Muzzleloaders load up

Paul Degel killed his first deer with a muzzleloader at age 14 and was hooked. Twenty-five years, nearly a dozen elk and more than two dozen deer taken with a flintlock later, Degel said his passion for the only type of weapon he hunts big game with has only grown.

Degel dismisses hunters who question why he would put himself at a disadvantage when others are in the field using high-powered rifles.

“If you’re in shape and you’re willing to work to get close to an elk, they’re not a disadvantage,” the Sheridan, Mont., hunter said.

Muzzleloaders in many states are given special choice seasons because they sacrifice the killing range and reliability of modern firearms.

But Degel says there’s more to it than filling a tag.

He hunts not only with a rifle from the 19th century, but also the spirit of that era — hiking far into the mountains and sneaking to within earshot of elk once he’s spotted them.

Degel, a stocky 40-year-old who makes his living in construction and metal work, loves to exert himself while toting his 10-pound rifle in search of game. His gun is a replica he made of a .54-caliber Leman Trade Rifle, a common flintlock from the early 1800s.

Degel has put some pretty impressive stalks on elk, sometimes to within 30 yards. Other times he’ll sit between feeding and bedding areas and let the elk come to them.

Years ago, he guided hunters in the Idaho backcountry and he noted that clients often came with numerous high-tech gadgets and expected them to virtually guarantee they’d kill an elk.

“They’re making up for their lack of hunting skills and trying to do it with their shopping skills,” he said. “To me, that’s not a good trade.”

Scratches in the wood on his slim muzzleloader bear witness to some stalks in rugged terrain and thick timber.

“Usually when I’m hunting elk, I’m in the deepest, nastiest stuff that I can find,” he said. “I’m crawling around and through stuff and the gun gets some dings and scratches.”

Shooting a flintlock accurately, even more than a conventional rifle, requires a lot of practice and experimentation. There is a slight delay before the gun fires as the spark flies from the flint, ignites the powder and sets off the charge. Some hunters prefer muzzleloaders with percussion caps, which eliminate the delay while still complying with rules in Washington and Idaho that they be “exposed to the elements.”

Degel’s spent years perfecting the load that makes the rifle shoot straight and found that a 226 grain ball flies straightest with 90 grains of powder.

“You don’t just buy one off the shelf and go out and start killing elk with it,” he said. “You’ve got to be interested in it enough to take the time to learn how to use them,” he said, adding that each gun shoots differently.

A three-inch, five-shot group on a target that Degel shot standing up illustrates how well he’s learned to use his rifle, which shoots round balls that are put into a patch. He said his maximum range with the gun is about 100 yards on elk and 150 yards for deer and antelope.

Degel carries it loaded with powder in the frying pan, which is covered to protect the ignition powder from rain and snow. He’s had the gun fail to go off a few times, but most of the time it’s performed beautifully.

He can reload the rifle in under 30 seconds when he needs a follow-up shot.

His craftsmanship doesn’t end with the gun. Degel has also hand made the accessories for his muzzleloader, including a powder horn made from a cow’s horn and a powder measurer carved out of deer antler.

Degel is not opposed to rifle hunting, in fact his wife and daughter hunt with modern rifles. And he’s careful not to get too smug about hunting with a muzzleloader, because like any hunter he’s missed animals and had some elk get away.

“It is hunting,” he said. “You can’t get too cocky about it.”