I am thinking about getting an in-line for the early deer season opportunities in PA and DE, I have never fired one. While at the Pig Roast I looked at a few at Jays and the CVA Optima and Accura felt good but again I haven't fired any so what do experienced people recommend and why?
Bought the TC Pro Hunter in-line for last season.
It killed 3 doe, FIL,BIL, and myself. Shoots just like a rifle, 100 yds dead on.
Here in Allegheny Co., no high powered rifles aloud, so I thought it was the best option.
I also liked the idea of buying different calibers.
Already have a 35 Whelen ready for bear, and someday elk.
I did have to find a good load.
Gary, The Optima served me well. Our deer population is such that they now allow all firearms in all seasons on private land so the muzzle loader was retired.
I bought a used Remington Model 700 .50 caliber several years ago for late-season deer hunting. Some day soon I hope to hunt with it. ;D
Quote from: Magicman on August 09, 2015, 06:39:43 PM
Gary, The Optima served me well. Our deer population is such that they now allow all firearms in all seasons on private land so the muzzle loader was retired.
Ship it up here for the Oct seasons and I'll loosen it up for you.
I have the TC Triumph 50 cal. in-line. It has done well. I'm partial to the Thompson Centers since I have 3 of them.
Quote from: gspren on August 09, 2015, 09:52:19 PMShip it up here for the Oct seasons and I'll loosen it up for you.
How 'bout I just ship you some deer?? ??? :D
After some shooting and lots of cleaning a round ball and patch Thompson Center and several others I bought a Savage that uses smokeless powder. A little more technical to load but it will shoot and doesn't need cleaned any more than a center fire so 8) 8) 8).
Quote from: Magicman on August 10, 2015, 08:24:29 AM
Quote from: gspren on August 09, 2015, 09:52:19 PMShip it up here for the Oct seasons and I'll loosen it up for you.
How 'bout I just ship you some deer?? ??? :D
Is that cut, wrapped, and frozen? I could just send a list of what cuts we want. 8)
As you know, they just leave their heads lying everywhere. ::)
another vote for the TC line.
An added plus on the TC encore, is you can get a center fire barrel, and use the same frame/stock for 'regular' rifle season if you wanted to. And there are a number of custom shops that will chamber nearly anything that meets the pressure limits of TC design.
The other stick in the safe is the savage 10ml, which is a smokeless powder muzzle loader. Can also use pyrodex. The thing is very accurate, no smoke, and very reasonable to get supplies for.
If I had to pick just one, its the TC encore, because of the utility of the switch-barrel system.
I have a thompson center omega 50 caliber that shoots good, pretty easy to clean. Mine has black synthetic stock, blued barrel. I personally like wood stocks.
I have 2 cva 50cal that are great easy to load and clean I just use a 20g brush its a little tighter than the 50cal brush
I use a Thompson Thunderhawk. Accurate enough, synthetic stock, light weight. I consider it a pain to clean and the small #11 percussion caps are hard to fit over the nipple but was a gift. If I were buying a new one I'd get a breakdown, stainless model just because the black powder makes them rust so bad. I use the pellets and bought a box of sabbots and .45 bullets for my .50 rifle. More accurate than round balls and cheaper to shoot.
Shot one big doe in the head with it last year. She ran about 30 yards and fell then got up. I went to reload and broke my ramrod about half way down the barrel. She ran off when I climbed down. Got another ramrod and came back to track her but lost the trail where turkeys had torn up the ground. Got my rat terrier and went back but he could not find her. We did find her 2 weeks later. She had come down the hill and died 100 yards from my house in neighbors lot. I'd much rather have missed clean.
I do think everybody needs a good muzzleloader where the state has a season for their use.
I also have a 50 cal. TC Thunderhawk, but with a wooden stock and also a 50 cal Renegade Hunter.
I have the tc hunter. I cannot change calibers. I shot a bull elk with it in New Mexico 2 yrs ago at 250 yds.
The savage smokeless is not produced any more
I have two inlines one KNIGHT MK93 and a T/C ENDEAVOR PRO HUNTER I will hunt with either and both have served me well.
I did learn this though try Blackhorn 209 powder and measure it out as by weight and you'll be amazed at the accurracy as compared to triple 7 or other black powder
Yesterday afternoon I drove over to my favorite gun shop to see what he stocked and he's on vacation until 18 August so I have at least another week to read up about them. Keep sending suggestions, I'm researching the guns you guys suggest. Gun shopping is almost as much fun as hunting, almost.
Savage made one a few years ago, based on one of their bolt action rifles. My BIL got one, and it has ballistics more like a modern centerfire rifle, better than a 30-30. IIRC, it actually used smokeless powder. Good out to 150yrds easy, maybe 200. Savage stopped making them because they were too expensive to manufacture. Winks' sporting goods in Princess Ann MD bought all of the remaining stock from Savage, 200 or more rifles. Don't know if he has any left.
I remember there was some controversy in DE about allowing it to be used because of it's long range ability. There is no rifle season of any kind in DE. Even downstate, you're never more than a mile from a residence.
Very accurate gun, but seating the bullet was a real task, very tight bore.
Rooster,
I don't understand when you say you can't change calibers. I'm not using different barrels.
Any .50 muzzleloader should shoot a .45 bullet if it is in a sabot. Just get the sabot to match your muzzleloader and the bullet to match the sabot. Modern hunting bullets have better performance specs than round balls or miniballs.
Although, if you can kill an elk at 250 yards with your present loads I don't know that I'd change anything. Sounds like you are getting good results as is.
Wv sawmiller,
What I meant was that I cannot change barrels to shoot centerfire calibers. My bad.
Yeah, I had very good results with black or 209 powder. Much cleaner and very accurate. I believe I was shooting 100grs of powder with the tc bullet. I was shooting 4" groups with it at 300 yds. I was very impressed ;)
DE Jack, are there any public deer hunting areas in northern DE? I have located some areas in lower DE which is near my Fenwick house but up in your area would be handy from my PA house. I think the in-line muzzleloader can be used in any DE gun season which is why I want one.
I have a "wood-stocked" TC Encore, 50cal that I bought way back when they first came out.
Seems the price was right around $300.00 back then.
It's taken quite a few deer.
I shoot it with two 50gr Pyrodex and a TC sabot with a 44cal cast swc inserted.
I have had a scope on it, but took it off in favor of the peep sight!
Quote from: rooster 58 on August 11, 2015, 05:52:27 PM
The savage smokeless is not produced any more
Some of them blew up. A friend of mine had one that did while sighting it in. He had his hand on top of the scope and went to the hospital, luckily still has his hand. I have pictures I'll see if I can find of the barrel. The hand pictures are a little "ugly".
That's why I would be hesitant about the Savage. Blachorn powder is much cleaner than pyrodex. You still have to clean, but not after every shot. And it provides excellent accuracy
I'm usually on sawmilling and woodworking and almost forgot to show this, but here is a picture after it happened.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26094/2012-11-119513_14_56.jpg)
Wow :o :o. I hope the shooter is ok after that!
WOW is right. :o As they say, "nothing that a little superglue and paint can't fix". Wrong.
I've seen barrels like that at work where it was done during testing and it was either a very defective barrel or a serious over pressure like a plugged bore, maybe both.
Gspren,
Do you work at e.r. shaw?
Quote from: rooster 58 on August 18, 2015, 05:10:56 PM
Gspren,
Do you work at e.r. shaw?
I'm happily retired now but for 26+ years I worked for the Army Research Lab where I was in the Experimental Fabrication Branch of the Weapons and Materials Division. Last 8 years I was in charge, saw and built some neat stuff.
Well, with a little duct tape and some bailing wire.......
And maybe some j.b. weld.........
Yesterday I ordered a Traditions Pursuit G3 in 50 cal with a 3-9 Leopold, should be here by end of next week. That should give me a few weeks to figure a good load in time for some mid October hunting. Thanks all.
Reading the specs it looks like you made a wise decision. Can you use sabots there, or Powerbelts which are my favorite?
Did you catch any fish?
Yes the Traditions should be a good choice from what I know about it. Leupold is also a great optics company. I also favor the Powerbelt for ammo.
Quote from: Magicman on September 03, 2015, 03:01:44 PM
Reading the specs it looks like you made a wise decision. Can you use sabots there, or Powerbelts which are my favorite?
Did you catch any fish?
In DE I can use this gun with sabots during muzzleloader season and shotgun season, DE doesn't allow center fire rifles at all. In PA I can use it in the early antlerless muzzleloader season but not the late flintlock only season.
Fish weren't biting but had a few nice boat rides, should get better when things cool down.
Good luck with it hope you can match rooster58 300 yard shots . Just for fun I checked the ballistic calculator 0 at 100 1100 fps 117 inches drop at 300 . Gearbox
Thanks all! I'll start another thread about ammo for it.
I hope you ordered the muzzle loader scope with the different yardage dots. It really helps alot
Quote from: gspren on August 12, 2015, 08:24:26 AM
DE Jack, are there any public deer hunting areas in northern DE? I have located some areas in lower DE which is near my Fenwick house but up in your area would be handy from my PA house. I think the in-line muzzleloader can be used in any DE gun season which is why I want one.
Sorry, haven't looked at this thread lately. Very few public hunting areas in New Castle Co. Basically White Clay Creek park and Bombay Hook (which might actually be in Kent Co.). Not 100% sure, but I think both of those are limited to bow hunting.
Quote from: Jemclimber on August 18, 2015, 06:29:23 AM
I'm usually on sawmilling and woodworking and almost forgot to show this, but here is a picture after it happened.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26094/2012-11-119513_14_56.jpg)
There was another fellow (at least one) who wasn't quite so lucky, got his left hand shredded pretty good, lost some fingers. I think it was a Savage also. It's been a while, but I recall that they determined he used the wrong powder or over charged it. In either case, those incidents are why Savage stopped making the rifle.
Most, if not all the blow ups with the Savage were the result of improper loading or trying to get more out of the rifle than it was designed for. Many were trying to get true center fire performance with heavier projectiles than any rifle would handle. With a factory recommended load it's as safe as any other rifle.
I have the Vortek, I do not care for the cerakote. Stainless is the way to go. It is a nice shooting rifle though. Got my buck last year with it. At about 15yrds... maybe.
I shot a bolt action i guess it was the "Timberwolf" once. Rifle didn't seal well powder all over my face. Not inpressed. I like the break actions and Omega falling block style.
As of about 10AM today my new Traditions ML is no virgin, a 295gr powerbelt pushed by 2 50gr white hot pellets and a 3x1 Delaware buck is at the butcher shop.
Sounds like you have adapted quite well. Congrats!
Well done!
As far as issues with the Savage 10ML, I've heard that the BIGGEST issue is that smokeless powder must be weighed and a little as .1 or .2 grains too much makes a big difference in the pressure.
That was my thoughts back when I first heard that Savage had built a smokeless powder ML, far too may risks for a muzzle loader. I reload centerfire cartridges, and getting the press adjusted correctly is time consuming, on the reloading bench, even on a Dillon RL550. I can't imagine doing the measure safely in the field. I think that was a poor decision for Savage to build.
As for the gun pictured above, a few issues come to mind. 1st, the powder load may have been too much, 2nd, the bullet may not have been seated against the powder tightly. With any ML, not seating the projectile tight is a good way to blow up a gun, and with smokeless powder it is even more critical.
For anyone shooting a ML, be sure the bullet is seated tight. The best way to test that is to drop the ram rod in the barrel, even use some force. If it is seated properly the rod will bounce, if not there is essentially no bounce. If you get no bounce, seat the bullet harder, before you put on the primer, cap or prime the flash pan.