Been a while since we had a discussion here about those of us using "traditionals."  So, what do you have?  What's your go-to traditional?  Any cool stories only a traditionalist can relate to?

I have several "traditionals" mostly along the military lineup.  I have my ArmiSport p-53 Enfield .577" which is my go-to re-enacting gun.  I have a .58" Bernadelli 1841 US "Mississippi" rifle, an Indian 1756 short-land pattern Brown Bess (.75"), a Pedersolli 1795 US model converted into an 1809 VA contract percussion musket (.69"), a little Euroarms .44" "KY rifle" flinter, a .54", and 2 .50" CVA Hawken percussions, a CVA Mt. stalker .50" percussion, and I am sure 1-2 others I can't think of.

My go-to hunter is a customized CVA .50" caplock which I have worked up a nice load using 75 grs of RS Pyrodex pushing a T/C 460 grs Maxi-Ball.

Several years ago it was opening morning of TN's muzzleloader season.  Levaes had all changed and the air this dawn was crisp but not cold.  I was hunting an 1100 acre farm with a 300 acre woodlot atop its center rise.  The ruins of a cabin are in the field ahead of the woods where I park.  I walked past the fallne limestone chimney this morning smelling the crisp clear air and marvelling at the brilliant blue sky.  The sun was not yet up, but already I could see a perfect cloudless blue sky, and the yellow of hundreds of maple trees and white oaks on the hill where I was headed.  I was not long in the woods when I started the slow still-hunt, clasping that heavy cold browned octagonal barrel in my left hand, my right hand grasping the Hawken at the wrist.  Only a little while into the hunt, I spied movement ahead up the slope.  I knelt quickly and peered through the trunks of trees and saplings in the morning's yellow glow under the maples' canopy.  Moments later, the mov't I'd noticed happened again and I realized there were multiple deer ahead feeding on acorns.  My heart was now pounding and the shakes of excitement had begun as I crept forward just a little bit more.  Where the deer were was the old cemetery, dating to the early and mid 1800s.  Here the Elam family buried their dead, marked today only be a few nice angled and crumbling stones and several other unmarked sunken graves under the huge trunks that mark the cemetery corners.  This is a magical place in the fall, full of sorrow while also feeling pleasant and friendly.  I could see the larger dark gray angled stones where the deer legs were moving around not 30 yds away.  After a little while of creeping and looking in all directions intently for deer, always convinced at any moment I'd hear the familiar warning bleats followed in all directions by the sounds of retreating deer, I instead heard deer running from the cemetery area.  But, there were 2-3 running playfully toward me instead of away.  These deer were as happy to be there this morning as was I.  Two nice does came bounding down toward me and I had an dinstant to decide to take the lead doe.  She was smaller than the rear doe, but would do for my purposes.  I was only able to kneel as they approached, and there was no large tree beside me to help steady me or conceal me, but this was not necessary.  They both saw me and turned left just as I was aiming and dropped the hammer.  The morning silence of the old homestead and cemetery was broken by the sharp snap of the cap followed almost instantly by the deep boom of the gun.  I vividly recall the white smoke hiding her from view followed by the scene of her hunched and running off with vibrant red blood spurting from the hole in her side.  I only waited a few short minutes to reload, then using the obvious trail of red blood on yellow leaves followed her about 20 yds to where I found her.  Being there that morning with a gun doing what the old family and locals had done there so many years before just like they had done was mystical.  Smelling the smoke in the cool autum earthy air, seeing the smoke, hearing the boom, was all something that makes being a traditional muzzlelaoder hunter a unique experience.

I have four cap and ball "traditional" rifles a .50cal CVA Missouri Ranger that I got started with,I think cost about 80.00 as a clearance item through Gander Mountain catalog wayy back. I actually had to take a small file to remove the burrs in the bore and crown, but once I found a load that gun would shoot! I also have a .50cal Lyman Great Plains an  Austin & Halleck .50cal and a .54 T/C Hawken that I purchased just slightly used at a gun show for $175. This is my go to gun thesedays I think. It loves a charge of 105grs of pyrodex P behind the 425gr Hornady Great Plains hollow point and shoots fairly flat. From point blank under the stand (when I use one) out to 125yds there is no need for Kentucky elevation when shooting at deer.Of the deer I have taken with these guns two stand out as my most memorable shots. The one was with the CVA shooting a round ball and 70grs that this gun liked, I was hunting GMA land during the primitive weapons season scouting the edge of clearcut when I located a fresh scrape under an oak that a doe had just "freshed" it still had bubbles in it so I found a sweetgum tree that I could climb without much trouble and had no sooner settled on a limb got myself tied in and rifle capped when I saw a young buck standing across the field looking in my direction almost as though he had watched me climb the tree, as he started walking away from me towards the scrape I thought , if I hit him any where that doesn't put him down instantly I'll lose him in that thick brush, it was so thick in there that you couldn't see three feet in front of you I'd have to trip over him to find him. By this time he was already 125yds away and weaving in and out of the short pines. I raised my rifle and held what I thought was three or four inches high and pulled the trigger, the smoke blurred everything and waited for it to clear when it did I could see nothing, looking through my cheap binoculars (all I could afford at the time) I could see one piece of broomstraw twitching, climbing down and walking that distance I found my deer laying right where he fell with a bullet hole just to the right of the knot on back of his head . I was jubillant at my success sorrowed for the deers loss and no one there to see that , for me , magnificent offhand shot. That other memorable shot some other time.

When I think of going traditional with a black powder rifle I always think of a flintlock. The flintlock has been around since sometime in the early 1600s and the percussion being a newcomer as it was introduced in the early 1800s but did not gain much popularity till about 1850 or so. I do enjoy researching, reading and studying about the early guns and even many of the not so popular inventions of rifle ignition systems. My son and I both hunt with a flintlock his is a Lyman deerstalker and mine is either a RMC Accusporter or an Italian investarms copy of a hawken style rifle. PA only allows flintlock ignition for its primitive firearms season after Christmas. At one time we could only use a patched round ball so most of my deer have been taken with it. I recall one season many years ago when I was hunting with both of my sons. We were set up behind a gap in a ridgeline a long ways from our vehicle. I sat there for about 2 hours only seeing the occasional squirrel. I hear a noise from the back of the ridgeline in front of me and saw several deer coming. I got my flintlock ready to shoot and when they stopped I aimed at a big doe and only got a snap, no pan ignition. I looked down and recocked the hammer and it appeared that the deer had not moved but were now looking at me. I aimed carefully at what I thought was the same deer and this time the rifle worked as advertised and the deer all ran back the way they came. As most of you know when you shoot real black powder the resulting cloud most times obscures the target and this time was no different. As I walked the 45 yds to the spot I immediately saw blood. Blood everywhere. I thought I had heard a crash about 50 yds away and followed the trail and found a rather small deer dead in a brush and downed tree choked ravine. I let it there and returned to my location and a few minutes later my youngest son came over to me. I said that I got a shot and thought I had hit the biggest deer I had ever seen. I sent my son to the spot of the hit to look for blood. When He saw that blood trail he said Dad you hit it. He followed the very obvious trail to the deer. He exclaimed that he thought my deer suffered a great deal from ground shrinkage. It turned out that the small deer was much easier to get back to the vehicle than the one I first aimed at and it ate very well. I did try to explain that a deer actually did shrink when hit with a round ball but still got a bit of razzing from my sons for shooting the little one. In reality the small deer must have stepped ahead of the large doe while I recocked my rifle. In the excitement of the moment I did not realize this had happened but a deer is a deer and one with a traditional rifle is priceless.

I have a .32 cal flinter for squirrels (along with a air rifle) A Thompson Center 50 cal Percussion, A Italian 50 cal percussion ( my wife gave me the Christmas before we were married. Had to marry a woman like that), A CVA .54 percussion. They all have thier good points and bad, the flinter has made me cuss more, only because I have used it the most and we all know how they can be. I would like to sell the CVA only because of it being a .54 and I really don't to bother with another caliber. It shoots nice.
The first time I took the .32 out to hunt, I see a squirrel and was sitting down and cocked it and didn't get a shot off so went to decock it and thought I had it locked in the decocked position and let go. It went off and miss my foot by less than a inch. That required a new pair of undies. That had to be the dumbest hunter alive at that point. learned a huge lesson that day. One time when the gun was still new I spotted a nice fox squirrel that came in to my call sitting on a limb for a perfect shot. Now this had to be the dumbest squirrel alive at that time. It took me six shots to hit him! With a flinter. Figure that out. Never have had to do that again either as the range time was spent fixing that problem. It seem s as if the more you shoot a BP the more accurate it gets. The older you get the more you learn also.

I hesitated to respond to “traditionalists” but because I cast my own projectiles and my smoke poles actually use Black Powder, even though I have the more modern cap lock I’ll jump in.

 

My caliber of choice is the 45.

My rifle is a 1973, Thompson Center Hawken, 245 grain Maxi Ball, 75 grains of FFFg Goex and Remington #11 percussion caps. I got this one used at a gun show (shudder at the thought) for $135 in 1976. It shoots way better than I can see. One hundred yards is the maximum for me.

 

My sweet wife gave me a kit CVA cap lock pistol for my birthday and frankly, I did not think much of it. Then it only took ten years to inlet, assemble, polish and fit the thing. I should say there were three moves during that time and I broke/lost parts twice and had to order them up.

 

Needless to say, I wasn’t in a big hurry but I finally got it looking pretty darned good. When I took it to a historical shop to be fitted for a Hot Shot nipple the fellow behind the counter wanted to buy it! He said there were very few in that state of finish. I was very flattered.

 

Then I took it to the range.

Forty grains of FFFg and a patched round ball produced hits in the dirt, thirty feet in front of the bench. I started to file the front sight down and kept firing and filing until I got on the paper at 25 yards.

 

That’s when my heart dropped. The groups were the size of a football.

I continued to shoot and clean between shots and all of a sudden, after about twenty shots, something happened. The groups shrank to the size of a quarter dollar (Yes, I can remember when they were actually silver…dates me, huh?).

 

I put up a new target and proceeded to tear a ten shot group about three quarters of an inch in diameter. You should have seen the other shooters come down to see what I was using (all modern guys).

 

The buttons were about to pop off of my coat.

 

All I can say is: If I were facing that pistol in a duel, I’d run like hell!

 

By the way, that Hawken will do the same thing at 50 yards all day long.

I have never felt under-gunned when carrying my 45 Hawken a field.

Both weapons are a ton of fun and deadly accurate.

I have two T/C Hawkens in .45 caliber.  Both were kit guns.  I assembled one myself in 1983, the other I purchased cheap about a year ago from someone else.  He thought it had a ball stuck in the barrel without any powder behind it.  I don't know why, because it didn't.

I've hunted and killed many deer over the last quarter century with mine, and I am still playing with the other one.  I load 80 grains of Pyrodex in them and use a T/C Maxi Ball for most all of my shooting.  Keeping things the same helps to improve my proficiency, as I know exactly where it will shoot at all yardages.

I've had a few modern in-lines over the years, some even had scopes.  But they were all sold in time, as I just don't get the same kick out of hunting with them.

Someday I may decide to buy a flint lock, but I'm not sure I want to try hunting with one yet.  Maybe a nice .32 or .36 caliber flinter for squirrels would be the way to go.  That sounds like fun to me!

what happen to the post I put on here yesturday?

Yes indeed, a flinter will be the next "pole" added to my box.
Perhaps another 45 or a 50 or who knows? The point is: Using a flint ignition has alway intrigued me.
One of these days...

I have a Cabela's sporterized Hawkin percussion made by Investarms or something like that. The gun was likely made on a screw machine and the lettering on the barrel were laser etched, not sure if that qualifies as a "traditionalist" or not. Certainly not made by traditionalist methods. That being said, I enjoy shooting it a lot, have only owned it for a couple of years and for some reason, have not been able to even see a deer when hunting with it. I am planning on taking it bear hunting in September, probably the first thing besides paper that I will actually kill. I dont want to get over confident, but the odds are really good when going with a guide. I don't have a lot of time right now so I didn't get to read everyone's replies, hopefully get to later.

I have owned CVA hawken 50 cal percussion in 93.Paid 180 dollars for it with purchasing it they had a deal when I got it came with CVA shooters kit. The gun shop I got it from had alot info from owner it sighted in what loads worked him,So I was fortunatly the next owner and made easy for me to enjoy it right from the start.The hunt I think was rememberable got my second buck using this gun.It was the first day of blackpowder season in upstate in New York.I was only in the treestand a hour and half When the four pointer made his tru by my stand 25 yards away the first shot cap misfired.He jumped but didn't run.Was able to recap fired and waited for the smoke to clear to see him laying their. That has been the most memerable hunt.I did have the next year had a probelm with misfiring,The would fire but didn't set the powder off.So I got in touch with the gun shop where I got it and they had possible solution for it I used num 11 caps They mentioned to drill the nipple with a 1/16 bit.And worked I had no probelm with misfires as long as caps fired.I also own a 50 cal Traditions I haven't with it yet the has performed so well hate not use it.This summer my gave me inline Cva wolf magnum lookin to shoot it, But not sure I can take to the woods and leave the hawkin at home.But lookin forward to shooting both.

Got my first smoke pole in the 80'S , an Investarms Hawkin south paw in 50 cal flinter Good gun , but can't tell you how many deer said " what was that clicking noise" in my learning days . It's been going shaboom for a long time now in my after Christmas fun hunts in PA though. My best memory was actually a no shot . Was still hunting through thick laurals I popped into an opening from above , so did a doe from below and cut right back into it seeming to just not let me see her . Well I knew that the trail she was on angled up to another opening so I hoofed it quickly up there and did the still hunt towards the opening .At six feet from it I looked and no tracks were in the snow . I walked to the edge and at the last bush , and that doe was doing the same thing on the other side . We met at the same time at about six feet away and both jumped back in surprise . When my gun came up all I saw was butt and tail flying down the ravine . Can't beat freezing your butt off at that time of year , It's just you and the deer out there . Fun Fun Fun !

Got my first front loader in 1994. I was dating a gal whose step Dad was into Rendezvous and he got me hooked. He had pistols caplocks and flinters. I started going with him to the Rondy's and we would take turns shooting it and I kept beating him with his gun, T/C .54 Renegade. So he says to me you keep shooting sbetter than me with this gun so I better sell it to you. Well he didn't have to twist my arm when I heard those words. He made it from a kit and the thing is a nice shooter. Been in love with shooting ever since. I have taken a doe with it every year I've brought it hunting with me. The one time I trade it in for my 870 shotgun while posting on a drive, a nice buck comes by and I shot it. Sure wish I would have had the smokepole instead of the shotgun. Anyway, still waiting on the first buck with it. This year I will not be bringing the shotgun alond to tempt to switch guns while doing drives. I'll bet him sooner or later.

I own both inline rifles and traditional rifles. Funny, when I head hunting, I often take a traditional rifle. As I find them just a reliable as any rifle.

Well the incident happened during modern season. I was having a terrible year. Just no deer around where I was hunting. My rifle was a .54 caliber T/C Renegade and I was shooting 90 grains of Pyrodex RS and a .530 patched roundball. Why a muzzleloader in modern season... because I can. Anyway, I was in a local watering hole that night after hunting and talking to a friend. He was complaining that all he saw on his stand and his Dad's was does. I told him that would make me real happy to get a doe or two. I had two tags and could harvest anything.. buck or doe. He then called his Dad on his cell and it was arranged... I was going hunting in the morning with his Dad. His father Gary, was positive I would get a shot at the stand he was taking me to.

That morning like most Wisconsin deer hunting mornings in Northern Wisconsin, it was cold and damp. The threat of a snow storm was in the forecast so that meant the deer would most likely move early. I met Gary at the arranged spot. We said our good mornings and such, as he took his 30-06 out of his gun case. He then stared at me as if I lost my mind, when I pulled the T/C Renegade .54 caliber from my buckskin with fringes gun case. His first comment was.. I thought you came to deer hunt. Puzzled I looked at him and said I did. I have two tags to fill. He then wanted to know if I had modern rifles. I told him, yes numerous ones. He then condemned me as to why I brought a Daniel Boone rifle with me. I ignored the comment. After all he was taking me to a honey hole.

As we walked out he told me... your shots will be 80 yards or so. Can you do that with a Daniel Boone gun? I just kind of laughed and told him I think I could pull a shot like that off. He explained about the trails that run past this brush blind he made. And how I would not have a lot of time, and probably no follow up shot. I just nodded at him. We kept walking further and further back into the forest. The air was heavy, and I opened my jacket so I would not sweat or over heat. With my jacket open, Gary then seen my powder horn and really started in on me... I ignored him and just smiled. On the way in we talked about my rifle and the load. He was not impressed.

We reached the blind finally. He pointed to where the deer come through. It was a nice blind made out of woven hazel brush. There was a bucket inside to sit on, and a ledge of wood built to use as a rest. I got situated and Gary then told me he would head up behind me on the ridge and walk that out as it might kick a deer or two my way. I thanked him for the opportunity to hunt, and told him I would meet him at noon at the truck if I had no luck. So up the hill Gary went.

I sat there, slowing down my breathing and trying to cool down so I would not sweat. I zipped my jacket up a little. With just minutes mind you since Gary walked off, I heard something coming through the brush from the direction he had headed. I kind of smiled because I was sure it was him coming back toward me to spoof me and check on me. But.. looking up there stood a small forked buck on the trail. He was looking back up the hill. I wanted a better look at him, so I took my binoculars (small Simmons pair ... easy to carry) out of my pocket. I then looked the deer over. It was a small buck but I am a meat hunter and not real fussy. The buck was not really nervous, so I took my eyes off him to put my binoculars away.

I then slowly brought my T/C Renegade up and rested it on the shooting ledge. I pulled back on the front trigger and then cocked the hammer so it would not make any noise. After I had the hammer back, I pulled the set trigger and got into shooting position on the stock. The rifle had a T/C Hunters Peeps sight on it. I knew it was dead on at 75 yards. So I took a good aim through the peep, concentrating on the sight picture and that little buck. The sights lined up perfect on his shoulder, so I waited for him to slightly quarter. Moved behind the shoulder, concentrated, and BOOM!! the rifle went off. I seriously never remember hitting the trigger.

The blind filled with smoke, and I looked through the cloud. I could see legs sticking straight up in the air. As the smoke cleared, something was very wrong. The bucks legs were pointing at me, and there were four legs sticking up in the air. Two deer!!! I started to reload as cast as I could. I then made myself calm down and do it all right. I wanted no loading mistakes. I exited the blind and kind of hot footed it the 80 yards to the deer. The buck was dead it appeared. No movement, but I had not checked him and I knew better then to step over a deer that might be alive. Fools learn from mistakes. The deer behind was a small doe. She was in pain, and twisting her head around, but it was apparent she could not rise. I looked and on the middle of her back. There it was, was a large red spot. I figured she had a broken spine. And as strange as this might sound I felt sorry for doing that to her.

I pulled my buck knife, stepped on her head to hold her still and cut her throat. I did not want her to suffer anymore. And I was glad when she was finally calm and out of pain. Now remember, Gary had been gone not even five minutes. And now I had scored on a deer. I then heard Gary yell from the ridge. You get one?? Ya I yelled back. Buck or doe, Gary yelled again... Ya, I yelled back. He then hollered again, Did you get a buck or a doe.. I responded with a Ya.. I could then see Gary moving off the ridge towards me. He got to the base of the hill and as he walked towards me he again said, buck or a doe? Then he saw what was on the ground.

There are two dead deer here he said. I told him that was right. He then said, you only shot once didn't you? I only heard one shot? I told Gary, I waited for them to line up so I could take more then one. His eyes bugged out as he said, REALLY!!? I started to laugh and then explained the mistake I had made. I admitted the crime of not looking behind my target. Gary just shook his head and said, your too cheap to waste the powder and ball.

I then told him, while I field dress these two, could you do me a favor. He then asked what it was. I handed him my Renegade and said, its loaded. Could you fire that off for me. No use in keeping a load in it. He kind of looked at me and said, I don't think I want to shoot this cannon.. I again asked him to shoot it off for me. I even told him, it don't kick if that's what you are worried about. He looked ant me and leaned his rifle against a tree. I pointed to a knot on a Ash tree not more then 30 yards off. I told him .. hold a dead bead on the bottom of that and touch it off. I also explained how the triggers worked Well Gary did as I said. BOOM!! the rifle fired and the knot exploded.

We dragged the deer out together, each taking one. Gary claimed that was the reason I shot two of them so he would have to drag one. Back at the trucks I told him I had to register the deer and then hang them but if he wanted I would meet him ASAP at the local watering hole and buy him lunch. Gary agreed. About an hour and a half later I walked into the little out of the tavern. There was Gary sitting with a bunch of my friends. And then it started.. as he introduced me as the guy that hunts with a cannon and waits for them to line up so he does not have to waste ball and powder. And the next year I got to help Gary sight in his brand new .50 caliber Cabela's Hawkins muzzle loader.

Excellent story!

Thanks for taking the time to write it down.

K

Yep excellent story. Especially getting a hunting friend into the front loader style. It also proves we are all prone to making mistakes and as long as the mistake does no harm we can learn so much from it. Here I thought that my cyber friend Cayugad never made my sort of mistakes. Guess you are human after all and not this much bigger than life 10 foot tall Wisconsin wolverine. Thanks again for the story.

I can't say that I've got much to contribute since I only have 1 rifle an 1 pistol and I'm not sure that you would call it "traditional" since it is a Pietta 1851 Navy in .44. But my rifle is a CVA .54 Mountain Rifle that I picked up at a pawn shop for $100. It shoots quite well at 100 yds with a patched round ball and 100 gr of FFFg Goex lit by a Winchester #11 cap.

I have a TC Hawken in 45 cal, a TC White Mountain Carbine in 50. Purchased Green Mountain long range hunter barrels in 50 for both guns a few years ago when they were on sale. Still working on the perfect load for the Green Mountain barrels. The old 45 barrel can still shoot better than my eyes. My pet load for it is 85gr Pyrodex P, a wonder wad and a .451 240gr xtp loaded like a conical. It will produce groups that touch all day long if I do my part.

We never would have guessed you had a .45" Hawken, 45Hawken!  Thanks for the insight.

Lorraine my Early Lancaster .54 caliber


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Top gun is my Lorraine; The Tulle has been passed on.