Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders New Here

My buddy is thinking about doing the bow/muzzleloader season in CO next season with his bow. So I thought I'd go along and be the "muzzleloader" part of that season.

But, I'm about as green as they come...

So, what can you tell me about it (process, things to watch for, etc.)?
What muzzleloader should I look at?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Cummins!
First check out muzzleloader weapons restrictions, if any, for Colorado. For example, many, many muzzleloaders are illegal to use in Washington and Idaho. Idaho prohibits 209 ignition and requires ignition be exposed to the elements. A majority of in-line rifles are thus prohibited.
First thing, head for the CO Fish&Game site to see what weapons are prohibited before deciding on your rifle choice!

From The 2011 Brochure:
a. Only legal muzzleloaders allowed in muzzleloading seasons.
b. In-line muzzleloaders are legal.
c. Must be single-barrel that res a single round-ball or conical
projectile.
d. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be minimum of
.40 caliber.
e. To hunt elk or moose, they mus
be minimum of .50 caliber.
f. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber,
bullets must weigh minimum
170 grains.
g. If greater than .50 caliber, bullets must weigh minimum 210
grains.
h. Shotshell primers are legal.
i. Pelletized powder systems prohibited in muzzleloading seasons.
j. Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzleloading seasons.
k. Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzleloading seasons.
Fiber optics and uorescent paint incorporated into or on
open or iron sights are legal. Scopes or any sighting device
using articial light, batteries and electronic gear are prohibited during muzzleloading seasons.
l. Sabots are prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Cloth
patches are not sabots.
m. Smokeless powder prohibited in muzzleloading seasons.
Black powder and black-powder substitutes are legal.
n. Electronic or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or attached to muzzleloader during muzzleloading seasons.

So.... ?

CVA Optima without a doubt. Thats my Colorado muzzy. Along with Blackhorn209, CCI Magnum 209 primers and a 250 Thor.

Muzzleloader tags are draw only. Lots of archery tags are statewide, over-the-counter, so your archery hunting buddy has lots of options on where to hunt, but you'll need to pick a unit where you can draw a tag with no preference points. So find out which units required no points to draw in 2011 as a starting point.

Lots of good rifles to choose from, do you want to go modern or traditional? I'm partial to T/C's myself.

As Smokepole stated, all ML tags are draw and are unit specific. If you can settle for a cow tag, there are several areas thta have left over ML cow tags, or do not require any prefernce points.The kicker is if your buddy will hunt those areas.

I would wait until you see if you draw a tag if you are not too concerned about price or make/model.( That would be mid July,2012) There are some good sales going on now for some of the less expensive inline ones ones.

I saw a CVA Tracker at the Big R farm store for $119 and today I saw an ad for Sportsman Warehouse for one at $159, but you can also buy them for $300-$400. I think the one at Sportsman Warehouse has everything you need included with it except powder and bullets.

My advice, although not worth much, is to pick up one of the less expensive ones now if you don't want to wait until July,to see if you like that type of hunting. Then if you do, upgrade once you become familiar with them and what works for you.

They all will work, some are just easier to use than others. Since you are not permitted optics here, shots are going to be pretty much limited to 100 yards or so and most of the less expensive ones will do fine accuracy wise for that distance.

I hate fiber optic sights. They are less durable,but mostly they cover too much of the aiminmg point at 100 yards.

Do you plan on ever hunting other states with your muzzleloader ? If so I would take their laws into consideration to .
While most to include Idaho , do allow inlines , the catch is the ignition and if its exposed or not .
Myself I would recommend a traditional rifle and then not be concerned as to if your in compliance or not . If you take the time to learn to shoot and maintain it , there IMO is no real benefit to the modern designs when it comes to states like Colorado , and Idaho.
Im sure others will come along soon and give you some very good advise .
You might want to ad to your post what projectiles your thinking of using . That will help everyone here recommend a rifle to you

You're right about less durable, and they're not as precise as a finer sight for shooting groups. But I love 'em for hunting. To my eyes, they just line up easier than irons and in low light they're outstanding. My longest shot was 130 yards on a buck, and the front sight did cover his chest but I had no problem centering it.

YMMV, and probably does.

See if your buddy wants to hunt unit 55? If he does, you can easily get a cow tag for ML season with no points.

Not OTC. You'll have to put in for the draw, but you'll get it.

OTC units are too crowded.

Smokepole.I just got done coverting my TC BD to std irons w/peep.The supplied FO sight was too high and I bought one that was too low. Cut the fO off and soldered a blade on 1/16" thick just the right heigth.

My hawkin for some reason went south this past year.Blowing maxiballs all over the place. It has been rebarreled once. The only thing different was I prelube the maxiballs with bore butter that you use to be able to buy in plastic jar. Heat it in a microwave and then set the bullets in. Then "cookie cutter" them out.

I prefer the hawkin, just bought the inline when I drew a Bonney deer tag a few years ago and the hawkin was back at TC getting rebarrled

Hi saddlesore, I also have a T/C Hawken .50 and shot and hunted with it a lot. A number of years ago it's patterns suddenly and inexplicably widened up when nothing else had changed. Since it is difficult to actually "shoot out" a barrel, there had to be a different explanation, especially since the change was not gradual.

I had done a lot of range shooting with blackpowder, not a substitute, and of course, there are few rounds possible between cleanings. I forced the issue, and recalled great difficulty in loading one charge. Turns out I did not seat the MaxiBall all the way, and on firing, actually bulged the bore. Took a little while to figure it out, but the sudden slippage of a tight cleaning patch and discovery of the external bulge in the barrel proved it all.

Sorry to have been gone so long....

Thanks for the replies.

We will be hunting the same area we hunt second rifle season (for ease of hunting, scouting, etc - plus we like it up there). This is unit 44 and 444...
Anyone know if I can draw w/o points here, or better yet if I can buy a left over cow? (Were there any left last year?) Or should I be trying for a deer tag?

To complicate matters even further, I'm trying to get three trips in this year.
1. Muzzleloader season for deer and/or elk.
2. 2nd rifle season for deer and/or elk.
3. RFW elk hunt