Time has passed along with hunting seasons so maybe your thinking has changed. So what are your favorite rifles/guns for targets, small game and large game? We don't want to lose this site again!
For deer my 58 is still favorite but that may change this fall. I just did a kibler smr 45. The kibler may well be my new favorite. It is incredibly accurate and comfortable
My overall favorite is my Renegade stock assembly with the slightly longer 54cal Hawken barrel on it. If TC woulda put about a 32 inch barrel and about an extra inch or so of trigger pull length on it, it would be about the perfect gun.
If I still hunted deer my favorite now would be either the former .40, now a .45 or the delightful .50 frankenrifle I had built several years ago.
About this .50. I asked for an early Lancaster to start with. But with my size limitations I had to get it to fit me. Lop is 12.5 " X "B" wgt X 38" barrel. In order to accommodate the measurements Late Lancaster mountings had to be used instead of the early larger pieces.
(https://i.ibb.co/D9scT52/7405ae69-0012-4efa-886d-2651c9c08aae-zpswsnzqleq-1.jpg)
The Bobby Hoyt .45 conversion.
(https://i.postimg.cc/mDvpXTLs/PICT0560.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Hmmm...I really expected (hoped) more interest in this thread. Oh, well; same OH, same OH.
WELL!?
I have owned and used many muzzleloaders over the past 44 years , flint and percussion , half stock and full stock new ,and antique , custom made and off the shelf ! and have changed my favorite many times ! among my favorites , cva big bore mountain rifle .50 cal , rifle was more accurate than I was , my first tc renegade , and the four that followed 1 flint ,3 percusion all good shooters , my antique english sporting rifle , you had to see it to believe it , half stock .45 ,figured circassian walnut stock , steel and silver mountings and inlays , three leaf folding rear sight was gold as was the the front site ! ( guy owed me money , could`nt come up with it ) old custom .40 long rifle , curly maple stock , silver running fox inlays along the fore end , very nice patch box , loaned it to a " friend" who without my permission traded it to an indian at a rondy in tennessee for a hand full of silver and turquoise jewelery , no I did not lift his scalp though I should have , a hatfield long rifle , .50 cal flintlock , good shooter and a nice looking rifle over all , dixie gunworks tennessee poor boy .50. cal , another good one , a hatfield half stock , in .50 flint , it was gorgeous and I got it at a good price from the dealer , and among all these favorites , the best of the bunch was my .40 cal custom tennessee rifle in .40 flint with a decent curly maple stock , great little shooter , traded an old gun and 50 bucks for it , in rough condition , took it home , worked a little magic on it , and used it for many years before parting with it , only rifle I ever named was emmylou !it was sold to a truck driver in georgia , who I lost touch with many years back ! it and the english rifle are the two I actually regret parting with ! there have been several others as well !
I'm right there with you, beowulf. I even thought of building a custom "kicking" machine to use on a regular basis as my penance.
NEVER LOAN A RIFLE TO ANYONE, FRIEND OR NOT, UNTIL YOU GET HIS SIGNATURE ON A PAY FOR DAMAGE OR LOSS GARUANTEE AGREEMENT WITH AT LEAST ONE WITNESS SIGNED ON. AND NOT UNTIL YOU OBSERVE HIM/HER LOADING & SHOOTING AND AFTER A THOROUGH QUESTIONING.
The answer is mostly NO. However, I mainly use a muzzleloader only for our very short muzleload season. I hunted with a full size T/C Hawken and shot a couple of bucks but I hated the weight and length. I saw and bought a Sile Hawken Hunter with a chrome-lined barrel and a 1:28 twist. It is short and semi-light and shoots everything I want to ram down its throat VERY accurately. That was about 1980 and I've used it ever since except for a few times taking my ungodly-long .45 flint long rifle.
Just had to respond "to" beowulf. Beowulf, You've likely gone through many more MLs than I have. But again they were also over the counter and hand built guns. But I've never owned an antique ML. I have used MLs from these sources: Numrich Arms (flint and percussion), T/C, Pedersoli, Traditions, CVA, Mike Lange, TVM, Euroarms, Navy Arms and a few more I can't recall from where. The only ones I regret letting go were a Matt Avance .50 Virginia rifle and a Traditions Crockett. Both took loads of game over the years I used them.
Just thought I'd mention it since we've sort of run a past ML history that's rather similar.
the danged things are like potato chips , you cant have just one ! ROFL
Quote from: beowulf on April 26, 2023, 11:03:27 PM
the danged things are like potato chips , you cant have just one ! ROFL
I agree.
I have several favorites but my favorite would be my Pedersoli kentucky .50 cal if it would still shoot consistantly. I should rebarrel it but because it has a 13/16 .50 caliber barrel I would have to rebarrel it to .45 or smaller and I haven't felt like it was worth the cost.
Not much has changed in the rifle department. My favorite rifle is a tie between my Mongrel .36 and my Hatfield .50. But I haven't been hunting with either of them. Come to think about it, I Haven't hunted with any of my muzzleloaders, rifle or pistol. But bird hunting, that is another story. Still haven't been hunting in the last 4 or 5 years due to the clubs closing and my dogs heading out over that rainbow bridge. Until this year. Went pheasant hunting with a friend a few months back (we will be hunting again come October) and left my cartridge shotguns at home. I have two antique (1870 or so) Damascus barreled shotgun's.
So right now my favorite is the 10 gouge side by side. Not exactly a rifle, but it will reach out and touch the birds. Or at least it will when I get the range down.
My TVM Early Lancaster "Patience" is the only one of 14 long rifles that eat BP that I would call my favorite.... Although the Tennessee I got from Dryball is a close second, and the 12 Guage double barrel I got from Hanshi is in that mix also... then there is the ..... ARGH I can't choose one to be my favorite without the others getting upset at me... Yes I do hear them talk and I understand what they all say... the rifles want me to spend more time with them and the pistols don't want to be left out and and and .... "their coming to take me away, ha ha, to the funny farm where life is wonderful all day long".....
Well, hotfxr, It's about like that for me as I haven't hunted deer or small game or birds or anything else for that matter over the past 6 years. And I just don't want to shoot any critter; the autumn fire in me has burned out. Health issues are a big part of quitting. I still shoot targets and unanimated objects.
My favorite hasn't really changed, but what I shoot most often:
1 For paper targets TC Hawken with a .40 GM dropin barrel that I inherited from a friend when he passed.
2 My TC Renegade with the .58 GM dropin barrel when I'm shooting gongs or paper when scoring the edge of the ball instead of the center.
3 The same TC Renegade with the original barrel and a Maxi Ball for deer or elk. It does not like patched round balls with more than 40 gr powder so not a good choice past 50 yds for targets.
4 I have 4 flintlocks that I can also shoot well but don't shoot as often.
The rifle I took to the range for the postal shoot was my.36 which has always been super-accurate. Bad decision since I can no longer handle those tiny .32 and .36 balls. I kept dropping them but that wasn't the only problem I had. I've since decided to use my former go-to .45 flintlock. Surely I'll be able to load without fumbling too much.
QUESTION: I may not get to shoot a decent target for May. So it's okay to shoot it for June? If 2023 is going to have regular shoots I have a better chance of getting to shoot in June. CORRECT?
I must report a sacrilegious, and embarrassing development...
I sold the .32 rifle that Dryball sold me for Di... I got a good price for it, over twice what I paid for it. Because that is what the gent who bought it offered when he asked if it was for sale and I replied "for the right price"...
I'm sure Dryball would excuse you since you made a good profit. The important question is, will Di forgive you?
The other question is: Was the buyer happy?
My thinking is that sometimes it is time to move something on to someone who will use it and I hope that will be the case this time.
I did that with the 32 that I used to own, but I happily took a loss so the young lady would have something to shoot.
I don't want to sell anything because it would break my heart. My favorite hunting rifle has been my .45 X 13/16'' X 36" Lancaster flintlock. Most of the deer I've taken over the last 25 years or so were killed with that fine 7 lb rifle. If I still roamed the deer woods these days I'd likely be using my TVM-Bobby Hoyt .45 x "B" wgt X 38" Lancaster 7 lbs 11 oz.
The "year in, year out" go to flyweight.
(https://i.ibb.co/fGKBzvQ/PICT0553-zps42ae6f4a.jpg)
Quote from: hotfxr on May 21, 2023, 08:40:13 PM
Not much has changed in the rifle department. My favorite rifle is a tie between my Mongrel .36 and my Hatfield .50. But I haven't been hunting with either of them. Come to think about it, I Haven't hunted with any of my muzzleloaders, rifle or pistol. But bird hunting, that is another story. Still haven't been hunting in the last 4 or 5 years due to the clubs closing and my dogs heading out over that rainbow bridge. Until this year. Went pheasant hunting with a friend a few months back (we will be hunting again come October) and left my cartridge shotguns at home. I have two antique (1870 or so) Damascus barreled shotgun's.
So right now my favorite is the 10 gouge side by side. Not exactly a rifle, but it will reach out and touch the birds. Or at least it will when I get the range down.
those hatfields were really nice rifles I had two both .50 caliber and flintlock one of the long rifles and a half stock ! liked both ! the half stock rifles are`nt as common ,I`ve only seen a couple of them !
I did more than just change my rifle, I went flint which I've never done and mainly because of the lack of caps. However, I got the basically same rifle just in flintlock. So far so good
Shooting flint takes the pressure off constantly searching for caps. But we're all vulnerable at the powder level.
Quote from: Hanshi on February 04, 2024, 07:49:50 PM
Shooting flint takes the pressure off constantly searching for caps. But we're all vulnerable at the powder level.
Powder is coming back and so are caps, but it be more expensive than it used to be.
Travelers Antiques and Trading 806 679 9016 travelersantiquesandtrading.com
Toby has both if you are willing to pay the price for shipping and Hazmat.
It hasn't been long since I talked to him about it.
The Travelers branded powder is just repackaged Shuetzen and costs less because it is repackaged from bulk.
I am shooting it and it works great.
Years ago for a period of time I burned many cans of Elephant and was quite satisfied, but certainly not overwhelmed. It wasn't the best but it was good enough to kill deer and hit targets I aimed at.
This has lead me to believe that the powder I was using didn't come from the period that shooters say junk powder was produced. Just me but I'll use any black powder that's safe and will function in my rifle. In other words I generally buy the cheapest I can find that will work. But that only makes me a perfect fit for this forum I guess.
My favorite is still a .45 caliber TC Hawken that I've dubbed "The Laser". I pieced it together from parts. It took almost 4yrs to get everything I wanted. Not because of funds. I was searching for a nice stock.
I found a 15/16" Sharron Barrel for sale back around 2011 or 2012. It was a drop-in for the Hawken and it was still unfired. It's a slow twist for round balls. I think it's 1:66 ratio. I cleaned all the "cosmoline" substance out of it. Took forever as the stuff had caked up and dried over the years.
I still needed a nice stock. I saved up $500 and kept it in the sock drawer for 3 or 4 years. I was searching for one with fancy tiger striping. I think TC may have made limited numbers with the fancy wood stocks and sold them for higher prices, but I'm not sure. I finally found one and made the purchase. So I had a barrel and a stock, but no lock. A few weeks later I found a Davis Deer Slayer for sale. That was what I wanted.
I took the whole mess to a local guy who was highly rated. I gave him mostly free reigns. I asked him to make it look nice and make sure it was bedded straight. He stripped off the shiny factory finish on the stock and gave it an oil rubbed finish instead. He also removed and shaped a good bit of material around the grip because I have small hands.
I've never taken it into the woods. I was embarrassed for a few years. I'm a very practical guy. I grew up poor and my dad didn't have anything that he didn't use. There was no "collection" of anything around our house, except a few coffee tins full of nuts n bolts in the garage. Everything got used or sold for something that could be used. So to have, what I thought was a very fancy rifle, and not use it for hunting was a mental struggle for a while.
It shoots straight and true. At first, I thought maybe it was just me. I rarely brag, but I'm a helluva good shot with most any rifle. So I let my brother shoot it. Then my father. My kids. My wife. Nobody misses with it!!!
It's just so pretty though. I can't bring myself to risk scratching it in the woods.
Chris, you are hereby ordered to post photos of this rifle or your favorite barstool will be sold! This by order of the Red Badger council on proper posting etiquette.
Yep, I came up the same way as you describe and setting priorities is essential. And I had the same reservations about taking a very nice rifle into the woods where it might get scratched and nicked. But I took my pets into the woods countless times for years regardless, and they suffered no worse than they would have being handled around the house or at the range. I wouldn't want a rifle that I was afraid to shoot and/or hunt with. True, I no longer hunt but my pets still look spiffy.
Oh, and since you chose a .45 it will serve well for any job; especially putting deer in your freezer. hntr chrrs
I second that motion. Post a photo or 10 lashes. whipping
Quote from: ChrisHarris on February 06, 2024, 10:54:17 AM
So I let my brother shoot it. Then my father. My kids. My wife. Nobody misses with it!!!
I betcha I could miss with it!
Quote from: graybear on January 23, 2024, 07:13:14 PM
I'm sure Dryball would excuse you since you made a good profit. The important question is, will Di forgive you?
I am sure she did, She is there at Rondy Everlasting, with her son, Dryball, Dandjofaz, and other's who have blazed that trail before us and have no more need of material objects....
Also I have seen this gentleman over the past several months as I sold the rifle at Wol-A-Roc' last fall... His Grandson and Daughter are using it in competitions so I think it will actual see more use than I could give it as the LOP was like 9 or 10 and mine is 14 to 15.... Although it was fun to shoot it one handed and hit the gong 9 times out of 10...
Although most of mine have an lop of 13" I find 12.5" (my .50 is 12.5") a better choice. This especially in colder climates where heavier clothes are worn. In Georgia it was a different story where a t-shirt was sometimes okay. I don't hunt, of course, so will never know the joy of sitting in a stand in 14 degree weather with a foot & a half of snow on the ground.
Interesting story of a rifle being born. Your's is called the "Laser". We are similar in that I'm sometimes called "Lazy". Okay not exactly the same but close.
(https://i.ibb.co/zFPTc8Y/f9103b90dd818d3b827cda757bf31010.jpg)
I have been amazed by the performance and accuracy of my 45. I believe it has became my new favorite. It has put deer down as well as my former favorite 58 and much more pleasant on the shoulder.
The two tags i filled with it this past season
.
That's a stunning SMR...Kibler?? And that big buck was no match for a .45 prb. I guess I'm jealous.
Thanks Hanshi. Yes its a Kibler. I bought the kit at a reduced price because it has a slight blemish in the forearm, a tiny knot. I used tanic acid and aqua fortis so the knot is barely visible. Your praise of the 45 throughout the years convinced me to try one. I hit that buck mid lungs and ribs were the only bone i hit. It went down like a rock instantly at fifty couple yards. After several attempts to get up it finally did but only made it about 30 yds. The doe didn't go down instantly but struggled to go about 40 with a similar hit. Thank you for your praise of that caliber. Do you think the velocity is what makes it such a fine deer rifle?
Funny story about the antlers on that buck. I was going to do a European mount myself but my antlers were stollen.
I have what looks like a table outside and had the head skun sitting on it. Originally I built the table to provide shade for our husky while he was in his kennel. It is over 4 ft tall so he couldn't get on it and jump the kennel. The head was on that table friday afternoon around 4:00 pm and gone by mid day saturday. No sign of bear, coyotes or any other mammals. I searched several acres of woods around my house extensively to no avail. We don't see lots of eagles in our area but there was one hanging around that day. I dont know if he could have taken it or not. The brain was about the only thing it could have ate.
I use my 32 GM barreled Hawken for squirrel and the same 54 GM barreled Hawken for deer. Use both for target.
I was perusing my safe the other day and behind the AR15's was my Mongrel built Lancaster .36, looking all lonely and forlorn. I dusted it off, ran a patch down the barrel and hied off to the back yard with the rifle and bag and shot half a dozen rounds at 25 yards. Not only is it quiet enough not to disturb my neighbors (too much) but I don't even have to aim it. I can set it down on a rest, squeeze the trigger and that tiny ball just heads for the center. bs
So I guess the .36 regains it's place at the top of my favorites.
See there, little brother, the .36 (and the .32) are not only heavenly accurate but also easy to feed, plays well with others and ain't picky. Since supplies are expensive I tend to shoot the little guys the most. Next up is the .45 but that's still a noticeable jump. Generally my powder charges for the .36/.32 run 20 to 30 grains. I still experiment with tiny charges of 12-15 grains (not able to do that now) but more needs to be done. I find it very pleasing that much thought and experimentation are going on to find just the right rifle by customizing & parts.
I've killed a fine deer total (and small game) with factory & kit, some second hand and some forgotten rifles. I recall using a CVA .50, Traditions .50, Traditions .32, Pedersoli .50, Numrich Arms .45, Euroarms .54 but there are more. But one can be into muzzleloading only so long before FLINTLOCKS, many of them hand-built, invade your home. I've used flintlocks exclusively for quite a few years. The last deer I killed with percussion was a doe I dropped with my (heavy but tack driving) US M1841 .54 prb.
For a long time I used rather "unnecessarily" heavy loads for hunting. For .45 I used 80 grains of 3F in flintlocks (65 grains in the H&A Under hammer) and 100 grains in anything .50. So the velocities the deer endured I can only guess. I do seem to recall chronographing my 42" TVM VA .50 with 100 grains of 3F. No, I can't remember it well but do seem to recall over 2100 fps.
(https://i.ibb.co/5ThPLcT/Digital-Still-Camera.jpg)
After years of learning useful (hopefully) stuff about muzzleloading I think I have a good idea about deer loads. IMHO the ideal velocity range in the .45 and .50 is in the 1600 fps to 1800 fps territory. And 1400 fps will do just fine. Over 1800 might be a good idea for 100 yds plus shots. One thing is for sure, the bigger the ball the less velocity needed. Example: .600" prb from a smoothbore at 1200 fps hits like the hammer of Thor. And the first rule of the 5 absolutes is that there is only ONE (1) degree of dead.
My favorite rifle is a Pedersoli Alamo/kentucky that won't hold a group any more. (Anyone know of an easy fix?) Because that one no longer shoots where I'm pointing it I now either use my .40 GM drop in or my .58 GM drop in in their appropriate TC stock. the .58 gets the most use because my club scores the edge of the ball. The .40 gets used when or where they score the center of the ball.
For hunting I usually use the original barrel on my TC Renegade with a Maxi because it likes them and won't shoot PRB.
I don't own a .36 and the only .45 I have is an underhammer that is not allowed at my club because it is not a sidelock.
I don't have much in the way of target photos I've fired with various rifles. I'll try and post a few here. They by no means represent the best groups they've fired but they do give a good indication their possibilities.
My .50 VA. flintlock longrifle from sitting on trucks tailgate.
(https://i.ibb.co/NpKm0Sy/DSC00463.jpg)
.45 underhammer.
(https://i.ibb.co/5Wv3YBY/DSC00456.jpg)
Crockett .32 with one flyer.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1tj9BTgk/PICT0510.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)