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The_Dunedan · 10-14-2006, 09:13 AM

Well, you can go in one of two directions; traditional and modern ( inline )

Traditional guns are just that; percussion and flintlock rifles of the types which dominated US and world armies and markets until the 1860s and the advent of the cartridge-firing breechloader. These tend towards moderate-to-heavy weight, and moderate-to-excessive length. A Hawken-style percussion rifle will set you back less than $200, and will definitely put meat on the table. I prefer the traditional sort myself, but they do have significant drawbacks. They're heavier than inlines, for one thing, and they can have ignition problems in wet weather, especially the flintlocks. Most traditional guns are at least .52 calibre, and the Charleyville that I and my Step-father both hunt with is a .75 calibre. There are .36 and .32 calibre "Pennsylvania rifles" for sale at Cabelas.com, both as finished guns and kits.

Inlines have their own advantages. They're lighter, more compact as a rule, and in many cases much more accurate and powerful. There are 2-3 inlines right now that approach the .300WM in terms of energy out to 300 yards, but these are the big Magnums that use 3 pellets of Pyrodex. That's the single biggest disadvantage to the inlines, btw; that lighter weight translates into heavier recoil.

Blackpowder is pretty cheap to shoot, especially if you cast your own ammo. You can get the moulds from Cabelas as well, and lead from ( of all places ) a mechanic. Those guys throw away lead wheel-weights all the time, and it works well for this sort of thing.

Honestly, even a .75 Charleyville is no big deal recoil-wise. A traditional gun is heavy enough to soak a lot of recoil, and blackpowder isn't nearly as violent-recoiling as smokeless, either. Plus, that big ol' round ball makes a BIG hole. They drop pretty quick when that kind of thing hits 'em.

The biggest disadvantage that all muzzle-loaders share, to some extent, is accuracy. I'd never shoot past 50 yards with the Charleyville; few would. It wasn't designed to be accurate at long range, but rather to hit like a train up close. So I use it in thick brush and woodland, where I'd be unlikely to run into a longer shot to begin with.

One thing you might consider is investing in a Thomson-Center setup, like the Contender or their takedown rifle. You can swap barrels in various calibres, including a .50 muzzle-loader barrel. You can have a rifle, shotgun, and muzzle-loader all on one reciever for fairly little money.

10-14-2006, 09:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
The_Dunedan Junkie	Well, you can go in one of two directions; traditional and modern ( inline ) Traditional guns are just that; percussion and flintlock rifles of the types which dominated US and world armies and markets until the 1860s and the advent of the cartridge-firing breechloader. These tend towards moderate-to-heavy weight, and moderate-to-excessive length. A Hawken-style percussion rifle will set you back less than $200, and will definitely put meat on the table. I prefer the traditional sort myself, but they do have significant drawbacks. They're heavier than inlines, for one thing, and they can have ignition problems in wet weather, especially the flintlocks. Most traditional guns are at least .52 calibre, and the Charleyville that I and my Step-father both hunt with is a .75 calibre. There are .36 and .32 calibre "Pennsylvania rifles" for sale at Cabelas.com, both as finished guns and kits. Inlines have their own advantages. They're lighter, more compact as a rule, and in many cases much more accurate and powerful. There are 2-3 inlines right now that approach the .300WM in terms of energy out to 300 yards, but these are the big Magnums that use 3 pellets of Pyrodex. That's the single biggest disadvantage to the inlines, btw; that lighter weight translates into heavier recoil. Blackpowder is pretty cheap to shoot, especially if you cast your own ammo. You can get the moulds from Cabelas as well, and lead from ( of all places ) a mechanic. Those guys throw away lead wheel-weights all the time, and it works well for this sort of thing. Honestly, even a .75 Charleyville is no big deal recoil-wise. A traditional gun is heavy enough to soak a lot of recoil, and blackpowder isn't nearly as violent-recoiling as smokeless, either. Plus, that big ol' round ball makes a BIG hole. They drop pretty quick when that kind of thing hits 'em. The biggest disadvantage that all muzzle-loaders share, to some extent, is accuracy. I'd never shoot past 50 yards with the Charleyville; few would. It wasn't designed to be accurate at long range, but rather to hit like a train up close. So I use it in thick brush and woodland, where I'd be unlikely to run into a longer shot to begin with. One thing you might consider is investing in a Thomson-Center setup, like the Contender or their takedown rifle. You can swap barrels in various calibres, including a .50 muzzle-loader barrel. You can have a rifle, shotgun, and muzzle-loader all on one reciever for fairly little money.