i am thinking about buying a muzzleloader what one do you guys recommend and should i get a 45 or a 50 cal

I would buy a 50 Cal.

50cal, a ton more projectiles to pick from

Just like the diaper - Depends.

Do you want a sidelock or in-line? Do you intend to hunt with it, plink, serious target shooting, some combination? Are you more inclined to find one good effective load and stick with that, or do you like to tinker around with a lot of different stuff? If it's primarily for hunting (whitetails only?), what is the average and maximum range you expect to shoot?

See, it's a diaper - and a dirty one at that.

You will get a million answers with that question. You need to narrow things down a bit. Do you want an inline or a traditional style gun? How much money do you plan to spend? Prices range from $100 up to whatever you want to spend. What are you planning to shoot at? Will it be a plinking gun or a hunting gun?

If you are new to the sport and want an entry-level inline gun for a low price, the CVA Wolf is a nice rifle without any extra bling. Keep tacking on the $ and you can move up through the ranks.

I've shot both calibers and killed deer with both. I haven't shot any inline 45's though, only sidehammers. If you're shooting deer-sized game, a .45 will kill the biggest buck you find. If you're after elk or moose, I'd imagine you would be better off with a .50. Some people claim .45 accessories, bullets, etc are hard to find, but that's if the only place you shop is Walmart. The .50 seems to be most peoples' choice.

rw

i am looking for a inline i am willing to spend up to a 1000 as for the loads i am up for playing around and seeing what i like i will be hunting whitetails i live on a farm and we have fields that are over 300 hundreds long so i could shoot a long shot but more like 150 or less

I started my post and then had to quit halfway through to eat supper. Wife cooked fried chicken, mashed taters, corn, fried zucchini, blah blah blah. Well I came back and finished my post, and by the time I posted it I had copied you fellers' answers. Oh well. That garden zucchini is dern good! YUM YUM!

rw

1000 bucks on your first muzzleloader, the skys the limit almost. I agree it depends on your needs. For hunting I would go for a 50 cal. If you ever leave your bullets behind by accident 50's are easier to find at country stores then 45s. I have never hunted with a 45 but my brother has no problem killing a deer with his. Knight and Thompson are good brands and a good place to start. There is some custom guns out there if you do a search but I would start simple and work my way up.

Right now Midway has a good deal on a CVA. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=834673 You would be hard pressed to find a better deal. If I didn't have a kid on the way, I would order one just for the hell of it. I have a TC Bone Collector and love it and that runs from 500 to 600. Just remember the gun is only one part of the purchase. You have possibly a scope to buy, accessories, bullets, and powder. 1000 dollars can add up real quick.

If weight (packing) is no issue and you want a Blackpowder gun only I say Savage 10ML.

If like me you want a gun that you can pack all day (Like CO Elk), I'd say TC Triumph, Omega, or CVA Accura.

If you want a fun gun that you can change barrels out from time to time TC Endeavor or CVA Apex.

I just bought a new .50 cal because I can't go hunt Elk in CO with a .45 cal.

Here is a picture of .45 cal TC Encore and my new .50 cal CVA Accura V2.