Black Powder Hunting

[Wolfman]

Hey all.

Just curious if any of you have ever done any black powder hunting?


Wolfman

[Ron.C]

not yet, but I sure am looking hard at it. I'm thinking of a Thompson Center inline.

[LeverActionJunkie]

There is an awesome deal on a T/C Hawken, the old school style, in the buy and sell section on here. Pick her up and give it a try. Or better yet lend me $400 so my ol' lady don't kill me and I'll buy it and tell you how it goes. :) :)

[Ultra Mag]

I don't know about the laws up there pertaining to black powder hunting,ie in line rifles,magnified optics etc.,but I can tell you this.Down here in Tn. I use a T.C. Encore loaded with barnes tipped 250gr. on top of 120gr. of triple seven and can shoot sub moas@ 100&200 yds.It works excellent on deer.

[6616]

Hey all.

Just curious if any of you have ever done any black powder hunting?


Wolfman

I have been hunting with a muzzle loader for over ten years. I don't hunt exclusively with a muzzle loader, but from 1993 to 2005 I made a trip every year to Saskatchewan to hunt white-tails with my brother. He lives in the Saskatoon Wildlife Management Area which is a bow/shotgun/muzzle loading area, no center fire rifles allowed.

I started out with a Rem 870 shotgun with a rifled barrell and soon found out shotguns are not the way to go, almost like bowhunting.
I bought a Knight MK97 and I've killed several deer with it since then, biggest one scores arouind 160.

With 200 grains of Pyrodex it shoots around 1200 fps muzzle velocity and with a solid copper 250 grain Barnes saboted .45 cal bullet (ballistic coefficient = .189) I sight it in at 125 yards. It's 4" high at mid-range and 4" low at about 150/160 yards.

The rifle is capable of handling up to 150 grains of Pyrodex and loaded with this increases mz to about 1600 fps and extends point blank range out to about 175 yards, however remaining energy and effective killing power is very low at 175 yards.

It's nothing like shooting a center fire, trajectory is not flat and one has to know his range and pick his shots and one just cannot ever shoot at running game no matter how close. We mostly hunt from tree stands or ground blinds situated to intercept deer in the mornings and evenings going to or leaving heavily used feeding areas (Alfalfa fields).

I have used it occasionally back home in the Kootenay's but mostly stick to center-fire at home. It will shoot 1.25 MOA until the barrell needs cleaning which is no more than about 10 rounds.

[Qwa-honn]

If you want to see something different on the dvd's "Killin Time" they hunt geese with muzzleloaders. Kinda neat to see the big puffs of smoke on there.

[sealevel]

I have an old 1860 springfield 20 thats fun for grouse . And a couple 50 cal flintlocks i have built i just shoot patched round balls . Good for deer with a good lube i get over 30 shots with it getting to dirty .

[moosecaller]

Yup, T/C Renegade 54 cal. works great. The best bush gun I have ever had. I use minies mostly for hunting, 456 grns. with 100 grns. of 777. Round ball for fun shoots, although took a moose with the round ball complete pass through and he only took 5 steps before falling over, almost no blood shot meat could eat up to the hole.

[7mmag]

I just picked up a 50 cal. flintlock I plan to hunt bear with it this spring.

I haven't picked a bullet or powder yet. I'll shoot round ball for fun and for deer, but think I should get something a little heavier and more advanced for bear.

[Tanya]

Yup, I have a T/C ProHunter, just put the muzzleloader barrel back on it for bear season. I've taken a couple of whitetails with blackpowder, and our younger son got a bear a couple year's back with his Knight. It's fun, I like to get inside a 100yds, so it's not as hard as bow hunting, which I love, but makes for added challenge

[MB_Boy]

My favourite way for hunting deer!! Started hunting with it back about 20 years ago.

I use a Hawkin Traditional rifle chucking bullets more recently but used to hurl "marbles" out of it. (lead balls).