite in 45cal they want to get rid of?

I got a cva optima elite, I've shoot from 75 to 180 yards. It's maybe impossible to beat this gun.

Worst out of the box, by a HUGE margin! was a TC Encore 209x.45 POS as delivered. #2 would have been a very early CVA Optima.

Best out of the box - hard call - White Umag, CVA Accura, CVA Apex in no particular order.

Most accurate- g-series whitetail or my optima elite
Worst accuracy- Must be my TC Hawken, only because I cant see iron sights as well.
Favorite- without a question my G-series Whitetail.

Hard to grade "out of box" as I rarely shoot a gun much before fiddling with something...

Worst out of the box, well where to begin. My first ML was a Traditions Deerhunter, shot ok but trigger pull was more than the gun weighed. Shot a lot of deer with it before I got the work done but it was horrible. Or my second ML, a Traditions Lightning (see a pattern??) with a tight stock/barrel rub and a 10lb trigger. Dremeled the stock and worked the trigger and the gun was accurate, but had a nasty surprise that below about 7lb the trigger/safety group would malfunction and fire the gun if it was ****ed with the safety off!! I'll throw the Encore on this list too, my buddy had a laundry list of problems with his and is still not happy with it.

Best out of the box, Omega X7. It is the only ML I have not modified, everything about it is excellent except I needed a new front sight to shoot bullets under 300gr and get a 100yd zero.

Favorite, thumbhole Omega. I did a lot of work on it, 3/4 of which most people would not do, but it's a real tack-driver now.

Best out of the box was my Knight MK 85 and hunted for years and took a deer or two each year. Always stayed sighted in with 100 grains and 240 gr sabot. Worst was the T/C omega. So darn hard to get a bullet down the barrel useing t/c sabots. Cleaned between each shot but tried the second shot without as if i was hunting and needed another shot. Friend laughed as he thought i was going to break the ramrod getting it down. After a hr of shooting i wasn't very happy with it and sold it for half price. that said, many love theirs and may have been all my fault not useing some other sabot. I would think it was their brand and would work in their gun. Same sabots load and work fine in my Knight and cva. Not sure what i did wrong.

You bought a TC, just about every darn one of them has a tight bore, yes they are a good MLer and many like em but even the new Triumph has the same problem. You'd think TC would try there brand of sabots in em befor they sell em and size the bore accordingly. I know your thinkin of another CVA.....OMG did I say CVA...........go for the ACCURA and put the other's to shame with price, accuracy and the Bergara Barrel. Just My Oinion,,,,,,,,,,6 deer this first year with it and all clean perfect shots, no problems with it at all. Im eatin GOOD!
(BP)

Best out of box: Triumph bone collector. I shot mine for the first time the other day and previously helped get my buddy sighted in with his regular triumph and both were better out of the box than I currently shoot my genesis.
Worst: Not sure if I can say I have a worst. I have had a CVA wolf, sighted in a Kodiak Pro for dad, sighted in a Omega with a scope/thumbhole stock for someone who said he couldn't hit the paper, have a genesis and a triumph...and if I had to pick a worst...probably the Wolf...just because it took longer to get a group that was good.
Favorite: I am sure my new fav is now the bone collector...but...I have to say the Genesis holds a place in my heart because of all the hunting memories.

I answered this question once but that answer is outdated as I just got a pro-hunter that took the honors as most accurate out of the box. 4 shots to sight it in. First shot low , adjusted and the next 3 were a 1 1/2 " group at 100 yards. I am still amazed and often catch myself thinking it was a fluke and next time I shoot it ,it won't be accurate as i think it is. Hopefully I get that chance soon. If I can dig out that is.Darn blizzard:s6:

Most accurate: The Endeavor out shoots all the rest at 250 yds.
Favorite: Hard choice the Endeavor over the Triumph but just.
Worst: The first CVA Hawken back in the early years, very accurate but something in the lock broke almost every time I took it to the range, I finally replaced the lock.

Most Accurate Out Of The Box:

My cheap old CVA StagHorn. It made consistent <1.25" three shot groups at 100 yards. It still does that after ten years of heavy use and abuse.


The Worst:

My .50 Encore. The stock was loose when i bought it. The screw holes for the thimbles were not drilled deep enough and the thimbles were always loose. Fixed that one myself. The bore was very rough and the barrel fouled with plastic from the sabots. A couple of sessions with tight patches and red jewelers rouge cured that.

Had problems with side play and lockup. That was partially corrected with new lockup springs and an oversize hinge pin. Had oodles of problems related to center fire rifle barrels. The forearm ears were touching the frame and had to be shaved on the inside. The thing did not come with an Easy Tip extractor and i had to buy one of those.

The Best:

My .50 Encore. After doing the obligitory Encore retrofits it became a pretty good gun. Had a couple of cheap scopes on that gun that i thought were good in low light, etc. Both went bad. This past fall i put a Zeiss 4X32 Conquest scope on it and that made a huge difference. My groups got smaller. The scope is much clearer and i can see targets better in low light. My only gripe about my Encore now is the fact that it is very heavy. Too heavy for me to take on a long walking hunt. For that there is my trusty CVA Stag Horn.

Most accurate -
Rem. 700ML followed very closely by a T/C Omega - both would give sub-MOA groups with a variety of loads.

The worst -
Anything with the name Traditions on it! I've had everything from a .32 cal sidelock to an inline and none of them would shoot decent groups consistently!

The best -
T/C sidelocks. Good accuracy, easy to clean & care for, and dependable with reasonable care & loading. + just plain fun to shoot! :biggrin:

only 1 muzzleloader i use.THOMPSON HAWKINS .50 CAL FLINTLOCK with rmc peep sight mounted near frizzen.
to ME its best,accurate,fun gun to carry and shoot.

you should see looks i get from hunters with their 7mm rem mag, using it in regular gun season here in pa.:lolabove: