Hi all.
I'm planing to try hunting this year for the first time. I'm not new to firearms, I shoot a few different types of competition and own most types of firearms for one purpose or another.
However none of my firearms are ideal for deer hunting in NJ, so I find myself planing to buy a gun this year. The question is as a brand new guy, am I better off starting with a muzzleloader or a shotgun? The muzzleloader should (at least in theory) give me access to a longer and earlier season, but it would be my first muzzleloader ever so I would have to add a whole bunch of gear I don't currently own, and learn a slightly different set of skills at the same time as learning the basics of hunting. A shotgun moves me into a shorter season with more competition, but it a platform I'm familiar with and for which ammo purchases and handling are a lot simpler to deal with.
What do you guys think is the better path for my first year out? Oh yeah .. bows are out for me for now, as they require not only a whole different set of gear but a also whole different set of skills.
Thanx
I'm planing to try hunting this year for the first time. I'm not new to firearms, I shoot a few different types of competition and own most types of firearms for one purpose or another.
However none of my firearms are ideal for deer hunting in NJ, so I find myself planing to buy a gun this year. The question is as a brand new guy, am I better off starting with a muzzleloader or a shotgun? The muzzleloader should (at least in theory) give me access to a longer and earlier season, but it would be my first muzzleloader ever so I would have to add a whole bunch of gear I don't currently own, and learn a slightly different set of skills at the same time as learning the basics of hunting. A shotgun moves me into a shorter season with more competition, but it a platform I'm familiar with and for which ammo purchases and handling are a lot simpler to deal with.
What do you guys think is the better path for my first year out? Oh yeah .. bows are out for me for now, as they require not only a whole different set of gear but a also whole different set of skills.
Thanx
