Survival Muzzleloader ! Your Pick ?

[ozark57]

The .58 rifled musket was used for years after they were sold as surplus as shotguns. I have seen many with cut down stocks and no front sights. The fast loading minie is good for deer size game out to 150 yards and the 530 gr. with 90 grains of ffg would take a bear.
Fast load, shot capable,super reliable ignition , better accuracy than a smooth bore.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The .58 rifled musket was used for years after they were sold as surplus as shotguns. I have seen many with cut down stocks and no front sights. The fast loading minie is good for deer size game out to 150 yards and the 530 gr. with 90 grains of ffg would take a bear.
Fast load, shot capable,super reliable ignition , better accuracy than a smooth bore.

Once you've cut down the barrel, removed the sights and bored the barrel smooth, you can no longer shoot Minies with any accuracy.

If the bore is left rifled, you can fire patched ball or Minies, but not shot loads. Essentially you have a nice, reliable medium and big game gun, but you are out of luck when it comes to small game and fowl. And most of the rifle-muskets available today are way too heavy.

 

[Walker357]

45 percussion. Accurate as far as old eyes can see. I'd only need it for one shot, then I'd have a good assault rifle.

 

[Zoar]

This has been a fun thread. I must say---there are many interpretations of what a "survival situation" means so that INCREASES the spread of answers. Some seem to think immediately urban-suburban survival where protection from humans and dangerous game and hunting for food are needed. Others think--in the middle of the wilderness and primarily for food and protection from creatures like bear or mountain lion.

I will take the latter and thus say:

1) Flintlock - a capper is not worth much when you run out of caps but flints you can make/find.
2) Smooth bore - Birds or beasts are easier shot with a smooth bore and when you run out of round balls or shot you can shoot stones etc.
3) 14-12 gauge or there abouts - .660 to .735 gives you that ability to load up or down and I would feel better sleeping with one of those nearby in bear/mountain lion country.

The issue of powder supply is also vital. Although one can make their own black powder. Hence it all goes back to a flintlock, smoothbore, around a 14-12 gauge for optimum "survival" in the wilderness.

 

[old ugly]

my choice of muzzleloader would be 62 (20 g) or larger smoothbore . anything can be stuffed down that barrle . its fast to load and easy to clean ( no rifling) i like flinters but if you had a good supply of caps and kept them dry a caplock would be ok as well

 

[luieb45]

I think I'm going to change my answer. At first I said a 12 gauge double barrel and now I've changed my answer to a .45 cal rifle. Either flint or percussion for me it would be percussion since I have no idea how to shoot a flintlock. I changed my answer because I then realized that I could shoot anything I could hit with that rifle because there are no regulations. I could shoot deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, and geese when they are on the ground. Because if I am in a survival situation I don't think I have to pay much attention to game regulations and seasons. I picked the .45 because it is very versatile doesn't need lots of powder and I wouldn't have to bring as much lead.

 

[Zoar]

And if I can expound just a tad more---make mine a a "double barrel" flintlock smoothie. So, I have the option to have a round ball in one and shot (or stones) in the other. That would be the cats behind for a survival in the wilderness situation...

 

[rabjr]

I'd have to stick with my .12 smoothie, ball or shot will do or get me what ever I need.

After watching R.L Ermey on "Lock N Load" on the evolution of the shotgun and what a man can do with a varitiy of loads to put meat on the table, I think a few bags of flints, of shot, plenty of balls and powder and a man can take care of himself and family for a very long time.

 

[shdwlkr]

What I have not seen mentioned just where are you going to get your powder, lead from to feed that muzzle loader?
I would go with a cap lock mainly because that is what I have and have a good supply of caps, spare parts(also not mentioned where you are getting these from), powder and lead to make balls from. My caliber would be .36 as it is a good size for getting food and with a long ball would stop a deer if needed.
Now if you think the great brown bears are going to be visiting or a lion then do what the old timers did stay out of the way.
There is no way you are going to lug around a few hundred pounds or even a hundred pounds of lead and the odds of having your hide out stocked when the bubble breaks is slim unless you live there now.

 

[DBox]

If I was going to be in the woods with no access to supplies and my choice of weapon, I believe I would opt for a cape gun. This being a side by side with a rifle barrel on one side and a smooth bore on the other. The rifle would be a .50 that I could shoot anything fron rabbits and squirrels to deer and elk. The smooth bore would probably be .12 guage with bird shot for birds, small game,and waterfoul or buckshot for bigger and meaner game. It would be a flinter so that I wouldn't have to worry about caps and I would hoard every rock that I found that would spark. I would try to have every recipe for powder known to man so that maybe I would be able to keep it fed. I would also be very imaginative with the shot and would scrounge led in ANY form: wheel weights, batteries, anything. I would also keep an open mind for things such as cut up nails and other metals and maybe even rocks for shot. I would use the fat from my kills to protect my gun and gear. And I wouldn't always rely on my gun for meat. I would fish, snare, trap and bludgeon everything I could to keep from goind hungry. I would be very frugil with my shot and powder. I could go on all day about how I would do this and that and it would be a lot of fun but remember that your brain is your most important tool in any survival situation. Use it wisely.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I have a .54 flint smoothrifle for hunting, and I depend on that gun for everything. This is not a gun for getting into a firefight where you need multiple shots quickly. (think AR-15) It is a hunting gun. If there was a possibilty of a gun battle, I would rather melt into the forest and disappear. My flintlock is no match for a high powered rifle with high capacity magazines.
I like the .54 as the ball is big enough for anything on the N.A. continent. The balls aren't overly heavy compared to something in the .69 to .75 range, meaning you can carry more of them. I chose the smoothrifle for the rear sight option for accuracy, yet still be able to shoot shot. Getting real BP is the biggest dilemma now, as very few places carry it. It has been in the past you could go to about any gun store and get Goex. Now .... you almost have to mail order it. With the rendevous all over the country, getting to one of those and acquiring a refill of real BP is about your best option... If you know where they are and can be there the dates they are held. I would not be against extending the life of your Real BP by using duplex loads .... !/2 real BP, and on top of that either Pyrodex, 777, or what ever substitute you can get. As for lead .... if you run out or run low, hopefully you are carrying with you a ball mould for your long gun. Every automobile in this country has wheel weights on the wheels. You can covertly strip some from cars, melt them down and make ball from them. Shooting wheel weight lead from smoothbores will work with little trouble.
If you need shot ... here again the smoothbore shines. If you need shot and acquire some modern shot shells, and it doesn't matter what caliber, you can cut open the end and dump that shot down the barrel of your gun.

In a survival situation ....you may need to slip into and out of cities and towns for supplies. Having a source of available cash will help. Eventually, if you are out in a survival situation long enough, you'll have to obtain your shooting resources from somewhere as you will run out. Clothing is another issue. Winter is coming on here in Ohio, and come December and January, it would be a real challenge to stay alive and well with just a couple of linen shirts and a matchcoat. A selection of modern clothes isn't much better. Carrying your needed winter clothes, shoes and boots all summer would be difficult.
Ohio Rusty >

 

[rabjr]

What I have not seen mentioned just where are you going to get your powder, lead from to feed that muzzle loader?
I would go with a cap lock mainly because that is what I have and have a good supply of caps, spare parts(also not mentioned where you are getting these from), powder and lead to make balls from. My caliber would be .36 as it is a good size for getting food and with a long ball would stop a deer if needed.
Now if you think the great brown bears are going to be visiting or a lion then do what the old timers did stay out of the way.
There is no way you are going to lug around a few hundred pounds or even a hundred pounds of lead and the odds of having your hide out stocked when the bubble breaks is slim unless you live there now.

Don't you worry about me, I'll have plenty of supply's if need be. I'll have enough for my .36 cal too. :wink:

 

[shdwlkr]

If I had to I could live for a long time and not need to be restocked depending on the time of year I had to leave.
Fall being the worst as you have to get some sort of shelter up real fast and get ready for winter. I have a wood stove that heats my home now so would do a good job at the bug out location. Have a supply of wood. Food have some of that too. clothes are at hand also.
Hope it never comes to that but if does just hope that I have enough medicines to cover all needs for the family and me and others who are just like us needing to be safe.

 

[ozark57]

If I had to I could live for a long time and not need to be restocked depending on the time of year I had to leave.
Fall being the worst as you have to get some sort of shelter up real fast and get ready for winter. I have a wood stove that heats my home now so would do a good job at the bug out location. Have a supply of wood. Food have some of that too. clothes are at hand also.
Hope it never comes to that but if does just hope that I have enough medicines to cover all needs for the family and me and others who are just like us needing to be safe.

The whole thing is scarey to me, but plausable.I live in the woods with a wood stove too. We could make it, but don't relish the idea. But after seeing what happened in New Orleans............

 

[Zoar]

Quote---"But after seeing what happened in New Orleans............"

Do you mean when the feds took everyone's guns away?

 

[Frank/Pa]

Quote---"But after seeing what happened in New Orleans............"

Do you mean when the feds took everyone's guns away?

Would need something with a little more firepower than a flinter to take care of the first waves of zombies.

 

[ozark57]

Quote---"But after seeing what happened in New Orleans............"

Do you mean when the feds took everyone's guns away?

That was the city that took the guns. I am refering to the colapse of infrastructure in a short period of time. Brings up an interesting subject though, front loaders are not "guns" in the BATF's view.

 

[Zoar]

ozark---I read reports where the National Guard and "other" military-types confiscated guns too. The place was crawling with "forces" and they all appeared to be given orders to confiscate guns.