What you need to know to buy the right muzzleloader

What you need to know to buy the right muzzleloader

This was originally published Dec. 17, 2024. There is a reason why blackpowder deer rifles, or muzzleloaders, are jokingly referred to as “smoke poles.” Once I was deer hunting during the Maine blackpowder season from a tree stand. It was one of those windless, fog-shrouded afternoons that come about following a warming period after a snowfall. Just before the end of legal light, a respectable 8-pointer presented itself within shooting range. Ka…