Failed attempt

[Trench]

I ran into one of the fellows that started this treatise on in-lines.
He asked how I did last hunting season? I replied that I didn’t shoot a deer although I had
opportunities to do so. He told me if I gave up that old blunderbuss and got a real muzzleloader I would have been successful. He told me he got three deer due in large part because he got to hunt three seasons. (Muzzleloader, regular and left over.)

What he probably doesn't understand is that isn't what you're looking for out of your experience. I personally haven't shot a deer in 3 seasons. The last two is because I just didn't see any deer. The other one is because I was new to flintlocks and I couldn't get my main charge to go off. Recently, I only hunt in period dress. The experience of my outings is what is important to me. Hey, and when I finally do get that next deer or squirrel my satisfaction level will be so high my head will probably explode. :grin:

 

[nkbj]

400 yard muzzleloading hunting rifle...wish I could see 3" at 400 yards. Come to think of it, I'd have to go stand in the highway to see 400 yards. Guess I'm happy with 200, that being what I set as acceptance criteria in 1982 when I designed my wheel weight chunker. Couldn't imagine wanting more in any front stuffer.

 

[ebiggs1]

I actually don't care if I get another deer the rest of my life. I agree whole heartedly that the experience is what is upmost. I have killed enough deer with centerfire firearms to satisfy the "hunter" in me. Oh don't get me wrong, if the oppertunity presents itself, I will take a deer. But I won't be dissappointed if I don't. It's the tinkering and getting ready, making sure everything works, that appeals to me.

 

[henbrook]

Dittto biggs.I'm far more concerned these days with the "how" than the "how many".

 

[squirrellluck]

Sorry, I was right with ya'll until... don't care if I ever kill another deer. I gots ta have 2 in the freezer to last all year iffen I gotta run them down with the pickup :rotf: We live on deer squirrel, and some chickens. Maybe a few ducks if I get lucky :grin: But I understand its about the journey.

 

[tg]

Hen brook sumed it up pretty well, I have been privaliged to know several older gentlemen who spent much of thisr own time and money lobbying for the first ML hunts in Oregon, the intend was to offer a chance to hunt with a technology from the past with limited range and efficincy when compare to modern centerfires, even the Ruger singles shot 45/70 in time it morphed into a season for pretty much anything that loaded from the front and allowed sights and bullets that could reach out comparably with many centerfire guns,due to a simple lack of correct terminology and foresight in the beginning,the modern gun guns now draw a large perecent of the tags as there are more of them, at one time there were extra tags at the end of the draw,many of the gentlemen I mentioned above just gave up after not drawing a tag for several years.It turned very much into a wannabe hunt here though some minor changes has reduced the modern tech. that can be used a few years ago.

 

[ebiggs1]

In all fairnees to the other two misguided fellows, they both rely on the deer they shoot for meat. They are only interested in extending their hunting season.

 

[kb1]

i bought my first muzzleloader just to extend my hunting season.that was with an inline,i enjoyed frontstuffin so much thats all i carried.i started looking at sidelocks and bought one(t/c renegade.54)and had a lot of fun shooting it.so much so that i now own 6 sidelocks and take them hunting too.this past fall i purchased my first flintlock and have had alot of fun with this one too.this has just been a natural progession for me.i would think if some of you folks want to promote this sport you would get rid of your superior, holier than thou smug attitudes about what someone else chooses to shoot or hunt with.............karl

 

[luieb45]

Last year I actually seriously considered getting an inline because they were cheaper and looked easy to shoot. I looked into that because every thing for traditionals looked so difficult to understand and was so expensive. But, I came to my senses and bought a crappy traditional that I plinked around with for a couple of months and then as hunting season drew closer and closer, I looked at that old kassnar .45 and thought it wouldn't be nearly reliable enough to hunt with. So I bought a like new traditions kentucky and am still shooting it and really like it. I even got a deer with it this year. Now I can't see myself shooting anything but a traditional.

 

[jethro224]

Altho I had played around a little bit with BP guns back in high school, I really got started to extend my deer season a little bit too. I seriously considered a T/C Encore because of the swap-barrel thing, but the modern guns just didn't appeal to me much. I always thought, if you're going to shoot a muzzleloader, it should be a "real" muzzleloader. My first was a used .50 CVA capper. As soon as I started shooting it I was hooked.

 

[gmww]

I wonder if he may have lost the battle by may still win the war. He planted a seed and hopefully curiosity will get those two to give it a shot.

 

[jethro224]

Time will tell. I converted one dedicated modern shooter to sidelocks by out-shooting him enough times. :haha:

 

[Trench]

i bought my first muzzleloader just to extend my hunting season.that was with an inline,i enjoyed frontstuffin so much thats all i carried.i started looking at sidelocks and bought one(t/c renegade.54)and had a lot of fun shooting it.so much so that i now own 6 sidelocks and take them hunting too.this past fall i purchased my first flintlock and have had alot of fun with this one too.this has just been a natural progession for me.i would think if some of you folks want to promote this sport you would get rid of your superior, holier than thou smug attitudes about what someone else chooses to shoot or hunt with.............karl

I really can't find anything wrong with this statement. At least someone with an inline might be taking those baby steps towards what we see as a more enjoyable experience. Hey, we're a minority group. If inlines weren't out there, a lot of those guys wouldn't be muzzleloading at all. Either way, they wouldn't have a traditional gun in their hand. So, I don't see how the availability of inlines takes away from the traditional side of things.

 

[ebiggs1]

There is a lot in what you say. But this forum is not nearly as bad as the flintlock one is. The guys over there are judgmental to say the least. I think encouragement is the way to go but I was a tooling instructor for many years and it may be ingrained in me. You don’t get many positive results if you don’t give sane positive coaching. I hunted the first season this year with my TC side lock and the in-laws used their in-lines. When the older of the two fellows had problems with his gun, I helped him without a lot of ribbing. (Had to get some in though!)
I have an in-line; it is a TC Omega with a Simmons 44Mag scope on it. That is the same scope that I have on my 30/06 Remington Woodmaster. I shot is several times and it shoots similarly to the Remington, so I put it away and have not shot it since. That is exactly what I am trying to get away from. I don’t want to sit in a tree stand with a rifle that can pop off a deer at 200-300 yards. That’s not hunting, that’s a sniper.

 

[gmww]

On occasion I run into some of those folks at the range. At first they check out my Underhammer and scratch their heads. Then I explain to them that it is a direct ignition to the powder and show them how accurate it is. They are impressed with the speed of the ignition. Lastly I point out the ignition system is protected from the rain. In Wa. where rain is the norm this is a big plus.

Not bad for an old traditional design. :grin:

 

[m-g willy]

It comes down to bragging rights with most hunters.
With the biggest thing is on how many points the rack has!
It doesn't matter if they made a shot at a running deer at 50 yards or if they got thier big buck by having it stumble wounded under thier raised deer blind while they were drinking coffee sitting in a comfortable chair!!!
The only skill needed is to hold a sight picture and trigger control.
I think that the ones that hunt with a traditional muzzleloader do so for thier own satisfaction of knowing that IF they were born in another time that THEY would be the ones that had the skills to survive with what tools they had.
Unlike most modern hunters today that don't ever do more tinkering with thier guns than maybe cleaning them (if that) most traditional shooters are more than just hunters, they are SKILLED rifleman!

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

i bought my first muzzleloader just to extend my hunting season.that was with an inline,i enjoyed frontstuffin so much thats all i carried.i started looking at sidelocks and bought one(t/c renegade.54)and had a lot of fun shooting it.so much so that i now own 6 sidelocks and take them hunting too.this past fall i purchased my first flintlock and have had alot of fun with this one too.this has just been a natural progession for me.i would think if some of you folks want to promote this sport you would get rid of your superior, holier than thou smug attitudes about what someone else chooses to shoot or hunt with.............karl

Excellent post! :thumbsup:

Welcome to the "Dark Side" as well as side locks! Although we do have some Neanderthals that post once in a while, most of the guys here are really nice! Some are just like you!

Again, a hearty welcome to the forum! If I can ever be of any help, my email info is in my profile!

All the best!

Dave

 

[squirrellluck]

Now I'm lost! I built my 06 on a 98 mauser action. Spent hours modifying the action and truing it up. More time and effort barreling and chambering. Blueing,bedding and finishing. Then several hundred rounds to build the perfect round for that rifle. But because it is a modern weapon I am somehow less a rifleman or hunter than someone with a sidelock? I have hunted successfully with everything from longbow to compound, from sidelock to magnum cartradge rifle.My choice of weapon does not define me, my skills do. My weapon choice is determined by the location I will be hunting. Lucky for me I have access to almost 2000 acres of wooded land. If I had to hunt on farmland with lots of flat open land my choice would be high power or inline. Me thinks you paint with too wide a brush my friend

 

[zrifleman]

I have serious doubts about 3" groups at 400 yds from an inline, or anyone who guarantees a rifle to do so. Get real---even an excellent shot with a BPCR with a Malcom style scope is going to have a tough time with that one. It must be a group of one!

 

[nkbj]

Nice 1860's description from W W Greener's book.