Thninking about muzzleloading

For my inline I am shooting a TC Triumph and it has done the job on both elk an deer. Do to the fact that I also hunt Colorado I don't have a scope mounted on it but due to bad eyes I installed a peep sight which works quite well. My 6x5 Colorado elk last year fell to a 300 grain Thor bullet over 90 grains of Pyrodex. My deer this year in Utah fell to the same load. The elk was at 120 yards and the deer at 70 yards.

I don' like pushing a muzzle loader out to 200 yards but that is just me. I figure that if I can't get the animal within 150 yards then I need to get closer.

I've hunted with 10 different muzzleloaders over the past 25 years. I'm currently using a CVA Accura V2. I like that it's lightweight, easy to clean, accurate, and has a great trigger. I've topped it with a Nikon VSD red dot. I've updated the breech plug to the BH209 type. I've used T/C, Knight, and Traditions over the years. All of the were good front-stuffers. The Accura V2 is the easiest to clean. If I had it to do again I'd buy the Accura MR with the nitrite barrel.

Like Critter I don't shoot beyond 150 yards.

Critter, Buzzard, thanks for the feedback. Experience is a great teacher and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

300 Wby said:

Critter, Buzzard, thanks for the feedback. Experience is a great teacher and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

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Will you only be hunting in Utah or other states? Other states have some restrictions on gun design like requiring exposed ignitions, something the V2 doesnt have. If you only hunt Utah it wont mater.

200 yards is pretty far for a muzzy... you might want to read this article, its got good real world info in it:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/long_range_muzzleloader_hunting.htm

-DallanC

Careful! You may never go back. ;-)

Cheddar

Mr.CheddarNut said:

Careful! You may never go back. ;-)

Cheddar

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I was thinking about that on my ML hunt this year in the Book Cliffs. I had 2 bucks that both would go over 220 inches 250 yards away and when I stalked closer they busted me at 20 yards. I had a head shot on the smaller buck but brush was in the way for anything else, the other buck was behind the smaller one and I didn't pull the trigger.

I thought about it for quite a while thinking that it was a easy shot if I would of had my centerfire rifle but just couldn't do it with a ML. Those two bucks will haunt me the rest of my hunting life.

Critter said:

I was thinking about that on my ML hunt this year in the Book Cliffs. I had 2 bucks that both would go over 220 inches 250 yards away and when I stalked closer they busted me at 20 yards. I had a head shot on the smaller buck but brush was in the way for anything else, the other buck was behind the smaller one and I didn't pull the trigger.

I thought about it for quite a while thinking that it was a easy shot if I would of had my centerfire rifle but just couldn't do it with a ML. Those two bucks will haunt me the rest of my hunting life.

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That is exactly why it is so addicting. Much more challenging hunt and puts you a lot closer to game. As you said if you had your other rifle you would have shot them at 250 thus, never getting closer than 250. A whole different ball game. I love it. I too am haunted to this day by missed opportunities. -O,-

Cheddar

I use a TC Encore Endeavor and love it. We can go to the range, pull it out of the case, and nail the bullseye first shot. It is one of the best shooting weapons I own.

I have hands on with both the TC Triumph and the CVA Accura V2 and think they are both great guns! Vortex would be the current scope I would go with for a nice 1X.

I switched over about 10 years ago and while I still use a rifle out of state and on special hunts I wont be going back to the regular rifle deer and elk hunts. just basic information that works for me and there are a lot that have different views and that's great because we are indeed individuals and what works best for you may not be what works well for others just have fun and experiment till you get the results you like. I use a Remington muzzy with 145 grain p/b for deer with 100 grains of powder and for elk I use the 290 ballistic tip p/b with 150 grains of powder and restrict my shots to 200 and lower, these loads work well and I have never had a problem nor lost a animal. but again these loads work best for my weapon and im sure there are those who will not like this combo but again everyone is intitled to there personal choice just have fun finding what yours will be.

DallanC said:

Will you only be hunting in Utah or other states? Other states have some restrictions on gun design like requiring exposed ignitions, something the V2 doesnt have. If you only hunt Utah it wont mater.

200 yards is pretty far for a muzzy... you might want to read this article, its got good real world info in it:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/long_range_muzzleloader_hunting.htm

-DallanC

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thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I will more than likely stay in Utah. Now that I said that I might end up changing my mind......oh well a few more fire arms is never a bad thing

Mr.CheddarNut said:

Careful! You may never go back. ;-)

Cheddar

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I have heard that from quite a few folks

RandomElk16 said:

I use a TC Encore Endeavor and love it. We can go to the range, pull it out of the case, and nail the bullseye first shot. It is one of the best shooting weapons I own.

I have hands on with both the TC Triumph and the CVA Accura V2 and think they are both great guns! Vortex would be the current scope I would go with for a nice 1X.

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I read a few articles about blowback on the scopes. Have you experienced that?

Mack,

Couldn't agree more about everyone must find their way. Kinda like reloading, tweak, tweak and then tweak some more until you get it down for your rifle then whamo! Buck fever strikes!!!!!

300 Wby said:

I read a few articles about blowback on the scopes. Have you experienced that?

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No issues, nor have I heard of any. My personal ML doesn't have one on it. I already had a great scope when these came out. I would buy one in a second though.

Well folks I settled on a CVA Accura MR (50 cal). Should be fun spending the winter and summer fine tuning it.

Thanks for everyone's input I appreciate it.