sidelocks

[C-Money]

I enjoy hunting with a Hawken style muzzle loader. Pennsylvania still has a flintlock only season. Have a good flint, and dry, clean rifle, and its amazing how fast a flintlock will light. Chaa-Boom!! OP, keep at it, ML hunting is a great sport, and a wonderful feeling to carry a side lock.

[oneshot12]

nothing wrong with any of the muzzle loader rifles out there these days  just really depends on the person that is shooting it .  sure lots of folks like the newer inlines  heck i have one and use it when it really nasty during late season . i do prefer the side lock  much more  just enjoy shooting it myself is all . taken all of my game the past ten  years with ether my custom 54 cal round ball shooter or my trade gun   . muzzle loader season  seems to be a good way to go here on the west side   seems like most folks would rather do modern hunting  .i do enjoy getting out in the woods and not having to worrie about running to some one while  walking about let alone hearing shoots being  fired all around the place   . also not have a ton of people fighting to get a camping spot or over camping  just makes the time in the woods no fun at all  .for the most part black powder shooter are much more friendly  and willing to be of help should the need arise  .so dont give up on it yet   just keep your eyes and ears open and talk with folks  i am sure you can fine some one that will be happy to tag along with ya or may be take you along with them   

[leon grey]

thats why i do it i like the chalenge of  black powder hunting  i apolgize to  inline hunters  if thats what they want to use  i just aways  liked the old ways

[RG]

thats why i do it i like the chalenge of  black powder hunting  i apolgize to  inline hunters  if thats what they want to use  i just aways  liked the old ways

What are you apologizing for?  There's a lot to be said for being a little "old school".  It isn't necessary to try to keep up with "bigger, faster, shinier, more expensive" unless that's what turns your crank in which case more power to you.  Enjoy the outdoors, do it your own way, and never apologize for that.  There's room for everybody.  And to the OP, you aren't alone, if you read the success rate stats only a couple people out of a hundred ever kill anything anyway.  Take the little woman to a nice resort before hunting season, thank her for her patience, do your own laundry and dishes when  you come home, she'll understand.

[JimmyHoffa]

I can see how/why the guys at the more primitive end of weapons choices would be a little concerned.  WDFW (theoretically) sets the season lengths based upon what they think is an allowable/fair(?) harvest percentage by each group.  I've heard they factor in the number of days/kill, then use overall number of hunters and animals to be harvested to figure out exactly how many days.  The difficulty in closing the distance to an animal increases the closer you try to get to that animal (in general terms).  Compare how difficult it is to get within 200 yds of an animal to within 100 yds to 80, 75, 65...40..25 yds.  A sidelock and user might be limited to 80 yds while the inline counterparts are at 150 yds.  If your odds of getting within 80 are lower than within 150, then the days/kill should be higher for the sidelocks (in general).  So, if more and more people use in-lines or a new in-line comes out that doubles range, then the days/kill should drop for the in-lines and show as a drop for all muzzleloaders.  Then WDFW basically has to recalculate season length to keep harvest total 'fair' with the other groups.  If the season length gets too short, it could in theory be just above the days/kill for an in-line and just below days/kill for the sidelocks.  Meaning the in-lines would have most of the harvest while the primitive guys are still trying to get on animals within their needed range just for a shot.

[oneshot12]

What are you apologizing for?  There's a lot to be said for bring a little "old school".  It isn't necessary to try to keep up with "bigger, faster, shinier, more expensive" unless that's what turns your crank in which case more pier to you.  Enjoy the outdoors, do it your own way, and never apologize for that.  There's room for everybody.  And to the OP, you aren't alone, if you read the success rate stats only a couple people our of a hundred ever kill anything anyway.  Take the little woman to a nice resort before hunting season, thank her for her patience, do your own laundry and dishes when  you come home, she'll understand.
[/quote]    I got to say your 100 % correct  RG  plenty of room for everyone
 

[Sabotloader]

thats why i do it i like the chalenge of  black powder hunting  i apolgize to  inline hunters  if thats what they want to use  i just aways  liked the old ways

When you get right down to it with the current Washington restrictions - they really is not that much difference in an inline and newer sidelock.  If comparing a flit lock to a inline even them there is a marginal difference

This my favorite Western Inline



And with the restrictions during ML season it relly is not more effective than this Renegade



Nor this old favorite

[MountainDevil54]

Not a lot of folks know how to hold a traditional rifle with the crestent butt plate and that tends to add flinching and man I gotta get a rubber pad!   

[RG]

Ha.  You learn pretty quick if you hold it wrong!  The crescent works fine when you put it where it is supposed to go, unless you have great big shoulders and biceps like one of my son in laws.  Then it still bites. That's not a problem I have.   

[CP]

Not a particularly efficient recoil pad:
 

[Harleysboss]

Man am I messed up...my side lock sports a GM fast twist barrel and I shoot real blackpowder (Goex) and load 460grn lead paper patched bullets. Not an inline not traditional Hmmmm.. The cow my son shot this year did not care at all. Oh ya my White rifle shoots the same powder and bullet combo..#11 cap too. We all have to shoot open sights and exposed ignition..we should all be more concerned with the lack of open hunting units that we as a  group do not have. Loads from the muzzle have a blast!

[Sabotloader]

I think you'll find that the lock time on that inline is decidedly faster than eityher of thse side locks, assuming they are unmodified.

Not sure of that the new locks I have gotten from TC lately do not have near the swing that the old ones did - they are much quicker.  There is still more movement on the new TC lock than the there is with the Knights.

But i do not understand how that is such a big deal anyway in the normal hunting situation - very few shots that I take require a quick lock time - most of the animals and are not moving at all or moving very slowly. Plus my max range with open sights is only 150 yards so lock time is not imperative...

[pat2bear]

I also hunt with the Hawkins. I did purchase a GM barrel for it over 10 years ago and shoot loose 777 and power belts and/or sabots depending on what state I'm in. I love it and in all reality I think it is just as accurate or better than some in lines. It is an anchor though.

[Soady]

Man am I messed up...my side lock sports a GM fast twist barrel and I shoot real blackpowder (Goex) and load 460grn lead paper patched bullets. Not an inline not traditional Hmmmm.. The cow my son shot this year did not care at all. Oh ya my White rifle shoots the same powder and bullet combo..#11 cap too. We all have to shoot open sights and exposed ignition..we should all be more concerned with the lack of open hunting units that we as a  group do not have. Loads from the muzzle have a blast!

I feel the same way. It all comes down to the moment we pull the trigger and now we need to unite and pull the trigger on getting some more units opened to muzzleloading.

[busterbrown]

I love Hawkens and Kentucky rifles. Have several of each, shoot only round ball. I usually use my 54 Hawkens for hunting, just love the history, challenge. Killed plenty of critters with these guns the last 25 years. Round ball, especially 54 or larger, get the job done, as long as you get close and make the shot count.

Nothing wrong with inline, just like the older, historically guns, real cool to shoot.

ML guys need to stick together to protect what few hunts we have.