New to ML hunting

[IndianaMatt]

As I apply for tags I keep thinking that I should be applying for ML tags as well.
I have never owned or shot a ML and have no idea what to get or use. I located a NIB old style 700 ML in a gun shop a month or 2 ago but it vanished before I could pull the trigger.
So with y'alls help I'd like to know where to start. Very green when it comes to this ML thing so easier would be better.

Thanks

 

[RED MIST]

My boys and I have been shooting CVA Accura's for a few years and had great luck with them. I killed a 325" bull with mine this year, had a blast.
I would stay away from the old remington ML, there are better ML out there.

 

[Elkeater]

Just buy a CVA optima, some triple seven, 209 primers and some 245gr Powerbeats and call it good. Mines good to 150 yards with the the target globe sight I put on it. (Can't have scopes on muzzleloaders in CO) Should be able to get everything except a scope if you're gonna scope it for under $500

 

[Pa Grizz]

I have had Remington 700's .CVA'S and T/C'S inline's. but I love hunting with a old flint lock or a cap lock.This is the small seven point I got with my 50 cap lock

 

[RED MIST]

Nice buck, my grandson enjoys hunting with his Hawkins cap lock.

 

[MtPockets]

I went to Colorado 20+ years ago on an elk/deer hunt with 12 friends.
We all bought new guns just for that hunt. I was young and broke, so I bought a Cabelas Red River rifle for, I think, $99 and that thing out shot about every rifle that anyone else bought! It is a Hawkin type rifle. Nothing fancy, obviously, and has a 1/48" barrel.
Some of those guys bought 700's, one bought a Cabelas Rolling Block, I can't remember what anyone else bought.
The thing that amazed me was how that rifle would shoot anything- round balls, Maxiballs, sabots- it didn't matter it shot them all really well.
I know that the more modern inline rifles with their 1/24" barrels and their 209 primers are supposed to be all that and a bag of chips, but at least at that time- expensive didn't mean it would shoot better.

 

[Stk]

Just buy a CVA optima, some triple seven, 209 primers and some 245gr Powerbeats and call it good. Mines good to 150 yards with the the target globe sight I put on it. (Can't have scopes on muzzleloaders in CO) Should be able to get everything except a scope if you're gonna scope it for under $500

Good advice. I'm brand new to muzzleloaders as well but last year I bought an Optima, some Blackhorn, 209 primers and some Thor (Barnes) bullets and took the nicest antelope I've come across at 150 yards. I also replaced the rear sight with a peep sight.

 

[Caveman0101]

I've owned several ML, hell I have 3 right now, my favorite is the TC Encore. It's the best shooting, most accurate one I've ever had. Plus I bought a 280rem barrel for it and it shoots great as well. With the TC ML with a scope, it will shoot Sub 4" groups at 300 yards. Most western states don't allow hunting with a scope so a pie plate at 200 yards is what I do with open sights.

 

[Waynzee]

I've got 3 different kinds of inline muzzle loaders and by far the easiest one to care for and hunt with is the CVA Optima. You can get one from Muzzleloaders.com for about $270. If your just starting out there's a couple of things other than powder and bullets you'll want, get ya a good powder measure if your going to use loose powder and I like carrying about 5 pre measured 50 caliber plastic tubes with powder, Sabot and bullet in them.
This CVA Optima I have I shoot 100 grains 2f Triple 7 black powder substitute and 300 grain Sierra .458 diameter bullet in a .458 - 50 caliber Harvester Sabot. This load gives me about 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Good luck with Muzzle loader.

 

[Bernie Crump]

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[Sflutes]

For a long range deer hunting ML, it has to be the Savage 10ML-II, hands down. With smokeless powders, such as Hodgdon Lil Gun, with Hornady .452 250gr XTP's, you can easily get 2,400 FPS and if you fine tune that load you can get up to 2,600 FPS. At 2,400 FPS you still generate more FPE at 100yds than one of those super .45 cal do at muzzle. At 300yds you are still over 1,000 FPE to take a deer down cleanly.

 

[ENCORE]

For a long range deer hunting ML, it has to be the Savage 10ML-II, hands down. With smokeless powders, such as Hodgdon Lil Gun, with Hornady .452 250gr XTP's, you can easily get 2,400 FPS and if you fine tune that load you can get up to 2,600 FPS. At 2,400 FPS you still generate more FPE at 100yds than one of those super .45 cal do at muzzle. At 300yds you are still over 1,000 FPE to take a deer down cleanly.

If you don't mind, what "super 45cal." rifles are you referring to? Certainly not the customs readily available on the market.

You can easily, easily, get 2,400fps from either the Remington Ultimate or the Ultimate Firearms BP Xpress .50cal rifles with the AGS Gen2 breech plug and with a 300gr bullet shooting BH209. With a Parker Black Max, the energy at 600yds is 1,179 fpe (foot pounds energy).
At 300yds, it has 2,191 fpe and over 3,200 fpe at 100yds.

As for the "super 45cal." rifles, many of those rifles using smokeless propellants are getting over 3,000fps. Some well over. These same "super 45cal." rifles also will shoot a 300gr bullet with BH209 (not smokeless) at 2,500fps+.

Nothing holds a candle to the SUPER 45cal rifles (custom).

 

[g0rd0]

Me, old school. Been duck hunting with a navy arms sxs 12 gauge sice early 80s. Buckets of fun! I also have a 50 cal Hawkins knock off. In that I use 70grn 777. A box board disc then a 250grn Lee real bullet. Since I only hunt from a blind the lead bullet works just fine. The disc is 13mm diamiter and is only there to keep the lube away from the powder

 

[IndianaMatt]

If you don't mind, what "super 45cal." rifles are you referring to? Certainly not the customs readily available on the market.

You can easily, easily, get 2,400fps from either the Remington Ultimate or the Ultimate Firearms BP Xpress .50cal rifles with the AGS Gen2 breech plug and with a 300gr bullet shooting BH209. With a Parker Black Max, the energy at 600yds is 1,179 fpe (foot pounds energy).
At 300yds, it has 2,191 fpe and over 3,200 fpe at 100yds.

As for the "super 45cal." rifles, many of those rifles using smokeless propellants are getting over 3,000fps. Some well over. These same "super 45cal." rifles also will shoot a 300gr bullet with BH209 (not smokeless) at 2,500fps+.

Nothing holds a candle to the SUPER 45cal rifles (custom).

What is a SUPER 45?