My early muzzle loader is starting off well . I have bin having some issues with hunting land this year . But a buddy is letting me hunt a small piece of land he owns thats in the right place and got this small buck this afternoon. I saw a bunch of yearling's . It's suppose to rain tomorrow but I think I will go out and try for a big doe

Thanks for sharing SSJ. Congrats and glad you are off to a good start. Is this going to be like last year, one a day?

Congrats Joe

SJ, don't you know? Once a day keeps docters away...
Or when you can hunt every day, you simple have no time for illness.

And congratulations Joe! I have a question: when you go out with a muzzle loader, do you load your gun at start or do you wait till you see the target? And when you cannot fire your shot, how do you take your rifle home? It stays loaded till the end of the season (or till you shoot something) ?

Yummy.. young enough for the meat to be tender ..

gelandangan wrote:

Yummy.. young enough for the meat to be tender ..

My thoughts exactly Gelan...the young fella looks like the meat will be about as sweet as it comes.

Congratulations Joe, on both the property and your buck mate. As Slim says...like last year...for your sake, I hope so mate...will be a great year for you that way.

Even looks like he can put one where it belongs!

Congratulations. Hope the rest of your season goes as well.

Thanks Guys thunder storms and a few down pours so I stayed in this morning. Tomorrow is going to be a nicer day. Also I took that deer with 90 grains of BlackHorn 209 and a 250 grain Hornady SST . The pic shows the exit hole the entrance was about 5 " higher right behind the shoulder opposite side ( of course) deer ran about 100 yds I was surprised it ran that far but it left a great blood trail.

Aloysius wrote:

do you load your gun at start or do you wait till you see the target? And when you cannot fire your shot, how do you take your rifle home?

Aloys, the muzzleloader is loaded before the hunt begins. I have seen hunters discharge their weapons when they are ready to go home. I would guess that some would remove the primer and leave the charge inside until the next outing.

Sorry Aloysius I didn't see your question. Like slim said. I leave mine loaded and remove the primer in the state of MD it is leagaly unloaded with the primer removed. If im not going to hunt with it for a couple of weeks I will dump the powder and bullet and clean it, and the morning I go hunting I will load it up.

Congratulations! Our smokepole hunt is back in Sept.... way way too hot to be hunting deer but thats when it is. I got one about that size myself, mule deer... and mighty tasty!

You fry up the tenderloins when you got home? Thats our ritual, first evening meal the day of a kill is fresh tenderloin. Few things beat it!


-DallanC

On the loaded / unloaded question... I load mine up minus the primer as well the night before the hunt. There is no need to shoot it out at the end of the day unless you are in extremely wet conditions. I put on the primer when I get to my hunting spot.

I ran a test once with a old hawkin barrel. Loaded it up, no cap and let it sit for almost a year in a closet as I've always heard the powder goes "stale". Took it to the range, put on a cap and *BANG*! No noticable difference in ignition that I could see. Accuracy was fine as well.


-DallanC

If you use real Black Powder (as opposed to the newer substitutes) it is important to clear the firearm by discharging the loaded barrel before long term storage. If Black powder gets moist and then drys out it becomes more potent. The potency rise is similar to using a grade of Black Powder two steps faster. i.e.: if you loaded your gun with FFG and it got wet and then dried out it would be the same as if you had loaded it with FFFFG - which would be dngerous in most rifle loads. The change takes place because the granules (that determine burn speeds) break down and reform wen the get wet and dry out. The granules soften in contact with moisture and become smaller, breaking apart as they dry and harden again. I don't know if that is a problem with the newer substitutes or not.
The only time black powder is "stale" is while it retains.

very nice. now a stupid question.... if its a muzzle loader??? how come its a break open aswell???

Elvis wrote:

very nice. now a stupid question.... if its a muzzle loader??? how come its a break open aswell???

The Thomspon Arms range of muzzleloaders are break open Elvis. You open the action by squeezing up on the extension of the trigger guard...it is hinged at the front and "breaks" the action open like a shotgun.

Muzzleloaders - Thompson/Center