Muzzleloader hunting
 

What are some of the pros and cons of muzzleloader hunting? I have never owned or shot a muzzleloader but I am very interested in getting started, so I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of it muzzleloader hunting here in Iowa.
Thanks.

Cons : They are very addicting and you'll soon be selling off your other guns to buy more muzzle loaders.

I'm not sure a pro/con list is of any real value. From a pure effectiveness standpoint the cons outweigh the pros by a fairly wide margin because muzzle loaders can't match a 30-06 in energy, trajectory, range, or speed of a follow up shot. ML hunting either tickles your fancy or does not. It tickles mine bunches.

First off welcome. Here are a few of mine.

Pros: Extends hunting season
Provides hours of testing bullets, loads, etc (fun times)
Fair game, you shoot and miss oh well that buck goes on
Smoke and fire
Forces you to respect the game and your gun knowing that a muzzy cannot outshoot a centerfire

Cons: Extends hunting season (usually so dang gum tired the end of the year)
Provides hours of testing bullets, loads, etc (fun times)
(expensive if you like to shoot a lot and just need that better bullet)
Fair game, you shoot and miss oh well that buck goes on
(usually that buck of a lifetime, I missed a 16 pointer one year as I had the shakes so bad and shot and missed, he went off for another day)
Smoke and fire (rotten egg smell of real blackpowder and Pyrodex)
Forces you to respect the game and your gun knowing that a muzzy cannot outshoot a centerfire (knowing that the trophy buck is out at the 250 yard mark and you cannot do anything about it)

If you are in doubt try it. I did and had no help until I found this site a while back. Buy an entry type gun and get some supplies and shoot it. If you cannot do that find a buddy who shoots a muzzy and have him take you shooting. I have been shooting and do not own any more centerfires. It is very addictive and a lot more fun for sure especially when you connect with that first deer.

MLer Hunting teaches you to take your Best Shot as you only have one. It teaches you disciplin and makes you a better Hunter.
You must know your MLer inside and out and what it likes to shoot, how to Clean it and maintain it. When you know this stuff you'll be on your way to a Great Sport. The Pros are everything is good and fun about it and it extends your Hunting Season. the Cons are you only have one shot and you have to keep it Clean, simple as that.
(BP)

Pro's - I Love it.
Con's - I Love it.

Cons: A bit expensive usually and addictive.

Pros
The satisfaction of making that one shot count as often as possible.

I agree with these guys. If your not sure about muzzleloading, I would tag along with somebody you know that shoots them to get a "feel" for the sport.

If you don't know anybody that shoots muzzleloaders, I would dive in head first! Your never going to know for sure if you like it unless you get some hands-on experience with this type of shooting.

There are some really great deals on new muzzleloaders right now for around $200-$250(if you decide to buy just ask some of the forum members for examples)

There is a TON of great info in the archives. Just about any question can be answered by using the "search function" to research the archives.

GOOD LUCK AND WELCOME :happy0001:

Way more accurate than the Slug Guns you and I are forced to use by law. You also have that great late ML Season in Iowa that I wished we had here in New York.

like anything, you can choose to get into someting really heavily or just enough to be effective. I like ml because it extends my season, and it also puts me in the woods during the peak of the rut here when gun season still hasnt started. i guess i was lucky but i found a bullet/powder combo that worked really well quickly, and other than buying some different cleaning products and equipment, it really hasnt cost me much time or money other than buying the rifle itsself. From my perspective the pro is more hunting time, and no cons

My sentiment exactly.

I got into it for the extra two weeks and the fact that the rut seems to coincide with the ML season. Now I am increasingly using my Omega during regular firearms season. I'll likely never completely give up my .308 Sako (my Dad's) but I find the one shot mentality along with forever searching for the "perfect load" combination appeals to me.

That being said, I know plenty of hunters that picked up a ML solely for the extra time in the woods and never got beyond the "2-3 pellets and a Power Belt and yer good to go" mindset. Nothing wrong with that.

i know some shoot muzzle loaders just to extend their season but for me, its an addiction and a very challenging way to hunt. A centerfire just doesnt get me pumped up and feeling good the way the smoke pole does. my brother in law often uses only a centerfire and so im next to him with my muzzle loader and him going, You aint going to get in range of anything! They've already been hunted to hard and are spooked!

My experience -- Drawbacks are:
Loading is more complex than a cartridge rifle or shotgun.
Not as consitent grouping as smokless due to slight variances in powder burning and bullet seating.
Top limit on range is, for me , 150-165 yards(In line) ... 75 yards (Round Ball-Cap Lock)
Relatively easy to experience hang fire due to contamination of either or both the primer and powder, especially in wet weathwer.
Usually one shot and only one shot.
Smoke can often obscure whcih where the critter went after being hit.

But the fun is in the challenge. Especially when I use my Lyman "Plainsman".

Pros:
You can reload without buying any reloading equipment.
One shot makes you a better hunter.
Guns should blow lots of smoke.

Cons:

????

Completely agree! Dropping a deer at 200+ yards with a 30-06 is not hunting IMHO - that is target shooting.

When it comes to guns if you like to tinker and experiment you may like muzzle loaders(MLers). We are all about trying new things to see what the effect will be.

IMO if you reload centerfires then MLers are the next step. Now you can tailor your loads at the range without loading up a batch of cases just to find they are too hot or shoot like bovine excrement.

Well said! It is just like traditional reloading. You have to play with different combinations of components to see what it "likes to eat". :)

Thats my feeling, also I equate it to archery hunting you have to get more involved and up closer if you score you truly deserve it

I started with flintlocks back in the 70s...I'm also a huge history buff and grew up hunting so it just was natural for me to want to hunt with a flintlock...Through the years I have built my own flinter, put together an outfit from the American Revolution and given and attended many talks on Colonial America...Kids love these talks and you are teaching them history...At the end of the talk, I always give them a demonstration of how to load and fire a flintlock...They scream with joy and beg me to do it again...

I've also had a young fellow that remembered my talk from years ago...He built a .40 caliber flintlock and hunts with it...He just got back fom a tour in Afghanistan as a sniper...Currently he is in training to be a game warden...

Also, as mentioned...I have a few pounds of powder on hand, I have a hundred flints I bought back in the 80s...I make my own balls from free lead, buy ticking in bulk for patches and make my own patch lube...Shooting is very cheap when you go that way...

That's what I love about muzzleloading...I've been doing it for over 35 years and still remember the first shot I took with a muzzleloader...You can also grow and get just as deeply into it as you want, there are few limitations...

That's really neat, nchawkeye. Nice job Sir.

What part of Iowa you from I live just North of the Quad Cities by the Mississippi river
To me muzzle loader hunting is all pros just love to hunt with them.
You have several seasons to hunt with a muzzle loader here in Iowa pending what county you hunt & the quota of the county.
1 early muzzle 9 days starts mid October
2 early antler-less 3 days after Thanksgiving only certain counties
3 1st shotgun 7 days 1st week December
4 2nd shotgun 9 days 2nd week December
5 late muzzle loader about 22 days starts after 2nd shotgun
6 late antler-less about 20 days starts after late muzzle only certain counties.

The vast majority of my hogs and nearly all my deer since 1999 have been killed using muzzleloaders. i do not feel handicapped when hunting deer with a muzzleloader. However, a muzzleloader is a distinct handicap when you're trying to control the wild hog population on several properties.

My muzzleloader training serves me well; every shot from my AR-15 is treated like it is my only shot.

Don't know if this one was listed yet:
Con: Usually only one shot at an animal (except a dumb one)
Pro: Usually only one shot at an animal - so you have to be patient and make it count.
Con: If hunting with a flinter in a snow storm you might get a misfire if your powder gets wet
Pro: If you get a misfire you dont have to clean, drag and process the animal (but had all the fun trying)

quote"Pro: If you get a misfire you dont have to clean, drag and process the animal (but had all the fun trying) "
aint that the truth.

I live in SW Iowa so I am able to hunt all of those extra seasons because the quota is never filled when I get my tags, so I would say that would be a pro to hunting with a muzzleloader.
Thanks for all of the info guys. Now it is going to come down to deciding on which one that I want to get without breaking the bank.
Any recommendations?

I love the "one shot" mentality. I love bowhunting where you have to practice to get off the best shot you can when the moment arises. My rifle is a ruger number 1. Blackpowder fits perfectly into my style of hunting. You need to practice and know your gun and its limitations. The woods are much less crowded during blackpowder season. Try it and your hooked.

I love the "one shot" mentality. I love bowhunting where you have to practice to get off the best shot you can when the moment arises. My rifle is a ruger number 1. Blackpowder fits perfectly into my style of hunting. You need to practice and know your gun and its limitations. The woods are much less crowded during blackpowder season. Try it and your hooked.

After bowhunting for 10 years, then turning to front stuffers, i have to totally agree with you.. Ray

For me living here in Western NY where we have to use slug guns, ML are more accurate and less expensive than premium sabot slugs, and we can extend our season 9 more days. That was my mentality 10 years ago when I got my first ML. Today, it is my favorite type of gun hunting hands down. There is something about having only 1 shot that has slowed me down and allowed me to enjoy the entire experience of hunting, not just the harvest. Muzzleloaders rock:rock: