Western Muzzleloader Systems, Equipment & Ethics
Muzzleloader Regulations
Utah
Not Legal:
- Scopes over 1x magnification
- Smokeless powder
- Electronic ignition systems
Legal:
- Inline muzzleloaders
- Sabots
- Pelletized powder
- Loose powder
- Fiber optic sights
- Red dot sights
- 1x scopes
- 209 primers
- Black powder substitutes that do not contain smokeless powder
- Powder substitutes may contain some nitrocellulose
- Minimum .40 caliber for big game
- Bullet weight requirements vary by species
Idaho
Not Legal:
- Magnified optics
- Electronic sights
- 209 primers
- Smokeless powder
Legal:
- Open sights
- Peep sights
- Loose powder
- Inline muzzleloaders
- Sabots
- Percussion cap, musket cap, or flint ignition systems
Minimum caliber requirements:
Deer, Antelope, Wolf & Mountain Lion:
- Minimum .45 caliber
Elk, Moose, Bear, Sheep & Goat:
- Minimum .50 caliber
Wyoming
Legal:
- Scopes
- Sabots
- Pelletized powder
- Inline muzzleloaders
- Fiber optic sights
- 209 primers
- Modern muzzleloader systems
- Minimum .40 caliber
- Minimum 50 grains of black powder or equivalent
- Expanding or lead projectile
Customer Reviews
What real hunters say about their experience
Justin Richins’ Personal Muzzleloader Recommendations
Muzzleloaders, or “smoke poles,” have come a long way over the last 30 years.
Justin’s experience with muzzleloaders began with the introduction of White loading systems, which quickly became one of his favorite platforms. Since then, he has spent years shooting and hunting with systems from:
- White
- Knight
- Thompson Center
- CVA
As ignition systems, primers, powders, saboted projectiles, and long-range muzzleloader technology evolved, Justin spent countless hours building and tuning long-range muzzleloader systems capable of reaching distances out to 800 yards.
During this period, Justin designed and manufactured his own patent-pending muzzleloader brake specifically for loose powder muzzleloading applications (see photo). Justin and his team became highly experienced in this specialized area.
However, as Utah changed muzzleloader regulations and limited optics to 1x magnification during muzzleloader seasons, ethical effective ranges changed significantly. Because of those restrictions, our current recommended setup is a custom CVA system built by local builder Wyatt Sarget.
Justin considers these systems to have an ethical maximum effective range of approximately 300 yards under ideal conditions.
For hunters interested in these systems, they can be purchased directly from:
Wyatt Sarget
801-706-1032
All modern muzzleloader systems today are capable of impressive accuracy if a shooter is willing to put in the time required to develop a consistent load.
Cleaning and maintenance are critical. Justin recommends hunters tune their muzzleloader loads and rifle systems so they perform their best between shots 2–4 after the barrel has been fouled, as these are typically the shots that represent real-world hunting application in the field.
At R&K Hunting Company, we recommend hunting with a fouled bore rather than a freshly cleaned barrel, as many muzzleloaders produce more consistent point-of-impact results after the barrel has been seasoned.
- Carrying quick loads or speed loaders for follow-up opportunities
- Positioning your spotter slightly to the left or right instead of directly behind the shooter for better impact visibility
- Always verifying distance with a quality laser rangefinder
Range estimation errors become extremely critical with muzzleloaders. An error of as little as 25 yards at extended ranges can easily result in a miss or wounded animal.
His number one rule:
Know your exact trajectory, know your exact distance, and never guess yardage.