Traditions Buckstalker

John in AR · 02-01-2018, 09:08 AM

Even though I decided a short while back to not spend much money on unnecessary things for a while, I recently picked up a used Buckstalker muzzle-loader. It's not a real high-end gun, only running $200-$300 depending on finish and options; the one I got was pretty middle-of-the-road, with matte black finish and 3-9 tasco scope, and only paid $125 for it.

With our house being built where it is, I'd been seriously considering taking up muzzle loader again (and possibly even bow) for the extended deer seasons, and when one of our technicians brought up that he was selling his, I asked him about it and ended up buying it from him. I confess that it was partly because he'd recently gone thru a particularly ugly divorce and needed the money, but to be honest it worked out well for me as well, so all in all a win-win I suppose. One thing that swayed me toward it was its relatively fast 1:28 rifling twist, allowing a lot more latitude in loadings. My last muzzle loader was a TC Hawken that I sold in 1993 or 94. It was a very well-made rifle, but it had a slow 1:48 twist that really limited what you could load it with.

I'm hoping that this thing will like lead .45-caliber bullets in a sabot; if so, that would let me use my own cast bullets in it. Probably won't do anything with it for some months, but maybe I'll get to take advantage of this fall's extended muzzle-loader season.

Terry G · 02-02-2018, 12:48 PM

I have a .50 Hawken replica bought through Interarms. A well made Italian import that I've had for 35 years. We have a black powder Deer season also. I only hunted with it a few times. When I was in the National Guard they had a BP only season for Active Duty and the Guard and I scored a Doe there. I think the load was 75 Grains FFg behind a Maxi-Ball, but I'm not sure. I went a few times after that, but since the season was after regular gun season. I usually scored already, so I didn't go. I have a .44 Colt replica that I probably have fired less than fifty times. I sort of got into black powder then out. One thing for sure, properly loaded the black powder rifles give nothing away in accuracy.

John in AR · 02-02-2018, 07:19 PM

Ideally it would have been a 45 instead of a 50 caliber. I’ll likely try my cast .45 bullets saboted in this gun, but a 45 would let me use saboted cast .357’s and unsaboted cast .45’s both.

Terry G · 02-03-2018, 09:22 AM

Certainly nothing wrong with a .45 for Whitetail Deer. I had to have a .50 because I was going through my Jeremiah Johnson phase.

02-01-2018, 09:08 AM	#1
John in AR Registered User Joined: May 2004 From: Central Arkansas Posts: 4,997	Traditions Buckstalker Even though I decided a short while back to not spend much money on unnecessary things for a while, I recently picked up a used Buckstalker muzzle-loader. It's not a real high-end gun, only running $200-$300 depending on finish and options; the one I got was pretty middle-of-the-road, with matte black finish and 3-9 tasco scope, and only paid $125 for it. With our house being built where it is, I'd been seriously considering taking up muzzle loader again (and possibly even bow) for the extended deer seasons, and when one of our technicians brought up that he was selling his, I asked him about it and ended up buying it from him. I confess that it was partly because he'd recently gone thru a particularly ugly divorce and needed the money, but to be honest it worked out well for me as well, so all in all a win-win I suppose. One thing that swayed me toward it was its relatively fast 1:28 rifling twist, allowing a lot more latitude in loadings. My last muzzle loader was a TC Hawken that I sold in 1993 or 94. It was a very well-made rifle, but it had a slow 1:48 twist that really limited what you could load it with. I'm hoping that this thing will like lead .45-caliber bullets in a sabot; if so, that would let me use my own cast bullets in it. Probably won't do anything with it for some months, but maybe I'll get to take advantage of this fall's extended muzzle-loader season.

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02-02-2018, 12:48 PM	#2
Terry G Registered User Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,892	I have a .50 Hawken replica bought through Interarms. A well made Italian import that I've had for 35 years. We have a black powder Deer season also. I only hunted with it a few times. When I was in the National Guard they had a BP only season for Active Duty and the Guard and I scored a Doe there. I think the load was 75 Grains FFg behind a Maxi-Ball, but I'm not sure. I went a few times after that, but since the season was after regular gun season. I usually scored already, so I didn't go. I have a .44 Colt replica that I probably have fired less than fifty times. I sort of got into black powder then out. One thing for sure, properly loaded the black powder rifles give nothing away in accuracy.

02-02-2018, 07:19 PM	#3
John in AR Registered User Joined: May 2004 From: Central Arkansas Posts: 4,997	Ideally it would have been a 45 instead of a 50 caliber. I’ll likely try my cast .45 bullets saboted in this gun, but a 45 would let me use saboted cast .357’s and unsaboted cast .45’s both.

02-03-2018, 09:22 AM	#4
Terry G Registered User Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,892	Certainly nothing wrong with a .45 for Whitetail Deer. I had to have a .50 because I was going through my Jeremiah Johnson phase.