October 2026 (1) - Flipbook - Page 75
all you need to do is hit them. A
40-65 or 45-70 is plenty, though
the 45-70 has an edge at distance.
Muzzleloader
As of this writing, no muzzleloader ri昀氀es are in current
production. Pedersoli used to
make them and still lists them
on their website, but 昀椀nding
one in stock seems nearly impossible. Rod England sells
kits — either self-assembled or
built by him into a custom ri昀氀e
— and Lee Shaver occasionally
builds custom ri昀氀es when he has
time. Otherwise, you’re looking
at the used market: GunBroker, Guns International, pawn
shops, auction houses, or word
of mouth. These ri昀氀es often sell
for as much as, or more than,
a new one. Your best bet is to
昀椀nd a match, talk to the shooters there, and learn the ropes
before jumping in — there are a
lot of small details that go into
muzzleloader shooting that people often overlook. It’s probably
the hardest form of the sport
I’ve done. Position is critical,
and you break it every single
shot to reload standing up.
Cartridge Ri昀氀es
Italian-made ri昀氀es can
also be a good option. Peder-
God Bless Black Powder!
soli makes a solid starter ri昀氀e,
though buying one new now
costs nearly as much as a new
Shiloh or C. Sharps, which o昀昀er
better 昀椀t, 昀椀nish, and overall
quality. Buying used can get you
into the sport more a昀昀ordably,
but if you get serious, you’ll likely upgrade eventually.
For those where money
isn’t the deciding factor, Shiloh
Ri昀氀e is probably tops for barrels, wood 昀椀t and 昀椀nish, and
overall appearance. C. Sharps
and CPA are right there with
them, also producing excellent,
competitive ri昀氀es. These typically start around $4,000 shipped
to your FFL and climb quickly
from there — a $10,000 Shiloh
isn’t hard to reach.
Components
Finding quality components
for a newly acquired ri昀氀e can
be a challenge if you don’t cast
your own brass. A great-looking
used ri昀氀e from a gun show can
turn into a headache if you get it
home and discover, say, that 4090SS brass is nearly impossible
to 昀椀nd — and costs $3–5 a case
when you do. For beginners, I’d
recommend sticking with 40-65
or 45-70. Brass is widely available (or easy to make), and load
data is abundant for both.
Bu昀昀alo Arms (BACO) carries
everything you need to gear up,
cast, and shoot for either cartridge. They run one of the best
online stores for bullet molds
anywhere, and they’re among
the top moldmakers in the
world — many state, regional,
national, and world champions
have used their molds to reach
the winner’s circle. They also
sell Starline brass. Starline has
been making brass for over 50
years, including odd, hard-to昀椀nd cartridges. And Swiss powder, in my opinion, is still the
best money can buy — its lot-tolot consistency is outstanding.
Most shooters use 1.5F or 2F.
Getting Involved
If you’re interested,
check with your local range or
watch this magazine for match
昀氀yers. We also post matches on
our Facebook page. Come to a
match, talk to people — they
might even let you shoot a relay
or two. We’re a good bunch.
This old sport is still thriving,
and we’d like to see it keep
growing. Getting yourself, or a
young shooter, into this sport
helps keep it alive for the next
generation.
Good luck and hope to see you
on the ranges!
— Matt Steckel
75
