2012-Articles-Reports

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2012 Articles & Reports

     My 2011 fall hunts were memorable for a couple of reasons - I met a lot of nice folks and got to know some great hunting country that holds a great deal of promise for the 2012 seasons. If you've kept up any at all with the wolf problem in the Northern Rockies, you are probably well aware that these apex predators have literally destroyed the past 75 years of big game conservation efforts in Western Montana and Northern Idaho - meaning I now have to travel 300 to 400 miles from home to get into areas that have not been adversely affected by extreme depredation.  Within 200 miles of where NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING is now headquartered in Missoula, Montana, 70- to 80-percent of the elk herds have been wiped out...moose are now nonexistent...and deer populations have pretty much been cut in half.

     Here's a look at a new area I will hunt hard...very hard...during the 2012 seasons.  Game populations are still strong there, but the wolves are now begnning to spread into this region as well.

                                                      http://www.namlhunt.com/mlhunt.html

     To get a jump start on the coming year, we've decided to publish links to December 2011 Articles & Reports under the 2012 menu listings. This will likely be something we continue to carry on into future years as well.

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Buy...Sell...Trade Right On This Website!!! Click Here
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The Lies Behind The Savage Model 10ML II Cover Up...

Money and ego get in the way of getting the truth about this rifle to the public. Published 5-18-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/muzzleloaderlies.html

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Alliant Powder's New Black MZ & Ballistic Products Wad Tighten Up Turkey Patterns

The short and light Lenartz Muzzleloading "Turkey Taker" shotgun shown in the photo here has always been a great performer on wild turkeys, several times reaching out to nearly 50 yards to put down a big tom. Thanks to Alliant Powder's new Black MZ powder and a Ballistics Products Inc. one piece wad, the shotgun is now more lethal on big toms than ever before. Pulished 5-15-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlshotguns.html

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New Ultra Light "Long Distance Rifle" From Traditions...

Here is a "First Look" at a new 30" barreled No. 209 primer ignition model from Traditions - the VORTEK Ultra Light LDR. A wet and windy spring has kept us from getting a lot of range time with the rifle...but we like what we see and what we have experienced so far. Here's a brief look at what makes the rifle special...and our plans for bringing more info to you before the start of summer. Published 5-3-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/longrangeml.html

5-16-12 Update...The VORTEK Ultra Light LDR Performance Journal...Same Link Above
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New "ML-QC" Page Will Look At Quality Control & Customer Service Issues...

At one time, Knight Rifles' "Customer Service" was recognized as one of the best in the shooting & hunting industry...by SHOOTING INDUSTRY Magazine. The great reputation of those rifles was largely due to exceptional "Quality Control"...which insured that the rifles shipped could ALL perform exactly as claimed. And if one didn't, the company bent over backwards to make it right. NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING has received quite a few complaints about the quality and performance of the rifles now bering produced by the NEW Knight Rifles. Here's a look at one which has created quite a rift between the company and this website - all because the new Knight rifle owner could not get any customer service from Knight...and turned to us for help. Published 5-2-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/ml-qc.html

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When It Comes To No. 209 Primers For Ignition...How Does Your's Stack Up?

NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING discovers a great way to compare the strength of the various "Shot-Shell" and "Muzzleloading" primers used in today's more advanced in-line ignition rifles. See how your's ranked...and read what we have to say about the need for special "Muzzleloading" primers...and our choice of primers for shooting Blackhorn 209. Published 4-27-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlprimers.html

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Loads & Ballistics Data For Alliant Powder's New Black MZ Powder...

While not the fastests of the newer black powder substitutes now available, Alliant's Black MZ is proving to be the most reliable with all varieties of percussion ignition systems - from using traditional No. 11 caps to today's more modern No. 209 primer ignition rifle models. NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING has also found that with preceisely weighed charges, the powder delivers excellent accuracy as well. Here's a look at a great start to a page of loads and data that will be devoted to just this powder...with a conversion of volume measured charge
increments to actual weights.
Published 4-23-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/modernmldata4.html

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What Would It Take To Revive The .54 Caliber In-Line Rifles?

Since the very first few years of modern in-line ignition rifles, the .50 caliber has reined in popularity. Still, at one time the .54 caliber models made up nearly 1/3 of all in-line rifle sales. Here's a look at why the bore size died...and what it would take to breath a new level of performance and new life into the .54 bore rifles. Could they become the new "Magnums of Muzzleloading"? Published 4-21-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/54caliber.html

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Shooting & Hunting With A Very Special Smallbore In-Line Muzzleloader...

This article takes a look at one very special little rifle in the NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING gun cabinet - the Limited Edition .32 Small Game Rifle once offered by Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co. Here's a look at the loads that perform very well out of this small caliber frontloader...and a look at how this rifle will be put to good use for future testing. Published 4-12-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlrifle3.html

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Traditions VORTEK Northwest Magnum Designed Around Poor ML Regulations!

NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING works on loads for the Traditions .50 VORTEK Northwest Magnum rifle to determine what it takes to overcome the stupid muzzleloader hunting regulations imposed by the wildlife agencies in Oregon...Washington...and Idaho. Published 4-7-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlrifle5.html

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A Bit Of "Yankee Ingenuity" & A Homemade Sabot Saves This Hunt...

A forgetful NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING host absent mindedly leaves his box of loading components at home when he heads out on a 2004 deer hunt...and does not realize that he has no sabots with him until he's more than 900 miles from home. Fortunately he spots a bag of 28-gauge wads on his hunt host's reloading bench...and uses a bit of Yankee Ingenuity to fashion an "Emergency Sabot" that saves this hunt. While this is being Published 4-1-12 - it is no April Fool's Day Joke.

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlhunt2.html

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Revisiting Shooting Saboted .44 Bullets & What It Takes For Accuracy!

Shooting saboted .44 caliber bullets could take high performance No. 209 primer ignition in-line muzzleloading big game rifles to a new level of performance. Here's a look at what it takes to tap the accuracy of these slightly smaller diameter...slightly longer...and higher b.c. bullets - and what could make them the next trend in saboted bullets. Published 3-14-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlbullets4.html

Follow Up Report...

Here's a look at the advanatages of adding a polymer spire-point tip to the .44 (.430" dia.) 300-grain Hornady XTP -

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlbullets5.html

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Fifty Years Of Shooting & Hunting With Muzzleloaders...

The biggest void for those getting into muzzleloading back in the 1960s was finding published loads and data for putting together an effective muzzle-loaded big game rifle. This article follows the early years of modern day muzzleloader hunting, and the trials and tribulations encountered by N.A. MUZZLELOADER HUNTING host Toby Bridges since first loading and shooting a muzzleloader at age 12. The article takes a look at a few muzzleloader innovations which have changed the sport forever, and how those changes brought new participants into muzzleloader hunting. It also takes a look at a few issues which will negatively affect our sport unless properly addressed.

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlmemories.html
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New Black MZ Powder Brings New Performance To Older In-Line Rifles...

Alliant Powder's new muzzleloader offering, Black MZ, helps to bridge the gap between the perforamnce of older No. 11 percussion cap in-line ignition models with the loads of the early 1990s...and today's hotter No. 209 primer ignition rifles and loads. Here's a look at what it will take to get top performance from the powder.
Published 2-12-12

http://www.namlhunt.com/earlysabotml2.html

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Four Part Report On Black Powder Substitute Shelf Life!

    Unlike good wine, most all modern black powder substitutes DO NOT get better with age - especially once the seal on a can has been broken. Here is the first of a Four-Part series on powder shelf life...

PART 1 - Loss of Power (Published 1-7-12)
http://www.namlhunt.com/mlpowders3.html

PART 2 - Pyrodex Shelf Life (Published 2-11-12)
                                                      http://www.namlhunt.com/mlpowders4.html

                                                                  PART 3 - Triple Seven Shelf Life (Published 2-19-12)
                                                    http://www.namlhunt.com/mlpowders5.html

                                                     PART 4 - Blackhorn 209 Shelf Life (Published 2-20-12)
                                                    http://www.namlhunt.com/mlpowders6.html

         Report On The Shelf Life Of Pyrodex Pellets...Triple Seven Pellets...White Hots Coming Late This Spring!
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Muzzleloading Shotguns & Loads For Taking Big Wild Turkey Toms...

If you don't hunt wild turkeys with a muzzle-loaded shotgun in the Spring...you are most definitely missing out on some fo the most exciting hunting of the year! Here is a look at a variety of front-loaded shotguns, both of traditional and modern design, that NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING host Toby Bridges has used over the past 40 years to take more than 200 wild turkey gobblers. (Published 1-6-12)

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlturkey.html

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What Rate Of Rifling Twist Is Best Suited For A .45 In-Line Ignition Rifle?

Will the .45 caliber in-line ignition muzzleloaders be resurrected one more time? One major rifle maker is now planning to offer some models in .45 - which once more brings up the question... "What rate of rifling twist is best for saboted bullets out of a .45 caliber rifle?" Here's a look at the loading components which, if they had been available 10-12 years ago, could have made the .45 far more popular. This article also takes a look at the new sabotless trend. (Published 1-29-12)

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlrifle2.html

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Traditions VORTEK & VORTEK Ultra Light Models Perform Extremely Well...

Looking for a reasonably priced break-open No. 209 primer in-line ignition muzzleloader that can perform along with just about any other muzzleloader available today? Here's a look at the VOERTEK and VORTEK Ultra Light models from Traditions Performance Firearms. One NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING regular put a rig together exactly like that detailed here, shooting our favorite load, and took his 2011 buck at 243 yards! (Published 1-14-12)

http://www.nalhunt.com/mlrifle1.html

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First Look At Alliant Powder's New Black MZ Powder...

A couple of years back, Alliant Powder was on the verge of introducing yet another new black powder substitute...until an explosion destroyed the manufacturng facility where that powder was being made. Well, now they have a new powder on the market for today's muzzleloading shooter and hunter. In this report NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING gets in its first shots with the company's new Black MZ. (Published 1-6-12)

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlpowders2.html

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"No Scopes" ML Regulations Violate Dept. of Interior Discrimination Policies!

NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING files a discrimination complaint against the "No Scopes" muzzleloader regulation enforced by the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources. The complaint is filed through the U.S. Department of the Interior, which violates its own anti-discrimination policies by providing funding and financial assistance to Minnesota, and 10 other states, which discriminate against muzzleloading hunters who cannot see open sights well enough to participate in those muzzleloader big game seasons which do not permit the use of a riflescope.

The following link will take you to the letter written to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

http://www.namlhunt.com/mllegislation2.html

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Fall 2011 "Meat Hunts" Put Some Venison In The Freezer...

NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING came home from its last hunt of 2011 with some great memories of some tremendous whitetail bucks spotted...and of several very close opportunities that nearly paid off...along with a couple of deer for the freezer. Still, host Toby Bridges did not hang his tag on the 160+ class buck he had hoped to tag. This article shares details of close encounters with a couple of Boone and Crockett class whitetail bucks...and takes a look at how things can go wrong in a heartbeat. (Published 12/20/11)

http://www.namlhunt.com/mlhunt3.html

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Our 2011 Articles & Reports Menu...

All of the articles and reports published on the NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING website since the total rebuild began in August 2011 will remain on this site. To access those published pages, either use the navigation menu at the top of the page, and the drop down bar from the "more..." tab - or go to the following link -

http://www.namlhunt.com/2011-articles-reports.html

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This Website Will More Than Double In Size Through 2012!

     That's our goal for 2012. Another goal is to jump back into the legislation game and tackle muzzleloader hunting regulation in a number of states that do not serve the vast majority of muzzleloading hunters in this country. Those of you who have been following NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING since 2006 or earlier may remember that this site began as HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING in 2004.  We changed the name in 2006, to better present a wider variety of muzzleloading topics - both modern and traditional. In July 2006, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING filed a discrimination complaint against 15 states which continued to prohibit the use of a riflescope during the muzzleloader big game seasons. Such regulations eliminate the opportunity for any hunter who cannot see open sights well enough to ethically place shots to participate in those seasons.

     Because of that effort, Georgia, Nebraska, Kansas and Wisconsin stepped up to the plate to allow ALL hunters to use a riflescope during the muzzleloader seasons. Still, 11 states continue to discriminate against hunters with aged or impaired eyesight. And in 2012, we will once again file a formal complaint of discrimination. Likewise, there are a few states which do not allow the use of more efficieint saboted bullets...enclosed primer ignition rifles...or the use of some popular powders/pellets. NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING will spotlight these states and these issues. Hang in there with us...2012 is going to be a very interesting year.

    Also, be sure to patronize the companies who are listed as sponsors at the bottom of our home page... these are the companies who fully support muzzleloader hunting, and support efforts to insure continued and greater muzzleloader hunting opportunities. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING

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