The deer shotgun season is too short. So I want to get muzzle loader. Which one?

white feather said:
Whatever you buy, expect to spend several hours cleaning it every time you shoot it if you want to keep it nice. Love that bucket of boiling soapy water with a tight patch on the ramrod jag holding the barrel with a rag... [smile]
White Feather
Click to expand...
I borrowed a TC black diamond last season ........was actually easy to clean. Bought the kit from TC with the t13 solvent and the jag , patches, breech brush, and bore butter. Took 20 minutes. Taken the impact out to the range twice now.......same thing with that kit........20 minutes and done.
 
I got a TC Omega package last year with a 3-9 scope for 325. I'm pretty sure they don't make the omegas anymore. I use 90 gr of BH209 and shoot 1" groups at 100 yrds. Others have shot it better than that. The thing is amazing. It is easy to clean (10-15 minutes) using regular old hoppe's with the BH209. I can shoot more than 10 rounds and still not need to clean it. I use federal 209A primers and have done nothing to the flash channel. I've never had a failure to fire.

If I had to get a new one, I would go for a TC triumph in a heartbeat. People seem to love the TC impact as well, so you could select based on your budget. I belong to the southborough R&G club. You are welcome to try it out if you are nearby.

I bought it just for deer season and now it is one of my favorites. It is a riot to shoot.
 
PilotRPI said:
I got a TC Omega package last year with a 3-9 scope for 325. I'm pretty sure they don't make the omegas anymore. I use 90 gr of BH209 and shoot 1" groups at 100 yrds. Others have shot it better than that. The thing is amazing. It is easy to clean (10-15 minutes) using regular old hoppe's with the BH209. I can shoot more than 10 rounds and still not need to clean it. I use federal 209A primers and have done nothing to the flash channel. I've never had a failure to fire.
Click to expand...

What are you using for bullets?
 
pupchow said:
What are you using for bullets?
Click to expand...

I know you didn't ask me but I also shoot BH209 and get great groups as well so here is my setup choice. I use 250 Barnes T-EZ and 105 grains (by volume) of BH209. I also have some 290 grain T-EZs as well I have been playing with but get better groups from the 250s. I use Fiocchi primers.
 
Get a stainless steel one and an extra breech plug. Use spark plug anti-seize on the plug when you put it on the gun. Make damn sure you take the plug out and clean the gun at the end of the season.
 
boxerjake77 said:
Great choice. I was looking at Optima, but figured I'm only going to buy one ML and went with the Accura V2 and couldn't be happier.

You may want to look into a different breach plug if your shooting the BH209. They sell a plug designed to be used with BH209. It has a wider flash channel, and CCI 209 mag primers work the best.

Also if your getting lots of blow back, there's a shim kit that will close up the headspace and you'll have a clean breach face after your range trips. This kit worked wonders on my Accura!! No blow by at all, and keeps the face clean.

If that man down souths name is Carlos, your dealing with one of the best!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Guys. I called Carlos and he set me up with a CVA Accura V2, BH209, and shim kit. He mentioned the CCI 209 Mag primers are hard to find lately, so I went with Federal. Haven't made it to the range yet, but I am hoping to this weekend.
 
Anything Thompson Center . I own 5 ranging from .45 to .56 and all of them shoot extremely well. For hunting i use The Omega with Nikon Scope that's made for it. It's more accurate than most rifles i've shot and its easy to clean.
 
I've got a CVA Optima and a Traditions Buckstalker.

I was always suspicious of my Optima, the barrel/rifling looks kind of rough or not very smooth.... every other Optima I've seen looks fine, so it seems to just be an issue with mine... still shot O.K., I guess.
I got the Traditions from a raffle and it seemed to shoot a little better for me (based on the limited testing I did), so I've been using that one.

One big difference between the Traditions and the CVA is that the Traditions has a manual safety, so you can cock the hammer and put the safety on, whereas the CVA has no safety so you need to keep the hammer uncocked.
 
Just traded for a 50 cal traditions pursuit in camo thumb hole stock with a scope. Asking price was $350 used in great condition. I love it shot it three time to try it out headed out Friday to use it again. At 25, 50 and 100 yds. All 3 holes touching 2 " left of dead center. No sand bags used
 
djmefitz said:
Just traded for a 50 cal traditions pursuit in camo thumb hole stock with a scope. Asking price was $350 used in great condition. I love it shot it three time to try it out headed out Friday to use it again. At 25, 50 and 100 yds. All 3 holes touching 2 " left of dead center. No sand bags used
Click to expand...

There is nothing "primitive" about a modern muzzle loader. I prefer Thompson Center though.
 
whacko said:
There is nothing "primitive" about a modern muzzle loader. I prefer Thompson Center though.
Click to expand...
I agree. So looking forward to hunting in colonial fashion with my TC Renegade in 50. Shooting a wad with iron sights really makes you reflect on how different things were for the early Americans.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Go with a 50 cal. The TC Omega dream season. Or TC Triumph bone collector. Or Knight disc extreme . My top three inline muzzleloader choices. I use Triple seven pellets. And Barnes sabots . Buy the kits and get the scope included.
 
djmefitz said:
Your opinion I'll keep it kind Internet warrior
Click to expand...

Dude power down [smile] I give you kudos for buying a good modern muzzle loader and you call me an internet warrior because I said I "prefer" TC......holy crap man I didn't say you were a fool not to buy a TC.....daaaaaaaaang
 
I have a CVA buckhorn with just fiber optic sights but I've been thinking of picking up a scope for it. I'm confident with the iron sights out to 100 yards but I'd like to see if I can drop 3 pellets down the pipe and reach out to closer to 150 yards with it accurately.
 
pupchow said:
In MA:
MUZZLELOADER DEER SEASON: Powder limited to black powder or black powder substitutes.

Smokeless is not a substitute for black powder.
Click to expand...

That is only if you muzzle loader: "So-called "in-line" ignition systems which have a horizontal firing mechanism instead of a traditional hammer system" Otherwise there is no restrictions. The question is if that smokless one is: "has either a caplock or flintlock ignition system"
 
I bought my stainless CVA optima off the shelf at wal mart in NH for like 199 bucks or something a few years ago when MA went break open. Finger tight breech plug no tools. Break it open and unscrew plug and clean like a single shot shotgun.

Thing shoots MOA out to 100 yards for me with a Nikon scope and CVA one piece mounts. I use 100grains triple seven pellets and powerbelts with good results. Sweeps right clean with a little bit of any brand of water soluble black powder solvent and a few patches. Boil the breech plug in some hot soapy water or water with solvent and done.

Break open is the way to go if you want easy clean with no tools......

My dad has an Encore and honestly, I would rather have the CVA.....it shoots just as well and is a lighter carry.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

MA deer shotgun season
2 3 4
Replies
117
Views
5K
arlow
arlow
Deer Tallow Soap
Replies
5
Views
367
HorizontalHunter
HorizontalHunter
Season recap
Replies
1
Views
213
chuckster
chuckster
Changes to Missouri deer hunting limits and season length
Replies
4
Views
723
Mark from MA
M
Season not quite over
Replies
11
Views
594
greencobra
greencobra
Back
Top Bottom