RickF

Have 8F will trade for 7A

Like I said, good luck. You will find that since all these changes go to public hearings (in NH) the lobby groups all show up. No one wants to share their seasons with crossbows. I am hopeful that one day they will at least allow them to be used whenever a rifle is legal, for game that is legal with a rifle. Like I said earlier it is absurd that you can't use them for bear or coyote and more absurd that you have to pay $5 for a permit to restrict you to shooting only at deer during the rifle season. Makes no sense to me but what I have learned is that it "doesn't have to make SENSE it only has to make CENTS ($)".

I am in the Lakes Region of NH. Good luck with your efforts but just be prepared for the lobby of the bow hunter groups.

I also live in NH and feel your frustration with the stance that NH takes on crossbows. The fact that we can only use them during rifle deer season, for deer only, is not based on any scientific data. When I have discussed this with officials they tell me that archery groups fight crossbows every time they come up for discussion for possible rule changes. I think it is a bit absurd that I can't use one for bear or coyote and that I am restricted only for deer. The other piece that is troubling is the fact you have to pay a fee to use them during rifle season. Why? The fee doesn't extend the season or give you another tag, it simply restricts you to hunting only for deer unlike using a bow or a rifle or a muzzleloader which allow you to take other game as well during the deer season. So where does the $ for the crossbow permit go? It doesn't extend the season or give us an additional tag and we don't have crossbow education programs..... I am a long time NH hunter but I now spend more time in other states such as NY and Wyoming to hunt. A game warden in Wyoming said it best, "When you have more game than hunters you manage game. When you have more hunters than game you manage hunters". Guess where we fall in NH? Good luck with your efforts.

LHR Redemption with a 2-7 Leupold Ultimate Slam, shoots 2.5 inch groups off the bench at 200 yards with Blackhorn 209 powder (volumetric 100 measure) and 250g Shockwaves. Oh and that is from their carbine (20 inch barrel) model. It's the last MZ I will ever buy....

Have 8F Looking for 7A

I have an LHR Redemption with a Leupold 2-7 Ultimate Slam. I really like the Ultimate Slam as I have used it on my Omega as well. Just a reminder that the parallax on a muzzleloader/shotgun specific scope is 75 yards as opposed to 100 yards or more for a standard rifle scope.

Lots of rain in NH Lakes Region. Heading to NY on Friday to hunt the weekend in Cato area....any snow reports? Rick

The BDC style scopes are great if you are shooting out beyond 100 yards. I have the Leupold Ultimate Slam 2-7 x 33, which has a SABR reticle, on my muzzleloaders and 3 years ago I decided to bring one along on an antelope hunt in Wyoming. I was able to take an animal out beyond 250 yards. I never would have even attempted that shot without the SABR reticle. If you do get one make sure you spend the time at the range getting it dialed in properly. I also found that using the maximum powder loads gave me far better results down range.

I have only shot the Blackhorn 209 through it, very clean. I have a hunting buddy that still shoots pellets (triple 7) and his groups were a bit greater...that could be because of many factors including the shooter (hope he doesn't read this!). I used the loose powder breech plug and he used the universal plug...only difference in the guns, except that my rings were Leupold and his were weaver...both of us had 2-7 Ultimate slams on the guns. I am picking up a new carbine (20 inch barrel) this week and will report on that one when I get it set up. Rick

Comes with Weaver style base. I used Leupold medium rings (PRW) with my scope (Leupold Ultimate Slam). The trigger is light and has zero creep and no overtravel to it. The trigger guard is rather odd shaped but it is made to fit if you are wearing gloves. The gun is made for the hunter that's for sure. The guys that run the company were the "go to" guys when T/C was still here in NH. If you had a problem you showed up with the gun and they fixed it. That's what made T/C so successful. When T/C got bought by S&W and moved out to MA things changed, and these guys made the decision to stay behind and continue making guns in NH with the focus of providing the things that made T/C successful, customer service and product quality. They are new and still in their infancy but they certainly have the right business model and attitude. It's interesting that these former T/C employees named their first gun.....Redemption....there's a lot to be read into that. Rick

Certainly worth checking out their website and giving them a call. MZ's can be bought directly from them. The designers and president actually answer the phones! Rick

I cleaned it before my first shot just to get any oils etc. out of it. I then shot 4 shots and then pulled the breech (which was easy). I was impressed that there was very little residue, but that was what I was told would happen by the Blackhorn guys. I ended up running a patch after every 5 shots although I think I could have done it every 10 or so shots. The barrel cleaned up so easy. My buddy shot his with triple seven pellets and I can tell you the Blackhorn was much cleaner. If you do get a Redemption they offer different breech plugs, including one specifically for loose powder. That is what I am using. I have the 24 inch barrel but I notice they also have a 20 inch Carbine as well.....might have to check that out! Rick

Just got back from the range after shooting my new muzzleloader, the LHR Redemption. I was very impressed and can see why it got the muzzleloader of the year award from Field and Stream. This is built in NH by the former T/C design engineers who left when T/C moved to Springfield with Smith and Wesson. The gun has some very innovative features including being hammerless, using a match trigger and using a breech plug system that eliminates the inside threading of the barrel. The breach is held in with a collar that now puts the threading on the outside of the barrel eliminating trying to clean those breech plug threads. Without the threading the rifling now is all the way down into the barrel which improves accuracy. The barrel, made by Green Mountain, is coated both inside and out, a first. The process, called armonite, does not change the diameter and is advertised as being corrosion proof. Pretty innovative stuff and all made in the US. I took it out to the range and shot about 20 rounds through it using Blackhorn 209 powder and Shockwave 250's. I mounted a 2-7 Leupold Ultimate Slam on it and shot sub inch groups at 100 yards and one and a half inch groups at 200 yards. No doubt this gun will now be my go to muzzleloader. I like my Omega, and it has served me well, but this thing has too many other features that I need to put through the paces. If you haven't seen it check out their website: http://lhrsportingarms.com/ Rick

I have been stopped twice in the past 5 or 6 years over on the east side of Hoosick. In both cases there were VT and NY wardens and NY State Police. They were professional and very thorough with searching coolers and checking tags. Issue of concern was the transporting of deer across into VT. They made sure everything was boned. Ironically I had 2 coolers full of hotdogs, about 800, made from antelope and mule deer from a WY hunt that I had processed in Bath and had just picked up. They were more curious about the hot dogs and the WY hunt than the NY deer I had shot! Was it an inconvenience? Yes, but they were professional.