Doug100g

I would love to here your story as to how you were introduced to Muzzy's. My son is not passionate at all about muzzy's because he thinks I am the only one around who uses them.

I am very new to muzzleloading compared with some of you vets. Yet, I am "like"...a little off balance when desiring one, shooting one, and hearing the stories of others enjoying one.

I watched and read this site for quit a while before deciding to join. Once I listened to the advice of those here on BH 209 and my sons first deer, I had to join and hopefully share info that others could benefit by.

My story is this. A young man convinced me to try a Muzzy that used an 11 primer. He told me stories of how in Ohio men killed deer at 200 yards (no riffle state). He was so passionate about their effectiveness that I was charmed to give it a try.

So I bought the old TC and never fired it. When I was trying to purchase powder and caps from the local hunting store, I overheard men bashing 11 primers and any gun that did not use a 209.

Because I was new, I did not hesitate to research what they said. It turns out that most manufacturer's where indeed heading in the 209 direction. So because of this, I decided to sell the gun I owned for less than two days and buy a new TC right out of the box.

I fell in love with the gun (Z7) immediately. I just loved stuffing the sabot, after the powder. I liked the fact that it was up to me to discover the guns abilities. I loved the fact that smoke filled the air making it hard to see the target. I loved shooting 150 yards and hitting a pie plate.

For us Ohio hunters it seemed like a dream to have a weapon that could reach those distances leagally.

I soon sold the Z7 after holding a thumbholed version of the same gun. It was so much more comfortable and the stock did not float.

Since then, I can't wait to fire it at targets, groundhogs and deer.

777 was my go to powder until BH 209. I will still shoot 777 on a lonesome day when I feel like swabbing between shots. But BH 209 will be my goto powder during hunting season.

My friends constituency put down muzzleloaders for not knocking down deer. They say..."just watch midwestwhitetail.com and you will see video after video of deer being shot with muzzys and then going over a hundred yard run and NO BLOOD!

Well, I don't argue with them. I tell them it's just a challenge that comes with hunting.

However, I also let them feel the TC with the 3 pound trigger pull, and they do smile.

No matter what, I just love shooting them. And even if all my deer came to me within 20 yards I will never go back to my sluggun. I just don't like killing them that way anymore.

So I will test bullets, powder and my skills until I can just put them down over and over with the muzzy. So far I have a 100 percent recovery...lol

D

lemoyne

My Grand father started me shooting when I was 10 or 11 years old, my dad taught me after that. One of the guns that let me shoot was a muzzle loading pistol, I think I have the addiction since I have not stopped shooting and I am in the middle 70's now.
Why? Muzzleloaders are the most fun.

MountainDevil54

First noticed black powder when i was 11 and we moved out into the mountains. We had the HUUUUGE satelite dish and only got 4 channels maybe and one morning i ran across the Grizzly Adams series. Man that was a summer to remember! Wake up early every morning to watch that show and then during the winter, Jeremiah Johnson was playing on TV Land over and over. I think i watched it 3 times in a row that day. When i was 14 i ordered an 1851 confederate navy .44 and even though that pistol came apart in my hand due to crap parts, i had a blast with that first black powder experience. A week before christmas i stopped into a small gun shop, saw a cva blazer .45cal and bought it for a whopping $60 brand new! Also bought a refinishing kit as the Blazer was in unfinished form.

Man what memories!

TNHagies

I shot my first ML at about age 8 or 10. It was an old Ultra-Hi .45 "Kentucky" rifle. It was a ton of fun but it never was a go-to gun as it wasn't very accurate nor reliable. Side note on that gun: The trigger was over 9lbs...

About 10 years ago, I put the centerfire rifles back in the gun case and they have not came out since. A lot of my friends look at me kinda funny when I pull out the smokepole during rifle season.

For me, they're so much more fun than centerfires ever were. I love the added challenge-especially with a sidelock as I can't shoot open sights all that well.

WV Hunter

I started 20+ yrs ago, to add addl time in the woods. Back then we only had a 2 week rifle season. Now its 2 mos

Anyhow, I guess I'm semi old school....still use #11 primers and pryodex. My gun will shoot with any gun out there, and I never have issues finding any deer shot. My bullet / powder combo is as good as it gets. Bang/flop, or sometimes they run a ways - but always bleed well and I have 100% recovery.

I really enjoy m/l hunting, its my 2nd favorite behind the bow. Just something about stuffing the barrel, and only one shot. Love it.

dirt1008

I guess I'm kinda like your son. I always thought "Who would want to use one of those antiques when you can use a high powered rifle." then one day I got an itch to buy a modern inline. So I'm sort of backwards because when I bought the inline I thought how cool!, and now I'm super excited about muzzleloading. I want to buy some older ones now.

cayugad

I had shot one muzzleloader when I was around eight, maybe nine years old. It was nothing special but I loved the smoke, the stink, and the noise. Made me think of all the old Fess Parker movies and TV shows where he played Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Then I kind of lost touch with muzzle loaders, except for TV of course, which I was hooked on.

When I was older, a person I met and became great friends with, invited me to his place in the country to fish in his trout and bass ponds and to shoot his rifles on his private range. Well I was into guns then, but modern ones. That day I shot a .58 caliber CVA Mountain Rifle and an original 1861 Springfield Rifle in .58 caliber. I never had such fun!!

About a week later there was an add for T/C Renegade .54 caliber rifle kits. They were $139.00. So I got one. And after I put it together I could not wait to shoot it. That thing, first time to the range was deadly.

Then deer hunting was becoming a bummer. Where I was hunting, deer were very plentiful. You'd sit in a ground blind or up in a tree with either my 30-06 or 7mm mag and wait for the deer you wanted to come into the corn field and then shoot it. Not a lot of sport in that.

When I decided to hunt with a muzzleloader, it changed all of that field shooting real fast. My range was 100 yards with a muzzleloader. And I discovered that it was a whole new way of hunting. Plus then we got an extra week of hunting after deer season. So it was a win win. I have been hunting with a muzzleloader since then.

It has become a real joy for me to see what I can make one of these rifles do.

builder459

Bought a T/C .54 renegade kit back in the late 80's to extend my hunting season. had a blast with that rifle.took 3 deer with it in Utah. quit shooting it for about 20 yrs and got interested again reading about the new inlines on this forum.purchased a T/C triumph and i am seriously considering using nothing but it for hunting, even during the centerfire season.also want to buy a new .50 cal drop in barrel for the old renegade next yr.

Lance_23

i tell ya, to me theres nothing like a good cold morning and seeing that ole smoke pole roll out that white smoke , thats what i love about ML.

Breechplug

I Fell in Love with the Challange of MLing, having only (One Shot) If you only have only One Shot it will make you a Better Hunter, you have to chose the Perfect Shot and if you dont get one, you pass and wait for your next best shot.
A MLer teaches you Disciplin, Respect, Patience and Honor
(BP)