[Hunting Man]

Hey guys, if money was not an issue(no I'm not rich), what production in-line muzzleloader would you purchase. I'm thinking of selling the TC firehawk and up-grading to? The Knight long range hunters look interesting. Looking for input. Thanks.

 

[ronn]

I like the Savage smokeless with the accutrigger. you don't have to use smokeless but i would. adds about 800 fps to any other ML therefore flatter shooting. I really like mine. I have that CVA mag 150, its junk and i have the old TC renegade 54 side lock nice but not an in line. the savage shoots more like a real rifle.

 

[Hunting Man]

ronn, last fall I was at the range with the flintlock and two guys were sighting in two of the savages you are suggesting. They seemed pretty happy with the guns. The guns were pretty basic black/blue, I know pretty doesn't make them shoot better! Do you know the fps and normal charge grains? Does it take a special bullet due to the higher fps? Any further help is appreciated!

 

[ronn]

With the rifle comes a book with different suggested loads. Different gr bullets and different powders. I'm using a 245gr pushed by 42 grs of 4227. A different weight bullet may use a different powder. Its like hand loading on a big scale. I can't remember what its fps is but I think it was 2700fps. I know its was real close to a regular rifle. Its in the book as to what that load should be doing. Because of the higher pressures you need to use the black sabots and they don't make a power belt that will work in it. Anyway its worth a look. I'll say this much I do know. 1" high at a hundred is 8" low at 200 yards. I feel I need to post this here because of the young shooters on this board NEVER USE SMOKELESS POWDER IN A MUZZLE LOADER NOT DESIGNED FOR SMOKELESS POWDER. If I find the book I'll post what it says.

 

[Hunting Man]

Thanks for the info!

 

[ronn]

Hey hunting man, I couldn't find the book that came with the rifle but I didn't look real hard its in my gun stuff somewhere. I went to savagearms.com and looked at what was there. Its different than my book but.... A 250 gr pushed by the powder they show there is 400 fps faster than the same bullet pushed by pyrodex pellets. like 2330 fps vs 1945 fps I think is what it said. I had said 2700 It may have been 2400. I don't remember .... Its faster!

 

[ronn]

When I went to Roanoke Va for the sportsman show last month, I was talking to Randy Fritz form lightfield slugs about the alpha gold ML bullet. Its a 300 gr pure lead boattail bullet and a special sabot they engineered. The BC on these thing is VERY good. I got some powder types and charges to use. I can't wait to see what they do. With a high BC with the higher speeds of the Savage it should be an awesome combo.

 

[Hunting Man]

Pretty difficult to separate the muzzleloaders of today and the traditional rifles . Several of the new muzzleloaders are more accurate than say a standard 30-30. I think that technowledge has improved muzzleloaders at a faster trend than anything else I've seen. Smokeless powder and bullet travel speeds of 2400+ thats impressive. You wonder when the various DNR's across the states will begin to implement rules about when is a muzzleloader not a muzzleloader and how do you set up the various season hunts. Especially rifles ones like CVA with electronic ignition would you consider this gun a true muzzleloader? At some point regulations will segregate the issue even more than they do today, like flintlock season vs in-line allowance. Just some ramdom thoughts.

 

[ronn]

pa already does that. flint lock was the rule then to manage the herd they added an inline for early does.

 

[Hunting Man]

Thats one state I'm familiar with, 34 years hunting those critters. The flintlock season allows either or if you haven't filled your buck tag yet. I don't think the flintlock hunters change much in the yearly deer balance. Rarely do I see another hunter in the woods all week. However, it is, along with bow season, the most fun for me!

 

[ronn]

My understanding was that the state made a doe season, its early, just for in-lines and just does. I think it was oct 13th thur the 20th. May not be all over the state. its only been there a couple years. I'd rather hunt with a bow than a ML myself. But I do like my rifles. My goal this year is to fill all my tags, bow, special bow, and firearm, with the bow and only mature deer. that reminds me. anyone got any good recipes for tag soup?

 

[Hunting Man]

That and extra doe permits for youth/seniors in October. The overall deer reduction and antler point restriction has improved the buck quality, we just don't as many deer/day. I just read where my state Ohio wants to reduce the deer herd in half. This is probably insurance company pressure. Ohio allows any type of muzzleloader during the late season hunt.

 

[ronn]

are you going to help them out with that?

 

[Hunting Man]

I didn't help much when I hit a big 6 pt with the f-350. After a couple of grand for repairs I can see some of their concern. However, Ohio can support more deer in certain areas,especially in the nw part. The only way I'm inclined to help is when their hanging on the pole!