Diablo
Well-known member
I’d invite any of you guys that want to learn about muzzleloading to go over to a dedicated muzzy forum like MML…..
New to ML hunting
- Thread starter BradA
- Start date
Nick87
Well-known member
It's a great forum. Some very knowledgeable and helpful folks there. Yourself included obviously.
Nick87
Well-known member
I shoot an inline. But I'm all for it. Recurve during archery season too and no drones or dogs after the shot either. While we're at it let's have kids wait until they're at least 8 years old. So at least they can remember shooting there first deer. Know a guy who's five year old shot his first buck this year. Gut shot and found it the next day while he was home sleeping with the bloodhound. What an experience that must have been for the young hunter. Maybe it's best he won't remember it.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
300 yards, add a scope and who knows what a guy could do with a $9,000 muzzleloader! lol
tkhuntsman
Well-known member
Montana
I killed my first elk with a muzzleloader this week. I used my son’s CVA Wolf 50 cal with peep sights. Rifle meets Idaho’s primitive requirements with no Blackhorn 209 or scopes.
We made three different stalks on bedded cow herd. First stalk was abandoned due to wind shift. Second we were closing in on the herd when we had two sentinel elk we found bedded on a hill edge on our left (main herd on right). We shifted to them. I had the cow standing at 156 yards. Tight target at that range but doable - 8 inch drop. Peep sight would let me pick high shoulder but there wasn’t a lot of error room in aiming. She moved providing a bad angle. We shifted closer. Her calf was broadside at 117 yards and an easy target. Cow was 127 wrong angle. Other herd saw us and now stood at 250 yards - 50 inch drop. No shot with the non adjustable perp sight. They all ran away before shot.
Next day we stalked into a much larger cow herd in the same location. We saw cows bedded at 200 yards (20” drop) and I decided I wanted 100 yards. We Daniel Booned within 60 yards of the herd that had a calf grazing on the edge. As I peaked above the rock we hid behind, I had a fat cow at 115 yard - easy target. For son reasons, rifle wouldn’t @#)(# and took some noisy clicking to get it to @#)(#. Fat cow had changed her angle but was staring at us along with the sentinel calf. I caught movement on our left and had about 20 elk starting to stand and stare at us. I picked one broadside and separated at 98 yards. I dropped it easily with a high shoulder shot.
Based on actual hunting and aiming at elk, I’m good with the peep sights to roughly 150 yards. Out to 200 maybe. I’d prefer 100 yards. Looking at elk at 250-300 yards with the peep sights would result in a risky shot. Small target with a small error zone. (Note - I’ve killed elk at 600 yards with a rifle with a good scope.)
Loved the hunt and will do it again.
grizzly63
Well-known member
I was standing next to a multi branched tree leaning against one of the trunks and using the others for hiding and possible rifle rest. It was right around 0 and a nice 10-15 mph wind. Just after sun down a 4x4 came out of the trees and started making his way across the CRP towards me. He wasn't massive but probably 3.5 yr old. I mulling the decision to shoot him. Its fricken cold and I know how much fun it will be to gut him out in this cold. I still have til the end of the month on a statewide any deer tag so I'm a little reluctant to end this but there is no guarantee on the weather outook this time of year. I could go west and look for a Muley if the weather holds out. I ponder the choices and decide if he gets broadside at 100 I will probably shoot him. He has to get there while its still legal light. When I first saw him he was at 238. He ends up in the open at 102. Damn, guess I got to shoot him to honor my thoughts. I lift the rifle, pull back the hammer and peer through the 1X scope. No magnification allowed here. His image and the lessening light make it almost impossible to get a good clear sight picture. I can see him clearer without the scope than I can with it. I uncock the hammer and let him walk across the field so I do not spook him too bad when I crunch the snow getting out of there. There will be other days.
grizzly63
Well-known member
Do not know if its this site or my computer but apparently you can print uncock but not ____ the hammer. OK
Yep. The characters in my post refer to c*ck.
KU_Geo
Active member
CO guy here, so open sight and full diameter bullets. I set up a cva optima with peep and good globe sight this year. My current set up is easily good to 200, and I can pretty consistently ring a 6” steel plate off sticks at 250yds. Pretty good set up without blowing a ton of $.
Nuts
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2025
- Messages
- 65
If someone is looking to get into it let me know. I have a couple in the gun cabinet that can be gone. I got them in a lot. Thought they might be better then my cheapo inline. But I was wrong. My 30 year old Cabela's inline doesn't care what powder or bullet you put in it. cares little if its dirty or clean. I have probably purchased 5 different newer better inlines since. But when its time to hunt the old Cabela's gets taken every time
Funny. This debate comes up on here or the slide every few years. It's always the same script... someone points out how silly it is to shoot at a game animal with irons beyond 200 yards, and the long range ML competition crowd comes in with charts and claims of experience to demonstrate their personal prowess, obviously threatened by that.
For anyone reading this thread and wondering which side is correct, I want you to take a 6" plate and put it out at 250 yards. Actually look at its angular size. I have 20/15 vision and spent years teaching precision shooting, and I know I couldn't hit that reliably even in a no wind situation with my iron sight ML rig.
I am sure that some of these dudes at NMLRA events can hit small targets at distance by redlining their several thousand dollar custom setups and shooting off a flat bench in a controlled range environment at known ranges with good weather. In the real world, 150 yards is a poke for the vast majority of ethical muzzleloader hunters.
For sure- that’s the absolute max for me with open sights, I probably don’t have much business shooting beyond 100 yards if I’m being honest.
Thanks @mudshark
Hem
Well-known member
I'd like to know exactly what " pretty consistently " actually means to shooters with iron sights. Explanations might vary.
100%. Take a normal setup like my T/C Encore pushing a Thor 250 at 1750 FPS. That projectile has lost fully half its kinetic energy by 150 yards.
I could normally care less about this kind of stuff, but it's outright irresponsible to preach to the general population that 300 yards is a reasonable expectation with a muzzleloader. Right now, there are kids with no experience reading that as they try to learn about this sport. Some of them will draw a tag and, recalling what they read, take the first 300 yard shot they get. Anyone think most of them are making that shot? If so, I've got a beautiful beachfront property to sell you in the Sahara...
You’re right- I just can’t see the target well enough at 150 (open sights with peep) to even worry about energy. I use a 6 o’clock hold at 100, but much farther than that seems pretty imprecise.
