I've never shot a smokepole but am interested because I have all the modern practical guns needed for what I hunt and want something different enough to justify a new toy.
The new x-bow and compound are fun but they haven't satisfied my need to buy new stuff!!!
Tell me about black powder, I imagine a 50cal would kick alot, but with the size and weight of the things I could be wrong.
Would it be a worthwhile investment for a city boy that has limited shooting opportunities in an area without extended seasons, are there enough differences from modern guns to keep my interest?
From the ads it seems the new blackpowder guns are ultra reliable and accurate, have these new innovations taken away from the spirit of blackpowder??? I believe in buying new quality but don't want to buy one and find out that its no different from a centerfire single shot.

"guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals"
- Homer Simpson

I have a TC woods rifle 50 cal. It shoots very well and will group 2 inches at 100 yds with no broblem. With two pyrodex 50 grain pellets and a 300 grain Hornady XTP, the recoil is moderate. Shoot three pellets though and it will get yout attention right away. I am sticking with just 2 pellets from now on. It drops deer in thier tracks.

i have a C.V.A firebolt using 70gr.s of powder shooting a 300gr. buckslayer conceil bullet.

i think it is more like a 30-06 kick, but instead of the kick it is more like a " push "

I have a Lyman flintlock that I really love shooting. Quilly described it best as having a 'push' for recoil. The report from the rifle is very pleasant also, instead of a deafening crack of a modern rifle, it sounds more like thunder that's really close by.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

definatly a push and not a kick for the recoil. quite pleasent actually

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

Ditto on the push not kick. Very tolerable and pleasant to shoot. I have a rem 700MLS with 100gr pyrodex and 240 XTP sabot. It shoots very nicely and has only misfired at the range I think 2-3 times due to being extremely dirty....so very reliable and accurate IMO.

Now the reason I orginally got into BP, was an extra Month to hunt & limited pressure. But now that i have been doing it for 8 years, I just love it. Not only do I still have the month extra to chase deer all over the country side, but I really love just shooting this gun...it is one of my favs (always take it when i goto the range even after season is closed). But had the extended season not been their to be honest i would have probably just stuck with a bow...sad but true. We have some special areas for BP but I really don't hunt them to often. Not trying to burst a bubble just the truth. If I had only a week or 2 I still would do it, but if I had to share with slug guns and rifle...probably not. Here it is getting real popular and some of the advantages of being out early are dwindling, before you never saw other hunters now it is quite common to run into a group or two a day...but nothing like rifle for sure...so very much an advantage (especially with a bonus of all of October to Smoke pole anywhere in the province for deer or special draws).

[Deleted by Admins]

I have a .58 cal enfield musket replica that is fun to shoot and I've taken a fair number of deer and one pronghorn doe with it. I cast my own minnie balls for it and shoot 90 gr. of pyrodex in it. Then I got a .54 cal CVA express rifle (double barrel) and shot one deer with it. I shoot pached round balls in front of 100 grs of pyrodex. Last year I got a T/C Encore 209 X 50 muzzleloader. I shoot 250 gr. Barns Expander sabots in front of 3 pyrodex 50 gr. pellets. It kicks (pushes) a little but is very accurate well past 100 yds. I killed a pronghorn buck and a whitetail doe with it last fall.

The encore is not a whole lot diffrent than a single shot centerfire. It has the advantage that you can get a whole bunch of diffrent centerfire rifle barrels for it. (and 20 ga. as well)

Robin