Your favorite muzzleloader???

[vulture]

Don't have any pictures of it, but my favorite right now is my Pedersoli Jaeger that a very fine gentleman bored out and rifled from the original .54 with a very fast twist to a slow twist .58 so I can shoot my favorite ammo, round balls.  Before I got this my favorite was a .54 Leman that I build from parts years ago, and I still love it, but it's cap lock and I prefer playing with flintlocks now days, thus the Jaeger.

[Squirrel pizza]

Dang Vulture, i think i feel a tear forming! Next time you want to swap a bullet gun for a rb gun holler at me! Im sure we could work something out.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

This is a hard question...I don't think I've yet built my favourite rifle!!  But if I have to pick just one that is alive currently, it is my Jacob Kuntz squirrel rifle.  It has a 44" x .40 cal B weight Rice barrel I bought from someone here on this site.  The stock a blank from Tiger Hunt back east  lock is Chamber's Late Ketland, cast brass hardware much altered, patchbox, rod pipes, nose piece, sights and inlays all hand made by me.  This project took me 5 1/2 months of long days.  But is well researched thanks to Tom Curran and Eric VonAuschwege who provided details from two Kuntz rifles currently displayed at the MET in New York.

It is an amazing rifle to shoot.  It seems to have an uncanny ability to just hang on the target...that long B weight barrel I think.  It weighs 8 pounds, 8 ounces.  It has provided me with winning status year after year at the BC Rendezvous squirrel match.  No recoil and tremendous follow-through...what a combination!  And if I may say so aloud, not hard to look at either.

[Squirrel pizza]

Yes Sir, i can see what you like about that rifle. Fine as frogs hair!

[Squirrel pizza]

Though ive owned fine handmade rifles that could head shoot squirrels or drop an elk in its track, my favorite was the #4tt. It was a 4 bore. TT stands for turtle thumper. The story goes that it used to be a swivel gun back when the English ruled India. Officer so and so wanted a gun to shoot kritters. Off the wall it came. The lock was marked "Roses" nothing else. Couldnt find a mold so i drilled holes in a piece of oak with a 7/8" paddle bit, drilled to different depths, filled with lead then split wood. Did this till i got close to 1750 grs. But close enough was close enough. I didnt expect much other than a sore shoulder. 300-350grs FF with a denim patch. Yep. Sore shoulder. But you couldnt have more fun or get more attention at the range with a bazooka! The TT comes from de turtleing Dr Carlucci's pond. He's a dentist in Conyers Ga. Has a lovely cabin on a pond that the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts would camp at. Being full of snappers, and not wanting a scout to step on one we set basket traps but usually only caught the babies. So we would sit on the porch of the cabin with various target rifles and dispatch the demon turtles. One day for giggles i decided to try the 4bore. It hit like a depth charge and rained turtle goo . Fair. Maybe not. Fun. You bet.

[hanshi]

Man, what a tough question, but here it goes.  While I shoot (for economy) my iron mounted .36 SMR the most, the one that has taken most of my deer, and a few squirrels, over the years is a plain-Jane Lancaster I've owned for a goodly time.  It's a .45 X 36" X 13/16" barrel with the most reliable large Siler flint lock I've ever used.  It's short, light, with a beautiful flame grain stock and accurate as can be.  In order to give it a rest I've occasionally taken a few others into the bush; but it remains my official go-to deer rifle.

And that's a rubber stopper in the muzzle to indicate a charged bore.

 

[bones92]

Although I haven't had it very long, and have not had a chance to fire it, I think this Cornell Kemper is my favorite.  Lithe, light and beautiful.

[smokinbuck]

Being lucky enough to have 40-50 muzzleloaders I would have to say that my favorite is the one I happen to be shooting at that time.
Mark

[little joe]

Although I haven't had it very long, and have not had a chance to fire it, I think this Cornell Kemper is my favorite.  Lithe, light and beautiful.

As soon as I saw it I reconized it as a C. kemper. By the way cornell built 3000 or near rifles.

[bones92]

Little Joe, you know your rifles.   I have learned quite a bit about Cornell and his gun-making over the past weeks.  I had a chance to chat and correspond with his son, Marvin.  I truly feel honored to be custodian of such a fine rifle. 

Marvin estimated that this rifle was likely made around 1975 or a bit earlier, based on the Douglas barrel.

[C. Cash]

Being a poor boy with only one long rifle simplifies the problem!  Built by B.J. Habermehl of Central PA:  54 cal. Left handed Early Lancaster with GM Barrel, Tiger Hunt stock, Chambers Lock.  These are old pics when it, bag and horn were new.

[little joe]

Little Joe, you know your rifles.   I have learned quite a bit about Cornell and his gun-making over the past weeks.  I had a chance to chat and correspond with his son, Marvin.  I truly feel honored to be custodian of such a fine rifle. 

Marvin estimated that this rifle was likely made around 1975 or a bit earlier, based on the Douglas barrel.

Used to stop and visit Cornell if I was in his neighborhood, a very nice gentleman.One time Cornell was unsure if his son ( Marvin) was learning the trade as fast as dad would like. Little did he realize the outstanding craftsman that was developing.

[hanshi]

Being lucky enough to have 40-50 muzzleloaders I would have to say that my favorite is the one I happen to be shooting at that time.
Mark

40-50...WOW!  You do realize, don't you, that you are now the most hated man on the thread?

[Squirrel pizza]

Bones, the more I flip back and look at your rifle the more I like about it. The "Roman nose" is seldom seen, and I love those triggers. Its no one particular element, but the architecture as a whole just works. Very nice.

[Goose]

Im with Kermit, my favorite one is the next one I'm building. I have this problem though, once they're finished I get attached to them and I don't want to part with them.

[bones92]

Bones, the more I flip back and look at your rifle the more I like about it. The "Roman nose" is seldom seen, and I love those triggers. Its no one particular element, but the architecture as a whole just works. Very nice.

I like that Cornell really seemed to have a theme that he mainly adhered to, unless specifically requested by a customer.  His rifles have his own signature characteristics.

If you're ever in central NC, you must let me know so you can burn some powder in it.  And then I can pick your mind with lots of greenhorn muzzleloader questions...

[Squirrel pizza]

It would be worth the trip to shoot that fine rifle. As to how helpful I'd be is a moot point, butsounds like fun to me. I haven 't looked, do you know what Marvin's Indianna Rifle sold for? The last bid I saw was $8250.

[Hessian]

My Mike Miller .48 "Trade rifle." Shoots way better than I can. (But I'm getting better!) He beat Mark Baker with her in a match they shot. I got her from Mike several years ago. We "negotiated" for quite a while till I came up with the funds. I call her "Chucky Girl" after my wife who grew up on the Nolichucky river. Like my wife, its "till death do us part."
Hessian
 

[bones92]

Hessian, that is a .48 caliber?

I'm curious, why not just go with either .45 or .50? 

[Squirrel pizza]

Or to put it another way, until she kills you.

[Shovelbuck]

I've owned and own a lot of muzzleloaders, but never have had a carved and engraved long rifle until finishing this one last week. So until the next build this winter, this one is the new favorite.

[Squirrel pizza]

Wow Shovelbuck! Nice job. How about some close-ups?

[hanshi]

And that's a real "eye popper" you built.

[Squirrel pizza]

You mean "hai popper" don't you hanshi?

[hanshi]

My bad, Squirrel pizza.