ccr527

hi all.
i am in the market for a new ml . but not sure witch one you can not use in mass.

jamiebuck

take a look in the m/l section lot of great guys in there, i use a cva kodiak ,with a scope omaga s are sweet to, depends on how much you want to spend

cayugad

welcome to the forum. First thing you do is study the laws of your state and determine what is legal and not legal. Then decide for yourself what kind of muzzleloader you want. There is nothing wrong with even traditional rifles. All of them will get the job done. Last is look at your pocket book and decide how much you want to invest in this new hobby. Take into consideration, there is a lot more then just the rifle. There are projectiles, assorted tools, cleaners, lubes, loading items, scopes, mounts, bases, so all of that needs to be considered also...

ccr527

hi Cayuqad
thanks for the welcome.
i live in westerntaxachuettes (mass) i hunt in (zone 2) they only give out 150 doe tags per year that stinks.
last year i had my best year ever hunting filled my doe tag and a 8 pointer with in 5 mins with the doe being taken first. both deer layed with in 10 feet apart of each other. i was useing a Traditions Evolution .50 Cal.
i have only shot the gun 5 times . the only thing that i dont like about the gun that it is for a right handed person.i am going to keep the gun but i want a top shelf ML. if you live in mass can you inform me. i have put aside a nice nest egg for this ML.

cayugad

Quote:

What type of firearm is lawful during the Muzzleloading season? (taken from Massachusetts DNR regulation page)

A shoulder-fired muzzleloader .44 to .775 caliber. Barrel length must be 18 or more inches with only onebarrel operative. In-line ignition systems are permitted providing the rifle loads from the muzzle and doesnot have a break-open or hinge action (like a single-barrel shotgun). Buckshot is prohibited. Only single projectileammunition is permitted. Sabot rounds are legal. Powder is limited to black powder or approved substitutes. Scopes and 209 primers are legal.

Looking over your regulations for Massachusetts, I am wondering if a break open action like found on the Omega, Sidekick, Encore, Pro Hunter, and many other rifles is actually legal. How do the rest of you interpret this law? While there is not a lot of detail as to what the actual hinge action implies, whether loading a 209 primers, etc. I think reading this, they might be illegal. For that reason I would suggest you purchase a Knight Long Range Hunter in .50 caliber or a Knight Disc Elite. These are still the bolt type but the breech is technically sealed and water will not be a factor for you. Also they are considered one of the best long range sabot shooting rifles on the market.

If you want to throw large conicals at the critters with extreme accuracy, then look for a White Super 91-II in .451 caliber or .504 caliber. Both will shoot extremely well and get the job done. While White is not technically in business there are a lot of rifles out there to be found if you know where to look. White's shoot large lead conicals (and sabots extremely well also) with great accuracy even at long distances and with a lot of down range energy.

Outfit any of these rifles with a quality scope and I think you have yourself at least (with practice) a 200 yard rifle able to take down about anything you want to hunt.

jaybe

CCR527: I think the wording makes it pretty clear that an Encore or any other "break-open" gun is NOT legal. Looks like a "plunger-type" ignition is what they're after in an inline gun.
I am not real familiar with a lot of the guns, but the Whites would qualify, and others with that styl of action. I guess the Remington 700ML and the Ruger of the same style. (Dave - you are familiar with more of them, I'm sure.)
Otherwise,you could go with a sidelock - a Hawken or Renegade would be a good choice. Maybe you'dwant to get real traditional and get a flinter.

cayugad

There are still good hammer striker models out there, and the bolt actions would also fit inhere. Since he is looking for a high end it would aim me towards, Knght, White, Thompson Center Black Diamond XR, Remington, and I think some of the Winchester are bolt action as are the CVA Magbolt. If he went with stainless steel barrels in some of the better grades he could have a real nice rifle. I personally would stick with Knight or White, but there are a lot of them out there that woudl fit the bill.

Sharp Shooter

I pulled up some regs for you.

Hinge action is not legal
Scopes, 209 primers, and Sabots are legal.

I personally like at traditional rifle. If you want an inline, those are good to. The thing I like about traditionals is that they really put you back in the 1800's! Some say that inlines are more accurate and more reliable. I think traditionals can be just as reliable with Black Powder and a hot #11 percussion cap. Also, a traditional can be very accurate. I will warn you that they are a little more difficult but I like that. Good luck with whatever you choose!!

frontier gander

This is the only bolt action ML'er Winchester makes and i must say, they shoot sweet and simple to clean.

http://www.winchestermuzzleloading.com/products/x150.htm

ccr527

hi all.
i want to thank ever body for there imput on this subject.
this is my dream someday.