QTompkins2005

I was just wondering if you guys prefer hunting with traditional or new inline style muzzle loaders?

bigcountry

All of the above. Depends on the mood. Only issue is a real good flinter or even sidelock costs so much. You can get a inline pretty cheap with comparible performance. A T/C hawken new can run over 300. Or a lymans can go alot more.

But of course those omega's and Elites disc don't come for free either.

Slamfire

I don't care what you carry, if what I carry bothers you, you need a new hobby. [8D]

MLKeith

It depends a lot on what you hunt for. I hunt primarily because I need the meat. I am a cancer surviver and I do not eat commercial meat. I hunt secondary as a means of enjoyment. Since the meat is critical to me I use the most efficient means of getting that which in Arizona is with a muzzleloader as the chance of getting drawn for a tag is better. Arizona allows inlines and scopes and any powder other than smokeless and any type of bullet so I use an Omega with a scope and synthetic powder (Black Mag'3) and Hornady SST bullets. So far this has worked for me. If I lived where you can hunt without having to draw for the tag and can shoot multiple animals deer etc. I would probably hunt with a sidelock and patched round balls after I got enough meat to carry me through the year. At that point it is more for fun. What it really boils down to is "why are you hunting and what do you expect to get out of it?".

cayugad

What you will find is many of us that have inlines also own traditional rifles as well. Whether we hunt with them or not is personal preference. During the hunting season I use inlines when hunting the large fields because I need the longer range they offer. When in the thick woods I will often times hunt with a sidelock or flintlock. Many times the sidelock is a better choice because at the close range I encounter, I can load a much larger caliber projectile and at close range get the benifit from that.

If you took the scope off many of the inline rifles, other then a better BC on the projectile there is little advantage over them and the .. say cap lock rifle shooting a conical or roundball. Most people without scopes would have a hard time shooting at anything over 100 yards and honestly say they are able to place their shots every time. Granted there are some of them that can shoot 150 yards with the open sights, but the average person would have a hard time doing that.

Once you learn to weather proof the traditional rifles, they are almost as dependable as the 209 ignition of an inline. In fact this year I had one rifle fail to fire. It was an inline with a 209 cap. Thank goodness it was during a morning load testing instead of an actual hunting situation.

So what I am saying is if you like the challenge of the traditonal rifle then go for it. It is exciting to shoot your deer with a traditional rifle. If you're out for long range and high tech then go with the inline rifles. The inportant thing is both of them get us more time in the woods and change the overall hunting experience... The more hunters we get into this sport no matter what we carry, the stronger voice we have on issues that concern us.

QTompkins2005

What are you talking about slamfire?



To everyone else that actually gave a productive response, i have never shot a flint lock or side hammer muzzle loader and was just wondering if its all that much different hunting with them as far as "the hunting experience" goes.

skeeter 7MM

I own both but hunt with my inline. In Sask the season as it sits now is called Muzzleloader, which means front stuff, cap it and your good to go. As such I use my scoped inline being it is the most proficent ML I currently own, I get the same joy out harvesting an animal as I do any other weapon and the challenge part of the sport is all what you personally make it. Harvesting an animal with any weapon is icing on the cake and privilege, but it is the journey to that part of the equation that drives/challenges me personally.

QT, I think slamfire was anticipating a trad vs inline debate - a preemptive reply would be my guess.

Tahquamenon

I prefer both actually. Each offer their own degree of uniqueness and characteristics.

It really is amazing how "partisan" folks can get as to "which is better". It's funny sometimes in the field when I'm carrying a side-lock and someone with a scoped inline tells me that I need to get rid of that "old style" rifle and get a new "modern" one. Same funny thing happens now and then when I'm carrying an inline and a staunch traditional ML'er ribs me about my "modern" rifle. I started with side-lock percussions with mid-to-slower twist Patch & Round Ball (PRB) barrels in the early 70's and then added in-lines to the inventory in the mid-90's.

Since, I've sold a few and added a few of both types here and there.

Recently as in the last 6 months I've added: T/C Omega, Firestorm and Hawken 45 perc.

Considering getting into a flintlock of some sorts. That depends on my director of finance .

Inline rifles are generally geared towards faster-twist (1:24/28/32) sabot or conical barrels. In-lines can shoot PRB, but not nearly as accurate or lethal as the slower twist barrels. If you push PRB too fast in a fast twist barrel, your accuracy suffers huge.

For longer range accuracy beyond 100 yards that faster twist barrel is desirable. In-lines are also better suited for the use of synthetic powders because of the inline ignition and optics mounting availabilities.

Side-locks are also available in faster twist barrels, but more often available in a 1:48" twist rifling (Which is supposed to be a compromise to allow reasonable accuracy with PRB and Conical bullets) or 1:60-66+" twist for really only PRB.

I suppose if I were only able to have one rifle, one that would serve as a solid reliable hunter as well as a fun & inexpensive target shooting rifle then it without a doubt be a 1:60-66" twist side-lock percussion in .54 caliber shooting PRB. All or most states that allow muzzleloading allow PRB. Not all states allow in-lines or the use of sabot'ed bullets.

I know this does not really answer your question, but I felt it of value to describe both sides of the often "partisan" fence.

I met several folks (ones that like to shoot more often than just hunting season) that started with an inline and have it nicely scoped and sighted for specific hunting such as deer and have since added a side-lock flint or percussion with a slow-twist PRB barrel to their gun cabinet.

PRB target shooting and hunting is very effective, fun and very inexpensive as compared to trying to do the same with an inline, optics and sabots.

My .02

gelarson

I have shot both and I prefer the TC hawkin 50 that I own. Again it gets down to reasons, in Alberta you hunt in the main rifle season (mostly) and my thought is if I wanted to shoot 200 yrds I would carry a centerfire. Some people live in an area where any ML gives them a big advantage.

It depends on your needs and wants, they can all work great.

Eric

Viking_hunter

I have three muzzloaders. I have a traditional style Lyman Great Plains Rifle, caplock. I have a T/C Whitemountain Carbine caplock which has a fast twist for shooting conicals and sabots. And I have a newly purchased Knight Revlolution, inline with 209 ignition. The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned on the inline. It is a fine gun and shoots incredibly accurately. To me though, it seems like it is getting away from the reason to have a black powder season in the first place. I am not sure that I'll keep this gun. I will hunt with it next season and see. I know that I enjoy shooting my traditional muzzloader more.