Where I hunt there are no special season for ML. I use mine because I like to use it and I do not feel disadvantaged when doing so. I sure do get some funny looks though. lolI usually stop and chat with them about it (my rifle) and accept the congrats for the deer on the back of my atv.

edit: I'm known in these parts as the grey hairded guy on the red atv with the black powder rifle.

To be honest, this doesn't suprise me...The early muzzleloading seasons were started in most states back in the '60s, usually by members of the NMLRA....Back thendeer herds were small and these guys just wanted a little time to themselves to try their hand at deer...

Look at today, most deer herds (certainly in the South) are booming, last year here in NC we had free, unlimited doe tags and yet we still killed more bucks than does...Guys, the law makers are catching heat from the insurance companies to reduce the herd side and frankly it isn't happening...

Most "muzzleloader hunters", now shoot inlines that are scoped and accurate to a good 150 yards...Some even say to 200 or better, and they want a "special time" to hunt with their "primitive weapon"...

Add in that hunter numbers are down in most states and this was going to happen sooner or later...

muzzle loaders/ archers cant do it all. Thats where the long range centerfire comes to play but the thing is, back east in some of those states like illinois, there is no such thing as rifle season. In that state, im surprised they dont make you register a bow and arrow.

I lived in Ill for 3 months with an ex girl friend and i was shocked when her uncle told me about the hunting. Is there even any public hunting land there or what?

That list is, for lack of a better term, interesting. I don't see the logic in some of the included and excluded guns in the list. If this is a change due to herd control I guess it makes sense. It may help get some folks interested in older guns that would not have gone that route before. Time will tell.

I have seen pictures of inline guns that date back as far as the 1700's including both flintlock and percussion designs. Not all of them had exposed hammers either, some were of a plunger design similar to several of the so called modern inline designs. While it is true that many of them were not mass produced that was probably due more to the cost and complexity compared to therelatively simplesidelock designs that pre-existed the inline systems. This, to my mind, still gives the inline ignition a lineage that quallifies it as a viable muzzleloader. The inline ignition does offer a slight advantage to ignition over a regular sidelock that has to snake the fire to the main charge. This advantage does not necessarily hold true for other designs such as the under hammer which often has a even shorter path to the main charge than many inlines.

From an accuracy stand point, all other things being equal, the inline has no inherent advantage over the other ignition systems. Most any design will shoot as good and more often better than the person holding the gun. Manypracticed shooters can make accurate shots out to 150+ yards without the aid of a scope no matter what design they are shooting. Many bison were shot at quite long range with muzzleloaders of several designs and no scope in the old days by hunters who spent the time to learn how to shoot at those ranges.

Now don't mistake what I'm typing as an endorsement of the average hunter going out and trying long range hunting. Many hunters don't put in the range time to develop the skills needed to be effective at ranges much over 100 yards but that doesn't mean the gun is not cappable of those shots when properly loaded and practiced with.

Here's me getting off the soapbox now.

we are lossing hunters everyday and there are not many new hunters
i know people in indiana that would hunt if they could use a 3006 or 308 not to say they need to open rifle hunting up here to flat here
there trying to bring hunters in
even if there stupid