A young fellow I've known since his childhood is interested in hunting with a traditional muzzleloader. He is already an accomplished hunter and trapper. Deer is where he wants to start, just to see how a muzzleloader will perform. There's no question elk and black bear will eventually be on his menu, he's killed several using a center fire. We've gone over quite a bit of information, rifle design, shooting components, cleaning and such. I turned him on to a couple of Sam Fadala's books. He's pretty much decided to shoot patched round balls, .54 caliber. The rifle I'm steering him toward is Thompson Center's Hawken in .54 caliber.
If you found yourself advising a new shooter with these requirements what would your recommendation be?
If you found yourself advising a new shooter with these requirements what would your recommendation be?
