Your favorite muzzleloader???

[Skychief]

What is or was your favorite muzzleloader?

Please pick just one, past or present.

Why is it your favorite and how is, or was, it used?

Best regards, Skychief

[Bigsmoke]

I'd have to say that is a tough question to answer, there have been so many.  Sad to say, I have sold them all as well.
Overall, I think it was probably my first black powder rifle.  It started out life stock out of the box.  Then I started to Hawkenize it.  I got the Hawken Shop kit and updated the trigger guard and the rear sight.  The butt plate didn't work too well on a Renegade, so a friend of mine and I made one and installed it.  I also put an iron nose cap on it.  At one point, I won an aggregate prize at a rendezvous and put that money towards a new barrel, a Douglas Premium in .54 caliber.  It came I think as a 44" barrel so I cut 8" off and wound up with a 36" barrel.  I swapped that into the stock and finally browned everything.  It didn't look too bad, and did it ever shoot.
As far as use, it was mainly for target shooting and a rendezvous rifle, although I did take it deer hunting a few times.
Then one day, like a dummy, I sold it.  Last I heard it was in Texas.  Wish I would have made the guy promise that if he ever sold it, he would have given me first chance on it.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
John

[hawkthrower]

Ok so a long, long, while back I bought a CVA kit at Tandy Co. and I worked for weeks getting it just right. Re-browned the barrel several times to  get it even and worked my butt off to make the trigger and lock work like I felt they should. I found old mother-of-Perl buttons for inlay and other things were gathered up for the possibles.....  It has been to turkey shoots, Rendezvous, and other contests, out hunting deer, turkey and other things, traveled to several states and is still, after over 30 years, my favorite - likely because it's the first I put together for my self (not the first I've owned...) and because of the time and effort invested, not to mention the hours and hours of shooting it......[attachment=0:3io9nh8g][/attachment]kentuckys.jpg[/attachment:3io9nh8g] CVA .45 "Kentucky" late 70's vintage......

[Hanshi]

Tough question, alright.  While I shoot my .36 SMR the most, I've killed most of my deer with a TVM late Lancaster .45.  That rifle is light, accurate and very handsome.  It has a straight 36" barrel and has the most reliable large Siler flint lock I've fired.  I've used other guns, .50, .54 and .62 but it remains my favorite.

The rubber stopper in the muzzle identifies it as loaded.

[mandack]

I had a Thompson Center New Englander, .50 cal percussion with a 28" barrel... last year they made them with a wood stock. I loved that piece and it was very accurate. I won a couple meets with it but, due to an extended bout of unemployment, I had to sell it. Now TC doesn't make any real BP guns, just those inline pieces with synthetic stocks for the wanna be crowd so they can extend their hunting season.

After that it would be my .50 Pedersoli Frontier flinter. Once I filed the front sight down it was spot on and the ignition was fast. Went the same way as the TC unfortunately.

[Ohio Joe]

This is my favorite muzzle loading rifle. It's a 45 caliber that can be (and has been many times) converted from cap to flint using the John Bailes L&R lock.  It has a 7/8" x 36" Green Mnt Brl., setting in a Jacob Dickert maple stock. You can see on the stock where I've held this rifle while shooting it, along with the wear from carrying it - it would most certainly rate as my favorite muzzleloader.  It's roughly 20 years old. Yep, it's my favorite.  

[Hawken]

I don't have just one....but two that are equally suited to my taste because both are extremely accurate!

How are they used?? Simple! To satisfy me by shooting where they're aimed and eventually there will be two...or more fine whitetail bucks taken by both...provided THE MASTER lets me live a little longer!

FlPerc by Sharps Man, on Flickr

[45.70]

I'm still new to the muzzle loading world, but I've grown extremely fond on my .62 cal trade gun.  Since I've had it, I've put a lot of squirrel and 1 hog in the freezer.  If I tag a deer this season and get a turkey next spring it will become my all around go to muzzleloader.  It's lite and easy to carry in the woods, too.

Garry

[TallTexan]

Favorite caplock and first semi custom is my .54, 1:48 twist, Investarms barreled rifle named Big Red.
She started life as a Lyman Trade rifle but didn't quite have enough LOP for me.  Despite that she has always been very accurate and after the first 100 or so shots the accuracy even improved!  The TR only comes in right hand so after getting to know a very talented gun builder he agreed to use most of the hardware including the barrel and make me something that fit me perfectly.  I chose cherry for the stock and a mostly red finish.  He changed the breech plug over to left handed and used a new L&R lock with the single trigger along with the trade rifle butt plate, nose cap and trigger guard.  85 grains of 2f Goex and a .530 RB, .018 mattress ticking patch lubed with olive oil do the trick and I've won a few local shooting matches with her.

[Uncle Russ]

I chose cherry for the stock and a mostly red finish.

I like that statement for a couple of reasons, IMHO, a "favorite muzzleloader" must also be pleasing to your own eye.
I have a particular muzzleloader that is just that to me, it shoots as well as I can shoot it, and, to me, it's really easy on the eye.
This was a local build, I can't remember the guy's name, but John Shorb (bigsmoke) may still have it stuck away somewhere in the back of his mind,  he's really a pretty sharp fella on such things.

[size=85](sorry for the huge picture, tried to resize it but it doesn't seem to show.)
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Uncle Russ...

[Bigsmoke]

This was a local build, I can't remember the guy's name, but John Shorb (bigsmoke) may still have it stuck away somewhere in the back of his mind,  he's really a pretty sharp fella on such things.

Uncle Russ...

Well, Russ, thanks for the nice words, but I think I am going to let you down this time.  I have no clue as to who built that.  Don't even look familiar.  Sorry, my friend, but no idea.
John

[Uncle Russ]

This was a local build, I can't remember the guy's name, but John Shorb (bigsmoke) may still have it stuck away somewhere in the back of his mind,  he's really a pretty sharp fella on such things.

Uncle Russ...

Well, Russ, thanks for the nice words, but I think I am going to let you down this time.  I have no clue as to who built that.  Don't even look familiar.  Sorry, my friend, but no idea. Shame on me!
I haven't talked to him in 8 - 10 years.....it is just so aggravating when this happens.....this old age stuff just ain't for sissies. period.

Edited to add: John, the original builder of this gun was from Othelo, WA

Uncle Russ...

[TallTexan]

LOL; for both of you!

Russ, you hit the nail on the head!  Big Red is in no way close to being a copy or HC reproduction of anything made prior to the 20th Century but I fell in love with it right out of the box.  Not only for the way she looks but for how naturally the sights line up when brought to the shoulder, the trigger pull without any creep and of course, the 1 inch groups after the smoke settles.

[dbo1966]

Mine is a Bedford/Tennessee/Southern pattern.  .40 cal, her name is Lilly, built by me, my mentor and Captchee.  
I've killed 3 Bucks and a coyote.  She shoots like a dream and has never missed...by much.

[Muley]

My favorite era is the fur trade. My favorite gun is the Hawken. I love it to death. I'm an old guy trying to survive on an SS check. Not easy in 2016. So, as much as i'd love to have a custom built Hawken. I have to settle for a Lyman GPR .54 flintlock. It's not hard to settle for it. It's a nice gun.

I'll use it to do BP shoots and hunt for elk, bear, and mule deer in my beloved Colorado Rockies.