I grew up around muzzleloaders and enjoyed following my dad around when he hunted with his traditional flintlocks. For a kid who imagined hunting with Lou Wetzel and Daniel Boone, the acrid blue smoke and powder horns were a tangible connection to America’s Frontier past.
Today’s inline muzzleloaders have little in common with flintlocks, but they still are a lot of fun. If you are new to blackpowder, an inline might be the way to get started. And when the primitive weapons season opens on October 14, muzzleloaders are an awesome hunting tool. Mid-October is one of my favorite times to chase whitetails—acorns are dropping and bucks are on the move.
Since muzzleloader season is only a week long, and scopes have just been allowed during primitive weapons season, most of us have not squeezed out every inch of accuracy. With the tremendous amount blackpowder product development, getting MOA accuracy is pretty easy, if you can navigate through the maze of new products to find that perfect combination of components.
Besides the gun there are three main blackpowder components. The propellant is the most obvious, followed by bullets and primers. Most of us don’t shoot real blackpowder, instead utilizing blackpowder substitutes like Pyrodex. New products like Hodgdon’s Triple Seven or American Pioneer powder shoot faster and much cleaner. They each have their own eccentricities, but will improve performance.
I could write a book on muzzleloader bullets. I divide them into two groups—bullets with sabots and those without. Saboted bullets utilize a plastic cup that holds the bullet and forms a super-tight seal against the bore. Generally speaking, they are extremely accurate, but can be tough to load after a few shots.
I have used PowerBelt bullets extensively. They are made of soft lead and are forced into the barrel’s lands and grooves when the propellant ignites, a process called obturation. A plastic gas check seals the propellant gases behind the bullet. They are accurate, hit like a freight train, are easy to load and come in a wide array of weights.
Because of their super-hot and powerful flame, 209 shotgun primers ensure propellant ignition. Through testing, manufacturers found that they were actually too powerful and would blow through the powder charge and unseat the bullet causing variations in pressure curves. Someone figured out that reduced-power .410 primers were hot enough to ignite the charge, but not too powerful. Now most primer manufacturers have produced or are working on muzzleloader-specific primers that guarantee ignition, improve accuracy and shoot cleaner.
The average muzzleloader will shoot three-shot groups in the 3- to 4-inch range at 100 yards. With a little experimental, you can easily cut that in half. But don’t think what works in your buddy’s gun will work for you, every gun is different. I can’t overstate the importance of consistency when fouling, loading and cleaning the bore between shots.
The testing process can be a little time consuming, but what a great way to spend the days before the season. So try some new bullets, powders and primers, keep good records and figure out which load shoots the best. It’s worth the trouble when you and your gun are called upon to make the tough shots in the deer woods.
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