New commitment
 

No not to an asylum although my wife thinks I should go. This year I am going to do all my firearm hunting with a muzzleloader of some sort. They only departure from this will be if I decide to take one of my Winchester 94s or open sighted 1895s. All the bolt action rifles are going to remain in the safe and only come out for range time occasionally.

Many years ago ...(ok not that many, I'm still young) I decided I was going to do all of my non archery hunting with a Mossberg 500 12g.

It wasn't a bad season. I still hunted allot of small game at that time, fall turkey, rabbit, pheasant, I think I even got out for duck that year. Then I swapped to a cantilever slug barrel for deer season.

When it came time for PA rifle season I couldn't bring myself to go out with a slug gun and grabbed the '06 :fighting0007:

You'll probably have more self control than I did though :biggrin:

-Jake

Dont let Bronko fool you Jake . He is taking out those smoke poles because they are LIGHTER than his scoped rifles to carry ! Notice that Bronko MAY take out the iron sighted Mod 94's and 1895's ? All his other rifles are getting to heavy to carry ! There is a method to his madness ! Jake :poke: Bronko

I use only muzzle loading shotguns now for all my turkey hunts unless I feel the urge to do "Off with your head" method with a guillotine bolt and my crossbow.

JW

About 10 years ago I also decided to do all of my hunting with a traditional muzzle loader. I hunt squirrels and rabbits with flint locks in .32 & .36. My deer hunting is either with a .58 cap lock or a .58 flint lock. There has been only a few days in the past 10 years that I did not use a muzzle loader for deer hunting and those days were either raining, or snowing. On those days I hunted with my T/C Contender handgun with .375 barrel. You will not regret going back to muzzleloading. It puts the hunt back in hunting, because you have to get closer when using iron sights.and the range is limited using a muzzle loader.

Not true Sportsman. Every muzzleloader I own is heavier than my heaviest CF rifle. My new Knight Disk Extreme with the Mountaineer barrel is a beast. I have to weigh it but I bet its close to 9 lb. with the scope.
The reason I may take out one of the lever guns is just for nostalgic purposes. Be nice using an old rifle with bullets I cast and loaded myself.

LOL I was just razzing you to get your blood stirred up Bronko . LMAO Some of those smoke pole weigh a ton compared to modern rifles . Especially the front heavy ones with the long barrels . I know my TC 50cal Hawken weighs way more without a scope than my Browning Bar Carbine does with a scope. Some of those Mountaineer barreled
guns are like carrying a stock with an 8 ft piece of 2 inch diameter cast iron pipe attached to it around all day . LOL

It's been 22 years since I took a centerfire into the woods. I honestly don't feel 'under-gunned' at this point at all. I would do it regardless, but I have observed that it has made me more patient, improved shot selection and I hunt to get closer. All good side benefits in my opinion.

I hunt with two guys that are muzzleloader only.

As a kid I figured they just liked the challenge.

As an adult I realized they aren't allowed to own anything else :s2:

-Jake

I was right on the money with the weight of the Knight. I put it on my USPS scale and it is 8 lb 12 oz! I won't be taking that one for long walks! If I really want to go light I'll carry my Encore 50 cal pistol in a shoulder rig.or sling.