New Muzzleloader?

deer patch

Well-Known Member
My daughter will graduate college this coming spring and she is wanting a muzzleloader for her graduation present. She has shot mine with 120 grains of powder so she can handle the kick but I am wanting something that she can easily reload after the first shot. Safety is my main concern from a reloading standpoint. Price really isn’t an issue but we only have a ten day season here. I’ve been looking at the TC encore but the reviews say they are a little hard to reload. With these perimeters, what do you guys and gals recommend?
 
I like CVA and Traditions. I like the Accura and Optima line in the CVA and the Strikerfire and Pursuit from traditions. Both brands have good triggers but the Strikefire has an amazing trigger.


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My daughter will graduate college this coming spring and she is wanting a muzzleloader for her graduation present. She has shot mine with 120 grains of powder so she can handle the kick but I am wanting something that she can easily reload after the first shot. Safety is my main concern from a reloading standpoint. Price really isn’t an issue but we only have a ten day season here. I’ve been looking at the TC encore but the reviews say they are a little hard to reload. With these perimeters, what do you guys and gals recommend?
My encore isn’t hard to load...
 
I've heard nothing but Great Things about the CVA Wolf (low price) and Ultima (top of the line) models.

I don't have one at all, but I did sell some when I worked in Sporting Goods. We had the Traditions and CVA. Most bought the CVA and I never had one come back for failure (2 years) and everyone that bought one came back to tell us just how good they were.

Break open like a single barrel shotgun. Rear Plug screws right out for cleaning.

I really like the Ultima with the SS Barrel, Camo Stock with the Thumb Hole. Just felt and fit right. If I was going to buy one it would be hard for me to pass on that one.
 
I have a TC Encore and love it. Absolutely no issues reloading it.

The key is to clean them properly. I’ve heard of issues reloading when the gun wasn’t cleaned properly. The plastic sabots can leave residue in the barrel.

There are definitely lots of great models and manufacturers out there.
 
There is one that uses a case like a cartridge for the powder and you just seat a bullet on top of it. The primer pushes in the case after you load it into the breach. Right now I can’t recall the name of them and I’ve never seen one so I guess I’m not much help. Someone else on here might remember it.

Edit: I found it using the great googlometer ! It’s called a Firestick and it’s made by Federal. Supposed to be available in Traditions muzzleloaders.
 
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I am also a fan of the CVA...I have a wolf model. Great in size for hunting from a stand or a blind due to the shorter length. Re-loads fine and I use the triple 7 pellets & 209 shotgun primers, with powerbelt bullets. You can get re-load tubes for them as well. I would certainly recommend stainless steel due to the ease of care.
 
There is one that uses a case like a cartridge for the powder and you just seat a bullet on top of it. The primer pushes in the case after you load it into the breach. Right now I can’t recall the name of them and I’ve never seen one so I guess I’m not much help. Someone else on here might remember it.

Edit: I found it using the great googlometer ! It’s called a Firestick and it’s made by Federal. Supposed to be available in Traditions muzzleloaders.

Those are illegal in Tennessee because you don’t load from the muzzle.


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My daughter will graduate college this coming spring and she is wanting a muzzleloader for her graduation present. She has shot mine with 120 grains of powder so she can handle the kick but I am wanting something that she can easily reload after the first shot. Safety is my main concern from a reloading standpoint. Price really isn’t an issue but we only have a ten day season here. I’ve been looking at the TC encore but the reviews say they are a little hard to reload. With these perimeters, what do you guys and gals recommend?
Now that's a girl with a fine sense of taste.
 
I have a TC Omega and an Encore. Encore is much easier to clean but Omega is slightly more accurate and shoots better dirty. Both load the same as I think the bullet is the deciding factor with ease of loading. I shoot rhe TC 250gr super glides sabots out of both with two Triple7 pellets


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The Sabot plays a big role in ease of loaded too. There is a company that you can buy a sample of sabots from and shoot for accuracy, ease of loading, or both. A friend of mine did it, and it’s impossible to load his ML quickly, but it sure is accurate. Hornady ML sabots(black) and .45 bullets load easy for him and shoot good enough to hunt any distance locally, but he likes tight groups and went the different sabot route.


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Those are illegal in Tennessee because you don’t load from the muzzle.


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You do load the bullet from the muzzle, but it still may be illegal in TN. Hell, it may be illegal here because I haven’t looked. I have an Encore also, and I use the Powerbelt bullets because they were the most accurate in my gun. They aren’t the toughest bullets but they are tough enough for deer......so far.
 
Thanks all for the info. Looks like I have a few more to look at. My dad has the Ultima and he seems to like it but it seems a little on the long side to me but it is easy to clean. The traditions firestick is a neat concept for someone that hasn’t loaded a muzzleloader before and would be easy to clean, especially if it wasn’t fired but is not legal here.

For the ones that own the TC Encore is it the one that you can change out barrels or the fixed model? How accurate are they?

I’m kind of surprised that no one mentioned a Knight. I have an early 1990’s model with a ss barrel and is a tack driver. I’ve had it so long that the camo pattern has worn off the synthetic forearm where you would normally carry it. I think the tighter the bullet it is to load the more accurate it is. JMO.
 
My Encore is just like a single shot shotgun. Breaks over and you tap a pin out and the barrel comes off. Mine is accurate enough for 100/125 yards all day long, but the most accurate one I’ve had was an Austen & Halleck bolt action using no. 11 caps. I later bought a 209 conversion for it, but I stopped using it in favor of the Encore. The Encore was so much shorter and easier to get into action. The A & H was more accurate, but a bear in a 4x4 blind. I think it had a 26” barrel. The Encore was easier to clean too, pretty important in a muzzleloader.
 
Thanks all for the info. Looks like I have a few more to look at. My dad has the Ultima and he seems to like it but it seems a little on the long side to me but it is easy to clean. The traditions firestick is a neat concept for someone that hasn’t loaded a muzzleloader before and would be easy to clean, especially if it wasn’t fired but is not legal here.

For the ones that own the TC Encore is it the one that you can change out barrels or the fixed model? How accurate are they?

I’m kind of surprised that no one mentioned a Knight. I have an early 1990’s model with a ss barrel and is a tack driver. I’ve had it so long that the camo pattern has worn off the synthetic forearm where you would normally carry it. I think the tighter the bullet it is to load the more accurate it is. JMO.

Deerpatch, I’ve had the same experience with my knights. I’ve taken deer and antelope >200yds. With a consistently cleaned barrel, I’ve routinely shot groups<11\2”, and have shot a few one hole groups using the 250g Barnes bullets with 3 pellets. I tried other bullet combinations that were easier to load, but groups doubled in size. For those that haven’t experienced it, the Barnes/sabots are very tight fitting and require real effort with a clean dry barrel. A knight shooting these tight bullet/sabots would not be my recommendation for someone without the strength.
 
Bore butter is your friend, LOL. I’m a believer. After years and years of bore butter I can get any sabot down pretty easy now and no problem on the second and sometimes a third. When I first got my CVA Optima I could barely get a power belt down a clean barrel and a second was physically impossible without a wet and dry patch run through and even that was tough. I also have a TC Firestorm flintlock which will take pellets and sabots but I prefer just powder and patch and ball with that. I’m a lightweight on powder. 2 pellets in the CVA for deer and 80 grains of black powder in the TC. Does the trick without the kick. PS. I’m not shooting out 200yds though.
 
Bore Butter is great!! It is the modern version of rendered bear fat. I have been told that it will season the barrel like a cast iron skillet. This aids in loading and cleaning. We used to sell it by the truck load at the sporting good store I used to work at. It does a great job on breech plug threads too.


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I’m another believer in Bore Butter. It’s all that I’ve ever used in my Encore and my TC Hawken. My Hawken has been on the wall for years and not a speck of corrosion in the barrel. I have a little light that I can drop down the barrel and see the bore plainly. All I’ve ever done is clean it with Dawn dish detergent in very hot water, then follow up the clean, dry bore with Bore Butter. Good stuff !
 
I’m another believer in Bore Butter. It’s all that I’ve ever used in my Encore and my TC Hawken. My Hawken has been on the wall for years and not a speck of corrosion in the barrel. I have a little light that I can drop down the barrel and see the bore plainly. All I’ve ever done is clean it with Dawn dish detergent in very hot water, then follow up the clean, dry bore with Bore Butter. Good stuff !

Same thing I’ve recommended to anyone that bought a ML from my store. I tell them no oil inside the barrel, but can be used on the outside of it.


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