Top 3 Choices For The Best Muzzleloader
You enjoy deer hunting. You take advantage of every minute the hunting season has to offer. You look forward to the first day of the archery season not only because it kicks of the season, but because of the challenge hunting a whitetail with a bow gives you.
As the season rolls on, you still enjoy the rifle season and hopefully you have filled your tag. But, part of you secretly hopes that you didn’t fill your tag yet. Why? Because you also enjoy the challenge of hunting deer with a muzzleloader.
As you think about the prospect of heading out on the hunt using your muzzleloader, you get excited. Hunting with a muzzleloader offers you the best of both worlds. You have the challenge similar to that of hunting with a bow, because you only get 1 shot. Yet, you get the excitement of using a firearm and all the accessories that go with it.
Are you ready for the challenge? Is it time to get a muzzleloader or replace your old one? To help you do this, I have listed my top 3 choices for the best muzzleloader below. The best part; they are all under $600.
- Thompson Center Impact- This is a great beginners muzzleloader. It is a break action which utilizes a “hood” to protect the breach when the action is closed. It also has a customizable stock which allows you to add spacers to fit the muzzleloader specifically to you. You can pick up this winner by Thompson Center for about $300.
- Traditions Vortek Ultra Light- Weighing in at only 6 1/4 pounds, the Ultra Light will keep you excited while you are out in the fields. It’s tapered, ported barrel helps the Ultra Light meet it’s name and light weight, which will make it easy for you to carry while on the hunt. The Ultra Light features a 209 primer ignition, a removable breech plug and shoots just about dead on right from the factory. Priced at about $500, the Ultra Light will also be light on your pocket.
- CVA Accura V2- CVA is no stranger to muzzleloaders. The V2 is similar to the original Accura, but its quick release breech plug takes it a step above. The V2 continues to impress as you won’t need a starter when loading. You can put the bullet into the guiding system and use the field rod to seal it on the charge. The V2 is the most expensive choice on my list, but worth every penny, coming in at just under $600.
As you continue to enjoy the sport of deer hunting, make sure you experience all that it has to offer. Starting with the first day of the bow season straight through the last day of muzzleloader season.
If you take the time to choose the best muzzleloader for you, your chances of enjoying the experience will certainly increase. Hopefully the list I have provided here will help you with your decision.
Understanding The Language Of The Rifle-Becoming An Expert In Deer Hunting Rifle Terminology
Understanding the technical language surrounding rifles and rifle shooting can be important whether you are looking to purchase your first rifle or are a seasoned hunter. The idea of specific hobbies or jobs having a “special language” all their own isn’t unique. No matter what job field you’re in, most likely there are some “jargon” terms which are completely understood by people in your field, but seem foreign to the rest of the world. The same is true when it comes to speaking with professionals about your rifles.
So, let’s look at some of these phrases and give you the knowledge to understand the terminology you need to succeed.
Ballistic coefficient- This describes how aerodynamic a bullet is. When speaking about bullet coefficient the higher the number the better. A bullet with higher coefficient will drop less than a low coefficient bullet.
Headspace- This is the distance between the bolt face and the part of the chamber which stops the forward motion. Head space is something you will find in all rifles. If your rifle has too little headspace, your round won’t feed properly; if your rifle has too much headspace and you risk an explosive injury when you pull the trigger.
Lock Time- Is the distance between trigger passing the sear and the firing pin striking the primer. The quicker the lock time the better. This will help a rifle to be more forgiving for shooter errors such as flinching.
Overbore Capacity- This is when a rifle cartridge has more gun powder in it than it can burn efficiently.
Over Travel- Describes the distance that the trigger moves to the rear after it has released the sear. If you have been shooting for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard someone say that it is imperative to have your trigger pull properly adjusted (not to be confused with pull weight-which is mentioned below). Having too much over travel will increase any shooting error and dramatically affect bullet trajectory.
Parallax- A common problem with higher magnification rifle scopes. Parallax describes the reticle not being properly in line with the objective lens.
Pull Weight- This is the amount of force necessary to allow the trigger to release the sear.
Understanding the terminology used by gun smiths as well as other hunter will help you to improve your skills. It will give you the knowledge necessary to speak intelligently and to better utilize the advice of other professionals when shooting your rifle.
