Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania
    (Bucks County)
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    Default Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I’d like to take advantage of the new muzzleloader overlapping deer and bear season but I don’t have a muzzleloader. Looking for input from hunters here for make/model and caliber that I could use for both.

    Max open distance in an other wise heavily wooded area is 100 yards. I’m also interested if anyone has mounted a scope on theirs, I think a low power 3 to 4x is all I would want depending if I went with fixed or variable.

    If there are models easier to clean, reload, better trigger, I’m interested.

    Appreciate your recommendations, I don’t have a budget but quality is very important to me.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    lewistown, Pennsylvania
    (Mifflin County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I have several Traditions 50 cal. , including a buckstalker , deerhunter , and a vortex . I have killed deer with all three .

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Sterling, Pennsylvania
    (Wayne County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I bought a cheap Knight rifle and it’s accurate and knocks the snot out of anything I’ve shot. I needed to use high pressure sabots for best results when it came to accuracy. 100 grains of powder and 250 grain Barnes Expanders just kills deer, bears, and hawgs.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Mohnton, Pennsylvania
    (Berks County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I’m Traditional in muzzleloader owning, but if your going scoped modern any stainless steel in-line is going to work. Look for easy to clean, plastic stock and I think they all use shotgun primers. A good fiberglass ram rod.

    They don’t have soul but they make up for it in no hassle maintenance and reliability.

    I love flintlocks.
    The Gun is the Badge of a Free Man

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania
    (Bucks County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    Thanks. Assuming everyone is using 50 caliber; any bullet recommendations?

    This is a completely new platform to me and I realized summer will go quickly and I need to get my gear together so I can start learning and practicing with it.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania
    (Bucks County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Qtrborecrazy View Post
    100 grains of powder and 250 grain Barnes Expanders just kills deer, bears, and hawgs.
    Awesome, thanks

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Richboro, Pennsylvania
    (Bucks County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    Guess I am old school and never hunted with a "modern" muzzleloader. I hunt with a Thompson center Hawken in 50 cal with pure lead cast lead bullets (which I cast myself). Don't believe anyone who says you need anything more modern with some wiz bang fancy saboted bullet to kill a deer. A 50 cal non expanding slug makes a big hole and goes right thru. I never lost a deer. The only bullet I recovered was from a button buck that was facing me dead on. Hit it in the chest and found the bullet right under the skin behind the ham (went thru all of the ham). Four to 5 feet of penetration is good enough for me.

    This was with a Lee modern Minnie bullet (I think 325 Grain). I also cast the Thompson center maxi ball (I think its 375 grain). Hits even harder and never recovered a bullet. I would feel confident on these for even the largest bear. And be confident the bullet will not fail.

    Unfortunately they are putting faster and faster twists on rifles now. You want one with a 48 inch twist to stabilize the sledgehammer bullets.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
    (Dauphin County)
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I have a .50 CVA optima pro with a Nikon Pro-staff 3x9 scope. I shoot .50 Caliber 250 grain Hornady SSTs with two pellets of RED BOX- 777 Magnum. And it is nice and tight at 100 yards. I have killed MANY deer with this rifle. I'm certain it would also kill a black bear.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Rheems, Pennsylvania
    (Lancaster County)
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    727
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    21474843

    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I use a T/C Impact, ditched the cheapo scope that came on it and run a red dot now. Works really well for the thick brush I hunt in where shots are never past 50yds. Easy to clean, and easy to load. I shoot sabot rounds as well.

    I can appreciate the old school mentality, but in the group of hunters I go out with, on rainy days the modern inline folks always have rifles that go bang. I know its not a catch all, but, my inline T/C has been soaked and always goes bang when I want it to.
    Una Salus Victis Nullam Sperare Salutem

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    In the Free Part of NYS, New York
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    Default Re: Muzzleloader Recommendation for Deer + Bear

    I use a H&R with the Huntsman barrel, with the MU Breechplug. two T7 pellets, with 240gr saboted HP TC "Cheap shots". Does the job DRT every time.

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