Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Idaho Muzzleloader Elk Hunt

You can imagine my surprise when I saw the draw result that I was successful in drawing my second choice hunt, a either sex late season muzzleloader tag behind my Grandparents old ranch in SE Idaho. I've hunted there since I was little, so while the unit isn't known for trophy size elk, the opportunity to hunt old stomping grounds was enough to build my excitement for the hunt.

I had fun setting up my muzzleloader, so I thought I'd share the process with you. My previous experience with muzzleloaders was much different. A few years ago I built a CVA Paramount .45cal. I put a Nightforce on it, and with 105gr by weight of Blackhorn 209 behind a 285gr powerbelt ELR I was ringing steel out to 1000 yards with it. Drawing this Idaho tag, I knew it was going to be a much different experience, considering everything about my paramount was illegal in Idaho, including the .45cal for elk.



After some research, I opted to go with a .50cal CVA Accura MR-X northwest edition. Being limited to lead, I decided to go with a 460gr No Excuse bullet. While I wish I could have used my stash of Blackhorn 209, I read mixed reviews on the reliability of a musket cap igniting 209 powder, so I went with Triple 7 FFG and RWS 1081 Musket Caps. The sights that the muzzleloader shipped with probably would have sufficed, but after reading about the Williams FP adjustable peep I had to give it a try. Williams was fast in getting me the front globe sight and FP peep. I decided to shim to get a little more elevation out of the sight and off to the range I went. I realized right away that this was not going to be an easy feat.



I had a hard time seeing my 1 inch orange sticker at 100 yards through the peep to get it sighted in, much more difficult than the 15x the Nightforce offered me. After some trial and error, I was grouping around 1.5" with 100gr by volume of T7 at 100 yards. More trial and error later, and I had my Williams FP "doped out" to 400 yards. It was time to hunt.



I reached out to a couple landowners that I had to opportunity to meet while Grandpa was around. He was a great Grandpa and a great neighbor as well, evidenced by the landowners giving me the opportunity to access not only the mountain, but their property as well. A few weeks before the hunt it was bad news. The elk were nowhere to be found. We decided to make the trip regardless and took grandma to the ranch house for the thanksgiving weekend. I found a good glassing spot at the end of a lane where fields start and make their way to the mountain we love to hunt. After about and hour of glassing at sunrise, I found what we were after. A decent 6x6 halfway up a steep canyon rightfully known as "deep canyon".



To be continued...