favorite hunting muzzleloader

[tcsmokepole]

I was curious, what is your favorite hunting muzzleloader? Mine is my T.C. rengade caplock in 58 cal.It's my favorite because it has never let me down. I've taken my seventh deer with it this year.

 

[cayugad]

My favorite to shoot is a T/C Renegade with a .58 caliber Green Mountain Barrel. This will be it's first year out with me. Prior to all this it was the Renegade with a .54 caliber barrel on it for hunting.

 

[Huntinfool]

That's easy my only rifle. There's an old saying "Beware of the Man With One Rifle"

"Ole Heartbreaker" a .50 cal. flintlock has taken 4 deer through the heart in 2 years!!
:redthumb:

Chuck

 

[musketman]

The Brown Bess, it's the do all muzzleloader... :imo:

 

[roundball]

TC Hawken Flintlocks...and I struggle all the time on this question of which caliber I like best because I like them all !!

I've had equally excellent results on deer with all .45/.50/.54cal flintlock Hawkens so far...and this fall will be my first hunting season with a .58cal GM flint barrel I got in the spring.

But considering everything, for some reason I keep going back to the .45/.50 for most year round range shooting...may have a little to do with slightly reduced shooting costs, may have a little to do with those particular rifles being prettier than the others, don't know for sure.

From a practical standpoint, if I could only have one rifle to cover all shooting & hunting activities I personally do, it would probably have to be a .45cal x 1:48" flintlock as those barrels shoot both the 128grn patched balls and 255grn maxi-hunter very accurately.

(second choice would be a .54cal round ball flintlock)

 

[roundball]

Beautiful wood !!

 

[tcsmokepole]

Huntinfool, that rifle is gorgeous! I can see why it's your favorite.

 

[Rat]

I'd have to vote for Bess too, been using one a couple of years, but have not got close enough to Mr.(or MRS.)Blackbear or Mr./Ms.Elk, but we've got quite a few grouse. "Almost" got a nice big blackie last month with it...it was about ten-twenty yards past my self-imposed maximum range, and just could not get closer.

However, one of these days my new rifle will get finished and arrive, which is a .62 Calibre Jeager, and I'm really looking forward to that. Then the Jeager should become my favorite big-game hunting ML, but Bess will still be my favorite for Turkey and Grouse...and I can still stuff that big old 75 caliber ball in her anytime for hunting in the really thick stuff. So maybe Bess will still always be the "favorite", when the newness of the Jeager wears off. ???

Picked up a 1861 Springfield lately...it's performing very well at the rifle range now, and look forward to taking it out a few times...but mostly it's going to be a "back-up" rifle for the flinters. Mostly someting to keep back at camp in case a spring breaks or something...or super nasty weather. It's definately becoming a "favorite rifle" just from shooting it. Very nice rifle.

But all things considered...BESS RULES!!

Rat

 

[Huntinfool]

Yea But it's also my only rifle. It's purty but purty is as purty does. She shoot's like a beauty also. My best group of 5 balls at 50 yards can be covered with a fifty cent piece with room to spare.

If I do my part I know "Ole Heartbreaker" will do her part!

:redthumb:
Chuck

 

[bob1961]

mine is a T/C hawken .50 flinter.......................bob

 

[CG6018]

As a lefty, I've come a jagged course with flintlocks. I bought my first, a .50 cal. TC Hawken about 25 years ago. I couldn't shoot that thing for squat! I flinched everytime that lock decided to work,and the flash went off in my face. I sold that rifle and bought a Hatfield .45 cal. from Cabela's. Again, I didn't know that left-handed locks existed. That rifle was perhaps the worst firing piece I've ever owned. It was pretty, it was light, but getting it to fire consistently was nearly impossible. I shined and polished the Hatfield, and sold it to a fellow I didn't know, thankfully. With the proceeds from that sale, I bought my first lefty rifle from Brad Emig of Cabin Creek Muzzleloader, and found I could actually shoot a group and take a deer.
Now, after shooting and hunting with lefty rifles made to order, I find a .54 cal. Yorktown, built by Brad Emig, with a 39 in. Green Mt. barrel, 1 in 60 twist, just about perfect. I shoot a .535 ball wrapped in a .015 patch in front of 80 grains of FFFg Goex. It works for me.

 

[NORD]

I love my custom Lyman Great plans rifle...it shoots well(won several matches with it) and I made it :thumbsup: I don't think there is anything better then hunting with a muzzleloader that you made!

 

[Huntinfool]

That's a fine lookin' TC Bob! :redthumb:

Chuck

 

Although it isn't a flinter, it is my favourite hunting rifle PERIOD - not just my favourite muzzleloading hunting rifle. My buddy Bradley is holding the rifle, a 9 1/2 lb. 14 bore Sporting Rifle.
;

 

[Flintleather]

that wood sure looks purdier than tc's walnut. :m2c:

 

[tcsmokepole]

Daryl, what load do use in your rifle? It looks like a nice one. Also, what have you shot with it?