Be sure to sight in your muzzleloader before the season begins. Photo by Missy Fike

Muzzleloader season begins on the 5th of November in Virginia and is usually the highlight of many deer hunters' season. Muzzleloader season typically takes place during the rut. The rut is when most bucks are very susceptible to harvest because they have one thing in mind; breeding. Bucks will run themselves ragged during the rut in attempts to breed with as many does as possible.

The joys of muzzleloading is compounded by the cooler temperatures and colorful leaves. The temperatures are still comfortable and the weather is usually nice. With the great opportunities that lie in wait, it is no wonder so many hunters join in and hunt during the muzzleloader season each year.

The problem can occur when so many of us stay busy with household chores, getting the duck blind built, bow or crossbow hunting or whatever right up until the day before the season begins. Muzzleloader rifles take more effort and care to use in order to have a successful hunt. Make it a point to shoot your rifle a few days before the season comes in to re-familiarize yourself with the operation of the rifle. Sometimes you will find a few things that need attention too.

One thing that should be done each year prior to the season is a good thorough cleaning. I know you did this at the end of last season. Do yourself a favor and run a white patch down the barrel and see if it comes out clean. (Be sure the gun is not loaded first!) Many times the carbon buildup in the pores of the metal will come out and "dirty" your barrel. So, clean the rifle and then begin an inspection of the cosmetics for rust and lose screws or bolts. Be especially careful of the scope or sight screws. They need to be evenly tightened.

Run a clean white patch through the bore even if you cleaned it good last season.

Next, it is time to sight in. Back off to the distance you expect to shoot in the woods and then according to your manual load the rifle and carefully fire a few rounds. There are several methods that are said to be proper in doing this. I have a Knight and a Rossi rifle and I use the same method to be sure I get consistent results. One of the techs at Knight rifles once told me that after loading in my powder and shooting I should let the rifle cool a bit and then run a "spit patch" (spit on a patch to moisten it) down the barrel one time to keep the amount of fouling equal. I was also told that fouling the barrel prior to actually firing the first shot is a good idea. You can "foul" your barrel by running a patch over the powder charge in the barrel and firing a cap. Be sure you watch the patch fly out and do not let it catch anything on fire.

If you have a spare bullet, use it. Run a spit patch over the fouled barrel one time and then begin shooting and documenting where the impact is. Hopefully you can sight in with less than ten rounds. I like to put up a can or object to shoot at too.

If you end up having problems getting consistent groups there are a slew of likely concerns. A few of them include loose stock to barrel fit, loose scope, bad bullet seating, poor hold on the rifle (stock weld), flinching and two other factors. Eliminate the first choices before considering these.

Triple Seven is a good powder that burns clean and will yield great results.

1. Powder charge. The amount of powder is a factor in each rifle's performance. Some rifles are very picky in the load used to do the job downrange. Adjust your powder charge up or down by five or ten grains. Sometimes that one change will make a huge difference. I use Hodgdons Triple Seven and I found 70 grains was perfect for what I do. At first I was using 100 grains. The rifle was shooting all over the place. I dropped to 80 and found it worked better. 70 grains worked VERY well in my rifle. The point is that maybe you need a powder adjustment.
2. The bullet weight can make a big difference too. The same principle applies as in the example above. Try a new bullet type or weight if you are getting miserable results. It can make a difference.

Muzzleloader season is one of my favorite deer hunting times. If you want a successful season, know you can count on your rifle at the time you most need it. Measure your powder carefully and keep it dry. Follow the tips above and have a safe season.

May God bless your season and the harvest you make.

Be sure and send us photos of your deer or turkey this season. A picture of a young person with their trophy is even better. We ask that the photos have minimal blood in them.