New Member Intro - California central coast

[SBH2OMan]

Hello everyone,

Just got my account activated and wanted to introduce myself. I've been googling a lot of info on the sight, but its been tough not being able to post specific questions!

Anyway, I'm one of those guys that hunted as a kid, then stopped completely for about 30 years and now is getting started back up again, so it all seems new (and a lot more complicated than when I was 17!) I have a 16 year old son that is getting his hunter certification this weekend (and I'm joining him since there's no record of my last HSC from back in the 80s!). We're in California along the central coast and will be hunting mostly between Monterey and San Diego areas as time permits.

A friend here in town turned me on to Muzzleloaders for hunting, since the style of hunting really resonates with me (wilderness camping, slogging across miles of backcountry looking for game, making it a "little harder" so as to weed out the masses.) We're also both avid spearfishermen (another one of those sports that tends to weed out the people who aren't willing to put in the extra effort!).

I picked up a GREAT deal on a great condition DISC Elite (too good to pass up) but then realized after I received it that it doesn't have sights! (whoops - need those in CA - doh!).

So after taking it to the range and proving to myself that I can put a 250gr bullet into a 4" square at 100 yards with the scope, I'm embarking on a project to fit the gun with iron sights to get it ready for the rapidly approaching deer season. I ordered the Williams FP "Legend" sight in black with the target knobs (waiting for them to arrive) and once I have it mounted I'll figure out what to do with the front sight...

I'm sure most of my posts in the near future will have to do with the head-scratching moments that surely stand before me as I try to get these sights set up.

In the mean time, I'm excited to have a new sport to join and a bunch of new information to absorb!

-Brent

[sdkidaho]

Looks like we're both new and posted within an hour or so of one another.

Good luck to you Brent. I look forward to seeing you and your boys hunting successes in the future with your muzzleloaders (and spears as well!)

I've shot a muzzleloader once. I was waiting for the spot out in the desert I like to sight my rifles in to open up, as a couple of gentlemen arrived before me to sight in their muzzleloaders. While waiting and watching they flagged me over and asked me if I had ever shot one and then loaded one up for me to have a turn at it. Great guys. That's been a few years ago. I, like you, had taken a sabbatical from big game hunting (work was always too busy to allow) for quite a while and got back into it here a couple of years ago. I've been bow hunting though, unsuccessfully I might add. It's more like "hiking with a weapon" than hunting. I guess that's the same thing when you come home empty handed. Any way, muzzleloader season starts right after archery, so a buddy convinced me that it would be good to try that too. So here I am, looking to learn and find out how to use this new gun.

Darby

[SBH2OMan]

What I've learned so far is the biggest investment in time is determining *exactly* what ignition source, bullet, sabot, powder, and charge volume works for YOUR gun. I was able to short cut a lot of the learning curve by relying on my friend who has an older DISC rifle, so we were shooting tight groups on my rifle within about 10-12 rounds (and that included sighting in the scope!).

While they are relatively expensive to shoot at about $1.20 a round, I find I can spend 4 or 5 hours taking 5 shots, what with all the cleaning and prepping between shots.. Its a lot of fun to send a 300 grain bullet down range that you stuffed down there by hand!

I did find out the hard way that forgetting to stuff the bullet altogether just results in a big POOF and not much else. LOL.

I will say that after 10-12 rounds, my shoulder is ready for some time behind a .22 if I want to stay at the range...