I have hunted with both types of muzzleloaders and now use a scoped inline muzzleloader. Of the traditional types, I much prefer a cap lock to a flint lock.  I do not use MZ loading rifles for the "authenic experience" although I can appreciate that many do, because I am a longbow hunter.  For me hunting with a MZ loader is about deer herd management and making meat, not experiencing how it was done long ago. I do not demean those who choose to go that route. It just not my thing.

I have yet to shoot a muzzleloader but here in Idaho they are pretty restricted for muzzloader only hunts so I'll be leaning towards a traditional.

This might turn into an East Vs West debate.  For me it's about the hunt.  I want to get close & don't want to sling arrows.  Percussion or flint side locks, open sights & projectiles not wrapped in plastic need only apply.  In the west we don't have deer as thick as rabbits so it's typically not a game management/population control issue.  It's a hunter opportunity issue.  Making it harder usually means lower hunter success which usually means more available tags.  Using technology to level the playing field between centerfire & muzzleloader rifles negates the reason for having a separate season.

Killing an animal at 200 yards with a tricked out inline topped off with a multiple recticle scope is no different than using a centerfire.  Nothing wrong with it but ist just isn't classic muzzleloader hunting.  Oh, and I'm well aware that inlines existed as early as the late 17 hundreds and that if given the chance the Mountain Men would have loved to have had a jazzed up CVA.  BUT they were concerned with survival, not sport & challenge.

Good question Critter.  Thanks for bringing it up; it's been bugging me for a long time too.  

Wha is Legal for your hunt?

some place it is cap or flint only, some must have iron sites, others if you are shooting muzzle loaded weapon you are good, I have both a cap and ball and an inline,

Percussion cap is a TC renagde in .54 deadly to 125yds  (2.5 inch groups)

TC Encore .50 inline with scope can shoot to 250yds (2.5 inch groups)

Deer Rifle 30-06 scoped Sub 1 inch groups out to 400 yds.

how close can you get or do you need long distance for them?

I hunt some area's that have very tight restrictions on the ML that is why I still have the cap and ball.

I started out hunting with an inline .50 cal muzzleloader with 209 primers with a small shotgun scope on it. After taking game fairly easy with it I've switched back to the ol' sidelock with the caps this year.

I've had a few scares in the past with older model sidlelocks and the damp weather down here in florida. Nothings worse then a slow burn shot from a damp load while you got buck fever lol. So if I take a shot this year it's going to be a good one, I don't like going back to camp early and changing my pants.

The way I look at it is my encore is a muzzleloader just like my side lock. In NM we have a ML hunt and a primitive hunt so I can go ether way. I like em both because if I have a gun in hand hunting it is a good day.

Traditional for me, all the way.  I've plenty of modern fireams to hunt with.  If I'm carrying a m/l I want it to be spewing goex ffg and a roundball.

I don't begrudge those hunting with an inline/scope/sabot, I just completely fail to see the point of it.  I guess to me hunting with an inline is the equivalent of signing up for a fire starting course and showing up with a lighter & a can of gas.  It may be easier, maybe even smarter, but in my mind it defeats the purpose?

Either that or I'm just olde enough to have growen up watching Dan'l Boone on a B&W TeeVee. 

Back in the eighties when my pa first got into muzzleloaders he purchased Hawken style side locks for us. He had a fifty four cal and I had a fifty. We each managed to take a few deer with them. When he got back into muzzleloading in the late nineties and then subsequently I did is well we were now shooting inline rifles. I myself shoot a fifty cal TC Omega and we've both taken a few deer and elk with them. In fact I haven't shot a an elk with a centefire rifle as of yet only inline muzzleloader. However, as anyone else from Colorado knows you can't use scopes here only iron sights and no pellets can be used either. I've got a muzzleloader buck tag in my pocket yet again this year but will be toting a centerfire rifle for a bull elk this year in the hopes of tagging my first with a centerfire. Still gotta get close with a muzzle (as close as 150) and you still gotta make that first shot count.