Muzzies. Not the towel kind, the freedom kind. I haven't hunted with a smoke pole since I was a kid toting around dad's old handbuilt KLR 79" octagonal barrel behemoth and it's time to get pack into the game. Gawd, that thing sucked to tote around at elevation, but it did get me a nice bull once. I digress...

It's buying season, so pick me a winner in a NW package and tell me why.

CVA
Traditions
Thompson/Center

Striker or hammer?
Pellet or loose?
Sabot or Powerbelt?
Any specific worked up loads known to perform well?

I've done my basic research, but still can't decide and it would be great to not waste my money and time. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

How far from Traditional do you want to wander ? You can still smoke pole it, no pyrodex, iron sights, and some leathers with some feathers, and take some game out to 70 yards + a couple more, or -

You can have a super lite, superfine singleshot rifle, with all the tech needed to take game out into the hundreds of yards or so, powder pellets, sabots, add on and on you can go. Add some fine gore techs to keep some wet off ya when yer crawling thru the blackberry, and it’s almost a ruger no 1.

And, It’s all gud !

The later. A modern inline that's NW compliant. Looking for a performing working rifle, not a safe queen. I'll spend whatever within reason. The higher end Traditions and CVAs are like $600 give or take. That would be fine. I'm wondering on quality between the brands and any key features such as a simple removable breach plug that may work better or easier one brand compared to the next or even between model to model.

Why is Knight missing from your list?

No reason, but I haven't reviewed much about Knights. Do they make a NW model?

Vortek has a Northwestern model on offer.

Knight Bighorn is one of their models that you should consider.

I have a Knight MK-85 which is twenty year old technology maybe but that thing will print clover-leafs at 100 yards all day long. I’d recommend: in-line over a hammer, loose powder over pellets (you can’t fine tune pellets) and test several maxi-ball type (brands and weights) to see what shoots best in your gun. I have a rear peep sight on mine and that cut my group size in half.


I haven’t played with it in years but muzzleloading is a ton of fun.

Wait for the new regs to come out. There is talk of making 209 primers legal.

Reflects my experience form 1992

Ran my 50 caliber 20" MK-85 with 90 grains of RS Pyrodex 240 grain swaged .429" hollow point in the green sabot.

Very accurate with the gold bead, rear peep combination.


c/22

So, how did it do as a game getter?

How did IT do, or how did I do?


I only played with it for a season for Mulies on the east side and Elk over here. I missed but my buddy batted clean up on a legal buck and, later , I baboozeld about 30 cows in a spike only unit. It is a safe queen now but who knows... I’d love to get it back out again. I don’t hunt as much as fish these days.

Thanks WSU - I also got that tip from another poster and I've been doing some research on the proposal. I'm holding off until it's decided.

I've also done a few hours of research and youtube videos on various Knights. I really like what I'm seeing in that Knight Ultra Light. With the simple conversion kit, it'll shoot musket caps or 209s, so it can easily travel. At 6 lbs, it's the exact opposite of what I grew up with. 20 lb. rifles suck at 10,000 ft. It's about double what I was hoping to spend, but it looks to be worth it.

Drew my multi-season deer. Perfect.

Cool, us too as most do...elk different story

I have shot 6 Elk with a .50 Cal 385 grain Maxi-Ball, not a single one ever took another step. Knocked them right off their feet sideways, game over.

WA rules for muzzleloaders have been relaxed.

Yep.

TC inline or Knight inline. powder, not pellets. Prefer Hornady Great Plains SWC HP.

Have fun.

So, how much $$ did Nick have to spend on the new blunderbuss ?