6 Criteria to look for in a Modern Muzzleloader Bullet

In the very beginning, most muzzleloader bullets were really not bullets, but round balls. 

As history went on rifling was added to our forefather's barrel, and the bullets got longer and less round and were bore-sized. As the years went on, the rifles improved and evolved, but the basic design of front-loaders stayed the same, as did the bullets.



And then came Tony Knight.  The tide had been turned, and not in the deer's favor.  In my opinion, no matter who actually made the first in-line rifle, Mr. Knight was the one that really put them in everyone's hand.  And from that point on, the inline rifle was here to stay.

The one item that took a while to catch up to the evolving technology was the bullet.  When the first in-line came along most of us started shooting the good ol .44 caliber pistol bullet, fit down into a sabot, as our projectile of choice.   And actually, these bullets took us to levels in accuracy that we as muzzleloading hunters had never been able to achieve before. 

We were happy campers!

However, the problem with these bullets was that they were made for pistols.  They were designed to expand and group at pistol velocities.  The expansion was the real problem; they were falling apart in game at the speeds we were pushing them from our rifles.  These bullets were designed to perform at about 1200 feet per second (fps) which is still pretty quick from a .44 mag pistol, and it is a handful (in recoil I mean)!  I loaded and shot a great deal back in the day, and remember those loads very well.

But now there are many great bullets.  Not only are they designed to give us great flight paths from our new in-lines, but they are constructed  to expand at modern muzzleloader velocities:  1700 to 2100 fps.  And most do a great job on big game....but the choices are now overwhelming. 

I've taken my experience in hunting and shooting, velocities and ballistics and come up with a list of 6 criteria a bullet must meet to make it into one of my loads: 

     1.  weight range :  240 to 275
     2.  shape - ballistic coefficient
     3.  saboted (in most cases)
     4.  expansion
     5.  weight retention after expansion
     6.  ballistic tip, or even rounded tip (not hollow point)

  Everyone pull up a chair and I'll explain.

1.  Weight Range - I like a bullet weight to be from 240 grains to 275 grains with a ballistic tip.  Especially for long range shooting.  The reason for this is because we can only push a muzzleloader bullet so fast.  In most cases, the heavier the bullet, the slower the speed.  The speed, mixed with the bullet's shape, and the shear diameter, greatly effects the bullet's flight path. 

You can find bullets in these weight ranges from many manufacturers.  Ones I like include: Barnes, Hornady, Parker, Powerbelt, Precision, and Thompson Center.

2.  Shape: Ballistic Coefficient - Any given bullet's ballistic coefficient is a number assigned to a bullet that gives us a very good indication as to how well it will be able to overcome deceleration while in flight.  What this means is: less drop and a flatter flight path over a given distance. 

What kills ballistic coefficient (BC) in a muzzleloader bullet faster than any other thing is the big diameter that comes with these big bullets.  Remember, a bullet with a higher BC will shoot flat longer than one with a lower BC.  So a bullet with a BC factor of .210 will not fly as well as a bullet with a BC factor of .240.  The higher the BC factor, the better the flight path. 

3.  Saboted Bullets - The reason I like a saboted bullet over a bore-sized bullet is because the diameter is reduced somewhat because you have to leave room for the sabot, therefore increasing the BC factor just a little.  And YES!  Every little bit helps! 

(Now, if you are not a sabot person, or hunt in a state that doesn't allow sabots, then the PowerBelts are a good choice for a bore-sized bullet.  I would choose the PowerBelt 245 gr. AT or the PowerBelt Platinum 270 gr. AT.)

4.  Expansion - the opposite of good bullet expansion is a bullet that blows to pieces on impact.  We have put A LOT of bullets to the test (see a few below) in ballistic gel to observe their expansion. 

( * fyi - we use the same ballistic gel for our tests as is used by the FBI labs for terminal ballistics.  Ballistic gel is the standard medium used by law enforcement because it most closely simulates the density and viscosity of human and animal soft tissue.  It is used as a standardized medium for testing the terminal performance of firearms ammunition because of it's approximation of tissue.)

There are several bullets that perform VERY WELL for my standards as you can see below:

However, there are two bullets that have always come apart instead of expanding in my tests.  I was actually surprised by the results, and double-checked them.  I avoid both of these bullets in hunting situations now:

Any of the bullets shown above will serve you well on almost any big game, with the exceptions of the plain, yellow tipped TC Shockwave or the Harvester PT Gold 260. I would suggest that if you are using either of those, you may want to consider switching to another bullet for your loads.

5.  Weight Retention after Expansion - Bullets must be built well enough to stay together, or maintain at least 80% of their weight after expansion and during penetration.  The reason this is best is because it gives us our best chance to have a complete pass-through wound channel.  This results in more blood trail, which helps when tracking is necessary.  On top of that, a bullet that stays together will deliver it's kinetic energy deeper into the chest cavity.  

If you will look closely at the photo below, you can see the wound channel created in ballistic gel. 

6.  Ballistic Tip (or even rounded tip) - Bullets with a ballistic tip or a well-rounded point add to the ballistic coefficient factor of a bullet.  A flat-nosed or hollow point bullet will have a lower BC factor. 

From a 100 yard zero to a range of 200 yards, you will find a drop from approximately 9 inches to approximately 15 inches depending on the bullet. It seems like a lot, but it's easy to compensate for. As always, it's the wind that kills us!


The flight of all bullets will vary based on a number of things:  speed and the ballistic coefficient factor being two of the biggest.  All of the above bullets that I have listed will provide not only a good flight path but a controllable and accurate flight path. 

Keep in mind there are only two ways that a bullet kills and they are both equally important. 

1.  Soft tissue tearing - a path created by the bullet itself and is not much bigger than the bullet diameter.  The tearing of tissue creates damage that could not be repaired even if a surgeon was present. 

2.  Soft tissue displacement - the displacement of internal organs and tissue caused by kinetic energy.  Kinetic energy displaces this soft tissue to a point that it cannot return to it's natural position.  It also creates bruising and clotting in this tissue and organs to the point that it cannot be repaired.

And with all this said, remember nothing substitutes placing the bullet in the proper location. A bad shot is a bad shot even if it's shot with the best of bullets.



I hope I have given you some guidance in this post that will be helpful in your selection of not only an accurate bullet, but a bullet that will perform on big game. 
Look for a future post on one little thing that can be the worse culprit to killing accuracy; one commonly overlooked!

3 Muzzleloading Components for Your Big Game Load

While hating to start off with the same line of options, options, options…I can’t help it, it’s even more true with load components than anything!

1. Bullets, 2. Powder, 3. Primers…within the categories, the choices are endless. In this post, I want to give you a few things to think about that will help you find loads that will provide you with consistency, accuracy and big game performance. Let’s start with bullets and what to look for.

BULLETS - First, lets talk about bullets that will hold up while shooting big game. The main thing here is to look for a bullet that will maintain most of it’s weight after impact and while penetrating the game. A bullet that comes apart on impact will not have much of a chance of penetrating in one side and exiting the other; not giving us the chance of having two holes for leaving a blood-trail out both sides.

Second would be a bullet with a good ballistic coefficient or BC. As most of you know, this factor is a number based on a few things: weight, length, shape, etc. Most muzzleloader bullets have a BC factor of between .180 to .240. Some muzzleloader bullets go over .300, but not many.

The BC factor gives us an idea as to how well a bullet will overcome the urge to decelerate due to air drag while in flight. The higher the BC factor, the better the flight we can expect from a bullet. What this comes down to is this: the higher the BC Factor, the flatter the flight path.

Flat flight path = less bullet drop = what you want.

There are a couple of things that really affect muzzleloader bullets and keep their ballistic coefficient low:

          1. bullet weight
          2. diameter
          3. length

In other words, they’re heavy, fat and short.

These things are a fact, it’s science. There is nothing we can do about it, so we just have to deal with it and compensate for it.  It’s not a problem but these factors, along with slower velocities, is what restricts and limits the range of even modern muzzleloaders.

In our testing, I’ve always opted to pick the higher BC Factor bullets and that will provide less drop and deliver more controllable and predictable flight paths at a range of 250 yards, and in some cases, 300 yards.

The bullets that will provide these results on a consistent basis are 250 to 270 grains, usually have a ballistic tip and have a BC Factor of .210 to .240 (with the right velocities).

This is a big subject, and I want to get into it much deeper, but it will have to wait for a future post. In the meantime, just keep a couple of brands in mind: Barnes, Hornady, Parker, PowerBelt, Precision, and Thompson Center.

POWDER - The next big factor in a load is Powder. Again, a lot of options. But in the case of powders they have been the easiest to figure out which ones are worth spending money on. What we look for in a powder is one that will have:

          1. reliability to ignite
          2. produce good consistent velocities
          3. resistance to moisture

After testing all the powders on the market (and I do mean ALL), the only two we trust for our hunts at this time are Blackhorn 209 and Hodgden Triple 7.

We recommend no one, ever, use pellet-type powders (another complete topic for another day).

Whenever I do this sort of thing, I always go in alphabetical order, so let’s start with Blackhorn 209. Blackhorn has been on the market for 3 years now and it is my powder of choice. It provides very consistent velocities, packs in the barrel very tightly, burns extremely cleanly, holds up very well against moisture, ignites very well, has an almost indefinite shelf-life and best of all, numerous shots can be fired without cleaning between shots without any loss of accuracy. It is best cleaned up with normal solvent-type barrel cleaners, which are much better on your rifle than water-based cleaners. And it cleans the other parts of your rifle much faster than any other brands, to include the breech plug and frame. About the only problem you can have with this powder is having to wait between shots because you can re-load and fire so quickly your barrel will heat up and affect accuracy.

Hodgdens Triple 7 is another good power. It provides great, consistent velocities and ignites well. It is lower in price than Blackhorn 209, but can clump up in the can during the off-season, so it does not provide as good of results the next year, so the lower price is a trade-off. We always replace Triple 7 while testing if the powder sits around for several months between our testing sessions. This tells me that is does not resist moisture well. Triple 7 is a mess to shoot, it leaves a lot of residue behind, however, it does clean up well with water-based cleaners. The barrel must be cleaned between shots to get consistent velocities and it is also very hard to load a second shot on top of a dirty barrel without swabbing because of the crust ring left behind in the breech after firing. This is not a problem on the range, but could be a real problem in a hunting situation.

PRIMERS - Primers are often over looked as being a solution when accuracy problems occur, but are most likely the culprit. We have a standard primer test we conduct on all primers before we ever use it to work up a load.

Our testing has shown this: for Triple 7 Powder, use a low impact primer such as the Winchester Triple 7 Primer or, my favorite for Triple 7 powder, the 209 by Fiocchi. Both of these primers will provide good results. The problem with the Fiocchi primers is they are super hard to find.

For Blackhorn 209, a higher impact primer is needed, or per Blackhorns manufacturer recommendations, a full-strength 209 shotgun primer, such as the “Blue Box” 209 by Winchester or the one Blackhorn themselves recommend (and per my findings, I have to agree), the CCI 209M.

So, there are the components that have proven, in our testing, to provide the requirements we demand: consistency, accuracy and big game performance.

As mentioned before, I’ll be posting on the some of the individual bullets and how they performed for us. But my next post will be on my recent trip to Miles City, Montana to visit the Blackhorn 209 facility there. You are going to be surprised at what I found! (hint-hint: powder vs pellets)

Muzzleloader Scopes - How to Choose?

This post has not been an easy one to write for a few reasons:

1. The number of options available
2. Price range
3. Not wanting my readers to feel they may have made a bad selection

The reason for the last one is only because some of the rifle optic manufactures have made some options look a little more appealing than they actually are (imagine that).

Rifle scopes can make or break a hunt quickly! This is not the place to cut corners! But it’s also not an item we all need to go broke over either. As far as price range goes, only you know how much you can afford. I have always been the kind of person that tried to make it hurt when buying rifle scopes; I believe in quality optics.

The market has a lot of options for under $200.00 but I truly don’t believe you’re getting more than a tube that magnifies a target and has crosshairs; that’s about it. Most of the companies that offer a scope in this price range will give you a lifetime warranty on their products. But how satisfying is that guarantee when you’ve been sitting in the same stand hunting a particular buck all season and on the last day he walks out and you can’t find him in the scope? Truthfully, I’m not the one to review this type of scope - I’ve just never trusted them to one of my hunts. So moving on…

Now today’s market does offer a lot of good options in the $250 to $300 range. Some of the brands I really like for both quality and trustability are (in alphabetical order): Burris, Hawke, Konus, Leatherwood, and Nikon. If you can go above $350 to around $600, then add Leupold to the list. Leupold does have some lower priced options, but the one I really like is around $500 - $550. However, the others I listed are very serviceable scopes and should be considered – I would trust them to any hunt in North America.

Before going any further, you have to know a little something about the scopes I’ve chosen to write about. First, all are of one piece tube construction. All are also known as second focal plane scopes vs scopes on the first focal plane. Second focal scopes seem to be what the American market has accepted. The difference between the two is easy to recognize: the retical in the second focal plane scopes stays the same size when the power is changed and only the target changes. Scopes in the first focal plane design show the reticule growing in size with the target as the power is changed. Almost all scopes offered to American hunters are 2nd focal plane scopes.

The second focal plane design has a lot to do with the type of reticule we choose, but usually only when choosing BDC-type reticles. As far as what the reticule actually looks like is up to you, and what is available in the model of scope you’re looking at buying.

I’ve always just opted for the good ol’ duplex, thick to thin. For hunting and getting on game, sometimes quickly, I just don’t prefer a lot going on or too much to look at in my scopes. I really don’t care for the circle-type reticles in scopes such as the Nikon Omega. They do not provide a precise aiming point for zeroing and practicing with the rifle and cover up a lot of the vital area on big game. As far as Mil Dot reticles, I don’t find much use for them in hunting scopes, especially with the affordability of modern-day rangefinders.

All of this brings me to what I had asked you to research in my last post about what it was that all the manufacturers I had picked had in common. Well, the answer is: They all have True Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact capability. That’s right, as fast as you can read a range finder, you can adjust your scope as to where your bullet will impact the target at the same place your crosshairs have come to rest. The problem that most hunters have with the scopes needed to make this happen is that the turrets are too tall. In most cases I would agree that they are tall, but they come with true point-of-aim, point-of-impact results and to me are worth the extra height. The most compact version I’ve found in this type of scope is Leupold’s VX-3 CDS scope. Once you have the turrets on this scope engraved to your ballistics, it’s as simple as this:

1. Range the target
2. Turn the turret to the appropriate range
(example: if the target is 250 yards, turn the turrent from 0 to 2.5)
3. Aim & Fire

That is it.


The other scopes, Burris, Hawke, Konus & Leatherwood, also have this simple of a solution to the bullet drop problem inherent to muzzleloaders, just in a little taller package. I tested all of the above scopes to date, with the exception of Hawke, and that is on the way. I will have a future post as to how to get each of the others to do the same as Leupolds and just as easy at a later time. My instructions will be easy to understand.

Another option we have, and I’ve used for years, is simply good ol’ Kentucky windage or hold-over. Nothing special, just know what your bullet drop is out to any given range, know the range, lift the crosshairs up “bout” that much and fire. This is my second most favorite pick or option.

My last pick, if you haven’t noticed by now, is the second focal plane BDC reticule-type scopes. Here’s the reason (and I’ll give you the links to check behind me): First of all, keep in mind that the main crosshair will maintain the same impact no matter what the power of the scope is set on. i.e.; if your rifle is zeroed at 100 yards it will be good at any power setting within the scopes’ magnification range. Other than that main crosshair, the yardage hashmarks for the different ranges are only valid if the scopes are set on a specific power. Most are set-up to only work with your ballistics with the scope set on maximum power. Some of Leupolds’ scopes, such as the Ultimate Slam, do have different power ranges that fall within different ballistics ranges, but again, the bullet drop compensation (BDC) values are only valid at that power. If you read the links on Burris and Leopold web sites, they will tell you this. To get an idea as to how much lowering the power changes the bullet impact, go to Nikon Hunting Spot On. Spot On is an easy ballistic program to use and it allows you to see how much changing the power effects your impact (and it’s FREE!). Here’s an example according to Spot On:

1. Scope 3x9x40 Omega BDC 250
2. 250 gr. Shockwave at 1850 fps
3. Zero at 100 yards
4. First circle under main crosshair on 9x is 135 yards
5. Change the power to 3x, first circle zero is now 193 yards


Another point about these scopes is that they are designed to use 150 grains of pellets. The best accuracy from any manufacturers’ rifle is NEVER at it’s best with pellets, much less 150 grains!

The BDC reticle and concept sounds good and has been around a long time, but the truth be known: it wasn’t excepted back then and if you do your homework, you should make sure it’s what you really want now. Not to beat a dead horse, but there are just too many lines in those scopes. With the right deer walking out, you could get confused about which hash-mark to use real quick on maximum power unless you practice a lot.

Tube diameter is another option we need to look at. I prefer a 30 mm tube scope for three reasons:
1. It is more durable because it’s a bigger diameter,
2. They have a few more clicks of elevation or windage in them if needed,
3. I just believe the bigger tube lets more light get from the lens to eye.

But still, most of my scopes are 1 inch tubes.

Here is my normal speech about objective diameter since 50mm objective lens started getting popular: In most cases, you have to use higher mounts. The higher the mounts, the higher you have to lift your cheek off the stock. This destroys what is known in marksmanship skill terms as “stock weld”. The better the stockweld, the better control you have over the rifle. Also, with a 50 mm scope, people say that because it is larger it gathers more light. Well, the truth is a lens only transmits light, it does not gather it. In my opinion, it’s just not worth the trade-off. You will also hear that you get a better field-of-view from a 50mm. Again, not true. You actually get a few feet less. Here’s an example:

1. Burris FullField II 3x9x40mm – 1 inch tube, 33 ft on 3x and 13 ft on 9x at 100 yards
2. Burris FullField II 3x9x50mm – 30 ft on 3x and 11 ft on 9x at 100 yards

One option we’ve had for a long time that has always been a great one is the variable power scope. By far the most popular is the good ol’ 3x9 and on a muzzleloader, I believe it’s all we need. Or if you’re only hunting close cover, a good 2x7 power scope will serve you well and I own a few of these myself.

Remember a few things when picking a muzzleloader scope:

1. the range of a modern front-loader
2. the higher the power, the less field of view you have
3. we use a scope to shoot game, it’s not made to replace a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope

I hope this information can help you use your scope bucks wisely. We’ve done a lot of research on scopes, I’ve bought and used more scopes than I can count. I would urge all of you to take a look at all your options that will allow you to shoot Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact. I truly believe it’s the most simple and effective option of all.

I will have future posts on each of the scopes we’ve tested that will help you accomplish Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact as I get a chance to write them and
I will continue this Saving Your Buck$ series with future posts covering loads, bullets, powders and primers to help you achieve MAXimum accuracy from your modern, in-line muzzleloader.

Keep What You Need - Share What You Don't

I felt the need to write a quick post about the duty I believe we, as hunters,  have to give something back.  And I don't  mean to only the sport and resource we need to be able to hunt, but even to those that don’t.

My family has had a company involved in the hunting industry for over 14 years now.  First with our game call company, Bud & Betty Hunting Calls, and now with MAX.  We have always done as much as we could possibly do to support the various organizations and foundations that comprise everything from our gun rights, habitat and hunting resources to the various organizations that help make it possible for special groups such as children, veterans or handicapped people have opportunities to hunt, etc.  I’ll be the first to admit that these organizations generally need a “time” commitment about the same time of year that we are at our most busy work-period, so our support is usually in the form of products to be used by the groups or to help with raise funding.

But one of our favorite organizations is our local chapter of Hunters & Landowners for the Hungry (maybe they call it something similar in your area).  Not only does this organization help our local area with herd control and conservation, it reaches out to help people outside our sport. 

There are many people in our community that are not as fortunate as we are to have food on the table every day.  This is not news to any of us.  1 in 8 families in my state are impacted by hunger, and ½ of those are children!  That’s enough to send a shiver down my spine.  To date, our local chapter has been able to donate close to 400,000 pound of deer meat over a 5 county area to homeless shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries to help individual families in need.  Now that is news - good news worth sharing!

How does it work?  Hunters for the Hungry and other organizations like it across the country raise money to pay  local processors to process deer donated by local hunters to feed local people.  After picking up the processed deer, Hunters for the Hungry then physically take the meat to distribute to organizations which help people in need.  They are a non-profit organization, run by very dedicated, hard-working volunteers which are supported financially by fundraisers, grants and individual donations of money to pay for the processing fees. 

You can help in one of three ways:  Donate a deer, donate funds to process a deer, donate time to deliver the meat to a local shelter or soup kitchen – or do all three!   

This year our chapters' banquet had more than 450 attendees and was held at a local church.  The guest speaker was Hank Parker, who now resides in our area.  (If you ever have a chance to hear him speak, go do it!  He has a great message for us as hunters, and a great deal of valuable insight on being an American and a Christian.  Not to mention he’s a great story-teller!).  Several of our local hunting businesses were in attendance.  Wildlife photographer, Michael Bibb, had a booth set up displaying pieces of his work.  (I’ve known Michael for several years and he’s a very talented and up-and-coming wildlife artist.  You can check him out at www.wildlifeimp.com).  Gary (Chip) Sayre, CEO of theHuntConnection was also there with a beautiful display of big game mounts from his adventures from all over North America.  (He is still building his website, but it looks like it will be a great resource for hunters.)  It appeared our chapter volunteers, vendors and speakers raised a lot of money for such a worthy cause.

As we go into this fall’s hunting season, find out about your local version of Hunters for the Hungry and remember, we should all give something back.  Not only within our sport, but to others outside the hunting community that could use our help.  It’s a great opportunity to witness to the non-hunters out there. 

Keep what you need, but share what you don’t.  It does make a difference.

3 Things You Gotta Know Before Buying a Bunch of Muzzleloading Gear

The sport of muzzleloading has been experiencing unbelievable growth over the past few years.  Technology has allowed the manufacturers in this industry to offer the consumer the most reliable and accurate muzzleloaders ever produced to date.  Our ancestors would, without a doubt, be awed.

However, with growth comes options.  In the case of modern, in-line muzzleloaders, the choices are so great, it’s sometimes hard to decide what to buy and try.  So what do you need to know to narrow down your needs?  Here’s three questions to help you narrow it down before you start to blow your dough (doe?).

1.  Wha’chu hunt’n?     You first have to decide what it is you are going to hunt with your muzzleloader.  Most muzzleloaders are purchased to hunt the most popular big game animal in North America:  the whitetail deer.  But there are other options if that is not your preference.  Whether your prey is larger or smaller, you need to know what you need to take that animal.  The neat part about this great United States is, we got critters everywhere, so….

2.  Where ya going’?     So you want a buck?  An elk?  A muley?  Before going too far, you need to check the state or area that you will be hunting in.  This will make a big difference in the gear you use.  Almost all muzzleloading rifles and bullets that the industry advertise are legal in most states at this time, but not all.  There are some states that require an open-breech (where the cap would be exposed to the whether) so that is something to be aware of.  In some areas of the country, only bore-sized bullets are legal.  In others, only patched round-balls are allowed.  Optics are also a no-no in some states, or rules may differ on special limited draw hunts or during specific seasons.  Fact of the matter is, you better know the rules where you are going before you start purchasing your gear to save .  So, now you know where you are headed...

3.  What’s it like there?    Depending on the terrain, your rifle, scope and load selection can be as difficult to pin down as, let’s say the whitetail itself.  In “whitetail world”, you can expect a shot at anywhere from 10 yards (or closer) to 200 yards +.  Habitat can be from so thick you can’t see more than 50 yards (where I live) to areas where you can see ‘em way farther than you can shoot ‘em (where I like to go).  The biggest factors here are picking the correct scope or in some cases, iron-sights may be the proper selection, and choosing proper  loads.  Still, narrowing down the choices can be a challenge. 

As you see in this short article, there are some very basic questions to answer before heading out this muzzleloader season.  Think about these things: what will I be hunting, what is legal where I’m going and how far will I be shooting.  Once you’ve answered these important questions, you can start purchasing your equipment – and now the real work of sorting through the choices begins!

Watch for my next post on how to select the high-dollar items: “The Latest & Greatest in Muzzleloading Rifles”.

Get Closer or Shoot Farther?

In the beginning, when humans hunted in order to eat, they had to get close to their prey due to the limited range of their weapons. I’m sure that they ate better some days than others! Over many years, weapons evolved and the killing range was extended, and although it was still limited, I’m sure they ate a little better. As the age of the firearm came, this is when humans started eating so well, we stared getting fat!  And now we’ve arrived at a place where we can take game at almost un-thinkable ranges, much further than many of our ancestors could have ever imagined. Why? Technology.

In today’s hunting arena, I see it that we have basically 4 options: archery, muzzleloader, average center fire and long-range center fire, in that order, from close to far.

For archery, on the most part, we are looking for that 40 yard and under shot. However, with today’s equipment, shots up to 60 yards (maybe a little more) are possible with a lot of practice and very well-tuned equipment (not a shot for me I’ll assure you).

Muzzleloaders, with a lot of improvement in the newer in-lines over the past few years, has put big game well into realistic kill range of 250 or even 300 yards with out-of-the-box, affordable rifles. There are some custom, high-end muzzleloaders being made that claim killing accuracy out to 500 yards, and this may very well be possible.

Then we go to factory, “out-of-the-box”, center fire rifles. I think of these as being the everyday, over-the-counter rifles. They are usually purchased by hunters with the intent of putting a scope on it, sighting it in and then expecting to get 400 to 500 yard accuracy out of it.  These hunters do not intend to spend any money what-so-ever on any custom work to be done on the rifle. In some cases, with the right rifle, scope, mounts and ammo it is possible, but these are not really reasonable expectations. Not only do the stars have to align properly, it takes a certain amount of skill to make a 500 yard shot, even with the best of all the necessary equipment!

Now for the big boys. The high-dollar, custom-built, well-tuned rifle with the best optics and custom, hand-loaded ammo.  These rifles are purchased by the hunters looking for the option of taking a big game animal out to 1000 yards. This type of set-up is available, at a price of course! Man, the rifles alone could and do run several thousand dollars, then add the other stuff you need to get it done! The big issue when you’re talking a 500 plus shot, with any rifle, is skill.  Some people have it, some can learn it, but most will never have it. In most cases, to make consistent, extra long-range shots, you must learn to deal with the wind. Learning to deal with wind drift is an art in itself, one that is hard to learn and harder to teach.

It’s hard to tell sometimes whether the industry wants us to shoot further or get closer?

I say this because after all the above information I just stated on how far the industry has come with long-range options, they are also very busy trying to sell us all kinds of special products so the game can’t see or smell us. You know, all the high-tech clothing, blinds, sprays, cover scents, toothpastes, shampoos…

So which is it? Should we put our money behind all the ultra-modern products to eliminate our presence to the point where the animal walks right up to us, or should we spend a fortune on state-of-the-art, technologically-advanced equipment to see and shoot at unbelievable ranges??

Well, I have taken many big-game animals at more than 200, but haven’t (and I would remember) any out to 500 yards. But I’ve always had a certain amount of pride in learning about and understanding the animal I was hunting well enough to be able to get close to it. As I look at the heads and horns on my walls of big game from the past, it’s the ones I got the closest to, not the ones I took with the longest shot, that are the most memorable.

Which one achieved your most unforgettable hunt?