Ive almost made it!

[smoothy]

I've been hunting with muzzleloaders the last 6 years. Have taken 2 deer with a flintlock rifle, 1 with a flintlock smoothbore and 1 with percussion rifle. Got skunked the 1st year and last year. Still working on this year's (have this weekend left). My buddies at work mostly respect that I hunt this way, though they think I have been lucky with one shot kills and that only one deer didn't go down in it's tracks and went 20 yards. This year I had a chance at a good size buck and had my first flash in the pan. But when explaining my folly to fellow workers they were actually supportive. One said that's the sport of it, although all of them use modern firearms.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Back in the '80's and '90's, I was hunting with cf's, and killing an elk almost every year. My brother-in-law and nephews kidded me about being "lucky", and they weren't doing so well. Then I switched to black powder to make it more of a sport, and still killed elk almost every year. THey didn't call me "lucky" any more.

 

[jethro224]

When I switched to a single-shot H&R shotgun my hunting buddies laughed and made jokes and told me I'd regret it.
I got my deer.
Then I switched to muzzleloaders and my hunting buddies laughed and made jokes and told me I'd regret it.
I got my deer.
They quit giving me flak several years ago now. :wink:

At 7 yards you won't need a Mauser. Your Hawken is up to the job if you are. :thumbsup:

 

[dbutch]

Build confidence through shooting..lots of shooting..
my bp guns are cheap to shoot! in comparison..
I'm the odd man out here..have a couple of hunting buddies that are starting to see the joy in the sport..Just brings the fun factor back to the hunt!
Makes me a better hunter..closer ranges..picking my shots..so I let the birds swing in closer..hunt tighter cover and have one shot...like to think of it as bow hunting with twice the range.
You'll reach a point in your hunting path where the pressure to bag is not #1.....
Hang tight ..the rewards are great!