New Mexico muzzleloader elk hunt

[taz_gerstman]

Good evening all. Hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I will be applying for an elk tag in NM for 2018. One of our choices will be muzzleloader. I don’t do a lot of muzzy hunting here at home so for those experienced hunters who have partaken in this type of hunt what advice, opinions or how could you educate me in this. Maybe some dos and dont’s etc. for the elk hunt that is. Thanks

 

[Wapiti1]

What MZ do you have? What kinds of info are you looking for? If you have hunted deer with one already, think bigger bullet for elk. Otherwise, you have the basics down.

Jeremy

 

[5MilesBack]

This year my 16yo daughter got a late notice Colorado ML elk tag the week before the season started. I already had a T/C Omega ML in the safe, but neither of us had ever shot it. We scrambled quickly for info and spent a couple hours at the range. She shot a great bull the second evening at 30 yards. If you draw the NM tag, you'll have plenty of time to read up and prepare for the hunt. Read a bunch of Sabotloader's posts on here for info and tips. I would start with BH209 powder and work from there.

 

[nettereo16]

I second the BH209 powder. Spend an afternoon at the range and work up a load that works well for your specific ML. 10 grains can make a lot of difference in the group. Others will have more info about elk specific bullet choices.

 

[ShakeDown]

Drawing the tag is 80% of the battle.

Hunted NM with a muzzle extensively growing up units 15 and 23. Awesome country. Good luck!

 

[taz_gerstman]

Thanks for the info so far. Currently I have a traditions buckstalker. Short barrel. I use the bh209 powder with a 250 grain Barnes spit fire tmz. I haven’t shot a deer with it yet. Still rather new. So far we have a good load worked up. Now I can always buy another gun if y’all think the shorter barrel will be an issue. Thanks

 

[Wapiti1]

I'd recommend bumping up to a 300gr bullet, but the barnes is a good choice if you stay with a 250gr since you already have a load worked up. Your MZ will be fine. Mine has a 24" barrel and I get 1900fps with a 300gr Parker bullet and BH209. That has worked well on elk for me.

Get some speed loaders. I carry 3 when I am MZ hunting. A rubber primer holder that will keep them dry like the primer caddy from TC. Put it all in a small pouch with your palm saver/bullet starter and keep in a handy place. If you have belt pockets on your pack, that can work. I have an AGC bino pack that I keep them in. Speed loaders and primers in the front pocket, palm saver in the sleeve on top. Emergency tools in my pack, like my breech plug wrench, pick, pliers and screwdriver set. Water and snow will get where you don't want it, so be ready to push out a charge if you need to. Water is the sworn enemy of the MZ hunter. Tape over the end of the barrel like you would for any other rifle.

Good luck getting the tag. The tag is the tough part at this point.

Jeremy

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't know what the NM rules are for ML's and elk. I would imagine you'll need at least .50 cal, not sure if sabots are legal, scopes???? Study the regs first to make sure you're legal.

 

[taz_gerstman]

So I have read where people would use black electrical tape over the end of their barrels. Work or what do you use

 

[rbljack]

Drawing the tag is 80% of the battle.

Hunted NM with a muzzle extensively growing up units 15 and 23. Awesome country. Good luck!

94% actually....LOL...non residents only get a 6 percent chance of drawing a tag. Been trying for 4 years....still hoping.

 

[weaver]

You'll be fine with your setup. Shot placement matters most.

2016 Northern NM bull CVA Optima 250gr bloodline bullet BH209 powder.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[swampokie]

Use a condom on the barrel tip for better moisture resistance and better accuracy. Yes I'm serious. good luck drawing muzz in nm!

 

[ShakeDown]

94% actually....LOL...non residents only get a 6 percent chance of drawing a tag. Been trying for 4 years....still hoping.

True! But what’s awesome about The Land of Enchantment is no preference point system... you have the same odds as any other NR.

If you’re applying to 15, 16a or 16d good luck... but if you just want to get out in the elk woods there are a lot of high draw probability units.

 

[ShakeDown]

Here is my 2017 NM bull:

 

[naturesurviver]

Beautiful ! Congrats!!

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[swampokie]

High draw muzz units? Whats high? 15%

 

[Wapiti1]

15% is about as high as it gets in the non-guided pool for a north central unit like 45. One of the better central or west central units will be less than 1% to about 5%. Watch the dates, though. They shift the MZ hunt dates in some units and you can get later dates some years that make the hunt a lot tougher.

Black electrical tape is what I use on my muzzle, and I put 5-6 wraps on a couple inches down to have some extra in the field. When I hunted NM in 2015 they allowed everything except smokeless powder to be used.

Great Bulls, guys.

Jeremy

 

[ShakeDown]

Sorry, should have put in the disclaimer that I wasnt talking specifically about muzzle hunts. Out of the 16 units I dont think 16a and 16d even run primitive rife hunts.

And yes I consider 15% very good odds. When you look at states like AZ where without 10+ years of points you have less than 1% in most units.

 

[taz_gerstman]

The unit we hunted was 6a. We did an archery hunt there. That is the guides favorite unit to hunt if we draw it