how far
 

i bought my first muzzleloader last fall and im wondering how far i can realistically shoot at a deer my equipment is a traditions pursuit xlt 3 - 9 scope 250 grain hornady, bullets and 2, 50 grain triple seven pellets. also wondering if i can up it to 3, 50 grain pellets.

long
 

you need to check your manual for the load ranges your gun will accept. Practice [ractice practice will tell you how far you can shoot.

There is really no one that can tell you the max range except yourself. As stated, practice and see. Remember to factor in excitement and less than optimal rests (no sandbags in the field). And also take a look at how much the wind affects muzzleloader bullets. These bullets go realatively slow and even a 10 mph wind will affect them.

FYI, my own personal max range is 150 yards. And that is after 15 years of hunting. I can't imagine ever going over 200 yards under absolute ideal conditions and a good scope.

Generally limit my shots to about 75 yards unless i have a good steady rest or a good prone or sitting position. Practice often at ranges longer than 100 yards and see what your personal limit is.

My rule is this: Using the same set up as I would be using in the woods i.e. shooting sticks, resting off the side of a tree, out of a tree stand, out of a box stand, shoot 3 shot groups and see if you can keep them inside of 3 inches. If you can, then you should be good to shoot at game at that distance. Once you throw in the excitement your groups will open up to 4 or 5 inches I would guess.

Well said.

Most of the modern muzzleloading projectiles will do the deed at some amazing ranges if placed properly. There are shooters connecting at over 200 yards. The key words are; placed properly. But for right now, I would limit my range in direct correlation to how far I have successfully shot acceptable groups under hunting conditions in practice. If your shooting at 100 yards, leaning against a tree in practice accurately, then presented a similar shot in the field, then take it. Would a 110 yards be OK.. that is up to you.

For instance, on my range I practice out to 100 yards. A lot of my shooting is done off a bench rest. But before season I change over to shooting sticks. I hunt from shooting sticks. I can hit my target from shooting sticks. But to be very honest, off hand I might not take the same shot. I have shot off hand or free hand and am not real impressed with my ability.

My personal limit with a scoped muzzle loader is 150 yards if I have a good solid rest, a relaxed deer, and a perfect broadside shot. Less than perfect conditions and I'm limited to 75 yards or so.

I think we all try to determine the range according to several things.
The accuracy which your gun is capable of,if you can get minute of angle groups with your hunting load then its probably more accurate than most people can shoot under field conditions.
The way you are sighted in. I personally believe in the 3 over to 3 under method so I sight in for 3 over at 100yds. With my hunting load that puts me 3 under at 200 yds.
[140gr BH a blue 50/40 sabot and a Shock Wave or Lehigh bullet 200gr]
I can shoot 100 yds off hand with confidence but will find a rest to go over that.
Know assuming that you are a good shot and sight in 3 inches high at 100 with your load you will be about dead on at 140 and 3 inches low at 160. Now guns vary so do people you need to check this out at the range, Hornady makes more than one 250gr I assume you are using the XTP if you are using the SST or the SW it will be shooting flatter.
AS for the number of pellets very few will shoot 3 accurately in fact most of us use loose because you can tune your accuracy better with the ability to change the powder load to what the gun likes. If you are getting close to inch groups at 100 yds then don't worry about it and don't change any thing.
ALSO THERE is the fact that you should not exceed there max amount in you operaters manual for that gun. The only Spanish barrel I would even consider using over 110 gr in is the Bergara.

good info
 

thanx guys for the responses. the reason i asked was because i took my first ever shot at an animal with it last evening with a smoke pole. a real nice 165+ whitetail only problem was he was pushing 150 yards. needless to say i missed . i had a perfect broadside shot with shooting sticks and held right on the top of his back,. i had the gun sighted for 80 yards . guess i better hit the range and try some shots at longer ranges.

I am going to bet that you shot over him. You definately need to practice out to the range you will be shooting.

AND there may be a slightly different impact point shooting from sticks vs. sandbags. My gun shoots higher off of sticks than at the range, so I get it close with the bags, then finish off of sticks.

With my inline I like to keep shots inside 150 yards...

My load is similiar to yours...90grs of FFF Goex or Pyrodex R-S with a 250 T/C Shockwave...

I sight in 2 1/2 high at 100 and I'm about 3 inches low at 150...

I'd also add a laser rangefinder into the equation...

If your rifle is approved (more than likely) for 150gr black powder/pyrodex, then you can use 150gr of T7 PELLETS. If you use LOOSE T7 you will have to reduce your load to be in the "safe" range-about 135gr and under.
Anyways, I shoot 130gr pyrodex RS w/ 250gr T/C Shockwave. I would trust this rifle and load to over 200yds in a no- or low-wind situation. I have twice already. Believe me, a ML is still packing PLENTY of power to perform on deer at that range with a load like that.


This deer was taken at about 190yds. Easy kill for the Omega. Notice the amount of blood, the deer dropped where it stood.

As stated previsouly, range for an ethical kill is up to the individual person's skill & judgement. For me 150 yards at a relaxed whitetail with a good solid rest using 2 pellets 777 with a 250 grain shockwave. But if the deer is relaxed, I usually can get a little closer.

You stated you purchased your muzzleloader recently. If it is modern gun, then you it should be able to up the charge to 150 grains. However, you accuracy might actually suffer and cause a higher % of misses at long range. Muzzleloaders seem to have a sweet spot of powder, bullet, primer, etc... Most people seem to get the best accuracy when using less then the max rated charge. Only way to tell is to hit the range.

Big Z; that is one really big doe. Wish we had them that size in this part of OK.

Haha, Falcon, quite true. I took that doe on public land just south of Scottsbluff, NE. Spotted her at about 700yds and was able to crawl through enough cacti to get a shot (ouch). She took quite a tumble down the side of that bluff. So she didn't "exactly" drop where she stood :D My profile pic is another ML kill of mine.

--just remembered. My friends dad shot a doe off that same public property last rifle season that field dressed at 170lbs! "Godzilla Doe" we nicknamed it :D

Can you put 150 gr. of powder in your gun. I'd check the owners manual but I would guess that the answer is yes. The thing is though, and most people in this room will tell you that unless you just need to up your self esteem, there really isn't that much of an advantage to going witha 150 gr. charge. I'd stick with the charge ya got.

On the topic of range, I would play out senario shots for what my average, shortage, and longest makeable shots are gonna be. I have one mL that I use for deep cover and I've got it so that at 50 yds its 1" high. My other ML is 2" at 100 and then does pretty good out to 150yd. Truth be told though, I've never taken a deer with a ML past 100 yds. My suggestion is practice up and try different distances.

Odds are the gun is not the limiting factor, but you are. No knock on you, just that the ballistics of modern muzzleloaders have taken their effective range past the effective range of most shooters.

NOTE: What I am about to share is not something I am telling you that you should do, you probably shouldn't. A good shooting buddy was over looking at my target I kept from shooting a ML 500 yards and noting that I was probably one of half a dozen people in the COUNTRY who do that.

I had a Traditions gun of similar quality and setup to yours. I took deer to 300 yards. I carried a drop chart with wind drift for 25yd increments out past that range.

I now shoot a TC Omega specifically accurized and set up for long range. I have taken deer to 338 yds, pretty close to the max range I trust the bullet I use to open, and targets to 500 yds with a different load.

If you can't shoot MOA off the bench at X range (1 inch per 100 yds out to whatever range, so 3 inches for 300 yds) you shouldn't be considering it. If you can't shoot 1.5 MOA groups from field position or under 5-6in group no matter what the range, you should stick to closer shots. And this is under the worst wind conditions where you would take the shot.

When I shot 338 yds to take a deer, there was zero wind. I have passed on closer shots with more wind. I have also army-crawled 1/4 mile to turn a 350yd shot into a 20 yd shot, I take long shots when it is necessary but convert to close shots when possible.

I have never missed a deer over 125 yards that I used a laser rangefinder on. I had NEVER missed one over 125 yards until I got stupid last year and took a shot at one that had me pinned down without access to my rangefinder and missed. Years past I have screwed up my share of closer shots, I attribute that to never taking a long shot without a ton of thought and preparation but taking things for granted on some shorter "easy" shots.

Will you be hunting thick brush or open fields? I hunt thick bruch were you can only see about 30 yards in front of you so I really don't get carried away with the 150 grain powder charges. I shoot Traditions Lightning Bolts with great success with (2) 50 grain pellets and a Remington Kleenbore 209 primer with a Shockwave 250 grain. I do have a clear patch of opening into a field that I killed a doe at 110 yards with the same load. All you can do is do your time on the range and that gun will take care of you. 100 grains is plenty for whitetails even out to 200 yards but a lot depends on wind, powder amount and bullet weights. If you need to hit at 200 yards, use a light bullet weight around 200 grains loaded with 100 grains of loose or pellets and put that scope on 9 and practice at 200 yards. You should be able to dial it in for that range. If I had an area with that oportunity on a big deer and prcaticed with that load I would take the shot, pending the wind and whether or not I knew my backdrop.