Mr. Black Powder:

Picking an Inline
Not created equal

By Dave Ehrig

The gleam of the fluted stainless-steel barrel matched the gleam in the eye of the hunter. There, on the back shelf of the store, was the promise of a fast-pointing, highly accurate, and camouflaged, synthetic-stocked muzzleloader. What else could he hope for? Now is the time for selecting that gun you will be using this fall.

When shopping for that next muzzleloader, the first key ingredient to look for in muzzleloading performance with any rifle is caliber. Currently, in-line rifles can be acquired sporting 45, 50, 52 and 54 caliber bore-sizes. But, without a doubt, the 50-caliber has become the most offered bore size.

The late 1990s witnessed the rise of the conoidal slug (pointed bullets). Their longer sectional density and high ballistic coefficients offered higher retained energy at longer distances than roundballs. They also could increase their mass and energy by simply getting longer; the bore size stayed the same. As a result, the higher velocities of the .50s over the .54s, along with their ability to use various bullet weights, made them a logical choice.

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