In the world of Western hunting, many rifle hunters will eventually progress to hunting with a muzzleloader — if for no other reason than hunting opportunities are easier to come by than “Any Legal Weapon” tags in many states these days. The frontier was opened by free trappers and explorers toting Kentucky and Hawken rifles, so while I think the modern evolution of the muzzleloader is cool, in an academic sense, I still kind of dread having to deal with the thing.
They are heavy, require a lot of components on hand, require much more field care than a centerfire rifle (and probably a bow, too) does, and pack a serious wallop if you’re shooting without a muzzle device. So, here is a somewhat random list of advice and quick for a new muzzleloader hunter. Most of these lessons were learned the hard way, and will be presented here the only way that makes sense — out of order. I shoot a .45-caliber CVA Paramount Pro (and am basically happy with it) that takes loose powder, so some of these recommendations are also geared towards that side of things.
Tips and Advice
A better breech plug wrench. One of the first things I did on my CVA Paramount was to replace the factory breech plug system with one from Arrowhead rifles. I am still not entirely sure why I needed to do this, but I was told by several people that it is, in fact, a worthwhile upgrade, and I can’t say I’ve had any issues as all with the setup. Anyway, in the field I bring a small 1/4”-drive ratchet, a long extension and a standard-depth socket that matches the size of your breech plug. This makes it quicker and easier to zip the breech plug out for maintenance or cleaning in the field, as well as giving you a little extra leverage via the handle of the ratchet if needed. Of course, this adds an extra few ounces if that’s something you really care about, and I am not sure if anyone else goes to this extent… but I like my ratchet setup.
Upgrade your iron sights. No matter how good your factory iron sights are, they can be improved with a Lee Shaver sight card. My Paramount did not come drilled and tapped for iron sights, and I go into more detail on that here if you find yourself in the same boat. If you are flush with more cash than you know what to do with, the Gunwerks/Revic EXO rear peep, adjustable for elevation, is an incredible force multiplier.
Watch your water. Let me tell you something — 4AM, right as you’re about to hike up the mountain, is not the time to find out that your water in the truck has leaked into your $10 Walmart gun case and ended up in the breech of your powder-charged muzzleloader. There are a few lessons here as you can see, but the most important is this: go to extreme lengths to avoid having water intrusion in your gun. Have tons of extra patches and cleaning supplies either in your pack or in the truck for when — not if — something like this happens to you.
Carry more charges than you think you’ll need. Without getting into the whole convoluted story (which I may still do some other day), that elk hunt above involved dumping a charge of wet powder, a squib shot, a missed shot, and finally, one through the boiler room. I’m shooting loose powder, and only brought five charges. While rifle hunting, I usually carry 12-15 rounds; this is probably too much for a muzzleloader hunt, but I’d bring at least 6 or 7 reloads on my person (and be sure to have plenty of extra powder, primer/primer modules, and bullets in the truck.
Clean often. Black powder is corrosive and leaves heavy deposits. Blackhorn 209 shoots much, much cleaner, but it’s still black powder, not smokeless. Shooting Blackhorn, I’ll run a few patches down the bore after every two or three shots, and give everything a thorough cleaning with Ballistol after as session in the range (or in the field).
Powder measurements by weight. For those chasing maximum accuracy for minimum effort, I’d always recommend weighing out your powder charges on whatever powder scale you may have (I use my Hornady AutoCharge Pro), but have also used manual scales in a pinch, too. While we’re on the subject of charge weights, I’ve seen some people burn an enormous amount of powder, primers, and bullets trying to do some ersatz ladder testing to find their specific “accuracy node” or whatever. This is expensive, time consuming, frustrating, and not necessary for a successful hunt, in my opinion. Do a little research, pick a charge weight (that will likely be a ways off from the absolute maximum load), and practice with it until you’re consistent and confident. That’s my advice for load development with a muzzleloader, which is worth what you paid for it.
Always anti-seize your breech plug. self-explanatory.
Finally, get closer. I used to think that you can always get closer while hunting anything, but then I went on my first hunt for coues deer. That said, this is one area where it definitely behooves you to get as close as you can, as in most of the muzzleloader seasons you’ll be limited to open sights. I spent a ton of time and money getting my gun shooting well at distance, and ended up killing my bull at about 5 yards anyway. Go figure.
Final Thoughts on Preparing for your First Muzzleloader Hunt
While I’ll never be incredibly passionate about the art of muzzleloader hunting the way that I am about rifles or the way that some people are about their bows, they are great for helping you get out in the field more often, or for extending your season in those states that have late, traditional hunts. While the higher-end muzzleloaders today are effectively single-shot rifles, they still take some getting used to if you’ve never used them before, and there’s much more that can go wrong with them in the field.
You may find it’s worth fiddling with them in exchange for the extra opportunity. Or you may use yours once, decide it’s not for you, and stick it away in the gun safe for the next 30 years and never think about it again. The choice is yours, I guess.
