Montana Heritage Season Package

It has been nearly five years since Montana announced the addition of a designated muzzleloader season to its hunting lineup. This was big news at the time, not just because it would be the first black powder-specific hunt in the great state of Montana, but also because it would be a heritage season. Heritage seasons are not unheard of in the United States. Those of you who live and hunt in Pennsylvania know that there is a long-standing flintlock season that runs in the dead of winter. With that said, most 21st-century hunters are looking to increase their every advantage when it comes to chasing game. This is one root cause of the rapid growth of the inline muzzleloader industry in recent years. While we love to see growth in black powder sports, we believe that it is also important to remember the traditional muzzleloaders that started it all.

Since Tony Knight invented the inline muzzleloader in 1985, the debate of modern versus traditional muzzleloaders has been discussed at length by many black powder enthusiasts. At Muzzle-Loaders.com, we do not have a stake in this particular discussion because we enjoy black powder sports as a whole and see value in both modern and traditional muzzleloaders. Ultimately, we want to see black powder sports grow, and that is why we were very excited to hear about Montana’s heritage season when it was announced in 2021. Prior to this, Montana did not have a black powder-specific hunt, and we have seen firsthand how this season has helped grow the tradition of muzzleloader hunting. For those who want to hear more about the specifics of the Montana heritage season, I will summarize here. You can also click the link below to read more about this season in an article that we posted a few years ago. 

The Montana heritage season was implemented by the Montana FWP to encourage hunters to spend more time outdoors and do so in a unique way. This tag provides those brave enough to apply for it with limited muzzleloader options. During this season, hunters are only allowed to use muzzleloaders with percussion, flintlock, wheelock, or matchlock style ignition systems. This added degree of difficulty provides a special challenge for those sportsmen who are looking to reignite their love for hunting. It also reconnects the individual to the traditional roots of muzzleloading. It is for these reasons that the Montana heritage season has been such a success. 

It is on the heels of this success that we have decided to help make this exciting and challenging hunt a little more accessible to those who want to give it a try this fall. Ultimately, many hunters want to try new seasons like this one, but are often discouraged by the hours of research required to know what products to purchase in order to give themselves the best chance of success. At Muzzle-Loaders.com, it has always been our goal to reduce the barrier of entry into muzzleloading, and we have done this for the Montana heritage season by introducing The Ultimate Montana Heritage Muzzleloader Setup. This is a package that we are now offering on our website as a “one-stop shop” for everything that you will need in order to get out and enjoy the Montana heritage season. A group of our most experienced team members has compiled their knowledge to discuss which products we feel will provide the best overall black powder experience. In this decision process, we tried to balance the prioritization of traditional feel and overall performance and settled on the following list. All of the products on this list are available in a single package for convenience. You can check that package out by clicking the link below. Now, let's talk about each of these products and why they are necessary for anyone who wants to apply for the Montana Heritage Season. 

First, and probably the most important, is the muzzleloader. There are many muzzleloader options for the Montana hunter, but after some back and forth, our team settled on the Traditions ShedHorn. Traditions released this product with the Montana heritage season in mind. This muzzleloader features a CeraKote barrel, a percussion-style ignition system, and fiber optic sights. Additionally, Traditions included a 1:28” twist barrel which will accommodate either round ball or conical projectiles. While there are other muzzleloaders out there that offer a more traditional aesthetic, we feel that the Traditions ShedHorn was clearly the best choice for its overall performance. Now, what good is a muzzleloader without powder and percussion caps?

One of the things that makes our Montana Heritage Muzzleloader Package unique is that it includes powder and caps. Rather than go through the hassle of ordering these separately, we offer them here. When it comes to powder and percussion caps, there are several options, but we feel that the RWS caps and Hodgdon Triple Seven FFG powder offer the best overall consistency and accuracy. Over the years, our team has spent countless hours testing this particular combination of powder and caps, and we believe that they will be the best possible options for hunters looking to experience the Montana heritage season.

We have also included our Muzzle-Loaders brand, Straight-line Capper. A capper tool is one of those accessories that is simply a must-have when shooting a percussion-style muzzleloader. Without one, you run the risk of your percussion cap being improperly seated, which will cause your muzzleloader to misfire. Trust us when we say, there is nothing more frustrating than having a muzzleloader misfire when you finally have an opportunity at an animal. 

Our package also includes the tools required to measure and distribute the powder. Here we went with our Muzzle-Loaders brand powder measure and powder flask. Our powder measure has been thoroughly tested in the field, and we have found it to be durable and consistent. Additionally, our powder flask features a solid brass design and a spring-loaded lever that allows for easy distribution of powder. 

Another often overlooked aspect of muzzleloader hunting is the need for various ramrod accessories and a bullet starter. These are tools that, if forgotten, will make your trip much less productive. This package features our Deluxe Ramrod Accessory pack, which includes everything that you will need to load, clean, and maintain your muzzleloader. We have also included our Muzzle-Loaders bullet starter. This bullet starter features durable metal and wood construction and includes a universal loading tip that will work with round ball or conical projectiles. 

In addition to regulations restricting the style of muzzleloader that is allowed, the Montana FWP has also implemented regulations that limit the hunter’s choice of projectile. Projectiles used during the Montana Heritage Muzzleloader Season must be comprised exclusively of lead, but can be either a round ball or conical. We understand that many hunters may prefer one option over the other, or may perhaps wish to experiment on their own to find the best option for their situation. With that in mind, we have decided to include a pack of lead round balls and a pack of Prelubricated Thompson Center Maxi-Balls. Our team settled on the Thompson Center Maxi-Ball because it is a prelubricated lead conical projectile that has been thoroughly tested for decades. We have used them during Oregon muzzleloader seasons in the past and have always found them to be user-friendly and accurate. 

For shooting patches, we have included our Muzzle-Loaders pillow ticking patches. These patches are 0.18” thick, which allows for an excellent gas seal and smooth loading feel. Additionally, we decided to include these patches because they are unlubricated. This allows for each individual hunter to decide whether they would like to lubricate their patches or not. With that said, we do recommend that you lubricate these patches, so we have included a tube of our Muzzle-Loaders Bore Lube. Our bore lube is engineered specifically for black powder and features rust preventatives along with other additives that decrease wear and season the barrel of your muzzleloader.

Another aspect of muzzleloading that many people find intimidating is the cleaning procedure and equipment. We have your back on this one, too. In our Ultimate Montana Heritage Package, we provide all of the products that you will need to clean your muzzleloader. This includes Thor’s pre-soaked and rust prevent patches, along with our very own Muzzle-Loaders dry cleaning patches. With this combination of patches, you will have everything that you need to clean, season, and store your muzzleloader. We also throw in a Universal Nipple Wrench so that you can remove and clean the nipple of your Traditions ShedHorn. 

Last but certainly not least, we include our Muzzle-Loaders range bag so that you can keep all of your equipment organized. Along with durable canvas construction, our range bag features carry handles and a shoulder strap for easy transportation of your gear.

Whether you are brand new to muzzleloading or you are a seasoned professional, the Montana heritage season offers a unique and rewarding experience to all hunters, and we want to make this hunt even more accessible to anyone who is interested. If you have any questions about this hunt, our Ultimate Montana Heritage Package, or anything black powder related, please give our customer service team a call at 855-236-5000. We guarantee that you will be able to speak with a black powder expert who will provide you with world-class customer service. Thank you for your support and God bless.

Written By: Darren Binder