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MUZZLE BLASTS, July 2017
Muzzleloading Afield
THE QUESTION OF IN-LINES, Written by: Al Raychard

We’re going to take a break from our normal hunting related topic this month and address an issue that seems to have spawned controversy within the NMLRA. A great deal has been said about in-lines in these pages recently, and as a supporter of the NMLRA, a contributor to this magazine for nearly three decades, and as an in-line user since they arrived on the scene back in the early 1980’s, I thought I would toss in my two cents worth.

Not everyone will agree with what I have to say, but hopefully it will provide some food for serious thoughts because, as the saying goes, a house divided cannot stand, which seems to be where we’re headed, and as MB Editor Lee Larkin has recently written, this association could pass out of existence unless membership numbers change. If you don’t believe that, perhaps you will recall the total membership back in the 1970’s. I don’t remember the exact number of members back then, but I’m willing to bet a dollar it was much, much higher than it is now by maybe as much as 10,000 members. That in itself should give us all a reason for concern. It is not that interest in muzzleloading has declined in recent years, in fact it has never been more popular, but rather the interest of today’s younger muzzleloader enthusiasts has changed, particularly when it comes to hunting.

Keep in mind, I speak as a hunter, but I am typical of that change. I punch paper maybe once or twice each fall before hitting the woods just to make sure my rifle is sighted in. Although I love the history of muzzleloading on this continent, I don’t participate in reenactments or rendezvous or participate in shooting matches. I don’t have any issues with these passions, in fact I have all the respect in the world for those who partake and keep that history alive, but it is not my cup of tea. I dare say today the majority of muzzleloading enthusiasts own an in-line, when you boil it all down, to increased hunting opportunity and to put meat on the table.

While the overall number of U.S. hunters has been declining over the past decade, by 5-to 6-percent in some states, and, as has been pointed out in these pages, the average age of NMLRA membership is about 70 years young. Unless we attract the younger generations, a generation that overwhelmingly owns, shoots and hunts with in-lines, and in general prefers an in-line over a more traditional design, membership will continue to decline. There is no other way to replace those lost. The question is, do we let the ship go down, or do we do what is necessary to save it even though we may not like it?

The interesting thing is, as overall hunting numbers in this country have been on the decline the past decade, the number of hunters using muzzleloaders is one of the few bright spots within the industry. According to several references there are some four million hunters in this country that hunt with a muzzleloader, and those same references indicate about 90 percent of them hunt with an in-line.
Rather factually correct or not, when it comes to hunting game the vast majority of hunters these days, young as well as old, choose to carry an in-line to hunt with. And when hunters new to the fold shop for a muzzleloader, when given the choice between a percussion, a flintlock, or an in-line, the vast majority will opt for the in-line. We could discuss the various reasons for this all day long, but the reasons don’t really matter. Facts are facts. Whether we want to accept or admit it or not, the younger generation of muzzleloading enthusiasts that this organization needs to attract have a different interest, a different interpretation of what muzzleloading is, and it overwhelmingly includes the in-line. We may not like it but we can accept them and grow, or stick to our guns, reject them and fade into history like the mountain men of old.

Among the reasons I hunt with an in-line is the opportunity to extend my hunting season. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s few states offered a specific muzzleloader season despite the fact that muzzleloaders had been around for generations. It wasn’t until the mid-1980’s and especially in the 90’s when in-lines were selling like hot cakes as state after state put a season restricted to muzzleloaders in place. Today, forty-nine states offer at least one muzzleloader season, generally for deer, but in some jurisdictions for elk and other game as well. Montana remains the only holdout and there are calls for a muzzleloader season there. And it’s all thanks to the in-line, which is recognized in those forty-nine states as a muzzleloader.

So when you head to the woods this fall during muzzleloading season regardless of the ignition system your rifle has, just remember the odds that are that special time and added opportunity wouldn’t be available were it not for the modern muzzleloader. And overall, the interest in muzzleloader hunting wouldn’t be as popular as it is without the in-line. This doesn’t mean that you have to like in-lines or use one, but it is a reminder of where the primary interest in muzzleloading rests today.

The bottom line is, whether in-line users are welcome into this organization isn’t necessarily about change or forgetting our past, but it’s more about acceptance. There is room for all muzzleloaders, we can welcome them all and still hold onto the rich history of muzzleloading. My premise is rather simple: If it loads from the muzzle and ignites with a #11 ap, flint or a 209 primer – it is a muzzleloader. Bottom line is the future of this organization is in our hands. We can accept or reject in-lines, but one thing is certain: the inline muzzleloader is here to stay. Hopefully the NMLRA is as well.