After hunting deer for almost 30 years I finally bought a muzzleloader last year. It was a pretty inexpensive one that I bought but surely shoots good enough to kill any deer standing within 100 yards. I was quite impressed to say the least. Not that I ever cared too much about bowhunting, but I honestly don't think I will ever bowhunt again after I saw what an inexpensive muzzleloader is capable of. Just way too many parts and contraptions involved with bowhunting for my liking. An added plus with muzzleloader hunting in my home state is that they allow you to kill either a buck or doe with the muzzleloading tag, plus you can use any unfilled tags that you might have from the regular gun or bow season.

I'm surprised that the "modern" muzzleloaders fit the idea of "primitive weapons", but as long as they are legal they are ok.

i love them, my family collectively owns around 30 and we all shoot them for deer...but were not much for inlines, we shoot the old style hawken and ThomsonCenter .50, .54 and .58 calibers, but i have to say that the trajectory could be better, with these guns the bullet drops drastically after about 125 yards, and with a peep sight...forget it

I like the muzzleloader season. I usually just use muzzleloader in rifle season here as well. My last muzzleloader buck was a 15 yard shot out of one of my bow stands. Heading out to MO this year for muzzleloader season.

awesome

I love mine Optima Elite.

Muzzleloading is a blast and I don't see a thing wrong with it.

If you are looking at getting one I would go with an inline.

My dad hunts with the old traditional style and it cost him a chance at a big buck last year. He was in a blind and the buck was 15 yards away with a perfect broad side shot. However, when he pulled the trigger it made a pop sound and nothing happened. The buck didn't even take off, and of course myfather didn't have any other ammo.[:@]

Apparently, the nipple or something got a little dirty and that's what he attributed it to.

With that said, I love muzzleloader season. It really is like a middle ground between rifle and archery with regard to hunting distance.

I hunt all three seasons, bow, ML, and rifle. I think ML is my favorite though because you don't have the mosquitos and black flies of bow and the -30 temps of rifle. Plus it is right in the middle of the forest color change and there is less hunting pressure than in rifle. The beginning of the rut usually starts the last few days of ML season up here and usually turns out to be some of the prime hunting days of the year.

Muzzle loader is my favorite....

I love my inline. .50 Traditions