Inline muzzleloader vs single shot slug gun

[Doskil]

Which is the superior weapon for deer hunting?

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Shotgun due to speed of follow up shots. Many muzzle loaders and slugguns alike are deadly out to 250 yards with the correct BDC reticles. I kinda feel muzzle loader season isn't traditional hunting anymore lol.

 

[Vermin93]

Not sure which is superior, but I would prefer a good smokeless muzzleloader.

 

[fairchaser]

Muzxleloaders are considerably more accurate out longer ranges than a slug gun. A saboted slug from a rifled barrel on a slug gun is still only 150 yard gun although I'm sure some will go farther. Where a good smokeless inline muzzleloader is more like a 250 yard gun. The slug gun may have a slight advantage in inclement weather for consistent firing but these days muzzle loaders are pretty reliable. In Iowa where both are legal, I prefer the muzzloader to the slug gun.

 

[gunhuntr]

I'll take the muzzleloader every time.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

Whichever one you are handy with.

 

[TheLBLman]

Which is the superior weapon for deer hunting?

Overall and generally speaking, my vote goes to the slug gun.

As asked, for "deer hunting", not shooting all targets at 250 yards.
Even in Iowa, I'd speculate the average deer is killed at less than 100 yards range?

Part of what makes a weapon overall "superior" is it's ease of use and reliability under the majority of situations. I believe with exception to a very slight accuracy advantage, the shotgun slug gun wins on each other point we might weigh. Personally, I hunt much more often in a pouring blowing rain than I want to take a 200-yd shot (during TN's current muzzleloader season timeframe).

But for each of us, the better question becomes relative to our personal deer hunting applications. Then, the answer becomes highly dependent on just which muzzleloader is compared to just which slug gun. For me, even though I currently do most of my TN muzzleloading with a Savage smokeless that is every bit as accurate as most centerfire rifles (out to 200 yards), if shotgun slugs were legal during our current TN "muzzleloader" season segment, I'd be deer hunting then with a slug gun, which would be an overall superior weapon for my applications.

 

[TheLBLman]

Not sure about the context of the question, but if anything to do with whether shotguns and/or certain centerfire cartridges (such as the .45/70) should be allowed during what is currently TN's "muzzleloader" season segment . . . . . . .

Such a change, imo, would cause a significant increase in the number of hunters afield during this timeframe, and they would be hunting with slightly more effective weapons, and would cause a significant increase in the buck harvest BEFORE our most "traditional" DEER SEASON even begins for most hunters (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). With our current early November muzzleloader season, we're already seeing a deterioration in the traditional Thanksgiving week of more "family" oriented deer hunting (i.e. more of the bucks have already been killed during the early muzzleloader season).

In the context of our current 3-buck limit, I would be very opposed to allowing anything other than "muzzleloaders" during this early November season segment. If we had a simple 2-buck annual limit, I'd have little issue with such a change; if we had a simple 1-buck limit, I'd be all for just beginning "deer" season (any weapon) when our current muzzleloader season segment begins. In the meantime, ever since our early November "muzzleloader" days were doubled (and the buck limit went from 1, or 2, now to 3), we have been trending towards more of the bucks being killed in TN before the real "traditional" deer season even opens, AND the percentage of bucks in the total annual harvest is trending the wrong direction.

 

[eightpointer]

Not sure about the context of the question, but if anything to do with whether shotguns and/or certain centerfire cartridges (such as the .45/70) should be allowed during what is currently TN's "muzzleloader" season segment . . . . . . .

Such a change, imo, would cause a significant increase in the number of hunters afield during this timeframe, and they would be hunting with slightly more effective weapons, and would cause a significant increase in the buck harvest BEFORE our most "traditional" DEER SEASON even begins for most hunters (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). With our current early November muzzleloader season, we're already seeing a deterioration in the traditional Thanksgiving week of more "family" oriented deer hunting (i.e. more of the bucks have already been killed during the early muzzleloader season).

In the context of our current 3-buck limit, I would be very opposed to allowing anything other than "muzzleloaders" during this early November season segment. If we had a simple 2-buck annual limit, I'd have little issue with such a change; if we had a simple 1-buck limit, I'd be all for just beginning "deer" season (any weapon) when our current muzzleloader season segment begins. In the meantime, ever since our early November "muzzleloader" days were doubled (and the buck limit went from 1, or 2, now to 3), we have been trending towards more of the bucks being killed in TN before the real "traditional" deer season even opens, AND the percentage of bucks in the total annual harvest is trending the wrong direction.

Good post. I agree.

 

[tn24]

It all depends on your hunting style or hunt requirements. If you like to take questionable/unethical shots and REALLY need that follow-up shot, then the slug gun is for you.
Personally, I like to make every shot count and rarely miss with my muzzleloader. I have a much better selection of projectiles for the muzzleloader too.
Sure, I have a Savage 220 bolt action slug gun for draw hunts requiring its' use, but it doesn't hold a candle to the muzzleloader in terms of accuracy and ballistics.

Is there anywhere that won't let you use a muzzle loader in place of a slug gun?

 

[TnKen]

They each have their own advantages. I hunt Illinois and have a choice between the two. I mainly use the ML because I feel it is more accurate, but use a SG during bad weather and in tight cover. A SG is more reliable and offer a faster follow up shots. I also prefer the ML because it is cheaper to shoot than the high priced sabot slugs.
In 36 years of hunting in IL their has only been one time that I made a shot with a ML that I couldn't have made with a SG.
Their have been more than a few times that the faster follow up shot of a SG has resulted in the harvest of a deer for me.
Illinois does have a late season muzzle loader only hunt, in which shotguns are not allowed.

 

[BSK]

I've done no shooting with modern slug guns, so I don't know how accurate they are. I do like hunting with a modern in-line, but I have to admit the ability to easily unload a slug gun is attractive. It worries me having a bunch of loaded MZs lying around camp, even if the caps/primers are removed.

 

[megalomaniac]

Modern inlines FAR surpass the capabilities of slug guns. A custom smokeless shooting saboted bullets at 2600 fps is more than capable of taking big game at 400 yards both due to downrange KE as well as accuracy. That's why they are illegal in most states that have a 'primitive weapon' season.

 

[contendershooter]

kind of funny this goes along with what I was saying in my proposal. I do disagree with the comment if we allow single shot rifles and using handguns during muzzleloader season there would be a whole lot more hunters in the woods; I think you would find some would stick with smokepoles, some would change, but the net increase would be either youth or older hunters that don't use muzzleloaders

 

[LY]

Muzzleloader, just because I'm guaranteed I get to shoot it every time I hunt with it. Otherwise I'd take a shotgun as anywhere I hunt nowadays is well within a shotguns range and the ease of loading, unloading/cleaning.

 

[landman]

I would be surprised if the numbers really jumped
allowing shotguns, with so many having MZs
now. Then you look at the cost to buy a real
slug gun, scope, bases, rings and slugs?

Sure some want that follow up shot, but as we
all know just by reading on this site how
many deer are lost every year during Rifle
Season

 

[jaybird62]

Depends on which slug gun. The better ones with pinned barrels, or bolt-actions like a Browning A-Bolt, are just as accurate as far as the best muzzleloader. A run-of-the-mill bunny buster with a swapped-out slug barrel won't shoot as accurately with the best sabot slugs as far as a finely tuned muzzleloader, though. I've shot several of these super-duper slug guns at long ranges at targets, but if given the choice with what I have in the safe, it would be an in-line muzzleloader.

 

[Deer Assassin]

Shotgun due to speed of follow up shots. Many muzzle loaders and slugguns alike are deadly out to 250 yards with the correct BDC reticles. I kinda feel muzzle loader season isn't traditional hunting anymore lol.

i have not seen many accurate slug guns at 250 yds my ml has killed at 292 and several over 200 yds

i have shot several triples back to back to back with a ml follow up shot is not a big deal if you are quick but heck dont miss to begin with

if i was going to ohio or somewhere that was ml or shotgun id take a ml (smokeless of course)