One of the guys where I work has a felony and he called the atf by his mistake,but it worked out for him.The agent told him that a muzzle loader is not a firearm,he said so I can use it and he said it's not a firearm!! So he started hunting with it and has had no trouble at all.Now this is in Missouri dont know about any place else they may have a state law but he made it clear to him that the Fed. sees it as a non issue.