I've been deer hunting with muzzle loaders for decades and here are the main things I'd suggest:

• Get a stainless steel model, muzzle loaders are dirty and need to be cleaned often.
• Get a break open breech model that has an easy to remove breech plug so it is easy to clean.
• Get one that uses 12ga shotgun primers as the cap.
• Set it up with a scope and any quality variable scope in the 2X to 10X max magnification range.
• Get a 50 cal.
• Use (2) 50gr pellets -vs- powder. I like Triple 7 pellets.
• Use a bullet with plastic sabot such as Hornady.
• Put a sling on it.
• Get some speed loaders to carry a couple charges, bullets and caps in the field so you can reload a second shot pretty quick.

I'd stay away from that Nitrofire that requires using those fire stick charges and get something that simply uses loose powder or pellets.
In my opinion that CVA Optima is a pretty nice gun.

When you sight in off the bench, clean between every shot. It's slow and tedious, but you will be hunting with a clean barrel so need to sight it in that way. Try different bullets and powder charges till you find what it likes.

Any of the muzzle loaders with an easily removable breech plug can be quickly unloaded by pulling the plug and letting the pellets fall out, then tap the bullet thru with the ramrod.

Just out of curiosity ...... Why are you going back and forth between crossbow and muzzle loader and not considering a modern centerfire rifle or shotgun? Either would be a much more efficient weapon.

Good luck !

 

I've been deer hunting with muzzle loaders for decades and here are the main things I'd suggest:

• Get a stainless steel model, muzzle loaders are dirty and need to be cleaned often.
• Get a break open breech model that has an easy to remove breech plug so it is easy to clean.
• Get one that uses 12ga shotgun primers as the cap.
• Set it up with a scope and any quality variable scope in the 2X to 10X max magnification range.
• Get a 50 cal.
• Use (2) 50gr pellets -vs- powder. I like Triple 7 pellets.
• Use a bullet with plastic sabot such as Hornady.
• Put a sling on it.
• Get some speed loaders to carry a couple charges, bullets and caps in the field so you can reload a second shot pretty quick.

I'd stay away from that Nitrofire that requires using those fire stick charges and get something that simply uses loose powder or pellets.
In my opinion that CVA Optima is a pretty nice gun.

When you sight in off the bench, clean between every shot. It's slow and tedious, but you will be hunting with a clean barrel so need to sight it in that way. Try different bullets and powder charges till you find what it likes.

Any of the muzzle loaders with an easily removable breech plug can be quickly unloaded by pulling the plug and letting the pellets fall out, then tap the bullet thru with the ramrod.

Just out of curiosity ...... Why are you going back and forth between crossbow and muzzle loader and not considering a modern centerfire rifle or shotgun? Either would be a much more efficient weapon.

Good luck !

Thank you for your advice.

1- bow season is in until Nov 1.
2- black powder is Nov 1-14
3- gun is Nov 15- Jan 1
4- I saw him last week and made me want to hunt for the first time in at least 15 years. He is huge for eastern NC!

My location is surrounded by houses. I’m in one of the fastest growing communities in the US for a couple decades I have several centerfire rifles. Just scared of an accident.

I have 16 acres. There is a 47 acre swamp track across the street. 39 undeveloped wooded acres behind me. The rest is houses and subdivisions.

 

Unless you just want a new hobby I would stick with a shotgun only for the reasons you mentioned. At least you have the chance of multiple holes to put it down faster and not run into somebody's back yard. I use a rifle on a small property, but it is hilly enough not to have to worry too much about the safety concern. I go a couple of miles down the road if using muzzleloader or bow, since I don't want them running across property lines.

 

Would 3 1/2” OO buck have the same range of a muzzleloader? I’ve never tried buckshot at that range.

 

Plenty of short range centerfire rifle options also. 44 Mag would be a good choice and effective to 150 yards.

 

I have a 30/30 that would work at these ranges. We also have stand height requirements for center fire. My current stand is 3’ short. It’s certainly worth pondering.

 

I'd stay away from buckshot, too much chance of only a pellet or two hitting and wounding the animal. It's a pretty short range proposition too, 50-60 yards max.
Only time I would use that would be running deer with hounds.

 

get yourself some elevation

I hear all about how a rifle will go a mile , yes yes it can
well lets look at a 308 it will go far , it is supersonic say through about 700-1100 yards depending on the load.
it drops around 10 feet at 1000 yards with a load intended for 1000 yard shooting

but if you have a downward angle and are shooting into the dirt , the chance of ricochet is very low

people talked about how much safer shotguns were , the problem was they told a bunch of idiots how safe they were and those idiots took it to mean they couldn't do damage past where they could controllably put the round on target
so about 125 yards they couldn't hit a gallon jug reliably and thus thought that round had to be in the dirt very shortly after that.
the reality is the drag stabilized foster type slugs while they couldn't hit that milk jug , they were still going and had only dropped around a foot so when Jimmy the moron was shooting 5 feet over the back of the deer hoping to drop one in he was actually shooting the neighbors planter hiding in the tall grass at the edge of the field 275 yards out , but with that 5 feet of elevation over the deers back it absolutely could punch a hole in the planter , tractor , wagon.

a muzzle loader loaded with a sabot or conical can go almost like a rifle (long range muzzle loader competitions are to 900 yards just over 1/2 mile) , what might make them safer is because you only have the one round , you work harder to put it on target than if you can hose down a hillside while deer run across it.

buck shot , you get a pattern for maybe 40-55 yards , the issue is the pellets keep going uncontrollably depending on what is behind what you were shooting at and angle a couple hundred yards or more.

Round balls from a muzzle loader are one of the shorter range projectiles but they were still shooting them effectivly to 250 yards on a shingle for a target in 1775 with confirmed hits to around 340 yards so yes they can still be going.

the best tool is the tool you can best put the bullet where it needs to be as animals and a dirt background make the safest shot.
so get some elevation and shoot down and be very careful to put the bullet exactly where it needs to go.

here in Green county we used to be shotgun slug only , in 2013 that ended , the Sherriff staffed up expecting to double or triple the number of reports of outbuildings , farm equipment and stuff hit by rifle bullets being the first year with rifle.
what actually happened , was there were no calls
people treated rifles like they were rifles and could go far

they also reaped the benefits of finally being able to make that 150-200 yards shot and actually hit what they were aiming at with the first round.


total shots down , deer numbers up , and reports of damage non existent.

 

is it a , I don't feel it is right because I have people living close by

or is it a legal , the township prohibits it ?

 

is it a , I don't feel it is right because I have people living close by

or is it a legal , the township prohibits it ?

The only legal requirement is the stand must be a minimum of 8 feet.

I’m more concerned with an accident. Not sure I could live with that.

 

what is your lightest bullet fastest rifle
like a 243 , 22-250
the light fast bullets tend to go in , work and not exit.

hitting your target is most important but those faster lighter rounds are a lot more likely to stay in the ground and not ricochet

anything that works , goes farther than you might want it too

very similar to shooting in your house , if have to do it you want to hit your target , hitting the target makes the potential for over penetration in your home significantly less.

anything powerful enough to work is powerful enough to go through walls in most homes.