# What are you carrying opening morning?



## Todd Cook (Sep 11, 2020)

My October companion: Nellybell. I put this little homemade ugly peepsite on her recently and we're best friends! Dang what a difference! I'm like a kid waiting on Christmas.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 11, 2020)

"Gabriel".


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## Hillbilly stalker (Sep 11, 2020)

I reckon I’ll be toting “ Ol Bessie”. If it was good enough name for Fess Parker’s smoke pole.....it was good enough for mine. Dad bought her for me back around 1981 second hand from a gun store. Only opening day we ever missed is when I was overseas with Uncle Sam. She’s a .45, but if I do my job she always does hers. I have several, but there’s something special about a Kentucky long rifle to me.


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## Mars (Sep 11, 2020)

After seeing those beauties I'm embarrassed to even mention what I'm taking much less share a picture. I'll be using my traditions 50cal Kentucky Long Rifle kit build. It's nothing special but its fun to shoot and its reasonably accurate. Maybe one day I will get a nicer smoke pole! 

Good luck and have a safe season!


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## Hillbilly stalker (Sep 11, 2020)

Mars said:


> After seeing those beauties I'm embarrassed to even mention what I'm taking much less share a picture. I'll be using my traditions 50cal Kentucky Long Rifle kit build. It's nothing special but its fun to shoot and its reasonably accurate. Maybe one day I will get a nicer smoke pole!
> 
> Good luck and have a safe season!


Man show it !  Mine ain’t nothing fancy at all. I like seeing them, I wished I had a built one.


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## Mars (Sep 11, 2020)

Fine. She hangs on the wall in my office with my "pursibles" bag.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Sep 11, 2020)

Nice !


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## jiminbogart (Sep 11, 2020)

Don't know if I'll make it but if I do I'll be toting this.

.54 cal over and under. Pull the hammer back to half cock and rotate the bottom barrel to the top. 

I guess that makes it a semi auto.


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## Bullochcountyhunter (Sep 11, 2020)

Hank. My 50 cal thompson center renegade. Not nearly as pretty as some of yalls but my first excursion into black powder. Photo is from the web, mine looks the same.


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## Darkhorse (Sep 11, 2020)

I'll be toting my .54 caliber rifle Samantha shooting patched round balls. I built her about 20 years ago. She still looks good even after being hunted hard for the last several seasons.






This is the simple peep i use. I have one on both my flinters. Now I can see to shoot again.


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## trad bow (Sep 11, 2020)

I’ll be carrying my TC Renegade 54 caliber.


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## frankwright (Sep 12, 2020)

Lyman Deer Stalker .54 Goex FFG. I am not sure on bullet, I have been using PRB but for ease of loadingI want to try Powerbelt ot T/C MaxiHunters.


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## The Original Rooster (Sep 12, 2020)

I'll have my Thompson Center New Englander .50 cal. with some Maxi-Hunters from @fishfryer on top of 70 grains of black powder.


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## Railroader (Sep 12, 2020)

Traditions Hawken Woodsman .50, 80 gr. 3F, and a Hornady GP 385...


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## Todd Cook (Sep 12, 2020)

frankwright said:


> Lyman Deer Stalker .54 Goex FFG. I am not sure on bullet, I have been using PRB but for ease of loadingI want to try Powerbelt ot T/C MaxiHunters.


I have that same exact gun Frank. That's a fine hunting gun. 70ffg, .530 ball and .015 patch is what I shoot out of it. In one side, out the other with the few I've shot with it.


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## Buckman18 (Sep 13, 2020)

I'll be toting this one, but reading yalls, as well as Nic's and Hillbillys, posts about the more traditional muzzleloaders has sparked my interest in building one of my own.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Sep 13, 2020)

40 yr old CVA 54 cal Hawken with patched round ball with 80gr Pyrodex...I converted the nipple to a hot shot type adapter to use small pistol primers....


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## formula1 (Sep 13, 2020)

I take the more modern approach. I shoot the TC Encore 50 cal, camo stock and forearm, Barnes TSX 300 grain .458 bullet with MMP Sabot,  Blackhorn 209, Winchester 209 primer, topped with a Nikon 3x9 BDC scope. It's accurate to 200 yards but I just like it!


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## Todd Cook (Sep 13, 2020)

Buckman18 said:


> I'll be toting this one, but reading yalls, as well as Nic's and Hillbillys, posts about the more traditional muzzleloaders has sparked my interest in building one of my own.
> 
> View attachment 1038430


Man it is FUN building your own! Challenging for me, but lots of fun. I've hunted with one like you've got pictured; nothing wrong with it. But there's something very nostalgic to me about my old timey guns. Same with trad bows. It's not even the challenge really. It's just so much more of a connection to the weapon.  And real black powder is awesome. The smell, the smoke, etc. Good stuff.


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## 35 Whelen (Sep 13, 2020)

50 caliber New England Firearms Huntsman with a Leopold VX I 2-7x33 with 70 grains of FFG Triple Seven and a 385 grain Hornady Great Plains bullet.   Upgraded the breech plug so it no longer uses those orange plastic primer holders.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Sep 13, 2020)

I have a couple of in lines also..... but the old traditional ones just seem to have a soul and there’s something special about them. You seldom see a used one for sale, seems there is a connection with a man, I believe that’s why most of them have names.


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 14, 2020)

You've got me wishing I was in Ga instead of Pa! Our early muzzleloader isn't opening for another month yet!


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## Darkhorse (Sep 14, 2020)

I start hunting towards the end of October, closer to the rut. That's the best time to kill a good buck. Years of bowhunting during the early season and all the skeeters, and other bugs and the heat and humidity have about cured me of that.
I hunt the regular gun season with my flintlock, I carried my .308 twice last year. And being retired I hunt almost daily.


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## snuffy (Sep 15, 2020)

This loaded with these and 90 grains of Goex 2F


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## Rabun (Sep 15, 2020)

RoosterTodd said:


> I'll have my Thompson Center New Englander .50 cal. with some Maxi-Hunters from @fishfryer on top of 70 grains of black powder.



That's my backup right there. Primary will be my 700ML hurling 320 gr maxi hunter over 100 gr of pyrodex rs


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## The Original Rooster (Sep 15, 2020)

Darkhorse said:


> I start hunting towards the end of October, closer to the rut. That's the best time to kill a good buck. Years of bowhunting during the early season and all the skeeters, and other bugs and the heat and humidity have about cured me of that.
> I hunt the regular gun season with my flintlock, I carried my .308 twice last year. And being retired I hunt almost daily.


You sound like me. I don't like to start hunting until it gets cooler and I carried my muzzleloader exclusively last year.


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## Railroader (Sep 15, 2020)

I'm outta sausage...Gonna smoke the first thing that steps into range.  Hoping 9/30 is the day, skeeters, chiggers, snakes and all...


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## 35 Whelen (Sep 15, 2020)

snuffy said:


> This loaded with these and 90 grains of Goex 2FView attachment 1038779View attachment 1038781


Wow!  That is a chunk of lead!


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## cramer (Sep 15, 2020)

I'll  be  taking my ole T / C Black Diamond  . No scope.


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## snuffy (Sep 16, 2020)

35 Whelen said:


> Wow!  That is a chunk of lead!



535 Grains and they hit with authority  Godogs 57 ( Hank ) turned me on to them yours ago.

https://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/


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## VEARL (Sep 30, 2020)

I WILL BE TOTING 2 ML RIFLES ONE A CVA 50 CAL. OPTIMA INLINE. THE SECOND IS MY ALL TIME FAVOTITE A LYMAN 50 CAL. GPR.   CAN'T WAIT  TILL OPENING DA.


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## GAHUNTER60 (Sep 30, 2020)

.50 cal. Thompson Center Hawken rifle (circa 1978-ish?).  The gun was rebarreled about 25 years ago with a Green Mountain, 1-28" drop-in, because someone (I'm not pointing fingers) forgot to clean the original factory barrel after a range session, causing accuracy to go south -- _waaaaay_ south!

I'm shooting 90 grains of 777 under a 385-grain Hornady Great Plains bullet.  Accuracy is excellent with this combo out to a little over 100 yards.  I've yet to take a deer with this load (having taken a truck load with TC Maxi Balls), but I'm told it will pretty much flatten, field dress, skin and quarter any animal smaller than an Indian Gaur.  (I certainly hope this is true:  would save a fortune on meat processing!)


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 1, 2020)

Went out in the yard this afternoon and touched off my old '79 CVA big bore Mountain Rifle .54 flintlock that's been loaded since this time last year. Put some powder in the pan, pulled the trigger, and it went BOOM!


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 1, 2020)

I retired my old CVA St. Louis Hawken that my dad bought me a couple years before he died. I wouldn't even want to start counting how many deer I've killed with that rifle.


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## trad bow (Oct 1, 2020)

Back in the 60’s I had some cousins and uncles from WNC and Tellico Tenn that came every year to hunt with us. They hunted from Sept thru Jan somewhere with their muzzle loaders. Most were old flintlocks even back then. Makes me wonder where those old guns got off to. I could tell some campfire stories about them days. I was nine years old when I carried my cousin from Tennessee to show him my squirrel hunting tree. A spike came running up to the tree and he let me kill it with his old flintlock. Them men were tough as a lighter knot. WW2 Veterans and always had a cigarette in their mouth and a bottle in their pocket. Always.


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## deermaster13 (Oct 4, 2020)

Got mine out yesterday. The one on the left is my favorite. My Pop bought a matching pair when he retired, gave me this percussion cap and he kept the flintlock. It's a 54 caliber. I left it loaded since last season but as usual no issues. Put another 2 rounds  thru it and cleaned it up. If my grandson doesn't go Saturday morning at least I'm ready. Enjoy seeing the fine looking muzzle loader y'all post.


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## buckpasser (Oct 4, 2020)

There are some cool guns shown in this thread. I’ll be toting a 15 year old CVA piece of crap...haha.


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## wedgebolt (Oct 5, 2020)

Nothing wrong with a 15 year old ***. One of my favorites is a 20 year old CVA that fell out of the ugly tree. I will be using the .54 on the right that I just acquired. After that it will be my old reliable ***. The ones that are shown were fired this weekend at the Long Range Shoot on Fort Stewart. I did not attempt a long range shot. I brought them out for the MWR crew to shoot. I like looking at the old ugly ones.


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## Darkhorse (Oct 5, 2020)

Hey Wedgebolt, How about the details of the 1st (left), and 3rd (right) rifles.


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## Buford_Dawg (Oct 5, 2020)

Either be a modern TC or modern CVA, both shoot straight, just looking to get into the woods and enjoy the scenery.


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## wedgebolt (Oct 6, 2020)

Darkhorse said:


> Hey Wedgebolt, How about the details of the 1st (left), and 3rd (right) rifles.


The first one was commissioned by the previous editor of On the Trail and Muzzle Loader magazine. It was made by Narraganset in Indiana. It is a 44 inch Colerain swamped barrel in .54 . The one in the middle is a .58 Hawkins made by Cabela's. I have two of them that are one digit apart on the SN. The far right one is a .54 Jaeger sold by Dixie Gun Works and made by Pedersoli. Both .54s are very accurate with 70 grains of 2F and PRB.


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## Darkhorse (Oct 6, 2020)

Nice. My .54 shoots 70 grains of 3fg very accurate also. I was loading that weight a couple of years ago behind a PRB and shot an 8 point and a doe. Both shots were complete pass throughs. At the ranges I hunt deer 70 grains is all I need.


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## Twiggbuster (Oct 8, 2020)

CVA 50 cal with unique Mossy Oak camo I’ve never  seen anywhere. Got it on sale at Orlando BPS
10 years ago or more. Shot on hog in avatar.


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## transfixer (Oct 8, 2020)

The way the weather is looking for Saturday,  whatever you carry needs to be waterproof !    lol,


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## trad bow (Oct 9, 2020)

Looks like it will be wet for the northern part of state. Went to Cedar Creek WMA shooting range yesterday and it was packed with people. I ended up shooting at my brothers place. Anyhow lots of people already setting up camps around the national forest land. Some of them need to invest in a tarp or two for this weekend.


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## fishfryer (Oct 9, 2020)

wedgebolt said:


> Nothing wrong with a 15 year old ***. One of my favorites is a 20 year old CVA that fell out of the ugly tree. I will be using the .54 on the right that I just acquired. After that it will be my old reliable ***. The ones that are shown were fired this weekend at the Long Range Shoot on Fort Stewart. I did not attempt a long range shot. I brought them out for the MWR crew to shoot. I like looking at the old ugly ones.


I can see nothing ugly in that picture.


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## bilgerat (Oct 9, 2020)

Toting My CVA optima .45 and the x bow as backup in case the ML gets wet n wont fire


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## pdsniper (Oct 14, 2020)

Parker Hale Whitworth .451 and 70 gn of swiss 3f target grade powder and a hand made 520 gn hexagonal bullet, I have taken many trophy bucks over the years with it


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## pdsniper (Oct 14, 2020)

And my old reliable Hawken as well


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## trad bow (Oct 14, 2020)

Very nice Hawken. Tell us about the peep sight.


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## Darkhorse (Oct 15, 2020)

This is my peep sight. I have one on all my muzzleloaders. I designed it to be unobstructive, and with that it's also fixed in place save for the height adjustment. Without a peep sight I can't hit anything with open sights anymore.


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## trad bow (Oct 15, 2020)

How is it affixed?


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## The Original Rooster (Oct 15, 2020)

Darkhorse said:


> This is my peep sight. I have one on all my muzzleloaders. I designed it to be unobstructive, and with that it's also fixed in place save for the height adjustment. Without a peep sight I can't hit anything with open sights anymore.


@Darkhorse, tell us more about this peep sight. Where did you get it and how is it attached? Most important, where can we get one?


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## pdsniper (Oct 15, 2020)

Its a Lyman Peep Sight with an adjustable iris peep so you can make the hole larger just by turning it works great for low light shots


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## frankwright (Oct 15, 2020)

I am taking my Deerstalker to a friend tonight. He is going to drill and tap it for this Johnson peep sight. 
I can hit with my Lyman peep 57ML but it is big and clunky! 
I will hunt with something Modern Saturday and back to the ML after I get it sighted in. I hope it will sight in as there is no elevation adjustment and just a little windage!


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## Darkhorse (Oct 15, 2020)

RoosterTodd said:


> @Darkhorse, tell us more about this peep sight. Where did you get it and how is it attached? Most important, where can we get one?



I made these sights from 1/8 thick weldable steel angle stock. Bought from Ace. There is a 10-32 steel post through the bottom in front of the hole. Post is secured with epoxy. Dead center on the tang, in front of the Tang bolt, right through the curved part of the tang I drilled and tapped a 10-32 hole clear through the tang.
To sight in; Sight is either screwed down or up for elevation. For windage I tap the front sight one way or the other. Thats the gist of it.
I have been contacted by guys as far away as Alberta wanting info, and wanting to purchase one.
At this time they are not for sale.
To do the job right I will need the rifle since a hole must be drilled and tapped and I'm not set up for that at this time.


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## The Original Rooster (Oct 16, 2020)

Darkhorse said:


> I made these sights from 1/8 thick weldable steel angle stock. Bought from Ace. There is a 10-32 steel post through the bottom in front of the hole. Post is secured with epoxy. Dead center on the tang, in front of the Tang bolt, right through the curved part of the tang I drilled and tapped a 10-32 hole clear through the tang.
> To sight in; Sight is either screwed down or up for elevation. For windage I tap the front sight one way or the other. Thats the gist of it.
> I have been contacted by guys as far away as Alberta wanting info, and wanting to purchase one.
> At this time they are not for sale.
> To do the job right I will need the rifle since a hole must be drilled and tapped and I'm not set up for that at this time.


Great idea. I'm looking at a williams peep sight for mine.


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## trad bow (Oct 16, 2020)

I put fiber optics on my Renegade as I couldn’t see the sights hour before dark and a hour after daylight. Looking to get a flintlock here shortly and will look at the peep sights hard.


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