About two weeks ago I was running my dog in the field across the street when my neighbor and hunting/shooting buddy came over to ask if I knew anything about muzzleloaders. He said he was thinking about buying one for Elk season.
We agreed they looked like a lot of fun, but that was the far end of our collective experience and useful knowledge.
That evening, I had the idiot tube on and was watching Meateater; Rinella was hunting elk with a muzzleloader in CO.
Huh…
This wasn't just long-range sniping, serious stalking and hunting skills required. Then the magic words: blackpowder hunting open during bow season.
Huh…that never dawned on me...
I can’t shoot a bow well enough to hunt (and not interested enough to practice), but I envied that early access.
Online to the IDFG website to check the seasons, and I see I can take a muzzy into the deer woods a full month before the rest of the rifle shooters. Basically the entire month of September, when the hills are at their most spectacular. Meat deer only, but that’s what I’m after anyways. I spent the rest of the evening on this and other sites getting an education on muzzleloading.
Here in ID, we’re limited to what we can take into the woods during blackpowder season, and that’s basically open sights, lead, loose powder and percussion caps. No optics, sabots, pellets or 209s.
Ended the evening at Sportsman’s website and saw they had a Traditions Buckstalker “Northwest Hunter” edition (open sights, percussion cap ignition) on sale and ready for delivery to my door in 48 hours. So I put the rifle in my cart along with the 209 conversion kit and answered my lovely wife’s call to bed.
The lights behind my eyes flicked back on around 0400, so I got up, tripped over the black dog in the darkened house ("Dammit Maverick, MOVE!") and went to hit the checkout button. Sportsman’s was true to their word, and the gun and 209 breach kit showed up two days later.
This is like any other rifle. You buy the rifle, but you need optics, bullets, primers, powder, dies, etc. But blackpowder's "need list" is different and, outside a couple thousand 209s (I quit loading shotguns when lead got over $25/bag), I had none of it. After doing my share to keep the local gun shops in the black, I was set and ready to go.
Finally got out to shoot yesterday, and I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with a rifle. Patched round balls to start, 50, 70 and 100gr of Pyrodex. Satisfying thwap when they hit the target-stand. And gentile. Pulled out the 300gr belted lead, did the same power run-ups and was pleasantly surprised how nice and easy the gun is shooting full-ish loads with heavy bullets. Nothing like my pencil barreled 30-06 deer gun.
Reading up here had me lightly soaking cleaning patches with Windex the night before so I could easily swab after every couple rounds. Given the crud that came out each time, I can’t imagine my session would have lasted those 30 shots without that and the many other helpful nuggets I pulled from here. Thank you.
Got home to do the proper cleaning. My wife commented the rotten egg smell in the garage was seeping into the house, and opening up when it's 30° isn't an option, so I guess I should figure that out next: happy wife, happy life.
Taking my neighbor out to shoot tomorrow or the next: I’m betting this story will repeat shortly.
Gotta find some #11's by September...
Larry
Eagle, ID
We agreed they looked like a lot of fun, but that was the far end of our collective experience and useful knowledge.
That evening, I had the idiot tube on and was watching Meateater; Rinella was hunting elk with a muzzleloader in CO.
Huh…
This wasn't just long-range sniping, serious stalking and hunting skills required. Then the magic words: blackpowder hunting open during bow season.
Huh…that never dawned on me...
I can’t shoot a bow well enough to hunt (and not interested enough to practice), but I envied that early access.
Online to the IDFG website to check the seasons, and I see I can take a muzzy into the deer woods a full month before the rest of the rifle shooters. Basically the entire month of September, when the hills are at their most spectacular. Meat deer only, but that’s what I’m after anyways. I spent the rest of the evening on this and other sites getting an education on muzzleloading.
Here in ID, we’re limited to what we can take into the woods during blackpowder season, and that’s basically open sights, lead, loose powder and percussion caps. No optics, sabots, pellets or 209s.
Ended the evening at Sportsman’s website and saw they had a Traditions Buckstalker “Northwest Hunter” edition (open sights, percussion cap ignition) on sale and ready for delivery to my door in 48 hours. So I put the rifle in my cart along with the 209 conversion kit and answered my lovely wife’s call to bed.
The lights behind my eyes flicked back on around 0400, so I got up, tripped over the black dog in the darkened house ("Dammit Maverick, MOVE!") and went to hit the checkout button. Sportsman’s was true to their word, and the gun and 209 breach kit showed up two days later.
This is like any other rifle. You buy the rifle, but you need optics, bullets, primers, powder, dies, etc. But blackpowder's "need list" is different and, outside a couple thousand 209s (I quit loading shotguns when lead got over $25/bag), I had none of it. After doing my share to keep the local gun shops in the black, I was set and ready to go.
Finally got out to shoot yesterday, and I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with a rifle. Patched round balls to start, 50, 70 and 100gr of Pyrodex. Satisfying thwap when they hit the target-stand. And gentile. Pulled out the 300gr belted lead, did the same power run-ups and was pleasantly surprised how nice and easy the gun is shooting full-ish loads with heavy bullets. Nothing like my pencil barreled 30-06 deer gun.
Reading up here had me lightly soaking cleaning patches with Windex the night before so I could easily swab after every couple rounds. Given the crud that came out each time, I can’t imagine my session would have lasted those 30 shots without that and the many other helpful nuggets I pulled from here. Thank you.
Got home to do the proper cleaning. My wife commented the rotten egg smell in the garage was seeping into the house, and opening up when it's 30° isn't an option, so I guess I should figure that out next: happy wife, happy life.
Taking my neighbor out to shoot tomorrow or the next: I’m betting this story will repeat shortly.
Gotta find some #11's by September...
Larry
Eagle, ID
To the group
