First BP rifle suggestions? MI

[playfarmers]

Hi,
I want to expend my deer season and have some fun too. I think I want to stay in the traditional market. I really like the Traditions Tennessee Muzzleloader, but I am having a hard time finding it anywhere except their website. I hunt in Michigan. Shots are around 100 yards.

Any other suggestions? Any reviews on the Tennessee Muzzleloader?

Thanks!

I say good for you!!!!! That is how I got started 25 years ago. A friend had an old Investarms .45 Hawken with a load stuck in it. I got it for $20 and and 2 months later I took my first muzzleloader whitetail with it. I would sugest you look at the Lyman rifles, they are just better in my opinion. I say shoot as much as you can, and you will fall in love with the sport.

 

[henbrook]

..... I'm always bothered by the attitude that punching a few holes in a 4-6" group from a bench on paper qualifies one to go out and shoot deer at those ranges because "that's good enough for deer" (go to any rifle range before deer season and you'll see it repeated with centerfire rifles over and over again. Then you'll see those same "good enough" hunters complaining to their buddies the next week that they "missed one" or "lost one").
...... Personally, if I was shooting a 6" group at any distance from the bench, I'd not consider shooting a deer in a real-life scenario at that same range.

I'm not trying to be preachy and we all have to do what we believe is the right thing but that's my two cents, for what it's worth.

Maybe I came across the wrong way GG?I agree with your statements,and I've seen it at the range far too often also.Day before deer season,fire a pie-plate size group @100 yards and call it "good enough",then they wonder why they missed a deer at 200 yards(or less?).Personally,I strive for MOA accuracy from my centerfires and have the confidence to take deer out to 300 yards and a bit beyond with my go-to 30-06.If I couldn't do better than a 6" group with a centerfire rifle,I'd likely sell it or wrap around the closest birch tree in frustration....I'm a little(alot) more forgiving with my iron sighted ML.

1st of all,the bead on the front post of my ML I'm guessing covers 4-6MOA to begin with @100 yards,therefore if I'm shooting a 4-6" group at that range,that's as good as I can expect from those sights?2ndly,I have no plans to shoot at deer beyond 100 yards to begin with.As a bowhunter also,I'm all too familiar with having to pass up shots on game that are at ranges beyond my ability.The point being,I know "most" shot opportuntities that I have in the wooded terrain I hunt in the east will be inside of 75 yards or so...many times much shorter,so what I consider "good enough" for my ML is a far cry from what I'd demand from a centerfire.I even hunt in a different style and habitat with my bow and ML than I would with my 30-06....for instance I don't sit and watch big fields,clearcuts,power/gas lines etc. like I might(often do) with a 300yard+ rifle.

Again,I didn't intend in the previous post to sound like I take accuracy lightly or that "good enough" is good enough for deer hunting,rather that "good enough" for the ranges I'll be shooting,to the best of my ability and the sights capability are as much as I can ask for.I doubt I can do any better than 2" @50 yards or 4-5" @100 with the sights I currently have,but I'm 100% confident that I can put one into the chest of a whitetail at those ranges.Know your own and your rifles capabilities is all I'm really trying to say.

 

[GANGGREEN]

Understood henbrook. I think we all know what we're trying to say and sometimes when we type it doesn't come out the same way. I think your follow-up post demonstrates the point that I was trying to make. Traditional muzzleloaders have certain limitations because of their design and we should always hold ourselves to those ranges where we KNOW that we'll make a good killing shot (barring unforseen acts of God, which we all know occasionally happen).

 

[Josh Smith]

How far from the Indiana border are you?

I'm about two hours south of the border in Wabash, and I would be glad to let you shoot a couple, one a T/C that I just picked up, and the other a Kentucky style long rifle in .45 - much more traditional. I'm waiting on a mould for that one.

I'm still learning, but I can certainly load and make good my aim.

The best way to learn is to teach.

Josh

 

[Mattole]

Yes there may be a wealth of information available by scrolling through the archives or by using the search feature, but something to consider is that many people new to the sport of traditional muzzleloading post questions because they need to hear from LIVE people who are addressing their particular question.

Having personalized cyber contact with experts who are willing to share their knowledge with me on this and other traditional muzzleloader forums has provided me with not only information, but also a sense of being 'mentored' by a community of others who are farther down the black powder road. And that sense of community is important - otherwise why not just consult Google and buy some books?

So gentlemen, be gentle with the newcomers.

And Chad, my sense is that Dave's initial response had to do with your stated desire to make 100 yard shots on game with a new-to-you open-sighted muzzleloader without having much time to practice. There is a strong thread of ethical conduct towards game on this forum that is part of the theme of "Keeping Tradition Alive". I'm not suggesting you were not intending to act ethically, but it did sound in your initial post like you might POTENTIALLY be rushing into doing some advanced shooting on a live target.

Chad I'm glad to hear that you purchased a Lyman GPR! So my unsolicited advice is to ask more questions, find the load and patch that your rifle shines with, ask more questions, practice a GREAT deal, and go get that deer at a range that you feel competent with. And most of all, enjoy!

 

[chad1043]

I did misstate myself on the whole 100 yard thing. What I meant was that there would be no shot farther than 100 yards. My father taught me long ago about practice and how to shoot. I actually swore off gun hunting when I was in my teens after seeing a bunch of guys on public land destroy a deer. Friends have been inviting me up north to hunt and I have found a nice place to rifle hunt.

I will be asking lots of questions when I get the rifle and after I have a gunsmith check it out.

Thanks for all the replies guys.