Originally Posted by
Oldtimr
Grouse, you asked a question regarding the requirement to use expending bullets in muzzle loading seasons in PA. This is the law regarding that, it is the law for big game season regardless of the firearm.
2322. Prohibited devices and methods.
(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this title or commission regulation, no person shall hunt, kill or take or attempt, aid, abet, assist or conspire to hunt, kill or take any big game, except wild turkey, with any of the following devices or methods:
(1) Any device other than a centerfire or muzzle-loading firearm or bow and arrow.
(2) Any automatic or semiautomatic firearm, except that any semiautomatic firearm modified to permit one shell in the chamber and no more than four shells in a magazine may be used by a person who suffered an amputation or lost the total use of one or both hands.
(3) Any firearm propelling more than one projectile per discharge.
(4) Any projectile which is not all lead or which is not designed to expand on contact.
(5) When any big game is swimming.
(6) By any other method or device which is not specifically authorized or permitted by this title or commission regulation.
I hope this answers your question.
Flintlock Muzzleloader Season: Only single-barrel long-guns .44 caliber or larger, or hanguns .50 caliber or larger with a flintlock ignition system. The firearm must be an original or reproduction of a gun used prior to 1800, with iron, open "V" or notched sights (fiber-optic inserts are permitted). A flintlock ignition system consists of a hammer containing a naturally-occurring stone which is spring-propelled onto an iron or steel frizzen, which, in turn, creates sparks to ignite a gunpowder. Flintlock muzzleloader hunters may use "any single projectile," including sabots, and mini and maxi balls
Antlerless Muzzleloader Season: Only single-barrel muzzleloading long-guns .44 caliber or larger, or muzzleloading handguns .50 caliber, including in-line and percussion sporting arms. Use of scopes and other lawful sighting devices is permitted. Fiber optic inserts may be used.
Oldtimr, the sentences highlighted in red and in bold seem to kind of go together. Wouldn't the first one "Except as otherwise provided in this title or commission regulation" kind of go along with "any single projectile" as being an "exception"? Not trying to be argumentative just wishing clarification on that subject since I am getting heavily back into ML'ers and will most likely do my next whitetail hunt in Pa during ML season (the anterless one where modern ML'ers are allowed) and after some extensive testing of the .458 305 grain Lehigh XP have found it to be an excellent bullet. Like Grouse I would love to use an XP bullet for both whitetail as well as elk.
After a little thinking, I am also wondering about the new CF bullets from Lehigh as far as legality as well. They aren't considered "expandable" either. The are a partial frangible with a solid base.