With the close of regular firearms deer season, the herd will have an opportunity to return to less-pressured activity before the advent of muzzleloading season. Of course, archery hunters have no waiting period, but relatively few of them are willing to brave the oft-harsh elements of December. On the other hand, muzzleloading participation continues to rise, largely based on refined equipment available to deer hunters.
Modern in-line muzzleloaders have paved the way for thousands of Michigan deer hunters to remain afield for some late season action. In Zone III, the season runs from December 7th through the 23rd – the most generous in the state.
Here are a few thoughts to get the job done.
To become successful, hunters must embrace the single-shot mentality. Forget deer drives, unless you are a genuine expert. While driving deer into a frenzied run across the county may produce deer, it also can cause bad shots. With front-loading, smoke-belching rifles, there is only one shot. Make it count.
Experiment with loose powder, rather than pellet or stick powder. The loose powder or granular powder affords greater flexibility in handloading charges and typically affords greater accuracy.
Yes, loading is slower, but speed is only a factor in practice. Once you load your smokepole with granular powder, it is ready to hunt the same as any quick-loading pellets. And, with a couple of pre-measured speed loaders in your pocket, reloading time is on par with pellets. Also, if you are at all recoil-sensitive, downloading can be tailor-made to your own comfort level, which is a great way to introduce youngsters to muzzleloaders.
Thoroughly clean your firearm immediately after practice and pay particular attention to where your bullet was striking the target at the end of your session. If you want to boost your confidence, once your rifle is clean, load and shoot it one more time. Why? Because you want to be certain of where the bullet strikes the target when fired from a clean bore, which is how you should be hunting. Not so with centerfires, but this is a different challenge.
Even blackpowder substitutes can cause fowling and corrosion, if left in the barrel and action. Many muzzleloaders are ruined without proper care – especially with real blackpowder or Pyrodex – and, to a lesser degree with substitutes.
Try different primers, too, but make sure to follow instructions provided with the powder. A relatively new powder,
Blackhorn, advises against using 209-size primers specifically developed for muzzleloaders. And, standard 209 primers won’t ignite the powder, either. Instructions specifically recommend magnum 209 primers. Read labels and follow instructions.
With muzzleloaders, shooters become handloaders, and as such, are in charge of their own quality control. It’s best to strive for accuracy – not necessarily power derived from velocity. If both power and accuracy can be obtained, congratulations! But, in any case, never sacrifice good marksmanship. The single-shot mentality demands nothing less.
