Muzzleloader help!

[tomlightfield]

HM, I never realized how important the correct primer is for a particular app. until I started my "muzzleloading sabbatical" years ago. Until then I figured a primer was a primer, but wow, what a mistake! When I decided I wanted to get a black powder gun, I had no one to "help" steer me around, so I did just what I always did, dove right in to the big ML pond and started experimenting. After about a metric ton of different bullets, primers and powders, I finally got my gun to shoot about a 5" group at 100yds, and back then not knowing how super accurate a ml could be, figured that was pretty good. Then I read somewhere about 777 primers, and I was using 777 pellets at the time. So I went and got some of them, shot my gun with them, and low and behold my "good" 5" group went to 1" or sometimes a hair less. What an awakening!! But yeah, the correct or incorrect primer can totally make or break the whole deal. Well, we've got a 4 day and then a 3 day doe-only season coming up shortly here in Illinois, last chance to use a gun for deer. I'm not holding my breath, the few deer I'm seeing where I hunt will NOT even cross an open field in daylight, that's how spooked they are. But like I've always maintained, sittin' in a tree down there is still WAY BETTER than watching Jerry Springer!!! Hope you make out OK with your neck problem, keep us in that loop please!!

[VarmintSniper]

Scribe is right, you are gonna have your ups and downs its a matter of finding what works for you. PATIENCE is key. You cant expect to get out there and sniper after a day. I have two identical CVA's and one shoots better with the 777 magnum, the other white hot charges. I shoot both with premier 209 primers. I just get the best results with different charges in each gun. Also cleaning between every shot to sight it in is very important. You want to duplicate your first shot as close as possible and that means a clean cool barrel. You just gotta get out to the range, plan on being there a while, take multiple load set ups, and a ton of cleaning gear and get it!!!!!

[Hunting Man]

Range time is vital to finding the right combo. Most in-lines can achieve 1" groups at 100 yds scoped. With the flintlocks, and good vision, 1" at 50 yds is very achievable. After taking to my buddy in PA last night seems that the deer are still nocturnal showing up at 2am. This is not good. Weather has been too nice so far to force them to feed late morning early afternoon. I hope to pull the trigger on the PA hunter and get one tag filled this season.

[Crawdaddy]

I got into this one late so I cant add much. I agree with putting in range time and experimenting with different powders and bullets.

I started muzzleloader hunting two years ago out of necessity. I couldnt draw rifle tags to save my life.

I am somewhat anal so take the rest of this with a grain of salt.

I put around 500 rounds through my Traditions Vortek before settling on a bullet and a load. Along the way I found several that would be acceptable but I knew I could do better.

I finally ended up using BH209 powder with a home made 463 grain cast boolit in a Harvester crushed rib sabot.

Guess what- it paid off. Two muzzleloader mulies this year.

Just like the violinist who asked a guy on the street how to get to Carnegie Hall. His response- practice, practice practice. So true.

[tomlightfield]

Same here HM, I went for the 4 day doe season last week, spent 2 days bow hunting and 4 days with guns, it was in the 50's every day and the wind blew like crazy all but one day. Made the deer almost totally nocturnal. Going again the weekend after this one, one more 3 day doe season and that's it for deer hunting this year

[Hunting Man]

TLF, hope you fill a tag in that last 3 day hunt. Every year when all is done an the equipment is clean and put away there's a empty feeling left to me and then the long wait for fall to get here. This flintlock hunt will be the first in several years that I hunt by myself. Never really like that to much. Hunting with close friends always is a blast of fun. Flintlock hunting can be tough when the weather turns bad. Two years in a row we've got hit hard in PA with really heavy snows sending us home early. This year it looks pretty mild but that can keep the deer nocturnal. Always a balance this hunting is hoping for weather that forces the deer to feed early but not too bad to take us out of the hunt. Good luck and be safe!