Howdy

[MuleDad]

Newbie in W central Missouri; been considering ML for a number of years, finally decided it's time to expand my hunting opportunities. I would be very interested to hear what some of the old hands have to say re: a good first rifle. My questions are mainly, new or used, how much does barrel length matter and what's everybody got against Bore Butter?

 

[deermanok]

Welcome from Oklahoma.
Are you considering a traditional sidehammer or inline?

 

[snapbang]

from Michigan

A good first gun is an accurate one. I have stated before that with careful measuring and consistent loading most muzzle loaders will be an accurate muzzle loader.

New or used makes no difference. As long as it is not corroded beyond being accurate. A bore can be pretty nasty and still shoot well.

Barrel length is irrelevant as long as it is accurate.

I never used Bore Butter, but I have heard some negative remarks also. These guys know. If they say use or dont use do yourself a favor and listen.

 

[356]

Newbie in W central Missouri; been considering ML for a number of years, finally decided it's time to expand my hunting opportunities. I would be very interested to hear what some of the old hands have to say re: a good first rifle. My questions are mainly, new or used, how much does barrel length matter and what's everybody got against Bore Butter?

Welcome from NW Missouri. Definately a good state for hunting. You can use your ML during any of the firearms/alternative seasons.

As for your questions, I use Bore Butter on my BP revolvers to help mitigate the risk of chain fires. There are better products for ML rifles due to the types of projectiles we use. As for barrel length, the extra 2" some of the long distance rifles have will not make much difference. I used to test rifles, and most of the modern barrels are just as good at 20" as 24" or longer. Some studies show longer barrels have greater tendency for harmonic oscillations that can impair accuracy (more of an issue with custom barrels than factory ones).

 

[snapbang]

Good stuff 356

 

[HC]

To the brotherhood

 

[kerryman71]

Welcome from MA

 

[ElDiablo]

Welcome from Las Vegas!

 

[MuleDad]

Welcome from Oklahoma.
Are you considering a traditional sidehammer or inline?

looking at inline to get started, seems like an easier learning curve than sidelocks. I'm mainly interested in deer hunting with it; most of the public ground near me is closed to all but archery and alternative methods

 

[deermanok]

looking at inline to get started, seems like an easier learning curve than sidelocks. I'm mainly interested in deer hunting with it; most of the public ground near me is closed to all but archery and alternative methods

CVA Wolf would be an affordable gun to start off with, imo.

 

[jd24.5.48]

looking at inline to get started, seems like an easier learning curve than sidelocks. I'm mainly interested in deer hunting with it; most of the public ground near me is closed to all but archery and alternative methods

Welcome from Ohio! A Cva Wolf is around $200 and they're good muzzleloaders. A Cva Optima is $300-$400 depending on the model. Either gun would be a good start for muzzleloading IMO.

 

[Okie Hog]

Welcome from southwest Oklahoma.

 

[MuleDad]

Appreciate all the welcomes, seem like a nice bunch of folks! I've looked at the CVA's quite a bit, but the company website isn't real user friendly in some ways. is there a real functional difference between the Wolf and Optima? near as I can tell it's just slightly different options

 

[deermanok]

Not too much difference in the two models.
Wolf has the shorter 24 inch barrel as opposed to 26 inches on the Optima.
The lever to open the action is in a different location on both models but that's about it from what I know.
Muzzle-Loaders.com is a major distributor for CVA. You might look at their website.

 

[ThreePoint]

Greetings from Coastal North Carolina.

 

[gman57]

welcome from NC , enjoy the forum make some smoke

 

[rangerod]

Bore Butter? Its a bad joke and totally unnecessary. Melts in the summer and harder than a brick in the winter.

 

[crazyboutduck]

Welcome from SE Indiana and the addiction! I’ve had my Optima .50 cal for approximately 20 years and I love it. When I had my TC Hawkins .50 cal and my apex .50, I used bore butter and I concur with rangerod. In the heat it will soften and melt. In the winter, it seems to harden. That being said, everyone has a different means of cleaning and lubing their ml. I use Hoppes #9 to clean mine and a good quality gun oil to lube it and storage. Before I start shooting and before deer season, I will run a couple dry patches to remove any excess residue prior to loading it. There’s a whole array of quality muzzleloaders out there. Honestly, I think the choice is going to depend on what you’re comfortable with spending. Just do your due diligence in research and make your best decision based on what you’ve found out. There’s a lot of cva fans here, as well as knight, TC, Remington and the like. It all comes down to money and features you want. Best of luck and have fun in your endeavors.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Welcome, I'm down in Potosi.

 

[DKasprzak]

Welcome from Texas…