14 years ago I took a nice moose, (just outside of Rampart Alaska ) with my 50 caliber inline black powder. Nothing smells better than black powder smoke and black coffee in the early morning.

My dad taught me to shoot with muzzle loaders. I had a little .38 squirrel rifle and we had a .50 and we’d deer hunt the black powder season in Iowa. Such great memories and a good way to work on your fundamentals. Flinches would throw you way off. I heard a podcast where a guy has a 1000 yard muzzle loader! Sure not the same. Thanks for all the great content and appreciate the nostalgia.

My state only allows primitive muzzleloaders for it's ml season, meaning only percussion caps, solid lead bullets (no sabot), iron sights, and loose powder. Built my own Traditions St.Louis Hawkens in 50 cal. From a kit (The learning curve was much bigger than I thought). Worked up a good load (80 gr pyrodex under hornady great plains bullet.) Cracked the stock in the process on the first 100 gr charge. Fixed it. Then threw on a peer and globe to maximize accuracy. Long story short, getting into black powder is really a labor of love.

I love black powder. In PA muzzleloader's are huge. We have a flintlock muzzleloader only deer season that starts after Christmas. It's my favorite time to go hunting. The city slickers don't like to go out for that season. My personal favorite is a .54 cal. Lyman Deerstalker. I use Power belt hollow point and 2F Triple 7 115 grains. Hammers deer very good.

Thanks Ron, been about as long for me as well. Brought back plenty of memories, used to take my boys on blackpowder only weekends and got them a 32cal squirrel rifle and an old 69cal pistol for rock chucks, $5 for every chuck. It was a flintlock so still have my 5. Great memories.

That's a beautiful stock on your Thompson. I enjoy muzzle loading. I bought a flintlock during the ammo shortage and very high prices. That is pretty much all I shot during that first year, it was cheaper and kept my skills up. By the way I've found shooting muzzle loaders helps me keep my marksman skills up and has helped shooting modern rifles due to all the things you mentioned that can and do go wrong. Thanks for the great video.

I started hunting with TC muzzleloaders back in the 1970’s. My first one was a kit TC in 50 caliber. I now own 5 TC muzzleloaders, 2 in 54 cal.,2 in 50 cal., & 1 in 45 cal. Now at 67 yrs. old I have ordered fiber optic sights from Mid West Gun Works so I can get on target better than looking at the original brass front bead. Going to deer hunt here in NC this Fall with the new sights installed, one on the 54 cal.(my favorite), & one on the 50 cal. What a true American Pioneer experience I enjoy with my TCs. Have told my wife many times I was born 150-200 years too late ! Really enjoyed the video Ron as it has rekindled the fire in me to get out and enjoy muzzleloading very soon ! Thank You Sir !

Ron, you have just made a video to compel people to purchase a modern black powder rifle. My thoughts on a modern black powder rifle is to save your money and purchase a regular rifle. Traditional black powder rifles, flintlock and percussion, are both fun to shoot and hunt with. Now for the cost of shooting. In Canada the cost of a box of 20 270 bullets is between $45 and $70 depending on the brand. That relates to $2.25 and $3.50 per shot. Not too many people can afford to go to the range every other week in order to practice and get proficient at shooting. Your modern black powder costs about $2.50 per shot if you factor in all the components. After the initial cost getting started with a true black powder you can reduce the cost of one shot from a black powder to less than 50 cents. Cast your own round ball, cut up an old t-shirt for a patch, reduce the volume of powder (you can get 350 shots out of a pound of BP if you load a practice shot with 20 grains of powder), for under $100.00 you can make 2,000 percussion caps. I am not talking hunting loads here, just target loads to improve your shooting. You can practice your trigger pull, your aim and your follow through, not to mention the flinch that you will overcome, in order to get better at shooting your your modern guns.

That looks like my favorite Muzzleloader, the Thompson Center Renegade

Excited!!! I love my TC Hawken!

Very good. Thank you

Upland bird hunting and waterfowl hunting with a muzzle loader double shotgun is a knee slapping good time. You guys really miss out if you don't have one of those. They bring the thrill of black powder in ways muskets want to but fail at.

Was hit by a ricochet of a 50 caliber maxi-ball. Luckily at far enough distance it didn't have the energy to really tear things up. Did enough damage though and made it through but laid in my coveralls when it came out. Was back in the woods the next year but just have to enjoy it from a wheelchair. Love your channel. Always good info and you're extremely knowledgeable!

Simply explained, concise, hit all the high points and made it understandable. Thanks Ron!

Thanks. Nice video. Taken more warthogs with my Lyman .54 Deerstalker than all my center fire rifles combined.

Thanks Ron for sharing this information with us

I love my muzzleloader…..we have a late muzzle season here in NY…..and not a lot of guys or gals take advantage of it. Many times I have the woods to myself and my sons. I hunt bow, crossbow then rifle and finish off my season with muzzleloader….No i dont take a deer with all of them….but still being out in the woods is what I really love.

Great video, Ron. Good to see you burning some black powder

Glad you made this Mr. Spomer. I didn't know anything about muzzleloaders even though I have several other guns. May have to get one, it looks like fun! Could be a nice project for the muzzleloading season.

My Dad and I participate in muzzleloader shoots every fall and spring at our local club. Muzzleloading is similar to shooting hand loaded cartridges where precision and consistency in reloading is paramount imo.

Good show and information. Thank you.

Well made and interesting Ron , thank you.

Thank you I thoroughly enjoyed it

I just acquired my Grand Fathers 50 cal Thompson Center. I had a good idea on how to shoot it but you just confirmed it. You have motivated me to take it on down to the range. Awesome video, super informative as always. Thank You.

It’s worth pointing out that increasing the caliber of the bore is about increasing the cross-sectional area not necessarily the mass of the bullet. A larger diameter bullet will obtain more energy from the same pressure. If everyone uses spherical bullets and there is a limit on the chamber pressure, it is a logical step. Nevertheless, nineteenth century woodsman could save lead by using bullets of smaller diameter. This is why you saw smaller caliber muzzleloaders with longer barrels.

Thanks Ron

My fave is my 54 tc renegade with a buffalo ball-et...sorta a half roundball/half conical...bought it off my neighbor some years ago with the original wooden ramrod and tc owner's manual. I sure do miss the old Thompson Center, Hawkins, renegades, Senecas...all just quality guns

As always a great informative video. Bless you.

We've got 20 CVAs sitting on the shelf..normally we sell out this time of year .. but can't get caps or powder.

Well done Ron. I had both a replica Remington army in .45 caliber and a CVA .50 caliber Hawken style rifle many years ago. While I enjoyed shooting modern rifles and cartridges, I had more fun hunting jack rabbits with my two black powder firearms than any other way. Never got many rabbits but boy did I have fun and it was relaxing to boot. Take care and have a good week ahead.

I have a Hawken style .50cal that is pretty sweet. Mostly we use inlines, now, though, with scopes. Plenty accurate (couple inch shot group at 100yds). My uncle doesn't hesitate to shoot deer at 150yds with his.

Thank you Ron for another awesome video I love my muzzle loaders All Thompson Center 1 .54 Renegade 2 .50 Renegade 3 .54 Hawken FFF .90 grain patch n ball Built like tanks ! Hoot too shoot 💥

The great thing about muzzloading rifles is when you neglect to clean them they magically become smooth bore muskets

Ron would be interesting if you would explain the difference in how black powder makes power and the difference between Pyrodex and of course smokeless there's a whole bunch that can be said about that to explain the history and our understanding and how it's improved

Ron some of my most enjoyable hunts were with a CVA Apollo in line Muzzleloader. I then went to a Traditions 1 to 66 twist patched Round balls. The challenges of getting close the weather conditions and the history . Makes a enjoyable hunt.

When I first got into hunting with a muzzleloader, our state was primitive guns only, so I started using my Grandfather's CVA Kentucky Rifle in .45 that he killed several deer with. Over the years the state has allowed everything under the sun, but I have never gotten into inline or modern guns. I killed deer with a .58 Enfield musketoon, an artillery carbine version of the full length musket used during the Civil War. I hunt with flintlocks, mostly percussion guns and today's modern black powder, well, I can get some 7-8 shots at least now before running a patch down it. I'm not talking a substitute, I'm talking Goex FFG black powder. I do use Triple 7 in my percussion guns, it won't work in flintlocks. One thing though, I can get flints where I am to use, what you can't find, beg borrow or steal are #11 caps or 209 primers and I haven't seen any in at least 6 months. Those new firesticks, no one has them. So with that primitive tech, I can go hunting with my muzzleloader if I had to while so many have no way to shoot those new, modern guns. Trust me, a patched roundball out of a .50 muzzleloader placed on target at a reasonable distance, say 150 yards and under, will kill any deer walking. If you want to hunt with a sidelock gun, don't let anyone tell you that they aren't effective.

Just getting into muzzleloaders. Nice tutorial.

Awesome.

And Ron has more veins in his forearms than 3 men combined!

If you've been into guns and hunting for enough years you will eventually want to own and hunt with a muzzle loader. It's like only owning and hunting with bolt actions and then moving to a lever action but a whole lot more fun! Thanks for sharing Ron.

Awesome black powder rifle! And history, but you forgot the predecessor of the rifle and musket. That's the crossbow and speaking of crossbows! Have you seen my recent video? Crossbow Saturday

I have a CVA Optima and I love it.

CVA Wolf is a great muzzleloader Ron. Can get pretty accurate with it if you find bullets it likes it’s a lot of fun

The longest shot I attempted with my Thompson Center .50 caliber Hawken replica was 140 yards. 90 grains of FF GOEX behind a 370 grain maxi ball. I held on top of the deer's back and took out the bottom of it's heart. The gun was sighted 3 1/2 inches high at 70 yards and shot 2 inch groups at that range.

My state has a black powder season in the fall for deer. You can actually use anything from inline to matchlock. After Christmas we have a flintlock only season. Love the period correct black powder long guns.

Premeasuring your charge by weight is more precise than volume, because by volume you can "pack" or "fluff" up the powder making it seem like you have more or less powder than actual. The best modern propellant is Blackhorn 209. It shoots nearly as clean as smokeless powder, non corrosive, and burns more efficiently than anything else on the market. Three swipes down the bore with a dry bore snake, and the bore is shiny and clean after a range session using Blackhorn 209. Of course this is very "modern" and restricted in some states for hunting purposes in order to preserve the "primitive" aspect of muzzleloading season. Keep in mind that not all black powder guns are made the same. A classic style black powder gun like Ron's should only be used with GOEX powder or any other true black powder. But the modern CVA Wolf he showcased is good to use with Blackhorn 209 as long as you have the proper breech plug installed and use the proper 209 primers (standard shotshell primers work excellent). I run Cheddite CX2000 209 shotshell primers with a Blackhorn 209 specific breech plug, Blackhorn 209 powder (77 grains by weight), and Hornady SST Low Drag 250 grain sabots in a CVA Optima V2 (.50 cal). My 100 yard groups are around 2 inches currently, which is adequate for black powder hunting. I'll fine tune the load using 70 grains of BH209 and 84 grains of BH209 to see if my groups tighten up. I've heard of people getting sub-MOA ( < 1 inch @ 100 yards) groups with a fine tuned charge. Every gun is different and will respond slightly different to different charges. Also keep in mind that a clean bore shoots differently than a fouled bore, so do two sets of groups: one 3-shot group cleaning between each shot, and one 3-shot group right after your first 3-shot group and DON"T clean between each shot. See how you gun handles a clean bore group vs. a fouled bore group. Wait 5-10 mins between each shot to allow the barrel to cool down. Shoot on a day with little wind and stay out of the sun to help your barrel stay cool.

Love your Thompson Center rifle.

I have a few smoke poles including a flintlock from tvm in 54 and a kit coming in 58 from jim kibler they are alot of fun 🤠

I've killed well over a dozen whitetail with my Lyman.50 cal Flintlock. Set for a 6 o'clock hold at 75 yds, here in PA. Most shots are 40 - 80 yds here. 100 - 125 yds, just hold a tad higher and it's in there. I swear by the old LEE REAL BULLETS with a wool wonderwad glued on the back. Lubed with 1,000+ bore butter, you swab the bore with each loading, the engrave the rifling at loading and they are accurate, hit hard and load, time after time with constant thumb pressure on the ramrod.

Ron I have watched you youtube program for sometime. As a gunsmith I am very interested in what you have to say and I agree with you about 95% of the time. You said Black powder rifles are limited to about 19000 psi in chamber pressure in one of your podcast. That is simply no true, I can duplicate about any velocity of any moder cartridge with black powder. Black powder is capable of 157000 psi chamber pressure under Certain surcumstances. Most black powder rifles are basically strait wall chamber, but what if you expand the chamber above the bullet diameter. It is basically pounds per square in. As the chamber gets larger and bullet gets smaller the chamber pressure goes up. I have pushed a 32 cal. Round ball at in excess of 3000 fps by increasing the chamber diameter. This system is not used commercially because some idiot would not fill the chamber, seat the bullet on a void and blow his damn self up. That doesn't mean it can't be done. Don't cut black powder short, other than being bad dirty, it is a great propellent

I have a 54 muzzleloader. the one thing you did not mention was using a patch with the ball.

KEEP YOUR POWER DRY.....Thanks Ron.....l first started shooting black power back in the late 1950's ans it is a lot of fun.....Shoe🇺🇸

Do an educational video on the newer inline muzzle loaders. Always wanted to try it. Great channel, every topic is highly informative!

Love my H&R HUNTSMAN. LOVE MY Flints too. Lot of fun.

I've done some hunting with muzzle loading rifles. I've owned a number of them but none were flint locks. Since biden has been president and components have become so difficult to get I learned to make my own gun powder. I make my own charcoal and buy the sulfer and potassium nitrate. A real surprise to me was how clean it burns and I am able to fire many more rounds before I have to clean compared to the new non-black powders. My best powder to date is about 20% less dense than Goex black powder so I have to load 20% more to get the same fps. I can now have however much powder I want. I do use it mostly in an in line just because of the hotter shotgun primer but I have used it in all my muzzle loaders and I have loaded it in .38 special cartridges.

I do enjoy my muzzleloaders! FYI.... Loading black powder by volume is a big misconception that keeps getting passed around. There is no such measurement of grains by volume!. Black powder has Always been and still is today measured in grains which is a measurement of weight. The term you are looking for is "Volume Equivalent "! Weigh out the charge of real black powder (1f 2f,3f or 4f) that you want. Then make/buy a dipper/measurer that will repeatedly throw that weight charge of that particular powder. You now have a "volume equivalent" powder measurer. This same dipper/measurer will then cross over to black powder substitutes. The problem with commercial bp measures is that there is no standardization. It may say it throws 100 grains.. but of what? 1f, 2f. 3f.. and of what brand? It does make a difference. The pressures & performance will be different for each. Thanks for the video...

Hey Ron, I shoot a 54 cal. T.C. Renegade exactly like that. It's the first time I have ever seen someone demonstrate one of my guns. I use 435 grain Maxi balls and Pyrodex. Mostly use it for targets but I have hunted with it. Muzzle loading is great fun if you're not in a hurry and want a bit of the old time smoke in your face shooting experience.

I got into muzzle loading from the extra gun season here, with an inline. Many years ago my dad and I ran out to Cabelas to pick up some black powder guns for the post gun season hunt. Now its normal for me. I'm thinking I should take out my Hawkins for a run this year!!

Love muzzle loader hunting just got a traditions pursuit with vapr twist amazing accuracy with lead ball sabot and power belts think twist is 1/24 fun to shoot and watch that smoke cloud

Great video! I love my 54 cal pedersoli, it’s even better casting casting your own bullets and seeing the pretty good accuracy you can get from them

One thing that needs to be emphasised is, you have got to be sure the bullet is firmly seated against the powder. My son had an incident where the bullet wasn't seated against the powder. The gun blew up and he lost his pinkie finger from the explosion. Very vital to make sure of that.

I’d like to see a flintlock

Bought the same rifle in 1996 - T/C Renegade 54 caliber. Installed a tang peep sight. Loaded with 120 grains of Pyrodex RS and a 435 grain Hornady Great Plains bullet, it is a formidable short range weapon. Unfortunately, Hornady discontinued the 54 caliber GP a while back.

The older I get the older my guns get. I just wish my eyesight was better. Love the old big bores! Just acquired a T/C Hawken in 45 cal and really looking forward to shooting and hunting with it.

Ive been looking for reputable companies that have the number 11 percussion caps but it seems like Noone carries them lately. My first 50 cal black powder and can't shoot it haha! Great video as always Mr Ron 👍

3:35 , is it just me or does Ron Spomers arms look super jacked lol

I bought a TC Renagade 54 cal. Around the late 1970 I hunted in mostly central Florida management areas and took around a dozen bucks in about 10 years didn’t hunt with it for at least 30 years was hunting on a Georgia lease and I went with some of the guys thy were bow hunting in black powder season so I shot my Renagade and it grouped great at 75 yards. Well as luck would have I took a really good 8 pt. 205 lbs. that 54 pokes a hole and he didn’t go 50 yds

Something I've noticed is that set triggers are no longer set triggers, you have to set it to be able to fire

I absolutely love my .50 caliber it's fun you need to use your skills, plus it perfect for deer, just a nice clean large hole through and through, without destroying much surrounding tissues, and a blood trail Stevie Wonder could fallow, and it will be a short trail if at all, if properly placed, thanks for sharing Ron..

It's been a long time since I've used a muzzleloader. Honestly, they are fun, but it's not something I really miss. In MI, in certain areas, they have allowed hunters to use center-fire firearms during muzzleloader season. I was shocked when I learned that, but I was glad so I was able to use my 30-30 a little longer.

Use to hunt deer with my .50 Kentucky cap when I was a teen.. casted my own balls and got good enough to drop deer at 100 yards. was considering going back this year, Im gonna take this as a sign lol thank you.

Should give a 4 bore my gunsmith makes here in South Africa a try Ron!

Speaking of new hunters, I would love to see a hunting 101 video.

I hunt with a flintlock it's soo much fun!!!

My Thompson Center Hawken .50 flintlock was dead on accurate at 200 yards, consistently.

good stuff I voted on that survey. I think bp guns are cool. actually, I like pretty much all firearms really. there's nothing I wouldn't shoot at least twice, given the opportunity.

I had a TC Renegade in 50cal. I took nice deer with it in New Hampshire.

Got my first elk last year with a inline .50

Actually ,they rarely drilled their bores , they had a mandrel and formed iron and later steel ,around it ,forge welding the seem. Damascus barrels were strips of iron or steel forge welded around the mandrel. It can also be done in a fuller with a dull chisel or round nose punch ., but that's much slower and trickier to get right.

The trick to fouling is keeping it soft

Ever had a moose complain about being shot with a muzzle loader with a big ol' lead bullet and black powder? When they get to the Pearly Gates they get special entry.

Need to do a ballistic video on muzzleloaders.

I think Ron has been hitting the gym

i still love my .45 cal, for deer had a ,50 traded for my .45 shoots flatter .

Hey Ron check out Woodsman Arms Mussy!

I personaly love using my black powder guns. knocks they right down. i have a cva optima 2 that i shoot a nice 10 point @ 295 yards mag load of white hots poweder pellots. 229 grain federal. he only went about 10 yards. most shot are under 200 yards but long shots are makable.

Hi, would there be any problem if I load a rifle with black powder that burns a little slow? I did a test burn on a board and 30 grains burns it in about 1 second. Thanks

I love black powders I got three revolvers and four rifles a 45 a 50 a 58 and a 69.

Ron, I shoot smokeless MZ, using rifle powder and my 45 cal I shoot 65 grains of N120 under a 40 caliber bullet and easily make 2800 fps. No smoke and my charge is weighed

I just went shooting this Sunday and I shot my Thompson 54 caliber muzzleloader. Because it takes so long to load I only fired it 4 times. When my father in law past away he left me the 54 caliber and a 50 cal muzzleloader. The 50 cal was so dirty it took me one hour to clean it enough to make it safe to shoot. The previous owner left a cork in the barrel during long years of storage. I love both of them. I can not get any info on these rifles. My 54 caliber is just like yours can you shoot miniball out of it.

Nice I Love a Good Black Powder Smokeshow 💨💨💨💨😀😊❤️ Ron

That Hawken kicked you like a mule. How many grains did you put in? Had to have been at least 100. I shoot 60-80 grains (pyrodex FFFG) for my .50 and .58 and I've never had recoil that was that strong

I shot my biggest black bear with a TCR big bore 58 with my own cast bullet. It was a great hunt and the bear provided many delicious meals.

“Everything black powder” even shoots a 30-06 in bp. Faster fps than u said!

Ron when we voted on the poll between black powder and 264 win mag it was bittersweet to see black powder winning i want to see both but i would really appreciate it if you could still get around to doing the 264 video there is so little content and I have many questions that I believe you would answer in the video thanks man

Big fan of 50 cal patched round balls, loaded properly, sized right, and with a proper twist barrel you can get really good accuracy out of an ole smoke pole. Best 5 shot group I’ve shot is a 1.5” group at 100, I consider that very very acceptable for my custom hawken.

Muzzle loaders,,,, full circle…we all wind up back where we started…. .22, air rifles and muzzle loaders.

When I go hunting with my TVM Tennesse Valley Muzzleloader, my minds goes back 250 years. I think of coming home with nothing and my kids have nothing to eat. When hunting was real.

HEY RON.......i have a .53 caliber mold and over a ton of lead at my shop......let me know if you need any....i hate to see you shooting those .50 [or did you mean .49.LOL].........i have a re-enactor friend that never shot his .58 muslet.....it shot fine with my .53 and old denim for a thicker patch

Ron how about compare 45 cal to 50 cal. Is Black horn 209 powder worth it??