Modern Firearm VS. Muzzleloader Hunting For Mule Deer.

[nicholas542]

Hey guys i'm new to the forums and all, but I know you're not supposed to talk about modern firearms. I had a revelation as a avid mule deer hunter with modern firearms. I can take almost anyone teach them how to shoot a .270, 30-30, or 30-06 till they are accurate with that rifle. They will probably be able to harvest their first deer. In my case I can use these modern arms with deadly accuracy to the point where it just isn't sporting anymore. That's why I'm building my CVA Hawlken .50 cal, and am going to get accurate with it enough to take a deer. I want to revert to primitve firearms as they call them in my state to harvest a deer to make it a little more sporting. If I want to fill the frezzer I'll use a modern rifle, but if I'm hunting for sport I think i'm going to give BP a shot ( no pun intendeed )

 

[Kapow]

It's all relative to your experience. When I was your age I put down my c/f rifles for the bow. I have hunted with the bow exclusively after some of the most elusive game in the world and am all the better for it. I have a totally different attitude and approach to stalking game and now that I have picked up the muzzleloader again I actually feel guilty for the advantage it gives me. It's the beauty of the rifles that drew me back in. Remember it's the things you dont shoot that make you a hunter. Best of luck to you.

 

[east texas]

i fill my freezer consistantly with the fifty! i have used cf to do the same thing in the past. its a preferance thing! obviously if you need meat and cant seem to get close enough for a frontstuffer shot , you would have to resort to modern rifles to put meat on the table, until you could hone your skills enough to get meat with the bp rifle! i prefer the muzzle loader it seems more natural in the woods, and i feel like it evens things up for the critters a little more! its not too sportin to spray lead at an animal, kindaputs them at a big disadvantage! if you miss the first shot it gives em a chance to get away, kinda restores the ying- yang balance of hunting !any way thats how i feel :hmm:

 

[BrownBear]

When you're used to the moderns with their range, you'll discover something new in hunting with a traditional ML, and it's a good discovery. With modern guns anyone can stumble around long enough and see shootable game. With the shorter range of a ML, you have to put a lot more study into the game and local terrain, then hunt in a way that finds you close on first sighting, or allows you to stalk closer if they're out of range. That's REAL hunting, rather than stumbling around.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Once you get your rifle and loads dialed in you may find the muzzleloader to be not such a handicap as previously imagined. It certainly will affect how you hunt and probably where you hunt, no sense glassing for 500 yard shots when you have a 100 yard rifle, but once you gain some confidence in your rifle you'll find that within 100 yards your Hawken is as deadly as a 30/06. :thumbsup:

 

[rawhide]

Hey anonther guy from wa!!!! I'm in concrete. 30 miles east of mt.vernon. well a .50 will bring a deer down no problem with in it's range limits... even elk. again with in it's range limits. I my self hunt with a cva hawken but in .54 for deer and elk. for elk I use conicals. longest shot was 60-70 yards on a 500lb cow. for deer this year I'm going to use a pb. up and around lake shannon. sounds like your goning to use a patched ball right? for patched ball range limit I my self would guess to be 120 yards. if I was shooting it. same for conicals. think of it as hunting with a 30-30. any how any questions send me a email. or stop in at my work I work at whole sale sports. ask for Doug at the gun counter...

 

[sdhunter]

im in the same boat you are in. I just got my gpr .54 cal and plan on putting alot of antelope and deer meat in the freezer with it this fall, the ole 7mm is going to be awful lonely this year.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I've killed more deer than I can remember with a lever 30-30 with open sights.

I see little difference in using a ML. Very similar ranges.

I've never found still hunting for deer as easy no matter what gun I carried.

Tree stands and bait are what makes it easy in my opinion.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Agree with the general census. I have very little modern rifle experience (my area is slug shotgun) and the one season I hunted in a rifle region I killed two bucks in two days - at 10 and 15 yards while sitting on a ground level seat. That was at a favoried bowhunting spot.

For many years I used a rifled muzzleloader (percussion) instead of a shotgun during regular season. At first with conicals and then round balls exclusively. Now I use a flinter w/patched ball during regular as well as m/l season. I don't feel all that handicapped as I am patient enough to wait for that opportunity that only requires one good shot. Sure, you've got to be very careful in the rain but it is manageable.

Whitetail are a different critter and I just put myself where 40 to 50 yard shots are the norm. I'm no help to anyone with open country mule deer hunting, but I'd figure a way eventually I suppose. Anything that can be successfully hunted with a bow will be easier with a traditional m/l, from my experience. Three times the range and much less movement to get the shot away.

 

[nicholas542]

Yeah I know where concrete is. Me and my buddie shoot our bp guns outside of Trafton past OSO on C-Post road. Nice to see a fellow states men here.

 

[nicholas542]

In Eastern Washington State where I hunt you can glass deer that are 300+ yards away. The last mulley I shot was 75 yards away because I put the sneak on it, and got close. So at the 75-100 yrds with my .50 cal Hawken that should be an easy kill shot. I can hit 100 yard groups on a 10" steel plate with my CVA Frontier Carbine, and it has a 24" barrel. A 28" barrel should be a cake walk with patch and round ball.

 

[BrownBear]

If you've been taking them with a bow, muzzleloading will be dirt easy in comparison.

 

[nicholas542]

No bow that was with my c/f .270. I haven't got into bow hunting yet, but I have been looking into a couple Bowtech compound bows for future hunts. Seems a little more sporting using a bow or B/P. You get better hunting seasons in my state for archery and B/P anyway, and you avoid all the modernfirearm chuckleheads.

 

[Kapow]

In my opinion if you're serious, commit to the m/l for at least a couple of years. Leave the centrefires in the safe. They'll still be there if you change your mind down the track.

If you try to hunt with a m/l with the knowledge that at any time you can just take the easy route and pick up a scoped rifle you probably won't give it your best effort. Just human nature.

One of the beauties of bows and m/ls is that even taking non trophy game is still satisfying. In any case I doubt you'll starve.

 

[nicholas542]

Yeah I haven't shot anything modern except my Remy model 1100 for skeet shooting in months. It's been all B/P shooting since. My modern guns are sitting in the cabinet collecting dust now, and I have an extensive collection of modern guns.

 

[Zonie]

Just my opinion but I think muzzleloaders put the "Hunt" back in Hunting.

 

[nicholas542]

That's how i figured it modern is too easy to take down an animal. I have stalking skills and i'm going to try to use them with my b/p rifle

 

[nicholas542]

It's just too easy with my .270 and a Barska 50X24 scope. It's like shooting deer with a sniper rifle not a whole lot of skill involved. It does take years of shooting modern to get as accurate as I have got, but any fool can kill a deer with a modern rifle w/scope at short range.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

The same can be said about a ML. The trick is getting within short range.

 

[nicholas542]

I have gotten pretty good at sneaking up on mule deer. I spotted my last one at 200+ yrds and made my kill shot at 75+ yrds with modern arms.