What you going to hunt with?

[cayuga]

Since this is a muzzleloader aimed forum I will aim the question at muzzleloader hunters. As many are going to be heading into the woods..

What rifle, powder, projectile, etc are you going to take into the field in your pursuit of the ever evasive whitetail deer?


Personally I have decided to take my Lyman Great Plains Hunter Flintlock rifle. I will be hunting out of a ground blind. I will be shooting a Thomas Fuller Black English Flint. And the load will be 90 grains of Schuetzen 2f powder and a 300 grain Hornady XTP in an MMP 24 sabot. Should be exciting. I hope to have the deer in at around 30 yards.

 

[GM54-120]

Bullet--Parker 275gr Ballistic Extreme (original design)
Sabot--MMP Short or Harvester Short Black
Powder--Its a secret
Gun--Ultra Light Arms Model 20 50cal

The Green Mountain 54-120 is going to be the backup this year.

 

[03mossy]

Same combo ive used for the last 6 years
TC Omega
.290 Barnes TMZ
110grains 777
im gonna try and get one more year out of the scope on it. I can barely see the croosshairs anymore lol

 

[Smyrnagc]

Bullet--Harvester 260 grain PT Gold
Sabot--MMP HPH 24 Black
Powder--66.7 grains weighed BH 209 (100 grains measured)
Primer--CCI209M
Gun--Knight DISC Extreme MHC 50 cal

 

[atvgod82]

T/C Bone Collector

Bushnell Elite 3200 DOA 250 Bone Collector edition scope w/ Butler Creek flip open covers

The Claw sling

Blackhorn 209 powder

Winchester W209 primer

Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ 250gn. bullet in supplied sabot

I will be hunting on the run during shotgun season - Dec. 1st - Dec. 5th

Hunter Specialty blind for ML season - Dec. 17th - Jan. 10th

 

[sabotloader]

Well if the season were starting tomorrow it would be...

Knight Mountaineer 50 cal
3x9x40 Leupold Ultimate Slam

120 grains T7-2f
Driven by a Win 209a bare primer
MMP .457-.458/50 Orange sabot
and a new to me bullet...
.458-305 grain Lehigh DOA

This bullet might look strange because it is actually a rifle bullet built for the 45-70

This is really an elk bullet for me but in the name of testing I am going to use ot for the first deer of the year and elk season later in the year.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Me: Traditions Buckhunter
110gr BH209
290gr Barnes TMZ
CCI 209M
Nikon Omega 3x9x40

Wife: CVA Apex
110gr BH209
290gr Barnes TMZ
CCI 209M
Nikon Omega 3x9x40

12yr old son: TC Triumph
100gr BH209
250gr Barnes TMZ
CCI 209M
Nikon Omega 3x9x40

9yr old son: TC Impact
60gr BH209
250gr Barnes TMZ
CCI 209M
Nikon Omega 3x9x40

All of our rifles have taken deer except the Buckhunter so I am hopefully going to change that this year, it has always been a backup gun.

 

[barkbuster]

White Super 91 .504 cal
300 gr Barnes MZ with supplied sabot
80 grs Swiss black powder
#11 cap ignition
2x7 Leupold scope

 

[SteveH]

Gun--TC Omega X7, 50 cal
Scope--Simmons 4x32 ProDiamond
Bullet--Speer DCHP .44cal 240gr
Sabot--Harvester Crush Rib Green
Powder--120 gr BH 209 (by volume)
Primer--Rem STS 209

 

[hunter177]

Hunting Gear

Check my signature. I can't complain about 1" groups at 100 yards. Good luck this year!

 

[JStanley]

Early Oct. Season: T/C Hawken
.490 PRB, 75 gr. Swiss 3f
Patch lube: ballistol/water 1:7

Rifle Season: Traditions Buckhunter/GMB .45
200 gr. XTP, MMP tan sabot, 110 gr Swiss 3f
Nikon Omega 3-9X40

Late Dec. Season: White Super 91 .451
385 gr. No Excuse, 90 gr. Swiss 3f
Lyman Peep w/ red fiber optic front bead

 

[Edwardamason]

Early Season.
Savage MLII 50 cal
Kahles 6x ZF95 scope
39 gr VV n110
250 xtp
Mmp short black sabot

Late season
Green Mountain 40 cal Renegade
.389 patch round ball
80 grain ffg Pryrodex

 

[DPH]

I'll be hunting with my Remington 700 MLS .54 caliber with .451 300 gr. XTP (or Nosler Partition) bullets propelled by 90 gr. (by volume) of FF 777 powder. I use a Winchester 209 primer.

In rifle season, I use a Remington 700 .30-06, and often I deer I have killed through the years and don't remember which rifle I used until I look at pictures showing the animal with the rifle in the picture.

For practical purposes, I see no disadvantage in using the muzzle loader, except when I get a shot (very rarely) at over 150 yards.

 

[jakesdad]

Me

Rifle-Knight Disc Extreme
Scope-Leupold VXIII 1.75-6x33
Powder-90 gr BH209
Primer-Win 209
Sabot-MMP short black
Bullet-Nosler Partition .451 300 grain
sighted 1.5" high at 100yds

Son(6yrs old his first year to shoot!)

Rifle-MK-85
Scope-Leupold 1-4x20
Powder-50 gr T7
Primer-Remington #11 cap
Sabot-MMP blue
Bullet-Hornady 10mm 200grain XTP
sighted dead on 50 yds

may use this rifle myself late doe season.thing dont kick anymore than a .410

 

[Edwardamason]

Me

Rifle-Knight Disc Extreme
Scope-Leupold VXIII 1.75-6x33
Powder-90 gr BH209
Primer-Win 209
Sabot-MMP short black
Bullet-Nosler Partition .451 300 grain
sighted 1.5" high at 100yds

Son(6yrs old his first year to shoot!)

Rifle-MK-85
Scope-Leupold 1-4x20
Powder-50 gr T7
Primer-Remington #11 cap
Sabot-MMP blue
Bullet-Hornady 10mm 200grain XTP
sighted dead on 50 yds

may use this rifle myself late doe season.thing dont kick anymore than a .410

Those sound like some nice combinations and nice set ups u got there.

 

[cayuga]

White Super 91 .504 cal
300 gr Barnes MZ with supplied sabot
80 grs Swiss black powder
#11 cap ignition
2x7 Leupold scope

Very interesting post there barkbuster. I have never tried a lot of sabots out of my White Ultra Mag and never even dreamed of trying the Barnes MZ. What distance do you sight in at and what kind of drop, if any concerns you?

 

[River Rat]

This year I am going on my first 5 day trip up to North Central Nebraska to hunt Mulies so I had a 45-70 converted to a 45 smokeless muzzleloader so I could shoot out to 300 yards or farther if I wanted. So my current load is going to be

Optima Elite 45 Smokelesss
200 Hornady SST
60 Grains Weighed IMR 4198 (around 2700 fps)
Winchester 209 Primers

I am dead on out to 200 yards and my groups at 100 yards are just under an 1"!! I am very excited about my up coming deer season and can't wait for our trip!!

Good luck to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

River Rat

 

[barkbuster]

cayuga,
I sight in at 100 yds. Most of the shots I get here in Ohio are less than 100 yds. I have not really checked for drop shooting any further than that. I also have shot the Barnes 250 MZ with good success.

 

[7magmike]

I will be using a TC pro hunter shooting a 240 tpx over 100 gr. of 777.

 

[7mmfreak]

The last two weekends I've been carrying a Savage ML-II that shoots legitimate .5-6MOA groups using Barnes .458/300gr Originals, Harvester Black Crush Rib sabots, 60 grains of VV N120, and Federal 209A primers.

Next month I'll be using the NULA M209 in Tennessee.

Not gonna use the Hot Rod Renegade this year.