anyone hunt with a muzzleloader?

[adkmountainken]

I have killed my last for turkeys with smooth bore percussion muzzleloaders and have never had as much fun! hunting with a Roy Stroh built flintlock fowler this year and hope to kill a nice long beard! anyone else hunt old school?

[TRG3]

A couple of times over the past few years, I've used my 11 gauge flintlock fowler as well as my 20 gauge flintlock Fusil to take gobblers. This year I've loaded up some 85 grains of Goex FFg in Federal paper hulls pushing 1 1/4 oz of #6 shot and it patterns very good at 25 yards. I plan to take my LC Smith Damascus hammer double barrel with this load this Friday. About 5-6 years ago, I even went one step further and made a gobbler decoy out of a 5-gallon black bucket, utilizing binder clips to attach the fan and wings along with a properly painted 2X4 across the bucket's opening for the head. It all comes apart for easy packing and successfully helped me when I took a gobbler with the 11 gauge.

[adkmountainken]

wow that is awesome had to be a thrill what a great accomplishment!

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Congrats!

[coonhunter]

So I've never hunter turkeys with a muzzleloader. Does it have to be a smooth bore?  Has anyone tried a rifled barrel with loose shot?  I assume it would be to tight and blow the pattern?

[HFultzjr]

I don't, but I have a friend that does.
Started last year with a flintlock smoothbore.
Also uses a homemade wingbone (only call).
Wanted to get one by going really "old school".
Passed several up last year, as they were just outside his max of 25-30 yards.
He says it was very exciting.

[adkmountainken]

Coonhunter,
         has to be smoothbore in NY state by D.E.C law if it was not I would be nailing them in the head with my custom .45

[TRG3]

In my earlier reply, I noted that I planned to take my LC Smith 12 gauge Damascus hammer double on my next Southern Illinois turkey season. I did such yesterday, but the two that came in were intimidated by my Pretty Boy and made a wide circle, staying 60+ yards away until they were directly behind me on the opposite creek bank, trying to call the two hen decoys across the creek to them. The huge tree I'd picked to sit at became a disadvantage because I couldn't see around it. As I silently waited for them to fly across the creek, my allergies set in and I began to try to hold back a coughing spell, but lost. Within a very short time, the gobbles had moved away and that was it for the day. Still being somewhat frustrated with the previous day's hunt, this morning I brought the Funky Chicken and a feeding hen decoy. The full moon made it easy to set the decoys and pick a tree. Much to my surprise, as daylight approached I quickly learned that there were three gobblers within shooting distance behind me. A few light tree yelps and a very poor jake gobble let them know that there were already turkeys in the grassy field; however, they flew down across the creek taking several real hens with them. As I was contemplating my next move, I heard a gobble directly out in front of me and watched as a tom zigzagged my way. At 20 yards, I slid the shotgun over the improvised camo netting I was using as a blind and at 15 yards he turned sideways, catching 1 1/4 oz. of #6 shot pushed by 85 grains of Goex FFg in a Federal paper hull. When the smoke cleared, there wasn't even one flop! The truck was about a half-mile away and the dirt road leading to the grass field was dry enough that I drove right up to my bird. I've got one more permit for the fifth and final season, that being April 27th - May 4th. I hope to lure in a dominate tom since many of the hens will be on the nest and he will still be looking for some action.

[njdevilsb]

I have a muzzleloading shotgun that I have shot 1 turkey with.  I would actually like to get it out again.  It is a CVA Optima Pro.  I had to do some searching to find one.  They were no longer in production when I got mine but I managed to get one afer contacting the company directly.  It is a lot of fun to shoot. 

Congrats on your bird.

[adkmountainken]

TRG3,
        AWESOME hunt, nice job!!!!! would love to see pic's of the gun and bird!

[MKMGOBL]

I do sometimes but it's not an old school traditional muzzleloader. It's a MDM Tomwacka and it spits a mean pattern

2012WVsmokedgobbler by Tom Staples, on Flickr

[pabossie255]

Nice gun I just bought a flintlock for deer can't wait to hunt with it.

[TRG3]

Speaking of flintlocks, especially smoothbores, I have to laugh when a supposed historical program comes on that knocks the accuracy of this fine firearm. I've taken several deer with my 20 gauge (.62 caliber) Fusil shooting a patched roundball above a wad of practically any sort and 60-70 grains of FFg black powder. At 50 yards, it will maintain a 4"-5" group, certainly not as accurate as a rifled barrel but well within what's needed to take a deer. My experience with a traditional muzzleloader and deer is that the deer often may not indicate that it has been hit, sometimes walking away only to be found 100 yards or so from where it was shot. The blood trail may be faint at best. Just be sure of your shot and follow up in the direction the deer went.