meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
East Meets West Hunt

Ep. 488: Everything You Need to Know About Muzzleloaders w/ Brad Watts // CVA

East Meets West Hunt

Beau Martonik

Sports, Wilderness

4.9796 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 78 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Beau Martonik sits down with Brad Watts, a 15-year muzzleloading hunter and precision rifle competitor who works at CVA, recorded live at the NWTF show. They break down everything a hunter needs to know about muzzleloaders — how to choose the right one for your hunting situation, the difference between pellets, loose powder, and Blackhorn 209, how to properly clean and maintain your gun, and what actually causes misfires in the field. Brad also explains how competing in long-range precision rifle has made him a more confident hunter at every distance, and why that same mentality applies to how you should be practicing with your bow. If you've been intimidated by muzzleloaders or feel like you're missing something, this one clears it up. Topics: 00:00:00 — Intro 00:04:24 – Growing Up Hunting in PA 00:07:03 – Muzzleloader Seasons and Opportunities by State 00:09:30 – Getting Into Muzzleloading 00:13:53 – How Brad Got Into Muzzleloaders Through the Industry 00:15:03 – Keeping It Simple vs. Going Down the Rabbit Hole 00:17:51 – Precision Rifle and How It Makes You a Better Hunter 00:23:24 – The Importance of Practice 00:30:57 – Understanding Calibers, Bullets, and Powder Charges 00:36:47 – Pellets vs. Loose Powder vs. Blackhorn 209 00:42:05 – Cleaning and Maintenance 00:53:00 – Moisture, Misfires, and Storing Your Muzzleloader 00:59:32 – Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 01:07:43 – New CVA Products — Endura, Optima XP, Cascade Rimfire 01:15:16 – Closing + Where to Find CVA Save 10% on CVA muzzleloaders, rifles, and accessories at ⁠bpioutdoors.com/cva⁠ — use code EASTMEETSWEST10 Instagram:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eastmeetswesthunt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beau.martonik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠East Meets West Outdoors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: Beau Martonik - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Poncho Outdoors - Poncho Outdoors makes tough, sharp-looking, no-BS apparel for hardworking outdoorsmen who put in the time year-round. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ponchooutdoors.com/EASTMEETSWEST⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to save $10 and free shipping Amazon Influencer Page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Musseloting doesn't have to be complicated, but it can be. You know, and so that's where if you keep it simple and you follow these steps, it's like, okay, I'm going to use this powder. I'm going to keep my powder dry. That's an old term, and it means something as you found out. A hundred percent. I've learned it with flintlock, musloaders. I never seem to get those to go off.

0:22.6

I'll tell you what, anybody who has killed a deer with a flintlock, my hat is off to them.

0:26.9

That is, it does not get any harder.

0:29.0

Maybe the longbow, but man, the flash in your face and all of those things,

0:34.1

and that slight hesitation, keeping the point of impact, you know, steady.

0:38.5

That is, that is as tough as it gets in my book.

0:42.6

I was like, well, if I throw a mic on, then I can help others the way that these people, that will help me.

0:48.0

Born in the heart of the Pennsylvania deer camp, with the help of experts, friends, and local legends, we bring you valuable knowledge

0:58.2

and powerful stories for your hunting adventures.

1:02.8

Welcome to the East Meets West Hunt podcast with your host, Bo Martonic. If you're serious about mobile and saddle hunting, Timber Ninja Outdoors make some of the most proven gear in the woods.

1:26.1

Their saddles, carbon fiber climbing sticks,

1:28.4

and the Kunai hybrid platform are designed for hunters who want to go lighter without sacrificing

1:34.5

safety and stability. The ultimate saddle is named Outdoor Life's best overall saddle in both

1:39.6

2024 and 2025, and it's been earned through real-world use, not height.

1:45.9

Timber Ninja is also rolling out the highly anticipated frostline boot covers, which I help

1:51.5

design specifically for cold, late-season hunts when keeping your feet warm and quiet matters

1:57.2

most.

1:57.6

You can find Timber Ninja Gear at Timber Ninja Outdoors.com and

2:01.3

Eastmeetswesthunt.com in the gear shop. Use code East Meets West for free shipping on Timber

2:06.4

Ninja products and sign up for the email newsletter if something's not available right now.

2:12.1

One piece of gear I never leave behind no matter of the season is a good pair of binoculars.

2:17.1

Over the last eight

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Beau Martonik, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Beau Martonik and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.