Decision time

[Pacobillie]

Muzzleloading deer season is 9 days away. I have been baiting for a few weeks and it looks promising.

I have to make a decision as to which gun I will take. Up here, in Quebec, no distinction is made between traditional ML and inlines. Both are allowed, although the gun must be a single shot firearm.

I have been debating which gun to take with me to the deer blind. Given the single shot limitation, it rules out my Pedersoli Kodiak, unless I disable one barrel by removing one nipple.

It leaves me with a choice of .45 TC Hawken with 28 inch barrel, .50 TC hawken with 32 inch slow twist barrel, .54 Lyman trade rifle, and a couple of scoped unmentionables in .45 and .50 cal.

The .50 TC Hawken is my best shooter, but I think that the long barrel will be cumbersome in a ground blind.

My longest possible shot will be 75 yards. It will likely be a bout 30-50 yards.

My current inclination is to take one of the sidelocks, probably the .54, and to only use the inline if it is a wet day. Are there any other reasons that would keep you from using a sidelock in these circumstances?

 

[BrownBear]

My current inclination is to take one of the sidelocks, probably the .54, and to only use the inline if it is a wet day. Are there any other reasons that would keep you from using a sidelock in these circumstances?

I'd go that route, even in wet weather. We get lots of wet here, and it's a non-issue with a little bit of care.

 

[cynthialee]

You say that your .50 Hawken is your best shooter. This should be your hunting gun then. You want to put that bullet where it belongs first try.

 

[William O.]

If it were me I would go with the Lyman Trade rifle in .54 as everyone I have owned has been very accurate and would be plenty on deer. If your T/C is really much more accurate then go with that and prepare for incliment weather beforehand.

 

[jethro224]

The .50 TC Hawken is my best shooter,

There ya go.

A couple of inches won't make that much difference in your ground blind. Don't sweat it.
If the weather gets damp just tuck the lock under the edge of your jacket and keep the muzzle tilted down.
I carry a 42" barreled flinter and have hunted in all sorts of weather from sunshine to thunderstorms and blizzards. With just a little extra care it goes boom no matter what weather comes along.

 

[rusty]

go with the Lyman trade rifle,you won't be sorry

 

[Matt85]

a caplock will work in the rain just aswell as a cheater gun will. with either guns as long as too much rain doesnt get down the muzzle you will be fine. a proper fitting cap will seal out moisture but if you wanna take extra precautions you can put a little wax around the edge of the cap.

my vote is sell the cheater guns and buy some nice custom traditional guns!

-Matt

 

[Sperit de bois]

take your best shooter,,,as you pointed out,,You only have one shot,,,,If you think of it as your best shooter you have confidence in it,,,use it.

 

[Pacobillie]

take your best shooter,,,as you pointed out,,You only have one shot,,,,If you think of it as your best shooter you have confidence in it,,,use it.

The problem is that the ground blind is a very cramped space. It is one of those small tents with an integrated chair. The .50 has alonger barrel than the others and it is awkward to handle in such a cramped space. The last thing I want to do is spook a deer while raising the rifle because I caught the muzzle in the fabric, or because my chair creaked, because of my contortions inside the blind.

 

[Billnpatti]

Based upon what you have told us, I'd recommend the .50 T/C Hawken since it seems to be your best shooting gun. I have one and have never found it to be too cumbersome in a blind. With any reasonable care, a caplock is not all that weather sensitive. If you fear getting any water or snow down the bore, just stick a piece of Scotch tape over the muzzle. Actually, any kind of tape will work or you can go to a drug store and get some rubber finger cots and put one over the muzzle. To protect your lock, just tuck it under your arm or your coat until you are ready to fire.

I've got no use for....uh.....inlines so, I'd sell the dang things and use the money to buy a good custom traditional sidelock. But, they're your guns so don't listen to this opinionated old fart, you do whatever you want with them. :hatsoff:

I don't think I have ever seen a blind like you describe. It sounds too small for a bow and you say it is too small for a rifle. You are not allowed to have a handgun so what the heck is it designed for? Perhaps a photographer? I think I'd get a bigger tent or throw up a brush blind. While the T/C may be your best gun, you may have to resort to the gun with the shortest barrel and get in some range time to work up your best load for it. You sure don't want to wound and lose an animal. One shot, one kill is what you want. Make sure you can do it before heading out into the woods. :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Where you live there is the possibility of encountering an unfriendly black bear. I would take the Lyman .54 and us more charge than is required for a deer.

 

[Birdman]

take the one you shoot best and have the most confidence in. Then wait for the right shot and shot placement, to me its ALWAYS better to pass up on an iffy shot then let fly n lose the animal. You won't starve over the next year if you don't knock one down, hahaha patience, placement, persistence. have always been my mantra of sorts

 

[SgtSchutzen]

Any of the guns you mentioned should work just fine for deer at the ranges your talking about. I`d use whichever one I liked the best and am most comfortable shooting.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Another thing to consider is, bringing the gun you will have the fewest regrets over getting a few dings in it. Hunting is hard on equipment. Though I shoot my Perazzi the best of all my shotguns, and a Bedford flinter I made the best of all my ML's, I would never bring one of those in to the woods to get clobbered by all that happens while hunting. I bring synthetic stocked items, and give myself the best chance for success that the rules allow.

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's like saying you don't want to take a pretty girl to the beach because she might get sunburned. Or make her laugh because she might get wrinkles.

No regrets dinging up a gun or rifle while hunting. I would regret more having bought a firearm that had to be pampered and kept at home - near nuff uselessness. My Brooks and my Donelson were purchased for hunting. Neither rain, nor sleet, etc., etc.

How many days you going to look back on when you get decrepit and can't hunt no more? A couple hundred? A thousand if you're very lucky. Might better have used the best you could to make those days shine brighter in your memory.

Hunting dings are nature's scrimshaw. They tell the story of the hunt.

 

[jethro224]

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Hmmm I say take the one you feel is lucky that day.. Superstition is the key to all my hunting success. Not really but sometimes I just feel I need to use a certain gun and sit in a certain spot and it usually pays off, go with the gut feeling.

 

[Matt85]

im with stumpkiller on this one. i couldnt own a gun that i couldnt use to its fullest. ive got a few rifles that cost me well over a thousand dollars and they still see the woods. please keep in mind, im not a wealthy man but i enjoy using nice things.

i could see nothing finer then a walk threw the woods with a handcrafted custom rifle!

-Matt

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Seems to me any of your rifles are up to the task. Your .50 is your best shooter, use it. The problem is not your rifle selection it is your blind. Get out of the store bought contraption, develop your woodsman's skills and hunt! :hmm:

Snow

 

[hoochiepapa]

Ain't nothin' like hunting the woods with a longrifle!!