Rather, the simpler something is, the less likely it is to run afoul of Murphy’s (infamous) Law.

User-Friendliness: Complexity can be-not always but can be-the mother of problems.Trust and confidence are huge players here. If a muzzleloader doesn’t go BOOM every time I pull the trigger, I’ll have little to no confidence in that rifle or shotgun. Reliability: Cost and appearance be damned.Though, while pretty doesn’t bag a buck, you want to be proud of your arm every time you take it out of the safe. The “It Just Feels Right” factor does come into play with much of the gear we purchase, black powder arms included. Knowing this, I created a list that likewise offers this low-to-high range…with an emphasis on the middle. I understand affordability runs the gamut from low to high. Price: The “perfect” muzzleloader does you no good if you can’t afford it.Do each of these muzzleloaders meet most of our needs, to make us completely comfortable packing them into the timber, the marsh, or the uplands every day of the season? Rather, does each excel in the following: That is, we’ll try many, and gradually over time weed out those that, for whatever reason, don’t meet our criteria.Īnd that’s the bottom line when it comes to the HOW factor here. Early on, we hunters often employ a shotgun approach to new gear. Best Long-Range: Knight Long Range HunterĮvery piece of equipment we intend to purchase and, theoretically, use, whether it be a lawnmower, power drill, blender, or cell phone must meet certain personal criteria before we buy it.Most User-Friendly: Traditions Buckstalker XT Redi-Pak.Best Muzzleloading Shotgun: Pedersoli Classic Standard.Below are the best muzzleloaders in 2022, new, old, and otherwise. Optics, projectiles, powders it’s not quite space age, but compared to the Hawken, it just might be. Available are high-tech ignition systems, rust-resistant coatings, synthetic … well, synthetic everything. Some 38 years later, I still have the Hawken, and she performs just as well now.īut to say modern muzzleloaders have come a long way is the understatement of the century. 54 caliber, a relic by today’s standards. The rifle? A Thompson/Center Hawken sidelock percussion gun in. My introduction to muzzleloaders began back in 1984 when I, tutored by my father, harvested my first black powder whitetail-a fine fat doe-in Ohio’s Harrison County.

Gun muzzle