im in the market for a new one can u guys give me some good ideas on some and a good cal choice...

thanks for ur time

nyhunterguy a good choice will depend on what you want it to do, and how much you want to spend, and your state regulations. I like the traditional sidelocks. I think the best caliber out there is a .54 caliber, for what I use it for. Many in-lines will not shoot round ball. That makes them more expensive to shoot for fun on a nice afternoon. Traditional rifles with a 1-48 twist will shoot roundball and conicals. I shoot a T/C .54 caliber Renegade and it is good out to 100 yards any time of the day. I also have a Traditions Woodsman with a 1-66 twist in .50 caliber that will lay a round down range accurate to 100 yards. Traditions are less expensive then Thompson Center. Another good sidelock is Lyman in the Great Plains Rifle. 1-60 twist, shoots a round ball outstanding. CVA is another brand to look at in sidelocks. I never got into this sport 20+ odd years ago to shoot 150 yards or with a scope. Some shooters find the need for all of that, and thats fine. It all depends on what you want to do with the rifle.

Well I started with a traditional sidelock style and switched to inline some years back. I now have a Rem 700 MLS 50 cal. topped with a Bushnell 4200 Elite 3x10x50...so I guess you can count me in the extreme side of the front loaders sport. I love my inline and it prints all day long at 100 yards. I can effectively shoot to 200 yards, but limit myself to 150 yards shots in the field. Most of my shots have come at 100 or less. Lots of options in manufacturers(T/C, Knight, Rem, Winchester, CVA, Traditions and the list goes on) & styles(flint, side, inl9ine, smokeless), you need to first find out what your state or area regs are for ML season(some don' t allow inlines in the regular ML, some don' t allow scopes, etc.). You are better to know before you start looking and it may narrow your choices. Caliber match it to the style and your game, you should be alright. 45. cal is picking up steam as of late for deer, but I think you' ll still find the most popular to be 50 cal.

Most important thing is practice and find the right load for YOUR gun. When you buy don' t buy large quanities of bullet or powder until you find the sweet load..it will save you a lot of money.

Good Luck

Hi nyhunterguy ,
skeeter 7mm is right about .50 cal . More products are made for them than any other caliber . I' d start with a smokepole in a 1 in 48" twist rate to allow you to start with round ball ammo . These will also shoot sabots and conicals with acceptable accuracy . Round ball is cheaper to shoot for practice , and good for hunting at ranges of 100 myds or less . A .50 will take game up to whitetail size with no problems . They can be less effective than a .54 on bear , elk , and moose sized game . I prefer inlines , I own 3 of them , and have both calibers . Ignition reliability is crucial in a front stuffer , and inlines are very reliable . I also find them somewhat easier to clean since you only have to remove the breech plug and bolt . The downside that I see with sidelocks is that you have to remove the barrel from the stock each time you clean one , and this can affect it' s accuracy . Explore the choices out there until you find the one that suits you best , and enjoy your new addiction .

Just one more opinion: First I think most if not all the ML on the market right now are more than adequate for hunting. Ignition systems, stock materials, metal to wood finish, sites, all improve in quality as the price goes up.
Caliber, for the new guy I would say go with a .50 becuase of the selection of guns and available projectiles. I agree with the previous post about the .54 for roundballs. If you look at the ballistics of roundballs very closely a .54 really does out perform a .50, and a .45 is really a lightwieght unless you keep your shots under 50 yards.

As for stlye (assuming you know what' s legal for your hunt) get the style of gun that you like the best. Traditional styled guns can be purchased that perform as well as the in-lines so if you looking for a traditional gun that can handle sabots or conicals check out Lymans Great Plains Hunter.

If you' re looking for a bit more information I' ve got an article on my site that covers how to select a ML.