shotgun or muzzleloader preference

[Fenelon]

Not even a minute chance that I'd ever use a shotgun again. I did the slug thing with the fancy cantilever hastings barrel and the ever changing slug technology. A $299 Thompson Omega outshoots every slug gun I have ever tried, and that's what I've used for the past 20 years. . Cheaper to shoot as well. You simply wait until you have a good ethical broadside shot and you pull the trigger. Dead deer every time. Will put three shots into the but end of a coffee cup at 100yds. No need for a shotgun.

[huntnmachine]

I wouldn't say no need for a shotgun. I have never shot a muzzle loader but I do read about them and as you said they are a tack driver but so are the new shotgun sabots.
Plus the shotgun has the capability of follow up shots. I hunt with a shotgun and have had good success with it.

[cantgetright]

I had a muzzleloader, sold it, brand new, never even sighted in. I agree the bp gun typically can be more accurate but not by that much to make a difference for me. So with the ease in cleaning and not having to reload, especially when your hands are froze and full of arthritis trying to stick a primer on I'll take a shotgun. Not to mention I'd be ticked if I pulled the trigger and the primer was wet and it cost me a deer. Happened to a couple buddies, would never happen practicing, only when hunting.

[Big Jack]

I had a muzzleloader, sold it, brand new, never even sighted in. I agree the bp gun typically can be more accurate but not by that much to make a difference for me. So with the ease in cleaning and not having to reload, especially when your hands are froze and full of arthritis trying to stick a primer on I'll take a shotgun. Not to mention I'd be ticked if I pulled the trigger and the primer was wet and it cost me a deer. Happened to a couple buddies, would never happen practicing, only when hunting.

Let me know when you shoot a target like this at 300 yards with a shotgun lol!

That was my buddy’s target from our range visit last Sunday.

Yes ML are more accurate and frankly easy to use.

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[cantgetright]

Thats what I said, bp guns are more accurate. But neither would be ideal for shooting deer at 300 yards

[Big Jack]

Thats what I said, bp guns are more accurate. But neither would be ideal for shooting deer at 300 yards

Just giving you a hard time.

But all kidding aside, the two smokeless ml in my cabinet would allow me to take a moose or deer or Tyrannosaurus rex (depending on the load) at 300 yards. I would be very careful and would want the perfect shot but it would be no issue at all.

The only slug gun that even comes close to a modern in line BP ml is the savage 220 BUT that in-line has more jam out of the muzzle and with a good bc bullet, will have more energy at 200 yards than the slugger. The problem going further with with an regular in line ml IMO is the sabot. Can’t get the spin on bullet through sabot. Go sabotless and all that goes away. The 220 slugger is out of gas energy wise past 200.

So here is the other part, $22 for 5 shots for good shotgun ammo. $4.40 a pop.

In contrast, I have a simple LBT .458 mold that gives me 340 grain pill for about 10 cents and a 20 cent sabot plus a few cents of powder will shoot MOA to 200 at 2000 fps.

If I used BH209 it would be $1.54 worth of powder....

Yes you only get one shot but that also is the beauty of it to me.

[Fox]

I wouldn't say no need for a shotgun. I have never shot a muzzle loader but I do read about them and as you said they are a tack driver but so are the new shotgun sabots.
Plus the shotgun has the capability of follow up shots. I hunt with a shotgun and have had good success with it.

Until you go out and use a muzzleloader you cannot really compare. You think that you only get one shot, but you can reload a muzzleloader pretty quick, the little doe I got last year was shot with the 2nd shot as I smacked a tree with the first. Yes the deer went into cover and came out a minute or so later but it is not like you have 1 shot for the evening, you can reload and if you have the stuff setup for it you can do that rather quickly.

You can compare the same thing with rifles and bows, if you are in NW Ontario and the rifle season is so long you could argue that there is no point to owning a bow, but the challenge that follows the bow makes it very inviting for many. The fact that modern muzzleloaders can be more accurate than the average shotgun simply brings it down to hitting where you are aiming with the first shot vs shooting as it is running away with 2 more shots.

I will not be getting rid of the rifled barrel shotgun but I will be using the muzzleloaders more.

[bellerivercrossbowhunter]

If you want a quick follow up shot with a muzzleloader then bring 2 guns.. lol

[js4fn]

If you want a quick follow up shot with a muzzleloader then bring 2 guns.. lol

I did that for few years. Getting older dealing with two BP slows you down. Finding that second gun in smoke filled blind is priceless

[MikePal]

If you want a quick follow up shot with a muzzleloader then bring 2 guns.. lol

In my many years I have reloaded and shot my ML twice while in my treestand. Both successful. Not a big deal as long as you have a well prepared 'possibiles' bag HaHa...

for the NON-MLers:

In the days of the mountain man, a "possibles bag" was carried in which they carried everything that could possibly be needed for the day: black powder, powder measurer, flint and steel, lead balls and patch,