Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Tell us what you have, is it a .50 cal. rifle, a 12 ga. shotgun, a .44 cal. revolver, or several different ones? What kind of muzzleloaders or black powder firearms do you have and what do you use them for? Include pictures if you want.

Thompson Center: .54 Renegade, .50 Encore

White: .410 Whitetail, .451 Super 91, .504 Super 91, Thunder .12 ga. shotgun

I have owned but sold a TC Cherokee .32 , FireHawk .50, CVA .32(less than one day)

toytruck wrote:Thompson Center: .54 Renegade, .50 Encore

White: .410 Whitetail, .451 Super 91, .504 Super 91, Thunder .12 ga. shotgun

I have owned but sold a TC Cherokee .32 , FireHawk .50, CVA .32(less than one day)

Pretty decent collection there. Got any pictures of them?

T/C .50 Omega. I'm looking for a .32 or .36 sidelock if anyone knows where I might find one.

I also have a Thompson Omega. I killed 3 deer with it last fall. I'm still messing around with the load and bullet. Right now I am at 100g (by volume) of Blackhorn 209 and Barnes 195 Expander MZ bullets. I use a thinner sabot than that which comes with the bullet and I can easily shoot at least 10 shots without swabbing. My patterns at 100 yards are about 3 inches (using a Lead Sled), but I think I can do better - just need more time with it.
My wife inherited my CVA when I got the TC. It doesn't like Blackhorn and she does will with the Powerbelts and 777 pellets.

allingeneral wrote:

toytruck wrote:Thompson Center: .54 Renegade, .50 Encore

White: .410 Whitetail, .451 Super 91, .504 Super 91, Thunder .12 ga. shotgun

I have owned but sold a TC Cherokee .32 , FireHawk .50, CVA .32(less than one day)

Pretty decent collection there. Got any pictures of them?

Yes, I do matter of fact, some of the Whites...I'll get them on here when I get time.

mroyal98 wrote:I also have a Thompson Omega. I killed 3 deer with it last fall. I'm still messing around with the load and bullet. Right now I am at 100g (by volume) of Blackhorn 209 and Barnes 195 Expander MZ bullets. I use a thinner sabot than that which comes with the bullet and I can easily shoot at least 10 shots without swabbing. My patterns at 100 yards are about 3 inches (using a Lead Sled), but I think I can do better - just need more time with it.
My wife inherited my CVA when I got the TC. It doesn't like Blackhorn and she does will with the Powerbelts and 777 pellets.

My encore has basically the same barrel as your Omega. Try 110 grains of Blackhorn and a 300 gr. XTP in a crushrib sabot. Very accurate 1/2" groups a 100 yds with that combo. I have only killed one deer with the 300 gr. XTP, but with pellets and before Blackhorn came out. Will try again this fall.

I just picked up a CVA Optima Elite. I opted for the camo/stainless version in .50 cal. Since it was a combo it also came with another barrel and I chose 30-06 in stainless. Both are Bergara barrels and I have read very good reviews on them. Havent had the chance to shoot this thing yet, but I walked out the door with 2 rifles for the price of what I was going to pay for one.

Thanks, Henry

I have only 2 left, both are about 20 years old. I built both of these from kits and have killed one deer with each. One is 12 ga. double barrel shotgun and the other is a kentucky 45 cal. They are pretty much safe ancchors anymore lol

That kentucky rifle is the only one some of the anti-gun nuts think we should be allowed to have. Better hang on to that one...

I have 3
I still have my very first black powder rifle it is a Thompson Center Renegade in 54 Cal and with double set triggers that I got about 40 years ago. My records show a deer harvest of 14 Deer with it.

My second one that I got is a White in hard chrome finnish and .50 cal with the 209 primer system. My records show 7 Deer have been harvested with this one.

My last one is a Black Knight MK-85 in 50 cal that I converted over to a 209 primer ignition system. My records show that I have harvested 42 Deer with this one. My best shot with this one was at 172 yards. and a 7 point made it into my freezer. The range was confirmed with a laser range finder the next day.
Bill

I've only got one, a Thompson-Center, "Seneca" in 36 cal. Well, it's not really "mine" I don't guess. It belongs to a woman I used to work with. She "loaned" it to me about twenty-five years ago. Whenever I've mentioned bringing it back to her, she tells me "Keep it. That way I know where it is." (She got it when she was dateing a fellow who liked to shoot.)



I don't know that it's ever been fired. I know I never have, and doubt she ever did. I keep saying I'm going to get the stuff to shoot it and take it squirrel hunting but I never do. I run a patch down the barrel from time to time and wipe it down.

I'm thinking about getting a cheap M/L to take advantage of the early deer season.

CajunBass if you or the lady ever decides to part with the Seneca let me know. I've been looking for one.

I have a 45 cal Austin Halleck that is a thing of beauty I bought a while ago...I am embarrassed to say I have never shot it.

I'm thinking about getting a cheap M/L to take advantage of the early deer season.

I've been doing some squirrel hunting the last few weeks, and I've noticed that there are a bunch of deer hanging around the place now. The landlady told me yesterday that there were three in her garden right by the house. Just a couple of days ago, I had a fun stare down with a nice little spike buck as I leaned against a tree. He knew I didn't belong there, but wasn't sure just what I was. He kept jerking his head back around to try to catch me moving. It was all I could do not to laugh.

So, I decided I need a muzzleloader. Hey, it's as good an excuse as any to get a new gun.

I didn't want to put a lot of money into one, since I might not use it but a few times a year, and I might not like it for all I know. So I got a CVA "Wolf" in 50 cal. The rifle came with a 3x9x32 Bushnell scope, a lot more (scope) power than I'll need, but I'll use it for now anyway.

I made the mistake of telling the salesman "fix me up with what I'll need to go with it." He filled a basket with "stuff." Pyrodex pellets, Powerband? or some such bullets, I forget the name off the top of my head. Cleaning stuff, primer caps, and so on. Even buying all that stuff it wasn't too bad.

I don't have a picture of it yet, but I'm sure most everyone knows what they look like. From what I've read on the 'net, most people who have them seem to think they're a good buy.

Oh well. It's another excuse to set beside a tree and watch the creek.

Vahunter wrote:CajunBass if you or the lady ever decides to part with the Seneca let me know. I've been looking for one.

I hear that everytime I post that picture. A lot of people seem to want one. I guess I'll keep it. Might even shoot it one of these days. Who knows.

You definitely need alot more stuff for a ML than a regular gun and Powerbelt bullets are a good place to start. Here's a basic list:

- Rifle
- Powder (pyrodex or 777 pellets to match your caliber is easiest)
- Primers or caps (use 209 shotgun if you can)
- Bullets (Powerbelts are easiest to use)
- Breech plug wrench (comes with rifle usually)
- Primer or cap seater (sometimes comes with rifle and you may not need one but if you do make sure you've got it. Almost impossible to seat or remove a primer on bolt action without)
- BP cleaning solvent
- Bore brush to fit your charging rod
- Cleaning jag
- Patches (pre soaked are easy to use but you also need dry ones too)
- Breech plug grease (not optional and you must use it or be sorry later)
- Bullet starter or palm saver for your charging rod (optional but very nice to have)
- Bag to carry everything in...

I have a 36 cal. Navy Colt (confederate) which I only use for at CW reenactments. Mainly I work on a field howitzer during a reenactment. Colt keeps those pesky infantry away!!
Rxtroll

Rxtroll wrote:I have a 36 cal. Navy Colt (confederate) which I only use for at CW reenactments. Mainly I work on a field howitzer during a reenactment. Colt keeps those pesky infantry away!!
Rxtroll

Infantry leads the way - Follow Me!!!

i personally have 2 CVA's they are the only one i really care have tried traditions, austin halleck, remington and thompson center, but always just go bac to my cva, i actually have a .50 stainless optima right now for this season anyway, not to crazy about there electra but might get there accura for next year, and i also have a flint lock CVA hawken style, aptly named squirrel hunter, its a .32 caliber, but i use white hots in my optima and triple 7 powder in the .32 and have a centerpoint scope on the optima and iron sights on the sh one, but i love both of them, and cant wait for blackpowder season round abouts my area.