I'm looking at a new muzzleloader for elk hunting in Colorado. I have never ML hunted and so I am trying to get a grasp of the regulations before I purchase a new ML. I understand everything (min caliber, no scope, etc), but what I am not sure of is the following:

"Loading: Firearms must load from the muzzle. Firearms which can be loaded from the breech are prohibited"

That is from the Big Game Regulations on the CDOW website. However, the following is what is printed in the Big Game Brochure:

"Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzleloading seasons"

The first statement is clearly more restrictive than the second. Can someone shed a little more light on this? The second statement makes it sound like breech loaded guns are fine, but you must load them from the muzzle.

Are there any CO hunters out there that could provide a list of "acceptable" muzzleloaders? I have an older White Mountain ML, but would like to purchase a new inline so that I can use the 209 primers (which are now legal in CO), but this breech issue has got me all confused.

I'm not from Colorado but.. any muzzleloader that loads through the muzzle is fine. A rolling block or sharps etc that loads through the breech is not. If you are meaning could I purchase a breech loader and then load it through the muzzle and still be legal, I would guess NO!

We have some Colorade elk hunters on the board and they will make sure you get it right. Good luck with your elk hunt. It sounds exciting.

I think the different wording is to make allowance and clarificationfor such rifles as the Encore when used in a muzzleloader configuration. My interpretation of their regs is that most any muzzleloader can be used, so long as it cannot be loaded from the breech as carried, so long as it meets the caliber requirements, so long as it meets the load requirements, and so long as it is used with open sights. Encores are legal muzzleloaders in Colorado.

3. MUZZLELOADING RIFLES

a.

b.

the length of which does not exceed twice the diameter.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

i.

j.

Fiber optic sights and fluorescent paints are legal. Artificial light,

batteries and electronic gear are illegal.

k.

not sabots.

l.

powder and black powder substitutes are legal.

m.

Short answer:

It is legal to hunt with either kind of muzzleloader during RIFLE season.

It is only legal to carry a muzzy that cannot be loaded at any time from the breech during MUZZY season. Front stuffers only.

So, if you want to hunt during the September muzzy seaosn, you must use a front ONLY loader.

Thanks for the responses. I guess my confusion lies more with the ML themselves than with the regulations. Since I am new to ML, could someone give me an example of a breech load ML versus a front loader? Would a ML with a removable breech plug be both a breech and front loader? I can't even think of how you would breech load a ML. Are there guns that are capable of both?

Sorry, lots of questions, but I don't want to do anything stupid. I'm assuming any of the new inlines from TC, or CVA will be legal, I just want to be sure I understand.

There are no MUZZLELOADERS that load from the breech, by definition. There are muzzleloaders that can also be turned into centerfire rifles or shotguns with a barrel swap and I think that is the reasoning for the wording in the Colorado regs.

Anything that loads from the front is fine.

Underclocked,

Thanks! That makes sense. If the regs would have said "No centerfile rifles", that would have eliminated my confusion.

It is my understanding the wording on the "cannot be loaded from the breech during the muzzleloading seasons" came from the various Sharps type rifles which could technically be loaded from either the breech or the muzzle. This part of the reg has been in there for longer than the T/C Encore has been around.

The only muzzleloaders that aren't legal in Colorado are the double barrel rifles. What you load in it, however, has to be fairly primitive - no sabots or pellets. Must be full caliber conicals (or round balls) using loose black powder or black powder substitutes. No scopes or red dots.

According to several of the big sporting goods stores, the most popular bullet is the Powerbelt and the most popular powder is loose Triple 7. Most folks are currently using in-line rifles with fiber optic sights.