New to Muzzleloader hunting

[Tagsoupchef]

Looking to get into muzzleloader hunting and was looking for some advice on a first muzzleloader thats budget friendly. Any advice?

[jrebel]

Looking to get into muzzleloader hunting and was looking for some advice on a first muzzleloader thats budget friendly. Any advice?

All modern muzzleloaders are very capable and very accurate.  Like anything....folks can spend as much or as little as they want and most who have muzzy hunted for years indulge in more expensive muzzleloaders.  Point being, buy a budget friendly muzzy and see how you like it.  If you end up liking it, you can always upgrade to a more expensive muzzleloader that at best offers more creature comforts.

Things to think of: 
1.  What state / states are you planning on hunting.  Rules very widely state to state. 
2.  What caliber you want?  45 and 50 being the most common.  I have found 50 cal components are available everywhere.  45 you may have to order items online. 
3.  What ignition system do you want or can you shoot (depending on the state).  209 primer systems are the best in my opinion if you only plan on hunting WA (and some other states). 
4.  What sights do you want?  Open vs Optic (1x only in WA).  Check to see if aftermarket sites are available for the muzzy you are looking at.  Williams sites makes great aftermarket sites for most muzzleloaders. 

Budget friendly: 

CVA wolf
CVA optima V2 (I have one and it shoots great)
Traditions buckstalker
Thompson Center Impact

Orrrrr...find a used one and save a ton.  I thought there was one for sale on here for a very reasonable price a week or two ago. 

Good luck....Muzzleloaders are hoot. 

[wapiti22]

Look for a used Thompson Center Hawken in 50 or 54 cal. Will do just fine for a beginning hunter.

[Tagsoupchef]

right on thank yall very much for the info!

[bkaech]

I love my CVA optima, shoots great, easy to handle and clean, and was reasonably priced. My only regret is that I didn't get a traditional muzzleloader. I recently picked up a used TC Hawken so now I can hunt with a "real" muzzleloader! If you choose to get an inline muzzy I would seriously consider the CVAs. I would never fault a guy for using the most modern version of what is legal, But if you are thinking about getting a real traditional muzzy I would encourage you to look for a used one, they are way cooler to hunt with than a modern inline.

[Rigby416]

I agree w/jrebel, a CVA Optima V2 is an excellent starter rifle that will serve you well.  The CVA's are much easier to care for and have a fast enough twist in the barrel to make use of wide variety of bullets on the market today.  Hope this helps.  Enjoy your hunts!

[dub870]

I like my Optima. It shoots very well for how cheap it is. If you want a more traditional rifle look for used T/C Hawken or variants. Truthfully buy both. Modern inlines can be very expensive to shoot where a traditional with a patched round ball and a low load of BP can be tons of fun and cheap to shoot.

[addicted1]

Buy once cry once. I am partial to Knight, they have drastically increased in price over the last few years. But, I believe you can still search out good deals and sales. Didn’t read all the post, but just know if you plan to ML out of state that the refs are different for some of them. Washington has relaxed a bunch of the regs recently.

[nwwanderer]

You cry when you buy guns, I cry when I sell them.  Have had several, would go with the patch and ball 50.  Bunch around and you will probably need to borrow stuff.  Get after it!!!

[big wood]

I am partial to the accura

[85yota]

Knight, disc extreme. Worth the money over the bighorn in my opinion.  Little trickier to clean and take apart. But nothing beats them imop for wa. Havnt tri3d them with conical but I'm sure there just fine

[SkookumHntr]

-If you see a Knight Bighorn at a gun show I would definitely buy it!

[CP]

+1 on the Bighorn.

Twist was mentioned earlier but to expound on it.  I’d recommend something around 1:28 for sabots.  Some Hawken type rifles are 1:48 which will work but some are 1:66 or so which should only be used with patched balls.   

[JakeLand]

Buy once cry once and by a knight disc extreme or better yet a ultra lite

[lazydrifter]

Good day to buy a knight.  50% 0ff Mountaineer and Ultra-Lite.

https://www.muzzleloaders.com/

[dsotm]

Good day to buy a knight.  50% 0ff Mountaineer and Ultra-Lite.

Even with the sale they are way too proud of their guns for the price 

[huntnphool]

+1 on the Bighorn.

 +1, my son got his first elk this year with a Bighorn purchased new a few years ago and was finally taken out of the box this year. 1 shot at 170 yards right through the heart.

 Knight poly tip 300gr. bullet.