The DIY Hunter

View of the Nikon Buckmaster 1x20 scope turrets

View of the Nikon Buckmaster 1x20 scope turrets. Offering finger adjustable half inch click adjustments.

Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt on the Shooting Bench

Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope and CVA Firebolt on the Shooting Bench

I took my muzzleloader to the range on the same day I shot my new X-Bolt.  I was pretty excited about my X-Bolt and how well it shot. In my excitement to shoot my X-Bolt, I forgot patches for the muzzleloader. To get the best accuracy shot after shot, I like to run a patch lubed with Bore Butter through the barrel between shots. Accuracy was not going to be it's best with the muzzleloader today without the patches. 

When I started shooting the muzzleloader I was sailing them over the target. I got the windage adjusted fairly close and started taking a shot and adjusting it lower and lower until I got the final shot a few inches high and to the right. There was a strong L-R wind so I think I am pretty close to being where I want it sighted in, maybe just a little lower and I'll chalk the last shot going right to the wind and excessive fouling as I didn't have my patches.

Muzzloader Powder, Sabots, Bullets and Primers on the Shooting Bench

This was my first experience with a 1x scope and thus being a scope I thought I could just start at 100 yards. One power scopes are scopes but... it really didn't sink in how small everything was still going to be looking through the scope. If I were to do it over I would start sighting it in at 50 yards then go out to 100 yards.

With it only being a one power scope the reticle covered the two inch dot on the target. This makes it a little difficult knowing for sure you are holding right on the dot. However a reticle covering a two inch dot is sure a heck of a lot better than open sights covering the entire lower half of the target. Next time I will take a target with a single 4-6 inch black dot to shoot at.

Target showing bullet placement using Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt

Target showing bullet placements using Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt muzzleloader. An adjustment was made after every shot to bring the bullet placement down.

I was excited to find no parallax issues with the scope. I was not sure what distance the focal plane of the target and the crosshairs would align. Never having used a 1x scope I was a little worried that the crosshairs would float all over the target. I placed the muzzleloader in a shooting sand bag to hold the muzzleloader steady. Then I would move my head around looking through the scope. I found that the crosshairs did not float around on the target. Perfect! No parallax issues at 100 yards. Just what I wanted. Now it was a little unnerving seeing the front sight in the scope floating all around. I might think about removing the sights. It is a little distracting to say the least.

I really like the solidly made Warne scope rings and bases. So I ordered some from Midwayusa.com for this scope and muzzleloader. I went with a High set because I didn't want the rear sight being in line with the scope and blurring the optics. I'm really glad I went with the High set of rings. As you can see in the pictures the bolt handle just misses the scope by about 1/32 of and inch. I had not taken this clearance issue into account when I ordered the rings. I've been a little spoiled with the 60 degree bolt throws on my A-Bolt's and now X-Bolt, where scope clearance is never an issue. I'm really glad I didn't order the Medium height ring now. Even though it is a narrow amount of clearance it isn't on a high powered rifle, only a very slow cycling, load through the muzzle, muzzleloader. I can live with the narrow clearance.

View from side of Bolt Clearance with Warne High Rings and a Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt

View from behind of Bolt Clearance with Warne High Rings and a Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt

Bolt clearance with Warne High Rings and a Nikon 1x20 Buckmaster Scope on CVA Firebolt muzzleloader.

After a few shots I was really liking this scope on my muzzleloader. The optics are very clear, I had no parallax issues, the scope adjusted nicely and the eye relief is very generous (a nice feature for heavy recoiling muzzleloaders). It's a great quality scope for the price. Now I am just going to have to wait to hunt with it for at least another year because I didn't draw the muzzleloader permit this year. :(

This journal entry is a follow-up entry to my first entry on the Nikon Buckmaster 1x20 muzzleloader scope.

You can also see the accuracy I get when shooting 295g Powerbelt bullets from my muzzleloader.

  • 2014 - I upgraded to a TC Encore with the same 1x20 Nikon Scope and this rifle shoots awesome!