Hi, JW, and welcome in. My opinion (for what it's worth) is that you should ditch the in- line and get a real gun. (To my mind, a real gun has a bit of rock in the lock, and has tigerstripe maple, and makes a big cloud of this wonderful smelling smoke when you touch it off.)
Depending on how much you can score when you sell your in- line, you may want to look at a this site:
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/
he has one of personal favorites - the Southern Mountain Rifle. If you want something in a larger caliber, take a look at his Colonial Rifle kit … this is a bit on the pricey side, but it's a once in a lifetime investment. Having said that, I would urge you to splurge on the nicest wood you can.
If you have bonded to the Hawken style, there are several similar rifles you can get, but you should do so in the knowledge that looking at a Thompson Center Renegade and a real Hawken rifle is sort of looking at a Yugo and a Maserati - right, they're both automobiles, but … well, you get the idea. (mind you- I have nothing against the Thompson Centers - actually I own several and they're great guns, but it's not a Hawken … OK - that's my rant on that)
if you decide to go down this path, you will look at the Thompson Center, which comes in basically two flavors, the Renegade and the other one, name escapes me at present … the Renegade has a inch (across the flats) barrel... the other guy, if I remember correctly, is 15/16 across the flats... if you're swapping out parts, this can get you jammed up in a hurry, so be careful. The T/C has a well earned reputation for reliability - mine has never failed to fire, except when its dumb owner did dumb stuff, and you can't blame the rifle for human error. Regrettably, they are no longer in production after S&W bought them out, but there are still a boatload of used ones … lurk at Track of the Wolf and some of the other gun sites and you should be able to get a decent price.
The other branch in this road is the Lyman. I've never owned one, but they do look nice. Here's a link to on at Track:
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/
one thing to be aware of is that there are subtle variations in the geometry of these rifles. See if you can get someone to let you shoot both before you get out your wallet. I understand that some folks have had a bad experience with "cheek slap" but I cannot remember which brand is said to do this.
since you mentioned hunting, I would assume that you want to turn Bambi into little white packages, so I would urge you to go with a .54 caliber - it provides a lot more 'whompability,' and a bit more down range theoretical accuracy, since a larger and heavier ball looses velocity at a lower rate. All that theoretical stuff is fine and well, but don't be like so many I've seen who think that once they won a tool, everything is cool … [insert dope-slap] YO!! DUMMY!! JUST BECAUSE YOU BOUGHT A NICE PIANO DOESN'T MAKE YOU A MUSICIAN! ya gotta practice, like with any hand skill, and if you fall out of practice, your performance will degrade.
If you want to try the biathalon thing, I would urge you to do some test runs first - think of it as a shakedown cruise, and then you'll have a better feel for what gear to carry and what you can leave back in your car.
For other styles of rifle, check out the 'for sale' section at Track of the Wolf. I am partial to Southern Mountain Rifles, but that's just me.
To wring the maximum accuracy from your new gun, I would contact Dutch Schoultz and get a copy of his method. This is far and away they best non- shooting accessory you can buy, and if you consider the level of skill this fellow has (he coached the Canadian National ML Team if I remember correctly) it's amazing that he will answer your questions at all … he usually gets back to you within a day. He's a member on this site, and a very nice fellow.
again, welcome to the muzzleloading addiction, for which there is no cure and (to paraphrase the little green Star Wars fellow) once rocks banged have you, forever will they dominate your range time.
Make Good Smoke
