I love it Guy! That is what muzzleloader hunting should be! My first was a Lyman Great Plains and the current is a Lyman Deerstalker with a receiver sight and a 28" Green Mountain barrel that has been converted to be fired using musket caps. Over time I did acquire an inline equipped with a scope but it has never been shot or out of the safe. It was a gift from a hunting buddy who thought sidelocks were archaic and that I should upgrade, not going to happen.
Back in the 1990's
- Thread starter Guy Miner
- Start date
GregoryB.
Handloader
- Feb 5, 2022
- 268
- 619
I have an Italian made Hawken 50 cal that I killed a lot of deer with hunting military bases . Don’t think I have used it in 20 years . Put a new fiber optic front sight on it last year. Hoping to use it this year with some old stock 270gr Buffalo Bullets I have.
Got an inline in 2006 that shoots clover leafs at 100 yards and it was hard to pick up my old Hawken after that.
Got an inline in 2006 that shoots clover leafs at 100 yards and it was hard to pick up my old Hawken after that.
I purchased my Muzzleloader , a Thompson Center 50 caliber percussion cap back in the 80's. (looked like Guy's) Also purchased a Round ball and a Maxi hunter mold to go along with it. Practiced on 50 yard Targets with an 80 Grain load of Pyrodex till I felt comfortable with the recoil. (They do kick) Got my first deer out of a tree stand (Baker style if I remember correctly). That thing wobbled and a safety belt was a must. You haven't lived until you've tried to reload a muzzleloader in a tree stand. I had everything set up for a reload (cigar tube containing the bulled hand lubed) Powder in another cigar canister (worked well) Making sure the bullet made it all the way down to the powder charge was the only trick you had be careful with. After all that I did get a nice doe which I think made the effort worth while.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 25,095
- 5,426
Excellent. Best of luck Guy!
wvbuckbuster
Handloader
- Nov 5, 2015
- 3,482
- 4,067
Nice looking White Mtn. Friend of mine has one that he has used for years. TC made some very reliable side lock muzzle loaders back in the day.
Just a couple more muzzleloader stories. and I was being certified yo be a muzzle loader instructor for the Hunter Ed class. I had to shoot several firearms, but not the in lines. Never figured that one out. Anyway, two of the guns I had to load and shoot were flintlocks, one rifle and one shotgun. Up to that time I'd never fired a flinter so this should prove to be interesting, The rifle target was a black circle with lined numbers and set out at 25 yards. So, I load it up and pour in the priming powder, pt on full cock and let fly. The hole in the target was a perfect dead center pinwheel. I still have that target somewhere around the house. Probably more luck than anything else as I can't see iron sights worth a damn.
The shotgun was a single barrel 12 gauge and after loading it and priming, someone threw a clay pigeon out and I surprised myself by even hitting it. All in all it was an interesting experience and it did complete my certification.
However, with one experience of starting a grassfire, I've pretty much stayed away from the muzzleloader game.
PJ
The shotgun was a single barrel 12 gauge and after loading it and priming, someone threw a clay pigeon out and I surprised myself by even hitting it. All in all it was an interesting experience and it did complete my certification.
However, with one experience of starting a grassfire, I've pretty much stayed away from the muzzleloader game.
PJ
