Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Thinking of Switching to BP

I hunt Michigans Shotgun zone for Der season and was thinking of trading my Mossberg 695 in for a Savage 10 ML in 50 cal. What are the thoughts on that idea? Thanks, Les

Go all the way to BP. Not that the Savage is a bad piece necessarily, but given your addiction to Savage 99s, try going old school.

Jump over to the Free Classifieds and get that T/C Renegade the JeffP's still got listed.

Try it; you'll like it - and besides, you need another rifle/shooting addiction to feed... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I am pretty sure it is an addiction to the Savages, I like the 10 ML, because I can use regular smokeless powder in it. But not in Michigan. Had a Renegade, wasn't real happy with it. I have had a Renegade, a Kentucky Long Rifle, and a Pennsylvania Rifle, liked the Ky rifle the most, but want something a little more modern. :grrin: No chances of escape this time! Les

No chance of escape? What - did you miss or have a dirty, non-firing weapon?

Oh, wait...sorry, I forgot that you were Army...

Yeah, better stick with the Savage... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

No wet flash tray, then I have had a few primer mis-fires, but the flash tray happend with a nice big fat buck. Army thinks the 5.56 is great for everything, at least the marines still use a 308 a little more, plus sports doesn't work with a muzzleloader, once you start slapping, it is hard to stop. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> Les

I've got a Savage and they are great guns. I have a laminated stainless but would go with a composite to cut weight, if I had it to do over again. They weight a pound less. Also, I'd likely go with blue, if I were only to use smokeless powder, since the stainless is a bit more shiney than I care for. I've used several smokeless powders in it but N110 gives me the best results. Had good results with 180 grain Precision bullets started at 2600+ fps. One penetrated 24-30 inches and retained 85% with a perfect mushroom. What's not to like about a Savage? No smell, no cleaning difficulties, no fouling buildup, accurate, more powder choices, and very powerful. They have it all.

Are you certain that smokeless cannot be used in Michigan
during shotgun season? It cannot be used during ML season,
but seems it can be used during shotgun season......much like
laws in other states (Colorado?) in which smokeless can be
used during regular rifle season.

I have the 10 ML stainless/laminate.....don't mind the extra
weight. If it were me, I'd make the trade in a heartbeat! The
Accu-Trigger is wonderful, cleaning much as one would do with
a CF shooting smokeless is very nice, and the ability of seeing
your target immediately after the shot is, as they say,
PRICELESS!!!

As with any other ML, finding the "honey load" can be a little
tricky, and some need a little "fine tuning" out of the box (I
bedded my action and modified the breech plug), while others
shoot MOA out of the box. Doug's Message Boards can be a
real help to a "newbie" since these rifles aren't quite like your
normal ML, and they ain't quite a CF, either. They sure helped
me.

Sometimes to narrow down the decision and choices, it's helpful if you can put your finger on what exactly you're wanting to accomplish...

For examply, is the interest to try a different firearm for the sake of trying something new...if so, any of the modrern inlines pretty much work just like modern rifles.

Or if it's an actual interest in what real muzzleoading is all about as it was 'back in the day', then something like a .50 or .54cal TC Hawken Caplock or Flintlock would be a good choice.

If you do start exploring the more traditional side of muzzleloading, and take your first deer with a .50 or .54cal patched round ball, you'll be hooked for life...nothing like it.

Good luck

Well...smokeless powder, plastic stocks and scopes on a blackpowder rifle just don't seem right. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Kinda like putting these new low profile tires on a 55 Chevy.

Exactly...rather than go to all that trouble and expense, might as well wait a week until regular gun season opens and use a Remington 700/.30-06 with a big scope.

IMO, I think folks who use modern high tech rifles like that do so only to take advantage of the special muzzleloading seasons originally established by and for those who took the time to learn how to use traditional style muzzleloaders that our fore-fathers did.

A good questrion is this:
Do folks continue to use the modern high tech "muzzleloaders" all through the rest of the regular centerfire firearms seasons??.....or do they immediately switch and go to conventional centerfires??

Roundball,

Amen brother, Amen.

I have felt for many years that the modern inlines were circumventing the original intent of the primitive weapons seasons. In reality, a saboted 50 cal shooting a 44 caliber jacketed bullet is nothing more than a single shot 444. My $.02 for what it's worth. Mart

Yes, it's like allowing F15 Strike Eagles to participate in special WWII Fighter plane air shows.

Well, State Governments are slow to act, but the good news is that more and more states are stepping up to the reality and banning the use of the modern ML technologies, ie: must have exposed ignition systems, no 209 primers, no scopes, no pellets, no smokeless powder, no sabots, etc, etc, during the special ML seasons.

Yeah, traditional is fine too but I live in Iowa and we have no centerfire season. That is until this year. Now in the southern two tiers of counties, high powers can be used on the last week of a special two week antlerless-only season in January. I'm using a 1891 Argentine Mauser carbine, if I use a rifle. Basically in Iowa you use a slug gun or a Muzzle-loader. Handguns using straightwall cases of the appropriate caliber are OK too, in all seasons except the early MZ. The "special" MZ season is just too early (hot), so I don't use my Savage to "spoil" that for you traditionalists. Besides, if you hunt the early MZ season here, you can't hunt any other season except the special January anterless. I'll be using my Savage (or a pistol) for the regular firearms seasons, where my choice is MZ, slug gun or handgun. So you can cuss Savages all you want but they sure work nice for me in my situation. The free market system comes through again! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The heading should of read..."Thinking of Switching to Smokeless" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I would've skipped right on by it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />