Muzzle Loader for Boar, suggestions please

[Super Spy]

I want to try hunting boar with a Muzzle Loader. Most of the offerings I see use 209 primers and are .50 Cal. I'd prefer a lesser expensive one as I have no idea if I'm going to like this and do it a lot, so I'd prefer not spend $700 and do this once, when I could spend $200-300 and do the same thing. Cabela's offers a bunch of choices and I can even get into a TC for the low 300's.

Please suggest a good gun <$350 and good bullets (I heard the TC saboted bullets don't expand) and any other pointers or tips. I've never shot a muzzle loader in my life, so I'm pretty green in this field.

Thanks!

[Argonaut]

Muzzle loaders are very powerful and more than up to the challenge of wild boar. They are generally shorter range rifles than a modern high power rifle but are accurate and effective. Bullet expansion is less important when you are shooting the size bullets they use. I shoot a 54 Thompson Renegade, The 50 calibers have a larger variety of sabots available today and might have some advantage. 209 Primers are not legal for hunting with "primitive" weapons everywhere but they work well. You can't beat the quality of the Thompson Center guns, Good used ones are always available in your price range. There are adapter kit to 209 primers available for most everything so you can change back and forth is you need to. My brother had a misfire with his standard cap rifle while shooting an elk last year, Misfires are less common with the modern primers. I hate Pyrodex propellant an use exclusively the real black powder, I think it ignites better than the Pyro and is a little more powerful......but there is a lot of conversation about it....The stuff smells terrible,

[Super Spy]

Any suggestions on where to look for a used one? The marketplace here is great for AR's and AK's but lacks breadth at times...

[Argonaut]

You can buy them on EBAY.......People sell the stock and barrel separately to get around the rules.

[Super Spy]

Any good blackpowder forums you can suggest? I appreciate your feedback but so far this is a pretty quiet thread. I did get 1 PM with an offer to sell, but it's not local, and I know nothing about what to look for in a used BP rifle.

[Divernhunter]

My expeirence has shown me to use the Barnes sabot bullets. I have used the mag sabots with the 250gr barnes combo with the large open hollow point bullets. The t/c rifles are good. I used pryodex and standard muzzle loader caps with no trouble. I have taken several deer with them and they went down like struck by lightning. So did the ones my buddy shot. The lead bullets in sabots or conicals and such did not work as well. Get the gun of choice(your choice) in 50cal and load it with the barnes saboted open hollow point bullets and you are good to go.

[0321jarhead]

Not to sound funny but, I have thought about going out pig hunting, though I never have, with my Lyman .50 cal Hawkins Great Plains. But, from reading Cal. Dept. of Fish & Game, if I recall, you can't have a back up side arm. Has anyone tried pigs the way I am curious to do?

[Trapper]

I've taken pigs and deer with my TC Omega shooting a 250gr Hornady and with a 250gr Barnes. I keep a couple speed loaders in my pack along with cleaning solvent and extra patches. As with any type of hunting you will want to get as close as possible and wait for a good clean shot. Modern in-line muzzle loaders can be very accurate if you take the time to find the right bullet and powder combo for your rifle.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

You can look on Gunbroker. You can normally pick up frontstuffers for under $100. I think I paid $75 for my .54 caliber percussion hawkin rifle. I know you can get some really nice ones for well under $200.

As for carrying back up, unless it is muzzleloader-only season, you can carry whatever you want. And during muzzleloading season, you are not allowed to carry another firearm that can otherwise legally take large game. Since you are not allowed to use a percussion revolver to take large game, it doesn't fall under that prohibition. And a .44 Remington 1858 is plenty of backup in my book.

-Mb

[Super Spy]

Interesting discussion regarding backup. I was pondering that myself. I thought about carrying my .45 concealed (perfectly legal while hunting) and just keeping quiet about it, figuring I'd rather have it if the need arose. I'm brand new to shooting muzzleloaders and even with a speedloader it's going to take a little while. I certainly don't have any muscle memory to help. If I wounded a hog at 40 yards how long until he reaches me? I'd rather deal with legal bills than medical bills. I also wondered about carrying something like an 1858 allowing multiple shots...but I hadn't done any research yet. Of course Gun Toting Monkey Boy would have this figured out :P

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Realize, if you shoot a boar at 40 yards, 99.99% of the time it is going the other way as fast as it's little legs can carry it. They don't like sticking around. Most of the stories you hear about them charging are just that. Stories.

-Mb

[tatso7]

Any suggestions on where to look for a used one? The marketplace here is great for AR's and AK's but lacks breadth at times...

TheFiringLine.com blackpowder subfurom . They have classified section solely for Blackpowder firearms.

[toby]

A real muzzle loader shoots round balls , just sayin

[r3dn3ck]

you can buy a kit gun like I did. any ol' hawken kit will be fine. Make sure you get the twist rate for your intended bullet. Conicals twist faster than balls. I use a .50cal hawken fired by #11 percussion caps. Rifle kit was fun to build. For bullets... I like .44cal XTP's in sabots. They hold together at the velocities in play and expand well. The barnes hollow points were pretty impressive too... BIG hole.

A smoke pole makes a good keep away stick and one hell of a club.

[wellfedirishman]

Good blackpowder discussion forum:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

54 cal should be good, especially with heavy conicals.