How did everyone get started in ML?

My question is how did everyone get started in muzzleloading? I have always wanted to take up muzzleloading. It always looked interesting and I always like doing things different from what others are doing. I do not come from a family of gun owners or hunters. I am kind of winging it on my own because my family wouldn't know a muzzleloader from the man on the moon. In fact I have to explain to them what exactly it consists of and the porcesses. most of the knowledge I have gained has come form watching shows, videos,reading and the help of good folk who are willing to let me pick their ear. In addition the area where I live is suburban. There are not alot of people around here who I could go to to show me the ropes. Alot of people around here wouldn't know a muzzleloader from the man on the moon. I am persistent though and I feel it is one of those things I would like to get into, so I have to muddle through the beginning stages by myself. i was just wondering how others got into muzzleloading? Were you brought up in a family where it was passed down? Perhaps you are similarly situated like myself and had no prior experience and are self taught. Just wondering. Any info is greatly appreciated.

I gravitated to it because here in Tennessee we have a dedicated ML season that really coincides with the kick off of the rut. It is typically the first two weeks of November (ML season and the rut). I started out with a Thompson Center "New Englander" sidelock and moved to a Knight Wolverine package that I bought at Walmart...shot many a deer with that Wolverine. I have shot more deer, 140+ class, with a ML than during rifle or bow season.

Three seasons in a row in CO where I had a nice bull within muzzleloading range, but out of my archery range.

Shot an old Beaumont Vitali rifle that had been converted to a muzzleloader (caliber went out of favor) when I was growing up. Then, my dad bought a Knight LK-93 to hunt the muzzy season here in Iowa. I went out with him to shoot it one day and I was hooked! Several guns later I am much like others here....obsessed. Learned a lot from my dad and friends, but this site has been a blessing to see how everyone else is approaching things. Great info and great people to learn from! :yeah:

My family came here from Norway when I was pretty young. Dad taught me to hunt, and we both got into ML to extend our deer season. After I moved back close to the family, and spending more time ashore, I really started hunting with dad again. I just gravitated to the ML side. I'm in a shotgun only state, and found out my ML outshot my slug guns easy, so the collection just grew. Dad always just shot the white, and after he passed I inherited it too. I used to do a lot of duck hunting and upland, but after my last good hunting dog passed I drifted away from everything but deer. better eating and lots more meat. Mostly all I do anymore is deer with bow or front stuffers.

I started out in 1973, when a buddy handed me an H&R Huntsman and said, 'Keep the damn thing!' That was before we had a designated muzzleloader season. I don't remember how long I had that rifle but, I started shooting T/C Hawkin rifles, a few CVA's and then when Knights came out started shooting "modern" inlines. Changed to shooting the Encore platform rifles when they came to market, 1997 if I remember correctly. I remained with the Encore platform (Pro Hunters) until last year when I purchased the Ultimate BP Xpress. I use a muzzleloader for all my hunting and have so for 20 years. Short of using a handgun and a 40-60 CF a couple years during the regular firearm seasons, I only use the muzz for hunting. I used the handgun only to include it as something I harvested a deer with. The 40-60 hadn't been hunted with in 70 years, was a family heirloom and I found new ammunition for it. It also concluded my intent to harvest a whitetail with all the different legal means (archery was included).

They may make you a better shot and better hunter, knowing you only have that one shot. If you do it correctly, it helps with patience. Its fun and an adventure. You'll love it if someone shows you proper procedures and safety. Lots of very willing people that can and will help. I would suggest to find someone locally that shoots a muzz too that can help.

In VA the best time for hunting (peak rut) generally coincides with the muzzleloader season, i.e., the first two weeks of November, so I picked up a TC Omega X7 to take advantage of that. I had good luck my first ML season, and since then have been hooked. Now I pretty much shoot just my MLs (also picked up a Knight Disc Extreme) although I will occasionally use my dad's .308 for sentimental reasons.

After a pretty good career trap shooting I was looking for another kind of competition. This was in 1980. I read about CAS shooting, and it sounded interesting. I got into it, and was attracted to the black powder class. A little while later I read about the Hawken rifle, and thought it would suit my kind of hunting.

About 5 years ago I started to mess with inlines out of curiosity. Even though I owned and shot quite a few inlines I never hunted with one. I always used a sidelock to hunt, and I doubt that will ever change now.

I doubt I will ever hunt with a sidelock again. I just find the inlines more advantageous these days. My Shenandoah sidelock only sees the woods every 4-5 years anyways. Now I may mount her on a wall permanently.

My first blackpowder ML (CVA Plainsman 1:66) came in 1992, in an effort to lengthen my rifle hunting season into mid-December, here in Michigan. The first three days of centerfire hunting season I devote to my .270 or .300WSM. Beyond that?...... it's all ML-hunting for me.

To increase my late-season time in the thickets / swamps, I recently purchased a new all black synthetic Knight Vision and did not mount a scope. I'll get that new ML dirty, nasty and scratchy and not worry about keeping her pristine and like-new. I'll bang branches off her and make her my workhorse ML. I'll use my (other) T/C Omega for field corners, ridges.......etc.

When I first started hunting in 1965 VA didn't have a muzzleloader season. Crossbows were taboo too...but like all things our hunting seasons have changed and when VA started a ML season in early 92-93, I got a .54 Renegade to double my deer seasons. Killed my first ML buck with the Renegade and was hooked from then on. I struggled with some more TC's till I found White rifles. The Whites tripped my trigger and I sold all the TC's cept the Renegade. I have taken a deer or some years two or three with the Whites every season since.

I grew up in a hunting family, my dad was the local gamewarden. I still use my .30-06 in CF season and now have a crossbow after they became legal weapons here couple years ago. I'm gonna try using a ML handgun this year as well when they too became legal weapons last year, depending oh how I like it that is... 8)

Started muzzleloading in 1998 when I joined the 1st Texas volunteer infantry and sold my breechloaders to buy a Euroarms 1853 Enfield rifle musket with which to shoot yankees. Found out those .577 calibre minieballs work better on yankee deer! Went through a number of inlines and sidelocks before settling on my T/C Black Diamond XR .50. Had a few breechloaders too, but honestly my Black Diamond puts deer down faster than any high velocity breech loader I've used to date. Effective, fun and little legislative hostility make them a good choice for anyone with an itch to do thing alittle different.

Back in the early 90's all you could use during gun season here in Ohio were shotguns w/slugs or MZ's. I never really needed 2nd/3rd shots, but definitely needed better accuracy to extend my range. I bought a TC black diamond XR and the first time I shot it, I quickly realized that I just doubled my effective range simply trading 2 follow up shots I never used.
Another bonus was simply how much money I saved over premium slugs..

Bought some Knights, TC's, and Savage's along the way to play with and currently have settled on a couple Knight Elites, Shadows, HR Huntsman, and a HR SML conversion.

I'm sure some guys have more, and granted I can only shoot one at time, but I like "playing" with each new one to learn it's strengths/weaknesses as well as just enjoy the tinkering that accompanies this hobby..
Almost everyone of these things have a personality, and group of guys following each which buys you admission into that circle/club..
It's just fun.

There's really a limited amount of fun in talking about shooting/tinkering with slug guns

I am from Southeast Ohio too and hunting was a big thing in our area. Heck all Rural Schools were and still are Closed for First Day or Deer season! My Dad and his Brothers only hunted because they had to for the meat on Grandmas table, at least that's what they tell us. I do know my Dad never really was into it, but he bought me and my brother 1 shotgun to share when I was 12, he was 10. He figured it was something that they had done and wanted me and my brother at least exposed to it and then we could make our own decision to do it or not. By 13 I had my own H&R 16ga. I was hooked the first squirrel I got. My Brother was more like dad but got real hooked on Trapping. I had always read of Muzzleloaders and knew there were a few in our area but never really knew anyone with one. Then one day My cousin introduced me to a rifle he built that was similar to the Lyman Great Plains. I really like it and we located a CVA Mountain Rifle Kit in 50cal. I traded a Bow and $20 for it, the Cardboard sleeve was missing and had about an inch of dust on it. I think the dealer just wanted rid of it. :lol: We put it together in about 3 days and man that rifle shot great. Hunted ground hogs all summer with it, that was a blast. I Hunted with Slugs and the Muzzleloader due to Ohio Law and when I moved away from home got into Centerfire and even a 12 year stint into Benchrest Competition. I always kept using my ML occasionally. Then I got my First Inline, a Knight MK-95. Took My First Deer that season, and was totally Hooked. Took a deer and Black Bear the next. Pretty much stopped Hunting with anything else except for my Varmint rifles. As Far as big game I am not sure I will ever go back. I found I did not miss having that "Follow up shot", My Range was extended over slugs, and it weighed less than My Slug gun. Then I come to realize I just got so much more enjoyment from hunting with an ML, for a lot of the reasons mentioned above. The only other person so far in the family that I know of that uses an ML is my Nephew, but he only hunts with it. Other than My first intro from my cousin, I was more or less self taught too, especially when it comes to Inlines. My cousin drifted away and recently saw him and he told me he had no Idea I would get so deep into it. My Love for the ML only deepened after finding this site too, and is now an obsession. There have been several in my Club that shoot Side locks and Flint Locks, that are totally amazed at the accuracy and range I can get over them. Centerfire guys are just blown away, that I really love. I am pretty mush the Inline guy in the club and have been asked several times by other members for input and assistance with one of their guests. Just adds more to the fun.

You should tell us where you are from, never know one of us just might be in the area. We even have members here now from Italy and Australia. :yeah:

I started in 2000 when I turned 16 and could legally hunt deer in NY. I was looking to purchase a slug gun however a guy we hunted with offered to sell me his LK-93 with everything I needed to shoot it. I got a LK-93 .50 cal. 3 pounds of Goex 2F several bullets of assorted types. I upgraded from the LK to a Knight Rolling Block .50 cal in 2010, I bought a Knight DISC Elite .45 cal. in 2013 and a MK-95 .54 cal. in 2014. All three saw the field in 2014. I use the .50 for open fields, the .45 for in the woods and the .54 for the brush lots and swamps. However I hunt CF until I have one in the freezer, then I switch to the ML. I really got addicted when I found this site and joined it was all down hill form then. LOL, let us know what gun you are thinking of purchasing and what your goals are and we can help you achieve them.

Here in Ohio we have a dedicated ML season. That gave me a few more days to hunt. Later I got into Savage MLs and they were easier to clean and accurate so I now use them exclusively even during our shotgun season. I have not used any of the straight wall centerfires as they offer nothing over what I have with the MLs except extra shots that have not been needed for years. If they ever go to bottleneck centerfire cartridges I may change my mind.

I had messed with black powder revolvers when I was young. Probably too young to even own one now that I think of it. I bought it out of a catalog. And I had a lot of fun shooting it, and discovered it was pretty accurate. But then I wrecked the revolver and that ended my muzzleloading. A few years later I met a man and we became good fishing and hunting friends. He was really into muzzle loaders shooting an original 1861 Springfield Rifled Musket and a CVA Mountain Rifle in .58 caliber. The more I shot them the more I liked them. He also had some stories of their power and what they could do deer hunting.

I was a center fire hunter. 30-06, 7.7 Japanese, 30-30, and eventually a 7mm Rem Mag. And where I deer hunted it got to the point of opening day, I would pick a rifle, kiss the wife, head out, and be back by 10:30 am with my buck. Now some people would call that a great season. But I was disillusioned. It just was not any fun. I climbed into my stand, sat quietly, the deer entered the field, I picked out a nice eating buck, BOOM!, game over.

My muzzleloading friend on the other hand would tell of sneaking through the woods trying to shorten the distance between the deer. Sometimes he got a shot, sometimes he did not. I normally took deer season as my vacation pick, so I had time. And he invited me to go with him as an observer the first time. We had a blast, sneaking around in the woods. Finally he got his one shot, and made it good. I was then hooked.

I went out and got a T/C Renegade in .54 caliber. The next year I started hunting the woods. I would have been skunked that year but second to the last day, and the wife upset that we had no venison, I grabbed a 30-06 and went out to my friends farm and shot a eating buck. But I had more fun that year hunting with that muzzle loader then I ever had. I hunted more and more with a muzzle loader.

Got rid of the wife but never sold the rifle. And I have added to the collection of them. And now its all I hunt with.

cayuga said:

Got rid of the wife but never sold the rifle.

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Me too.

I started back in the late 80's to add time in the woods (late ML season in VA & WV). First rifle was a TC sidelock. A few years after, VA started the early ML season (first 2 weeks of Nov where I am) which is great. I purchased my first MK-85 and have never looked back. Over the years I've migrated to using a ML more than anything. Still bowhunt and rifle hunt, just not as much as ML.

I started back in 69, after a trip to Vietnam with the Marine Corp , shot round ball off and on , but didn't really get involved until 2001, when got hooked at Friendship shooting long range. I have been shooting competition ever since

I just wanted to deer hunt longer in Michigan .