New muzzleloader that won’t break the bank

[Mtaylor]

Hey guys I am thinking about muzzleloader hunting with family in the near future(1-4 yrs). I live in WA but will try to hunt ID with my family who still lives there. So I am looking for a NW compliant gun. I always liked what I heard about knights but the Disc Extreme is only made in a .52 cal. What are your thoughts? How much different is the .52 from the .50? It will be a gun that I use for deer and elk, in Wa, and ID. I looked into CVA Wolfs and they sound good if you get a shooter. But sounds like QC isn’t always the best. I was hoping not to spend $800 plus on a muzzy. Is the .52 good? Should I stay with .50? I’m going to start checking out pawn shops to see if they have old Disc Extremes in .50 cal.

 

[Harvey_NW]

I've killed a pile of animals with my cheap Traditions Vortek NW Magnum. Very lightweight and carry friendly. 3 (50gr) Triple 7 pellets and a 250gr SST shoots plenty tight groups and hammers vitals. Not up to speed on the conversions back and forth between 209 and musket cap on the newer ones, but I'm still using musket caps and have never had an issue with ignition. Might look into them for a more budget friendly option.

 

[Robbo857]

I have the CVA MR-X NW edition. If you search around you can usually find them on sale on Midway USA or Muzzle-loaders.com. No complaints with it so far.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

I don't have a NW compliant gun, but I have had two CVA guns that shot great, and the price is very reasonable.

 

[SloppyJ]

Not sure what it takes to be compliant in your state but I've had extremely great results with my CVA Accura MRX. Finally one year after a misfire on a really nice buck at 10yds, I broke down and bought a new muzzloader. I got it from muzzleloaders.com or something like that and they had a package deal with their own branded scope on it for cheaper than I could pick up the gun locally. I got it thinking I'd swap the optic but it's actually held up great. For the two weekends per year that I use one, I'm leaving it be.

What helped me the most was using BH209 powder. I switched before it went way up in price and I have a few jugs so I'm set for a while. I'm still looking for a good bullet that I trust and hopefully will find that in the Barnes Expanders.

 

[Wrench]

The wolf is the best bang for the buck. I have several Idaho legal muzzleloaders and the wolf does 90% of the accuracy of any of them at 70% of the size and weight and for less than 50% of the cost.

If you buy a wolf, heavy no excuses bullets and feed it 80ish grs of 777 or black powder.....it'll simply work.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

Knights are great, but I don't like the .52 because it limits you to finding certain bullets or sabots. I have decided to stick with .50 for the western states and use an Optima V2 where western ignition is needed and am playing around with an T/C Omega for where 209 are allowed to be used.

 

[Mtaylor]

I have the CVA MR-X NW edition. If you search around you can usually find them on sale on Midway USA or Muzzle-loaders.com. No complaints with it so far.

Thanks I will check out those websites. I hear good things about the CVA Accura also

 

[Mtaylor]

For you guys that’s have the experience how is cleaning the Knights vs the CVA’s? I had an old traditions hawken carbine so comparing to the traditions are they easier?

 

[ElkArcher918]

For a starter muzzy look into the CVAs. Wolf, Optima, or Accura MR-X, 50 cal.. I have 1 Optima (scoped), 1 Accura V2 (Williams Precision open sights), 1 Accura MR-X (Williams). I hunt NE deer with the Optima and CO deer/elk with the Accuras. All good shooters if you put the time in during load development.

 

[Mtaylor]

For a starter muzzy look into the CVAs. Wolf, Optima, or Accura MR-X, 50 cal.. I have 1 Optima (scoped), 1 Accura V2 (Williams Precision open sights), 1 Accura MR-X (Williams). I hunt NE deer with the Optima and CO deer/elk with the Accuras. All good shooters if you put the time in during load development.

Thanks

 

[Mtaylor]

What are realistic ranges for accuracy on the knight UL and the CVA’s? I’m guessing the knight ul and the Accura are going to be more accurate a little further than the wolf or optima. Is 200 yards and in realistic?

 

[atmat]

What are realistic ranges for accuracy on the knight UL and the CVA’s? I’m guessing the knight ul and the Accura are going to be more accurate a little further than the wolf or optima. Is 200 yards and in realistic?

Modern in-lines are basically rifles: they’ll get you to 200 no problem.

I only use open sights and am limited by my ability to shoot irons more than the gun’s ability to group.

CVA Accura V2 is great and cheap. For an extra $40, you can buy their “Northwest Conversion breach” and have a both a 209 system as well as legal system for the open-ignition NW states.

 

[Mtaylor]

Modern in-lines are basically rifles: they’ll get you to 200 no problem.

I only use open sights and am limited by my ability to shoot irons more than the gun’s ability to group.

CVA Accura V2 is great and cheap. For an extra $40, you can buy their “Northwest Conversion breach” and have a both a 209 system as well as legal system for the open-ignition NW states.

Good to know I will look into that. I need to check WA laws but I think they are ok with 209’s.

 

[atmat]

Good to know I will look into that. I need to check WA laws but I think they are ok with 209’s.

Yeah, I don’t hunt anywhere that requires open-ignition but bought the breach plug anyway. Figured for $40 was worth it if I one day do.

 

[Robbo857]

Good to know I will look into that. I need to check WA laws but I think they are ok with 209’s.

I live in WA, too, and 209s are good to go (they seem to be easier to find now). I also hunt ID, so I’m trying to find a load that works both in ID and WA. ID may be changing the muzzy regs and will most likely impact legal bullets.


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[Mtaylor]

I heard about that and called ID fish and game yesterday. The lady said it has passed the commission so far but needs some legislature approval. She said we would know by spring.

 

[Jim1187]

I have a CVA wolf v2 I picked up this year. Factory fiber optic irons, 2 white hots under a 295 grain powerbelt sparked by a cheddite 209 and it seems to shoot an honest 3.5" at 100 yards. Now optics or a peep and finer front might tighten things up some since the front bead covers a lot of target at 100.
It was enough to end a coyotes morning when he sat to try and figure out where exactly the bucks he could hear fighting were at.

 

[EdP]

Since the introduction and popularity of in-lines, Thompson Center caplocks (Hawken and Renegade models) have gotten dirt cheap. They are highly reliable and accurate MLs that can be had for a few hundred $ on the used market. The folks interested in historically accurate MLs (myself included) are not interested in the TCs. The in-line advocates don't want sidelocks. Hence the very attractive price for a high quality rifle - the TC. As a caplock they will function reliably with either black power or one of the BP substitutes like Pyrodex or tripple 7 shooting either roundball or conicals.