Elk….Bow or Muzzleloader

Stocker said:
Let’s see, go out and shoot a bunch of arrows quickly to practice.

OR



Get 3 shots off an hour spent most of the time cleaning coal tar out of a barrel, beating a bullet down that needs to be lubricated, hope for a windy day so the smoke will clear so you can see where you hit, hope by the time hunting season gets here you don’t have black lung, spending the rest of your life on oxygen and can no longer hike……..
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One is certainly easier than the other. I'm just saying that, if done correctly, there's no comparison.
 
mevertsen said:
You shoot a hand made longbow as well?

My inline doesn't misfire. If I miss, its because of me, not the equipment.

My old side lock has been a challenge.

Hard to miss with a bow with training wheels.

My dad's home made recurve takes tremendous amounts of practice.

I'd take the muzzle loader. Just for the extended range.
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I shoot them but I don’t hunt with them, big game anyway.


Let’s not let facts get in the way of my crusade against Muzzeloaders.


The truth is, I really am trying to be somewhat funny on the muzzeloader deal. I used to hunt with them a fair amount. Modern inline, modern bullets and pyrodex. My ADD just drove me nuts trying to get an accurate load and group. I just never felt it was accurate “enough”. That led me to lack confidence in it, while i did kill a good WT and antelope with it, The shots were less than ideal, I think mainly because of my lack of confidence even though I had practiced quite a bit. I had a failure on 1 shot assuming the primer, and got a bullet stuck in the barrel that I had to beat down with a fence post after firing a shot, a follow up, and loading the 3rd just in case. If I miss with my bow it’s always me. I can’t say that 100% of the time for a muzzleloader.

So with no confidence in the weapon, I found myself not enjoying hunting with it. So I’m being very facetious on the issue. Some guys probably remember my rant on them a few years ago.


To each their own, practice like hell with whatever weapon you choose and enjoy the hunt.
 
My two cents would be to start with archery for your first elk hunt. In Colorado, the archery season—assuming you can take the time—offers a significant window. That extended season gives you far more opportunity to learn, adapt, and adjust compared to a nine-day muzzleloader season.

That said, as a Pro-Staff member for Knight Rifles, I also have to advocate for muzzleloaders. Hunting the early part of the rut with a muzzleloader can present shot opportunities you may have to pass on during archery season. The added effective range of a muzzleloader—especially an inline—allows you to set up on a bull trailing cows and still have a shot if the lead cow winds you before the bull crosses in front of you. As someone who has hunted both seasons, I can say I’ve been betrayed by an eager lead cow more times than I can count, often with a mature bull right behind her.

One additional consideration: archery tags are generally either-sex, which can increase your odds of bringing an animal home. When that lead cow busts you, you still have the option to make it count.
 
With a peep sight, I do pretty well with a muzzleloader out to a ways past 100 yards. However, I am a 35 yard archery hunter. Even when I get a bull within 35 yards, that still doesn’t mean I get a shot with my bow. I think your opportunities would increase with a muzzleloader.
 
I think one thing I’m really curious is whether or not the unit I would draw with seven points for archery is going to be a tremendously better unit than what I can spend seven points on for muzzleloader? If the potential for any legal bull is a lot more likely in the seven point archery unit, that’s where I would land. We would definitely shoot any legal bull, and wouldn’t pass a cow towards the end of the hunt
 
caddiscrazy said:
My brother and I are looking to burn seven points in Colorado. We Both are primarily bow hunters, but we do hunt every year with rifles and muzzleloaders. This will be a first elk hunt for both of us. I have taken mule deer and pronghorn in Wyoming, so not my first trip out west. We have only done diy public land hunts. My question is this, do we put in for bow or muzzleloader for this elk hunt? I’m not sure if the trade off of drawing a better unit by choosing bow outweighs the extra range with a muzzleloader but maybe not as great unit? Just wondered what you all with experience think is the wiser choice?
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Which are you most confident with? That’s the one I’d use.
 
Bow for sure. I spend most of the fall with a bow in my hand. Spend a mix of my time either spot and stalk open cou try or time in a tree hunting trails and low gaps for whitetail.
 
I know there are a few variables here but there should be little debate about whether to use a gun or bow during the rut. Definitely muzzy. I would heavily argue that the CO muzzy elk tag is the most underrated/under appreciated tag in western hunting.

Watch some archery elk hunts on youtube or TV. There will be plenty of examples where a bull comes in and the guy couldn't get a shot with a bow but could have shot it with a muzzy.

About the only way I'd say bow is if you have 3+ weeks to hunt.
 
caddiscrazy said:
My brother and I are looking to burn seven points in Colorado. We Both are primarily bow hunters, but we do hunt every year with rifles and muzzleloaders. This will be a first elk hunt for both of us. I have taken mule deer and pronghorn in Wyoming, so not my first trip out west. We have only done diy public land hunts. My question is this, do we put in for bow or muzzleloader for this elk hunt? I’m not sure if the trade off of drawing a better unit by choosing bow outweighs the extra range with a muzzleloader but maybe not as great unit? Just wondered what you all with experience think is the wiser choice?
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Reading yours and other responses, two factors remain unclear. What type of bow hunter are you, traditional bow or modern compound? Second what type of muzzle loader hunter are you, traditional or modern inline scoped or not.

I have just taken up archery as a fun hobby on my property using both a long bow and recurve. I have not one bit of interest using a compound bow as a hobby or for hunting.

Regarding the use of a muzzleloader, i have a very traditional Thompson New Englander, with period aperture sights. I have no interest in an inline.

For me the attraction of a primitive weapons hunt, is just as ruined with a compound bow as it is with an inline muzzleloader. Using a traditional percussion rifle seems far more "primitive" however than a compound bow.

Given that, the success rates for a primitive archery hunt are so low, I would not choose this option, especially considering the investment of time and money for an out of state hunt.

I have some hunts that stand out in my 78 year old mind-heart as absolutely my best ever. At the top of the list are the ones using this very traditional percussion muzzleloading rifle.

Lastly, we hunt for meat.
 
Mustangs Rule said:
Reading yours and other responses, two factors remain unclear. What type of bow hunter are you, traditional bow or modern compound? Second what type of muzzle loader hunter are you, traditional or modern inline scoped or not.

I have just taken up archery as a fun hobby on my property using both a long bow and recurve. I have not one bit of interest using a compound bow as a hobby or for hunting.

Regarding the use of a muzzleloader, i have a very traditional Thompson New Englander, with period aperture sights. I have no interest in an inline.

For me the attraction of a primitive weapons hunt, is just as ruined with a compound bow as it is with an inline muzzleloader. Using a traditional percussion rifle seems far more "primitive" however than a compound bow.

Given that, the success rates for a primitive archery hunt are so low, I would not choose this option, especially considering the investment of time and money for an out of state hunt.

I have some hunts that stand out in my 78 year old mind-heart as absolutely my best ever. At the top of the list are the ones using this very traditional percussion muzzleloading rifle.

Lastly, we hunt for meat.
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I hunt with compound, recurve and selfbows. My muzzleloader is a cva optima inline. I enjoy taking the primitive weapons out each year but there is no way for my first elk hunt I would opt for them. I'm definitely looking forward to the experience of the hunt but will try to stack the deck in my favor if I can. I appreciate everyone's advice
 
caddiscrazy said:
I think one thing I’m really curious is whether or not the unit I would draw with seven points for archery is going to be a tremendously better unit than what I can spend seven points on for muzzleloader? If the potential for any legal bull is a lot more likely in the seven point archery unit, that’s where I would land. We would definitely shoot any legal bull, and wouldn’t pass a cow towards the end of the hunt
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This is definitely something to consider. When looking at the units and hunts available, I would be looking at the harvest statistics for each of them. Although the CPW harvest stats are not 100% accurate, they have done a better job of at least trying to collect data in recent years. I'd also be looking at bull to cow ratios.

I think someone mentioned this earlier as well, but if I were in your shoes, I'd probably be targeting a unit that took six or less points to draw this year if I wanted to be guaranteed a hunt for next year (or close to guaranteed). I'd anticipate more and more point creep in the coming years with the upcoming changes in Colorado.
 
How much time do you have? Archery is almost a month long in Colorado. If you have limited time I'd hunt the days after muzzleloader is over.
 
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