His experience learning to shoot and hunt with a muzzleloader was much different than my experience. However, instead of purchasing a percussion cap muzzleloader as I did, my friend bought a Thompson Center Impact inline muzzleloader at a local sporting goods store. When I decided to start using a muzzleloader, so did a friend of mine. It took several months of experimenting with different primers, powders, and bullets for me to find a load that ignited reliably and shot accurately.įor this reason, I recommend that most hunters start off with a modern inline muzzleloader. Unfortunately, it had a pretty steep learning curve and I really struggled at first. It was a really cool rifle and I eventually became proficient with it. My first muzzleloader was a percussion cap muzzleloader. While those muzzleloaders can be very effective, they can also be pretty challenging to operate - especially for beginners. These are the muzzleloaders that guys like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, as well as Soldiers in the Civil War used. In particular, flintlock, percussion, and inline muzzleloaders are the most common general types of muzzleloaders in use by hunters today.įlintlock and percussion cap muzzleloaders are the oldest and most primitive models. Muzzleloaders can be divided into several different categories according to their ignition. So, with all that in mind, I wrote this article to give you some specific recommendations on the gear you’ll need to get started hunting with a muzzleloader. I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way, but now I have a thorough understanding of what works and what doesn’t in the muzzleloader world. Since then, I’ve owned several other different muzzleloaders and have spent countless hours researching and testing at home, at the range, and out in the woods hunting. I knew almost nothing about muzzleloaders at the time, so I struggled quite a bit at first.įortunately, that initial season ended up being a big success and I learned a lot along the way. I started hunting with a muzzleloader in Georgia about 10 years ago to lengthen my deer season and get access to some new hunting spots where centerfire rifles were not permitted. I have asked those same questions myself. Where do you even begin? What gear is essential for hunting with a muzzleloader? What’s legal to use in this state, but illegal to hunt with in another state? However, just like with many other things, there is a learning curve to get started. And beyond the equipment, the varying and often confusing regulations regarding what’s legal to use in each state, make a tough situation even more challenging.Īs I discussed in my previous article, Why You Should Start Hunting With A Muzzleloader, there are very real benefits associated with hunting with a muzzleloader. If you’re thinking about beginning to hunt with a muzzleloader, the variety of different muzzleloaders, bullets, scopes, powders, and other accessories probably looks overwhelming at first glance.

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