Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Thoughts on which muzzleloader to purchase.

I have hunted with and enjoyed the heck out of my old cheapo Knight wolverine for almost 20 years now. I only hunt when drawn for muzzleloader elk (twice in that time) and maybe Javelina every other year....
My 14 year old son shot it and decided that he needs to have it. How can I say no to the kid? (Especially if it means that I get to update my my set up.)

I have the chance to purchase either of these from friends that I trust:
My choices are:
Remington Genesis (unfired) my concerns are that this was only manufactured for a couple of years. I can get this pretty cheap.
T/C encore prohunter with .50 209 barrel: (again, unfired) I am leaning this way because of its versatility and resale value. This will cost me a bit more.

Thoughts?

I killed a pile of deer with a wolverine. Finally up graded to a Encore. Been happy with it.

I have the encore with the latest fluted barrel. Great in every way except I wish it was lighter. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

Thanks, Gents!
I was leaning toward the encore and, for my needs, I think the extra coin will be well spent.

And yes, the wolverine is still a pretty good muzzleloader!

I have no experience with either. Having said that, I'd buy the one I could get several extra breech plugs for.
The Genesis has a good reputation but has been out of production for a while now.
Did he buy extra consumables? If you get it cheap enough you could have some fun regardless!

Played with a Genesis long enough to get it dialed in for someone. Okay gun, but the Encore is certainly better and more versatile. Accessories and parts are everywhere too, while the Genesis is an orphan.

Back when Cabelas was closing out the Genesis for $79, members of my family bought a few. They killed a lot of deer with them. As said, they are OK but have been upgraded

It is my understanding that the Genesis was made for Remington by Traditions

My Wolverine was a deer killin machine, but I sold it to a co-worker and got this ( tells ya how long ago )

JMHO- I never buy anything with resale value
as a criterion. If I had to do that I'd never be
satisfied with anything I owned. It took me a
long time to figure that out. I rid myself of a
lot of my dust collectors and feel better for it

I had zero probs w my Wolverine.
Buddy got a stainless camo one a couple yrs ago, used but pristine, for 100 bucks. But the 209 conversions were gone then.

They make em again now, or something similar. Not as cheap.

I liked em better than Encore MZs.

My issue was.....w a 4x scope it was not as much fun to use. It was simply a very ( too ) effective killing machine.

My Wolverine used regular caps. Never had a problem with it going off.

My brother has a tc pro hunter he's thinking about selling if you're interested.

SS, black stock version

Excellent condition

PM me if you are interested

No choice in my mind - it's a better investment for holding value over time, especially if you decide to branch out with other calibers on the frame.

Killin’s the goal, ain’t it? By the time our ML season rolls around, the deer have been sliced, diced, and petrified for 2 1/2 months. Lucky to even see one. We do have a four-day Heritage season in early January for those who need a challenge: sidelocks and stickbows only. Only saw one other hunter during that, but scads of dog walkers and day hikers. Can't even pee against a tree in peace. Maybe I should start walking the trails with a stuffed Yorky to make the deer think I’m harmless.

I've used an Encore for over 20 years and could not be happier with it. Accurate, reliable and easy to clean. I'm an old guy but have never had a problem with its weight. Switch the barrel to something cheap to shoot (I bought an MGM in 22 mag) and you can practice with it all spring and summer.

I like Contenders better than Encores
The latter too blocky/ big for my taste.

By the time MZ season comes around Im too tired and its too cold. Used to hunt a lot more, in lots of bad weather.

Dunno if im lazy or just smarter all these years later LOL

Ill do bow early (recurve- Blackwidow) and then gun.
After that i kinda give up.

Late season, 2nd rut.....on my old spot some bruiser bucks. Worth the effort MZ if you have such a spot.

Current place is done by middle gun. Too much pressure. Properties broken up.

Have never been a fan of switching barrels.
Rather own more rifles.

Did have 3 Contender frames set up at one time

Hell Is dont like switching barrels on shotguns.
Rather have anothrr shotgun

Find a SS Savage ML2....buy once cry once. Best factory ML ever built IMO

Not necessarily,. it's certainly way down on the list of priorities for many. Enjoying how they hunt and what they hunt with far outweighing killing something.

Just go ahead and use your 30/06! State got your ML license $$$$ and you’re home free!

No argument with that. I sure enjoyed toting my musket around for a couple of days this month. We have from late September until the middle of January to chase ‘em with something, or something else. No tags to draw either. Since I like to eat them as well, I use pretty much everything permitted, in season. Once I make some meat, I get a little more “sportin’ “.

Still using my LK93 with a peep sight. If I were going new it’d be a Knight Ultralite. That thing is nice.

I have 4 muzzloaders. A TC Encore, another inline TC Impact, a 50 cal. TC Hawken and a 54 cal. TC Renegade. Since I bought my TC Hawken, I have not shot my inlines. I also went and bought a new in box TC Renegade 54 cal. I make my own roundballs and patches. I might buy the new #11 cap maker . Then , I might even make my own black powder . I enjoy that stuff. If you are looking for something a little different, those traditional muzzies are fun.

I got rid of my inline soon after I bought my T/C Hawken. The Hawken is much more fun to shoot and hunt with. Patched round balls and real black powder all the way. The inline was just a modern, slow to load single shot rifle and I won't be getting another.

Pretty much how I feel. The only inline that ever got my interest was the one Ruger made for a while. Not sure why that one piqued my curiosity. Instead I hunt with a worn out TC Seneca .45 cal that doesn't like warm loads, 65 grains of 2F and a PRB or 70 grains of 2F and a home-cast, SPG-lubed 245 grain conical. With the conical, it's the slowest loading single shot .44 magnum rifle on the block. But silly amounts of fun.

Tom

I can’t see anything out there that can improve my tc triumph. Shooting blackhorn and rio primers it’s burning as clean as anything on the market. If you like that stupid stock on the encore then go with it. Really any of the break open guns are hard to beat, easy to clean, accurate and they are not that expensive.

And yes , I still shoot the 295 powerbelt hollow point with a .177 air rifle pellet shoved in the hp to keep it from fragmenting.

Take a look at the Knight website. They have the Vision inline for $199.

I had an encore. Hated it. Bought an old mk-85 and love it. 460gr no excuse conical over 90gr is a hammer.

That said i still love my sidelocks. Have a TC big boar, greyhawk, treehawk and new englander 12 ga. Easier to clean to me than inlines.

Are we talking about a Traditional, or a Centerfire look alike, loaded with black powder. Big difference? I have hunted both, killed game with the traditional, sold the other one several years ago. I like the feel and look of the traditional.

I bought the encore and picked up a 223 barrel for it as well. Also picked up a Savage ML II. I can't hunt with smokeless powder in AZ, I'm not sure how much of an advantage the Savage will be.

Neither go old school get a flintlock.

If you ever get a chance try out a White Rifles Super 91. They do excellent with the No Excuses conicals. They are easy to load and accurate as hell

I’m a Knight fan and have been for a while. They shoot the 250g Barnes bullets into an inch or so with 3 pellets. I’ve never had a proble with the 3 I’ve owned.

Absolutely spot on.

It is interesting to note that when states originally created muzzleloader hunting seasons, they stipulated that the rifles used had to be traditional side-locks using iron sights, and that they must be used with patched round ball ammunition and black powder only. Since these seasons were designated as for primitive weapons, it was only common sense.

Of course, that soon gave way to the first non-traditional in-line muzzle-loaders such as those based on the Harrington and Richardson break-open single barrel shotgun.
Then, of course, patched round balls gave way to TC maxi-balls and such, and then scopes began to be allowed as well.

Finally, the floodgates opened and the only requirement that remained was that the rifle be loaded from the muzzle. Modern saboted JSP projectiles and BP substitutes rule the day now, and the rifles are entirely modern. The so-called primitive weapons season just became a second-chance season to harvest more game.

They ruined a sport by their eagerness to build tag sales and revenue until the original intent was lost.

Sorry, but I don’t see how anything was ruined. Even in states where the most advanced types are allowed, peole are free to use what they prefer, and hunt the way they like. Only downside might be that there are more people in the woods, but I don’t see that here, and that’s easily solved by the use of a little extra shoe-leather. ML tags here are included with the Sportsmans license, which most buy because it’s a good deal.

I hunted with a TC Hawken during the Maryland shotgun season 40+ years ago and never felt at a disadvantage.

Bingo.We have a winner.

I started with a TC 50 Cal. Hawkin back in the 70's. I would still be using it if wasn't so heavy.I now hunt with a TC Impact

Randy Wakeman said the encore is the Mercedes of the muzzleloader world.

Have several a 45,( 2 )50's and a 54. 1 of my 50's was a kit gun and is browned with traditional sights the other is newer and has T/C fiber optics which are damn nice in low light. Like T/C Hawken and other t/c sidehammers. Mb

i just ordered a new TC Pro HUNTER 50

Hard to beat a knight. This old mk-85 shoots just fine with no11, 90gr of black mz and a 460gr no excuse conical. Never had an ignition issue

ive got an Accurav V2 LR that has turned out to be supremely accurate and a very fun gun to shoot. it touches three federal 270 grain trophy copper bore lok bullets over 2 White hot pelletsat 100 yds, the trigger si one of the very best I've ever seen on any rifle