Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Editorial Comment

Here in Colorado, the muzzleloader season for elk and deer starts this Saturday. Yesterday I was at the local rifle range and a guy walked in, unzipped a rifle case, and brought out a new muzzleloader. I asked him how he liked it and his reply was "don't know, never shot a muzzleloader."

He had no idea what would work in his rifle, and could not get on paper by the time I left an hour later. But I have no doubt that he will be hunting with that rifle in a few days.

For anyone new to ML hunting (or any other kind of hunting for that matter) I have a request and some advice--don't be that guy. The elk and deer deserve better.

Boy: Ain't that the truth!!! This is my first ml hunt, and I bought a new Ruger 77/50! I figured I am a very experienced shooter, so it won't be a problem! I sure found out differently, but with some practice, and patience, I now have a rifle that shoots 100 yd groups all in the black. I am ready!! But it did take a lot of shooting to get "READY".

Jerry

I agree...

I liken the rituals of Black Powder Voodoo with that of anything Archery.

Much practice...then go hunt.

One thought. Targets dont bleed.They dont stagger off to die and rot.They dont bawl and thrash around after a poor hit.If you were the game how would you like to pass on?Hit by someone in debt from a large ammo bill, or some bumpkin who figures a hit anywhere on a paper plate is " good enough"Act accordingly...

THAT'S always been one of my pet peaves...the Good Enough Factor.

Never could figure out why even some of the "pros" cut themselves short with less than optimum from their gear.

It ain't that hard to remove the rifle from the equation, less hard to bring one's self up to proficiency and even the odds.

Much practice....

"It ain't that hard to remove the rifle from the equation, less hard to bring one's self up to proficiency and even the odds."
+1

Now I would have to mention that repeatable accuracy on a paper plate at a given distance is the beginning of "bringing up one's proficiency". I have many times given the advice to new shooters that if they can reliably hit a paper plate at 100,200 and 300 yards then they will be ready to hunt. Suprisingly their shooting ability will surpass that modest goal in no time at all and they will begin to shoot smaller groups. Assuming of course they practice...

Paper plates weren't the issue...nor was too much practice.

Beginning shooters neither....

A few shots, a couple of weeks or days before season opener that might hit a paper plate, a rock or even a target bull don't make somebody a proficient shooter/hunter.

The same goes for those that spout nonsense about minute of deer, bear, elk, yada..yada...yada....why settle for less when the best is only just the other side of a tweek or component change...?

I take exception with the "good enough" crowd.

I hear you...

A few shots a couple of days before the season with a weapon that's brand new to you and of the type that takes some effort to get to shoot right (muzzleloader) is an especially bad idea.

I take exception to the "good enough" crowd too. Once I was at a range with my .30-06, a m.o.a. hunting rifle. I was trying out some new factory ammo, shooting off a bench, and it didn't shoot worth crap in that rifle, something like 5-inch groups. I was kind of shaking my head and the range officer came over and asked what was the matter. I told him I didn't like the way the new ammo. was shooting, so he looked through the spotting scope and said "that's plenty good enough for elk, they're huge." The range officer, no less!!! I told him there weren't many bench rests where I hunt, so I'd find some better ammo.

Am I miss reading this? Did the guy say he was hunting this weekend or is that just your assumption?

Did you offer any instruction? Advice? I don't frequent public ranges but I can't imagine watching someone who admittedly had zero experience struggle next to me for an hour and not at least offer some type of guidance.

You assume I didn't help out. Not a good assumption.

Personally, I can't imagine drawing an ML tag for elk and waiting until a few days before the season to shoot my rifle, especially if I'd never done it before. That was my point, and that is my opinion. I'm new to traditional archery, so I've been shooting my bow regularly since Christmas at different ranges, different arrows, different targets etc. I know exactly what my effective range is and picking up the bow and aiming is second nature now. If I didn't have the time to do that, I wouldn't hunt with the weapon, that's the way I look at it.

So depending on a total stranger who happened to be shooting next to me at the range for advice would not be my approach. I've heard more BS at ranges than I have in taverns.

I actually talked to the guy for a while and he seemed like a nice guy. Yes, he did say he was hunting. ML is draw-only in CO so if you apply and draw you're stuck with the tag, pretty much.

I helped him as much as I could. Someone told him to use 295 grain powerbelts for elk, and I advised him to use a heavier bullet. He had T/C maxiballs and 348 grain PBs, and I advised him on the charges I thought would work with those. I told him what worked in my gun, and the kind of bullet performance I'd seen with PBs and other conicals on elk. But you know, he could have been shooting next to anyone by the luck of the draw, and if he'd been advised by 12 different experienced ML shooters, he'd have gotten 12 different suggestions for bullets, loads, whatever.

Why subject yourself to that? Why depend on someone else, isn't the fun part figuring this stuff out for yourself? Plus, don't we all have a responsibility to get out and practice before drawing down on an animal?

He still couldn't get on paper by the time I left, which is not surprising.

Actually I assumed that you left out some info in the story, which it seems was the case. Not busting your balls but never did you mention him drawing a tag (intention to hunt) nor your assistance. Just asked for clarification...

Personally I have way more respect for the guy who will sit at the range for a few hours and at least put some effort into things rather than just stuffing a max load of powder and some on-sale bullets down the spout and call it good enough. Sounds like he's green but on the right road to me. Maybe he just underestimated the learning curve.

I know some things just don't translate well through the interweb but what I got when reading your post was a new shooter went to the range to shoot his ML and was somehow worthy of ridicule for it. I'm still not certain whether or not that's the case. In either case thanks for clearing it up...

Thanks, wpayne. Actually I wasn't trying to ridicule the guy, he did seem like a good guy as I said and he was trying, you're right about that. I just wanted to pass on some unsolicited advice. We hunters always talk about "policing our own ranks" and such, and it's not an easy thing to do. One way to do it is remind people that taking pride in things like marksmanship, putting in the time and effort to be able to hit what we shoot at, and avoiding the wounding of game puts all hunters in a better light. Not putting in the effort does the opposite, just like when people are too lazy to get off their ATVs and walk in areas closed to vehicles. I posted that in the hope that any new ML hunters who read it and see a little of themselves in it may resolve to do better. If only one person does that, it was worthwhile.

BTW, I was at the same range yesterday and another guy came in with an ML rifle he'd never shot. He didn't even know how to measure a powder charge. He said he wanted to work up a hunting load, and the 9-day season starts today. The range officer was very knowledgeable on ML shooting and helped him out, and I offered a few suggestions. He, too, seemed like a good guy.

But, when you consider all the money we spend on hunting, all the preparation that goes into a hunt, etc., I still have to wonder why smart people and "good guys" wait until the last minute on the most important detail of the hunt?