I'm looking to get into muzzleloading for bear. I haven't done a ton of research yet but right now, Knight looks like the best ML out there. US made, MOA accuracy at 200 yards etc. and the fact that it is NOT a break action make it attractive. If anyone has better suggestions please let me know. thanks in advance.
Any suggestions for a good in-line muzzleloader?
- Thread starter GrayRyder
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I like my Knight. Savage made one that used smokeless powder for a while. I wish I had one!
Can you use scopes? Why don't you like break actions?
I love my rem 700 UML, the new one, not the old one. Super accurate and its an actual 700 action so all your normal rifle shit applies if you want to add stuff.
I can't use scopes to hunt in WA, but with the peep/globe set up that lots of guys do now I don't have a problem hitting what I'm aiming at up to 200 yards. Eyes and size of front sight are really the limiting factors. It will put 3 shots in an inch and a half with irons. One of these days I'll toss a scope on to see what it is capable of.
They're designed around the powder pellets, so I just use those. 2 magnums works great for me and gives decent numbers. 3 shot average FPS 1813 and SD of 23. Yes, small sample, but I'm shooting irons so that's good enough for me.
The only downside is that it's pretty heavy compared to my buddies' break actions. Probably about the same as a knight though.
I love my rem 700 UML, the new one, not the old one. Super accurate and its an actual 700 action so all your normal rifle shit applies if you want to add stuff.
I can't use scopes to hunt in WA, but with the peep/globe set up that lots of guys do now I don't have a problem hitting what I'm aiming at up to 200 yards. Eyes and size of front sight are really the limiting factors. It will put 3 shots in an inch and a half with irons. One of these days I'll toss a scope on to see what it is capable of.
They're designed around the powder pellets, so I just use those. 2 magnums works great for me and gives decent numbers. 3 shot average FPS 1813 and SD of 23. Yes, small sample, but I'm shooting irons so that's good enough for me.
The only downside is that it's pretty heavy compared to my buddies' break actions. Probably about the same as a knight though.
If you have the coin, Bad Bull looks good. Shilen barrels, pillar bedded, based on popular centerfire models, and use smokeless powder.
Some models guaranteed MOA accuracy.
Some models guaranteed MOA accuracy.
Bad Bull Muzzleloaders
Distance is no longer a factor. The Bad Bull Muzzleloader is the Most Powerful, Most Accurate, and Safest Muzzleloader ever built!
badbullmuzzleloaders.com
Arrowhead rifles is what I have been told to go to. My buddy has shot one and said it was like any other precision rifle, i swear he said something about 1,000 yards(farthest cow town reaches out to) but you need to register it as a long gun.
I believe they are r700 footprint.
I believe they are r700 footprint.
Since you're new to this my only advice is to start off cheap so as you don't put too much investment in something you may not like. For safety reasons I'd avoid the muzzloaders that are made to handle smokeless powder. Having both black powder and smokeless powder together in the world of muzzleloading is just asking for danger.
I have a Knight ultralight. Love it. Put a Zeiss V8 1-8x on it and it's about as good of a muzzleloader setup as i could ask for. Ended up getting a second one for my brother to use (put a Vortex PST Gen 2 1-6x on it). Great for the woods and mountains of western MD.
How much you want to spend? My buddy builds inline muzzle loaders that run in smokeless powder. Shooting 300g solid copper slugs at 3000fps. Absolute hammers.
That sounds terrible to shoot.
The old lady has a T/C I think its the triumph, whatever the bone collector model is. Its kind of a mid grade ML from what I could tell. Certainly has everything I'd think you need in an ML. It has a decent trigger and with the load development I did it'll shoot 1.5 Moa with the shitty sights that came with it. Haven't shot it for grouping with the peep sight and hood I put on it this year for her. She smacks the shit out of the 8" plate out to 150, which is as far as she'll shoot and has killed everything she's shot with it. It'll take magnum loads, but she doesn't like it. She's with me, so that works, LOL. Its easy for her to clean with the 1/4 turn breech plug. It has recessed lands that make starting the bullet real easy. She only has 100 rounds or so s through it, so not a ton, but it hasn't had any issues.
The old lady has a T/C I think its the triumph, whatever the bone collector model is. Its kind of a mid grade ML from what I could tell. Certainly has everything I'd think you need in an ML. It has a decent trigger and with the load development I did it'll shoot 1.5 Moa with the shitty sights that came with it. Haven't shot it for grouping with the peep sight and hood I put on it this year for her. She smacks the shit out of the 8" plate out to 150, which is as far as she'll shoot and has killed everything she's shot with it. It'll take magnum loads, but she doesn't like it. She's with me, so that works, LOL. Its easy for her to clean with the 1/4 turn breech plug. It has recessed lands that make starting the bullet real easy. She only has 100 rounds or so s through it, so not a ton, but it hasn't had any issues.
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Thanks for all the interesting suggestions. This will give me a lot more to look into. I'm going to shoot it scoped and I don't want to spend a crap load of money on it. I'm only buying it to extend my bear season by a week. I've been hunting bear for nearly 25 years and if I get one, I'm quitting bear hunting forever. We know there are bear where I hunt, we get them on trail cams all summer and into early fall but honest-to-pete once bear season comes in at the 3 week of November those things either disappear entirely or go nocturnal. One bear and I'm done!
McWhorter makes an awesome one.
https://www.mcwhorterrifles.com/muzzleloaders/
George Gardner makes one too. They have one ready to ship.
www.gaprecision.net
https://www.mcwhorterrifles.com/muzzleloaders/
George Gardner makes one too. They have one ready to ship.
GA NON-TYPICAL -- MUZZLELOADER -- .458CAL -- MCS-EH1
GA NON-TYPICAL -- MUZZLELOADER -- .458CAL -- MCS-EH1 GA Precision Non-Typical Muzzleloader .458 Cal Trigger Tech Special @ 2 lbs. Bartlein Stainless #13 Muzzleloader, 26in Finished Length, 1:20" Twist Rate Threaded 3/4-24 w/ Radial Muzzleloader Brake
www.gaprecision.net
AR muzzleloading upper:
You can use it with your existing AR platform, just swap out the upper. A few years ago I WOULD HAVE recommended a Knight or a CVA Buckhorn/Wolf 209 Magnum for those who want a standalone modern muzzleloader, but since the inception of an AR upper that gives you a perfect season-legal rifle in just seconds, I am leaning towards these...
You can use it with your existing AR platform, just swap out the upper. A few years ago I WOULD HAVE recommended a Knight or a CVA Buckhorn/Wolf 209 Magnum for those who want a standalone modern muzzleloader, but since the inception of an AR upper that gives you a perfect season-legal rifle in just seconds, I am leaning towards these...
I like my Encore, but the flexibility was my deciding factor. .22 up to and past 7mm.
I do to. Sitting in one of my safes. Savage ML-II. A great ML that I have not shot for almost a decade.
Mine liked/s IMR 4198 pushing 250 grn HP.
Too bad there were enough fools out there that double loaded them, blew themselves up and scared Savage into discontinuing them. Doug's Message Board is an excellent Savage ML/Smokeless ML site. A lot of info on building muzzleloaders of all kinds.
Here is the link for those interested.
Doug's Message Boards
Like muzzleloader said above Love my T/C Encore - don’t even know off the top of my head what other barrels I still have - think 7mm mag - .243 and 22-250 . But a easy to use easy to clean smoke pole plenty accurate- my farthest shot was a large doe across a field - a lazed 185 yards - bang flop
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