Some hunters don't understand why black powder rifle hunting would seem fun to anyone. Hunting with a rifle that requires you to reload after each shot and has no optics, making you get very close to your target to get off a successful shot and carrying extra equipment are all what some would consider the draw backs of black powder rifle hunting. Some hunters would call you crazy if you asked them to give up their modern Firearm with optical scope and a magazine for a single shot muzzle loading rifle of the old days. Then there are the black powder rifle hunters that tell you it is the biggest rush ever.
In order to be a good muzzle loaded rifle hunter you have to know the abilities of your weapon and what it is capable of. There are factors that come into play that normally would not affect regular rifle hunting. Rain can devastate your supplies if not properly kept during a rain storm. Some hunters make the mistake of keeping their supplies in a cloth bag that is vulnerable to liquid. Wet black powder is as useless as mud. You also have to have an understanding of all of the tools and supplies that go along with maintaining and using a muzzle loaded Firearm. You have to keep your powder in check and keep a stock of patches, balls, cleaning utilities and lubrication. An experienced muzzle loaded rifle hunter can maintain and reload his Firearm in any situation.
Most hunters who use optics on their modern rifle find it difficult to use the open sight on a black powder rifle and it seems primitive to them at first. The open sight means far less accuracy with the powder rifles. You probably aren't going to drop a buck at three hundred yards with a black powder rifle and if you do it is due to luck most likely. Most black powder hunters recommend being within fifty yards of your target and a maximum of one hundred yards. After actually firing the weapon it becomes clear that you are not using your scoped rifle anymore but it still feels somewhat natural. The only real learning process involved is the loading of the weapon. Low accuracy combined with long reload times and the fact that you only get one shot means you have to learn to utilize a new set of skills.
The ability to stalk your game becomes a skill set that is required to be a successful black powder rifle hunter. Being able to learn the patterns of the wildlife you are hunting and knowing the limits of their ability to sense you is key to being successful. A silent and stealthy hunter can get within yards of his take and never get noticed. These skills do not come over night and one has to learn how to manipulate the terrain around him. Knowing how to use and manipulate the wind in your favor also becomes key to stalking your game. Whether you are trying to keep your natural human scent from being smelled or you are trying to get your lure scent smelled, you have to know how to utilize the wind more precisely when black powder hunting as opposed to regular rifle hunting.
Some hunters claim that all that goes into successfully hunting with black powder rifles makes it a huge rush and gives an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when an animal is taken successfully. All of the extra precautions that have to be taken with the rifle and the extra maintenance, difficult reloading process, lack of optics and a magazine make it a more difficult hunting process and some find this to be the reason they are drawn to it. 'One shot, one kill', that is the way of the black powder rifle hunter.
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