Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Best Muzzleloader Ever Made?

I'd like to hear opinions on the best muzzleloaders ever built for general hunting purposes. Factors to consider would be manufacture, price, accuracy, looks, caliber, grouping and dependability. What's your favorite?

I like my Savages, very accurate!!

+ 1

I think the simple rifles of Henry Leman, Lancaster county were very practical. Especially his later trade/Indian rifles. But those of J. Henry and H. Derringer were not to be sneezed at either. Those J. Henry rifles would run a close second! All well built utility rifles.

My Steve Zihn 8 Bore and Mike Adcock custom 58 cal are some of the nicest well made black powder guns I've ever seen, true craftsmanship in each one of them, and yes, 8 Bore to 58 cal, mice to moose, well covered.

Steve does build some dang pretty rifles!


My passion is nice flint Jägers!

( Although I am currently contemplating a percussion conversion )

10-4 KW, those Jaegers are nice, I almost bought a 4 Bore flinter from Track Of The Wolf a couple three years ago.

You know a very practical rifle back in th day were the assorted models of US "Common" rifles. And I would also include the US Rifle Model 1841!

The old sxs smoothbore/rifled would be handier than a zipper on the front of a womans shirt.

Plain ol' smoothbore trade guns too! I imagine such firearms saw more use in North America than any other! Least Mr. Hanson thought so!!!

Close to 300 years constant use. Or more!!!

savage hands down

For general hunting purposes it doesn't get any better than a TC Big Boar. There are a few non-traditional features like the flat rubber recoil pad instead of a hooked butt with a metal plate and adjustable sights which may be a bit offensive but overall, it's still a real muzzleloader. The inlines, while loading from the front, are otherwise just centerfire bolt actions and single shots with the firing mechanisms swapped out, they're not authentic and not worthy of being included in the discussion.

Tom

Absolutely, and the fact that we'll never run out of rocks makes the flinters even more usable.

Savage ML and TC

Gunner,

The architecture of those late era S. Hawken 1/2 stocks is nothing but Hell for Stout! Definitely made for the rigors of the trail. As Mr. Baird and others so aptly illustrated! And, there are now ample quality-built contemporary commercial models available for any who would like the experience!

Smoothbore anything. Plenty good hunting accuracy at distances farther than most modern inline users would admit to, using patched round balls. Add to that the capability of slinging birdshot and what better all-around gun is there, come to that?

Do we really think that 200 years from now people will be waxing nostalgic about plastic stocked inlines the way we (or at least some of us) do about trade guns, fowlers, fusils, muskets, etc. now? I highly doubt it.

My Nicholas Beyer smooth rifle is a thing of beauty. .48 caliber, so I tend to think it was reamed smooth along the way sometime from a .40 or .45. Or not. Who knows?

Very true! I do like my old Centermark Fusil de Chasse! Nice light and accurate. I stuck a simple brass rear sight on mine reminiscent of The Fusil found at one of the Tunica Indian sites at Haynes Bluff on the Mississippi. It's a pleasure to carry and to shoot!

Édit!

If you find yourself last minute invited on a hunt and all you have with you is an old North Star Hudson Bay NW gun. 5, 440 dia. RB's and 70 grains fffg, will kill hell outta big doe!

Now that we're talking about smooth bores let's not forget the Brown Bess. Accurate enough with a patched round ball for woods hunting. Can be loaded with shot for birds, bunnies and turkeys. Paper cartridges for sustained fire against colonial rabble. Ruled the world's battlefields for 125 years. Huzzah!

My "Bess" of choice is my Light Infantry Fusil. Let's say a 2/3 scale Bess in "carbine' bore! Served me well at Cowpens on the set of "The Patriot" too! Several pounds lighter than the standard Second Land Pattern Musket.

Savage ML2