good starter blackpowder gun?

Let Me Take A Shot At This One ...

:idea: Hello, Glock101!

There are a number of different ways to look at this subject. First, from a survivalist viewpoint there are certain advantages to keeping a flintlock rifle around. If you can't get conventional powder and primers, you can always make black powder and flint strikers. (Let's hope it never comes to this!)

Second, I know a number of older hunters (like myself) who have come to believe strongly in the one-shot kill. (I guess we need the added challenge.) Then, along comes Thompson Center and gifts all black powder shooters with two of the best single shot platforms ever invented: the Encore pistol/rifle/shotgun, and the Omega Muzzleloading Rifle. One of my closest shooting partners, a man who owns several hundred top quality firearms (really) spends more than half his range and hunting time shooting these two single-shot platforms.

I am turning green with envy over that damned Encore! The reason I call it a shooting platform is because it does everything so very well: black powder; and conventional: rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Very accurate, very reliable, as long as you can live with one shot at a time. About the only thing I not crazy about on the Encore is the fact that the rifle configurations tend to be a little muzzle heavy. The polymer stock could stand more weight in the rear end; but this is not a big deal, just my preference, and you can get wood stock sets if you want them.

You'll have your choice of, either, conventional smokeless powder, black powder or Pyrodex; and conical lead, sabot/bullet, or slug. If I could live my life in reverse, I'd empty out, at least, half of my gun locker and put a couple of Encore frames in there, instead. It might be a good idea if you take the time to familiarize yourself with the local hunting laws in your area before you pick out that muzzleloader. Here, in Pennsylvania, there are subtle variations in the game laws that favor one type of black powder rifle over another during different seasons.

Would I encourage you to get into muzzleloading? You bet I would! The black powder rifles out there today are, truly, 20th century, state-of-the-art, shooting wonders. Here's a couple of links:

http://www.tcarms.com/encrifle/index.html

http://www.tcarms.com/mlrifles/omega/index.html

For blackpowder hunting, here's one of the better websites for you to look at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Blackpowder_Hunting/

I hope this information helps you out. Best of luck and Happy Holidays! :santa:


- Arc Angel

since there's no bison herds anymore

the 70 grs of black powder loads are pretty silly. A .22 autoloading rifle is a lot more practical. You can brain a cow with one, and have jerky for a year. A 180 gr round ball, and 70 grs of powder, loose, drawing moisture, misfiring a lot, and a single shot is not my idea of efficiency. I'd greatly prefer a good, modern crossbow, and a dozen (fiberglass shaft) quarrels. For the same 250 grs as a flintlock load, you can have 5 rds of 40 gr .22lr, and up to a 30 rd mag, and 5 shots per second, if need be. The .22lr is lethal to 150 yds, from a rifle barrel, and that's every bit as much range as the flintlock offers.

There will be very little in the way of large game left, once millions of dog packs chase them everywhere, and millions of people shoot at them. You'd best learn how to make snares, boxtraps, fishtraps, gillnets, trotlines, and how to set and use them. A .22 can brain a cow, or get rid of some dogs. .22's weigh aboout 50 grs per round. There's 7000 grs in a lb. So it's really easy to carry, much less cache, many thousands of rounds.

FORGET the muzzleloader for shtf.

There AINT any bison herds anymore. The big game will all be gone within a month or 2 of shtf. making blackpowder for bombs is one thing, "granulating" it for decent performance in a firearm is quite another. It's VERY dangerous. Dupont and Pyrodex BOTH have blown up black powder plants, for instance. The HUGE amounts of black powder needed make it VERY inefficient. You can take livestock and deer with a .22 rifle, and it's dead flat EASY to carry 500 rds of .22lr, which will last you 20 years or more. The muzzleloader SUCKS when you have no solvents, or proper oils. EVERY time you fire it, you HAVE to wash it out with boiling water and soap, or it will corrode BADLY. That's a LOT of time you AINT got a gun ready. It's NOISY, short ranged, a single shot, and the smoke HIDES your target, and MARKS your location. VERY bad idea, when there's enemies around with auto rifles. A .22 rifle has the same effective range as a muzzleloader, really. so you can't outreach them, and they have rapidfire, scopes, concealability, etc.

If u are BORED, get an electronic shooting timer, and go FASTER with your hitting. There is no LIMIT, really, to how much better yo can get, if you use both rifle and pistol, and either hand-eye. You will NOT "max out" your ability with both, with either hand, I guarantee it. What black powder USUALLY means, you INTEND to wimp out and not FIGHT over the outlawing of autorifles.

Re: FORGET the muzzleloader for shtf.

223 fan said:

There AINT any bison herds anymore. The big game will all be gone within a month or 2 of shtf. making blackpowder for bombs is one thing, "granulating" it for decent performance in a firearm is quite another. It's VERY dangerous. Dupont and Pyrodex BOTH have blown up black powder plants, for instance. The HUGE amounts of black powder needed make it VERY inefficient. You can take livestock and deer with a .22 rifle, and it's dead flat EASY to carry 500 rds of .22lr, which will last you 20 years or more. The muzzleloader SUCKS when you have no solvents, or proper oils. EVERY time you fire it, you HAVE to wash it out with boiling water and soap, or it will corrode BADLY. That's a LOT of time you AINT got a gun ready. It's NOISY, short ranged, a single shot, and the smoke HIDES your target, and MARKS your location. VERY bad idea, when there's enemies around with auto rifles. A .22 rifle has the same effective range as a muzzleloader, really. so you can't outreach them, and they have rapidfire, scopes, concealability, etc.

If u are BORED, get an electronic shooting timer, and go FASTER with your hitting. There is no LIMIT, really, to how much better yo can get, if you use both rifle and pistol, and either hand-eye. You will NOT "max out" your ability with both, with either hand, I guarantee it. What black powder USUALLY means, you INTEND to wimp out and not FIGHT over the outlawing of autorifles.

Click to expand...

That's funny, as I applied for a buffalo permit again this year - maybe I should let game and fish know that there aren't any buffalo...

But then again, you are too ignorant to allow for that fact that all shooting isn't about shtf, sometimes it's for recreation.

I realize you pissed away your ability to legally enjoy recreational shooting, but you made your choices and have to live with the consequences of such.

Don't try to rationalize by saying we all break the law, etc. You chose to BLATANTLY break several laws, including dealing drugs, ilegal machine guns, and fugitive flight.

Big difference from some one who accidently breaks some obscure law.

Get a clue, then work on getting a life.

:devil: