Let me clearify a comment that I made concerning patch & ball. When I say that it is a crippler and mangler, I should not and I am not saying that everyone that hunts with this type of muzzleloader is a crippler and mangler. To be proficeint and effective with this type of muzzleloader takes years of experience and lots of self-discipline. There are many whom posess these qualities.

Yet on the other hand, many expect someone picking up a muzzleloader for the first to be just as knowledgeable and to play by their rules. It just ain't going to happen. I would much rather see a beginner or novice, pick up a T/C Encore, Knight Disc, CVA Fire Bolt, Traditions Lighting, or even a Savage 10ML-II, and be able to shoot it accurately, proficiently, and be able to cleanly and effiecently harvest game, while gaining expereince and knowledge about muzzleloading. To force a beginner or novice to use a flintlock and patch & ball is a recipy for disaster, that will undoubtabily lead to wounded, crippled, and mangled game. Not to mention a frustrated and discouraged hunter.

The fact of the matter is, some muzzleloaders are more likely to be much less effeicent at taking game than other, by not being able to put nearly as much energy on target as others. Round balls by their design are not very effeicent at transferring energy into the the game, meaing that they do not expand very much, they do not mushroom, and unless you hit solid bone they don't even deform very much. The saboted bullets and even conicals like Power Belts, used by in-line hunters, are designed to deliver maximum energy into game, they expand, mushroom, and penetrate.

If a patch & ball muzzleloader and hunter, is capable of clean kills out to say 75yds (whether it be his muzzleloader limit or his self-imposed limit), then why should he be crying and moaning over a in-line muzzleloader and hunter who can cleanly kill out to 100 or 125yds? I truely beleive as a rule, and there are always exceptions to every rule, that because a new muzzleloader hunter buys an in-line, they do not automatically think that they blast away at game at 200yds. I've talked to too many new hunters just getting into muzzleloading for anyone to convince me other wise. The vast majority have a great amount of hunting expereince, in other areas, like bow, shotgun, and rifle. They are getting into muzzleloading for a new challenge of doing something different, not to be like Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett. They are getting into muzzleloading for the extra time afield, becuase as a hunter that is what he longs for. If he gets to harvest a deer, then that is just the iceing on the cake.

Here in NC, you are allowed 6 deer total throughout the entire season, inlcuding bow, muzzleloader, and gun. You can use all 6 tags during bow season, you use all 6 during muzzleloading, or you can use all 6 during gun season. Or you can use them in any combination you want. I find it overly complicated and totally unneccessary for states to allow this many deer during bow, this many during muzzleloader, this many during gun, and this during the 2nd muzzleloader season. I know that it all has to do with money from thesales of these individual hunting season permits. Would it not be simpler to sale one hunting license/permit for all seasons, have an annual total bag limit and leave it to the hunter to dictate how and when he use his tags? I am getting off subject and rambling now, but JMHO.