What is your maximum comfortable range?

[Rooster1981]

I shoot a traditonal hawkins stlye cabelas 54. cal I shoot 430 grn maxi balls with 100 grns of american pioneer ffg.
  I can hit taget priety good free hand at 120 yards but I cant hit a deer past 100 yards free hand. I dont count shooting from a rest cuss it never seems I ever find a tree or something to lean on. I havent shot an elk yet with the muzzie so no comment on that yet 

[TheHunt]

I have an old Remington muzzlestuffer in 54 cal.  I would not have any problems hitting a pie plate at 200 yards 100% of the time if I had a great rest.  Shooting off hand... 100 yards. 

BTW, I have never killed anything with my muzzlestuffer.  My son has killed a deer (Fork-n-horn or Forked horn) and I have lent it out for friends to use and it has killed five elk. 

[Machias]

I have lent it out for friends to use and it has killed five elk. 

Can I borrow your rifle!   

[Mike450r]

Shot a cow about 5 year ago that I thought was a little over 100 yards away,  she dropped as soon as I hit her.  Didn't have binos but had rangefinder so I used the rangefinder to look at her from where I shot and ranged her at 145 yards.   150 - 175 yards I think would be my limit for elk,  100 or less for deer.

[longstevo]

Interesting.

All the game I've shot with the musket was all less than one hundred yards.  I've stretched out further and have missed cleanly, although I've also missed some shots up close as well. 

[jbender]

I have shot my muzzle loader a lot at all distances out to 200 yards and feel very comfortable with the distances of 200 or less.  Having shot my deer this year at 198 yards I can tell you I would have only taken that shot with a great rest or proned out as I happended to have been.  I was suprised at how well I could see my target on the deer vs what I see when I shoot a paper target.  Again, I had a great rest and all the time in the world.  I never would have taken a shot like that if conditions weren't perfect.  I am shooting a Traditions Vortek NW Magnum Edition with fiber optic open sights launching a 295 grain hollowpoint Power Belt bullet.  The deer never took a step, he dropped in his tracks and was done. 

I fully understand peoples hesitation about shooting longer distances with a muzzle loader but I believe they are the same as modern firearms as in most of good shooting is practice practice practice and knowing your firearm and its limitations.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[vandeman17]

When my dad and I were preparing for a muzzy elk hunt we were practicing shooting out to 100 yards and by the time it got that far my dot covered the whole target.  I would say that I would shoot a little over 100 in perfect conditions on a broadside elk but other than that, it would have to be under 100 yards

[jackmaster]

i to shoot a 50 cal hawkins but i had peep sights put on it just like the ones on my m203 grenade launcher and i can shoot comfortable at 125 yds  no sweat, piled up my first elk at 125 on the button with that hawkin, it was one of those "touch the gun off, and then the loud thwack" and then the heart really gets crankn, and she didnt go 20ft... yeehaw

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

I have shot my muzzle loader a lot at all distances out to 200 yards and feel very comfortable with the distances of 200 or less.  Having shot my deer this year at 198 yards I can tell you I would have only taken that shot with a great rest or proned out as I happended to have been.  I was suprised at how well I could see my target on the deer vs what I see when I shoot a paper target.  Again, I had a great rest and all the time in the world.  I never would have taken a shot like that if conditions weren't perfect.  I am shooting a Traditions Vortek NW Magnum Edition with fiber optic open sights launching a 295 grain hollowpoint Power Belt bullet.  The deer never took a step, he dropped in his tracks and was done. 

I fully understand peoples hesitation about shooting longer distances with a muzzle loader but I believe they are the same as modern firearms as in most of good shooting is practice practice practice and knowing your firearm and its limitations.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Here we go again.....
I am comfortable to 300 on deer(but always try to get closer). My deer this year was only at 82 though. My buddy Kris dropped his at 270 yards last week.  Daughter took her second deer(first buck) this year at 150. Don't remember for sure but I think Septemberfan's was about 150 last week.

[dscubame]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

[ICEMAN]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

Yeah, you may be right for now....  seen these get pretty ugly in the past.

[Miles]

450 yards max. 

[buck man]

I have a TC black diamond that I can keep every shot in a paper plate with open sights to 150 yards. So that is my Max. Killed a spike bull last year with it at 124 yards. Be careful with the 295 grain ( green) power belt bullets they fragment really bad. I do use power belts but only their premium silver bullets . They hold together and penetrate much better. good luck..

[HntnFsh]

I'm pretty comfy on elk out to 125 maybe 150. The bull I killed last year I thought was in the 125 or 130 yard range. My brother in law later ranged it at 169 yards.I really was surprised when he told me that.Never would have guessed close to it.But thats what adrenaline will do for you.Fortunately the shot was good and he dropped instantly.It was a split second decision,and I didnt have time to really analyze the situation.Because the bull would have been gone in a hurry. If I would have had more time to make that decision I probably would have passed on the shot as i didnt even have a rest.I'm thankful that things worked out as they did.

[Elkslayer]

Be careful with the 295 grain ( green) power belt bullets they fragment really bad. I do use power belts but only their premium silver bullets . They hold together and penetrate much better. good luck..

  Shot a spike elk last year at 25yds with that bullet. Entry hole the size of a baseball and bullet fragments everywhere. Might be ok on deer, but I will never use them again!