Home Page » Hunting Tips » Shotgun or Muzzleloader: Pros and Cons
by Dave Henderson
"Back in the day…" is a phrase coined by the GenX crowd to refer to ancient history – like 25-30 years ago.
"Back in the Day" to shotgun deer hunters recalls a time when you changed your rabbit gun into a deer gun by loading it with slugs or buckshot rather than No. 4s. Anyone putting three slugs out of five in a gallon can at 40 paces “back in the day” was deemed a sharpshooter.
At the same time, anyone who opted to hunt with a muzzleloader at that time did so with a sidehammer replica of a 19th century blackpowder rifle fitted with iron sights and likely loaded with a patched round ball or conical bullet. Optics were either forbidden or unavailable. Again, hit that gallon can regularly at 40 paces and you were ready for the woods.
I know this because I was there. I was shooting shotguns and muzzleloaders as a means of gainful employment "back in the day" and continue today. I've been privy to all the advances in both realms and have benefitted from virtually all of them.
The development of slug loads and slug-shooting shotguns has advanced more in the last 25 years than any other aspect of the firearms industry -- with the possible exception of muzzleloading rifles and loads.
Innovations, in terms of rifles, loads, and propellants have transformed muzzleloading into a concept that is largely indistinguishable from its roots. Today in-line models constitute 95 percent of all retail in the muzzleloader market, relegating the sidehammer guns to nostalgic types or those trapped by archaic regulations.
We’re talking 200-plus yard lethality and accuracy (with some limitations) from both modern shotguns and muzzleloaders using space-age loads and optics formerly reserved for centerfire rifles.
Today more than 4 million of America’s approximately 10 million whitetail hunters go afield armed with shotguns or muzzleloaders. That number grows every year as more and more municipalities turn to shotguns for big game hunting over the potential "next-county" lethality of the modern rifle.
In virtually all cases, areas that forbid the use of centerfire rifles for deer hunting allow citizens the choice of muzzleloading rifle or shotguns. As outlined, both are extremely effective.
Shotguns offer repeat shots, very simple loading, far less mess and hassle, and dependability in all weather conditions. Muzzleloaders, however, are typically more accurate at longer distances; feel and handle more like rifles and often enjoy their own specialty seasons separate from the common firearms season. They tend to be easier to shoot accurately offhand due to the muzzle-heavy design, and there’s also the appeal of "rolling your own" load with modern propellants, sabot/bullet combinations and specialty primers.
Which best suits your needs and desires, a slug-shooting shotgun or a muzzleloading rifle? What slugs work best in your specific shotgun and why? How does one select the right bullet, propellant and primer for your muzzleloader? How about optics for either?
There is a lot more information you’ll need before making that decision. To hear the rest of the story, drop by Dave Henderson’s seminars at the expos.
