Shotgun vs Muzzleloader

[Bleitten04]

When gun season comes around how many people use shotgun and how many use a Muzzleloader?  I have always had a shotgun and will always have one.  This year however is my first season with a muzzleloader and I'm much more accurate with it and I'm positive I will be using this during the regular firearms season for the southern zone.  Even with the one shot I know that if I shoot the deer is dead!!! ???  Knock on wood!!!!

[steve863]

I hunt in a rifle area so my choice is pretty easy.  If I hunted in a shotgun zone I think I'd still stick with the shotgun during the regular season for the additional shots if needed.  Yeah, muzzleloaders are fun to shoot and are accurate, but I don't think a modern shotgun with scope and rifled barrel is too far off.  Surely enough accuracy out of most of them to kill deer up to 100 yards.  Plus, I don't think most people should be shooting muzzleloader any further than that either.  Yeah, the bullet can be sent further, but the trajectory starts getting tricky shortly after that distance.  You make a poor shot past that distance with a muzzleloader and don't have a quick follow up shot to help out, you just might be looking to get yourself into some trouble in my opinion.

[Doewhacker]

I carry my ML during gun, in a rifle zone, just because I like it. Other than that, steve is right under 100 yards there isn't much difference.

[Bleitten04]

I agree with the distance factor totally.  The range I shoot at only goes up to 100 yards so I can't target shoot 150 where a ML is suppose to still be accurate.  However I don't have a scope for my shotgun.  If things work out well this year and I get to go out with one of my buddies where we do a lot of drives I would use it there because of multiple shots. 

[bubba]

I hunt rifle area and use a muzzleloader almost exclusively.  I was hurt rifle was not included. Some of us do live North of Syracuse and Albany.  Please rest assured I am kidding. 

[sbuff]

Muzzle loader all season for me,north or south.

[fasteddie]

I go with the Muzzle Loader because it's fun to shoot !

[Bleitten04]

Bubba,

I guess I could have put rifle in there!! I thought that if someone lived where they could use a rifle that is what they would use and not a muzzle loader!!!!  Updating poll now!

[bubba]

I was just kidding

[bubba]

I know a lot od guys who use a ml in rifle country.  It adds to the challenge of the hunt. You have to get closer, you need to take one good shot and with some of todays modern guns and components, it is almost like shooting a rifle.  The big difference comes when you use traditional muzzleloader and components all season. 

[Bernie P.]

Back before Chenango county allowed rifles I used my TC Black Diamond there at my friends camp.At that time my shotgun was a Mberg 500 smooth bore and the ML was a good bit more accurate.Now that things have changed there I only use my ML during the special ML seasons.

[Fantail]

Well even in rifle areas most spots I have I'm lucky to have a shot past 100 yards.

Having said that I hunted so long in shotgun only - smoothbore I trust what I can do.

Having said that I'd realy like to take a deer with my new MZ.

Perhaps I'll let the weather be the deciding factor. In what way? Frack if I know at the moment but I can't let so many choices disctract me.  :-\

[Culvercreek hunt club]

My answer was for the original shotgun VS muzzleloader. I live in shotgun area and since i have gotten my muzzleloader i have not put the rifled slug barrel on my shotgun. I do all treestand hunting on that property. My camp and up north are Rifle areas and I carry my ought 6 there.

[nyslowhand]

To each his own, but over the years I've gotten turned off by hunting deer with a shotgun.

Carried my ML only for the past 4 years during the regular SZ season.

[SilentStalker]

ML in southern zone all the time and rifle in northern zone.

[tk3445]

i was under the impression that Southrn zone rifle is now OK am i wrong?

[Bleitten04]

I think it might be except for CNY

[SteveB]

i was under the impression that Southrn zone rifle is now OK am i wrong?

Yep - wrong.

Only in certain counties.

[tk3445]

I just pulled out my NY Hunting and Trapping mag. and found the "legal implements for regular deer season map. since I hunt 7a in sterling... it looks like according to the map in the back sterling is in oswego county but it looks like on the legal implements it looks like it is in cayuga... according to online maps Sterling is in cayuga county... I just bought the rifle this year... I guess that was a "waste of Money" in a sense...

anyone looking to buy a Winchester M70 30-06 fired 20 times with a pine ridge 4-12x scope?

Tom