According to their press release, the Commission removed the exposed pivoting hammer restriction this week in their meeting, allowing some in-lines back into the hunts. Left the existing rules for exposed to weather, flint or percussion, open sights, all lead bullets with no sabots, and loose powder. Good deal for quite a few who lost out last year.

When the F&G made the rule last year they said they did it because the Success was too high. They said that high success could mean less opportunity. Yes they are allowing the inlines, but watch your hunts. My guess is some areas won't change. In others we will see a drop in tags because of this. In this story it says "some commissioners and F&G staffers" That is the key wording. Not all of the F&G staff feel the same way.
Here is the news paper story on it. Ron
http://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/story/265912.html

"IDAHO FISH AND GAME
HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE
Boise, ID

Date: January 17, 2008
Contact: Ed Mitchell
(208) 334-3700



commission changes muzzleloader rule


The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday, January 16, dropped the requirement for an external pivoting hammer from the rules on muzzleloader-only seasons.

In January 2007, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted new equipment rules for muzzleloader-only hunts.

Nearly 4,000 hunters commented during 2006 on the original proposals with roughly equal numbers supporting and opposing the proposed rule changes. While many traditional muzzleloader hunters support the new rules, many others, including modern muzzleloader hunters, did not.

The most controversial rule change was been the requirement for a pivoting hammer, functionally prohibiting the use of many in-line muzzleloaders in muzzleloader-only hunts. Additionally, the pivoting hammer requirement has been confusing to many hunters, generating numerous requests to Fish and Game to clarify whether individual muzzleloaders are legal to use.

In-line muzzleloaders have no ballistic, or overall range, advantage over "side-lock" muzzleloaders.

Thursday's action allows most in-line muzzleloaders back into muzzleloader-only hunts.

Other rules for muzzleloaders, including the requirements for loose power, exposed percussion cap ignition, all-lead (no sabots or bullets with plastic gas seals attached) bullets, remain in effect."

I added the bold

I will agree as well. The inline has no ballistic, or range advantage at all.
The only advantages they have is they have a much better ignition system. They are much more weather proof. And this difference will be looked at if the success goes up. They have already said last year that they would look at reducing opportunity. Ron

I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting..Inline are much more positive ignition wise, don't require a buckskin cover..I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

If they wanted to do something intelligent then they would make inline hunters hunt in the general season with the rest of us..I use a 25-35 carbine for Mule Deer and thats more challanging than an inline muzzle loader..

Have you used an inline muzzleloader to mule deer hunt?

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting.I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

It the same right up till its time to reload.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting..Inline are much more positive ignition wise, don't require a buckskin cover..I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

If they wanted to do something intelligent then they would make inline hunters hunt in the general season with the rest of us..I use a 25-35 carbine for Mule Deer and thats more challanging than an inline muzzle loader..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting..Inline are much more positive ignition wise, don't require a buckskin cover..I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

If they wanted to do something intelligent then they would make inline hunters hunt in the general season with the rest of us..I use a 25-35 carbine for Mule Deer and thats more challanging than an inline muzzle loader..

Guessing you can load a second shot a bit faster.

quote:

Originally posted by sheephunterab:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting..Inline are much more positive ignition wise, don't require a buckskin cover..I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

If they wanted to do something intelligent then they would make inline hunters hunt in the general season with the rest of us..I use a 25-35 carbine for Mule Deer and thats more challanging than an inline muzzle loader..

Guessing you can load a second shot a bit faster.

I'm with Ray. Are you telling me that you are going to reload a single shot No. 1 fast enough for a second shot in most hunting situations? Maybe it is because I grew up in PA but I like my muzzleloading season to be flintlock and patched round ball.

editted to add: look at the article in the new American Rifleman, it says that Knights new switch barrel rifle in .45-70 is legal to hunt with in primative season (I think in MS, I'm at work without the magazine)... Nothing against the .45-70 but we are really getting away from the intent of a muzzleloading season. If you want long range, sabots and scopes then petition to lengthen the regular season instead of stealing the traditional muzzleloaders season. What's next, allow in-lines to hunt during archery season?

DAH!!!!! when was the last a hunter with an inline muzzle loader spoiled your day afield? Or hunt for that matter?
I hunt with both and have never in my life had a hunt spoiled by another hunter useing a bow, center fire or any type of muzzle loader.
I have how ever had tresspassing horse back riders spoil a hunt. Clowns tresspassing whth their 4x4 runing the trails on my private property.
Never another hunter though.

Al

When did another hunter ever spoil your hunt???
I would like to hear the story!!!
I have had tresspassing horse back riders spil a hunt, tresspassing 4x4 truck driving clowns on my private property trails and tresspassing shroom hunters.
But another hunter never during bow season, center fire season or with any type of Muzzle loader.

Al

quote:

sharps54 wrote:
look at the article in the new American Rifleman, it says that Knights new switch barrel rifle in .45-70 is legal to hunt with in primative season (I think in MS, I'm at work without the magazine)... Nothing against the .45-70 but we are really getting away from the intent of a muzzleloading season. If you want long range, sabots and scopes then petition to lengthen the regular season instead of stealing the traditional muzzleloaders season. What's next, allow in-lines to hunt during archery season?

Nobody said you have to stop using your traditional muzzleloaders. I also agree with the above poster.

Here in Iowa, you can use a centerfire revolver for all firearm seasons except for Early muzzleloader (but you can for late season).

Never heard any one complain. The DNR's reasoning is that the ballistics are similar,so it is fine to use. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but the Iowa DNR is odd on the rules they make.

Sharps54 yep one can Reload a No. 1 fast enough for a 2nd shot in normal hunting situations. Ive done it many times.

It is way faster then my muzzle loader.

They should do away with the sabot and bullet restrictions also.

So the loose powder means I can use smokeless.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting..Inline are much more positive ignition wise, don't require a buckskin cover..I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

If they wanted to do something intelligent then they would make inline hunters hunt in the general season with the rest of us..I use a 25-35 carbine for Mule Deer and thats more challanging than an inline muzzle loader..

I agree with Ray, hunting with an iron-sited .25-35 is far more challenging than a scoped sited in-line muzzleloader. I also agree that scope-sited inlines are not what the primitive seasons were insituted for, it was supposed to be about the challenge of doing it the old way.

That being said, there is no going back. We will just have to hang on and see how far this will go. Mississippi has decided that there is not much if any ballistic avantage in old black-powder cartridges over modern inlines and allows the hunting with certain single shot cartridge guns. Oh well, if you're looking for a good used inline look in Mississippi.

quote:

Originally posted by jb:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think they have bastardized muzzle hunting.I see no difference in them and hunting with a Ruger no. 1 single shot...

It the same right up till its time to reload.

I've found that a quick second shot is not often needed in most hunting conditions. In most cases there is no great disadvantage in using the modern inline muzzleloaders vs a cartridge single shot rifle for deer hunting at distances of 200 yds or less.

What is the appeal of a stainless steel, synthetic stocked, scope sighted muzzle loader loaded with a sabot and a jacketed bullet used by a guy with an optical range finer and riding a ATV talking to his buds on a cell phone?

the reason that the m-loaders have such
a high success rate here s.e. idaho
is because their hunt is usually right
through the rut.

I think it is important to make a distinction between east and west.

I can't speak to the west, as I have only hunted the mountanins twice. I'm hoping the near future changes that...

The restrictions/limitations on a ML season make sense to me out west.

Here in the East, I'm not sure that the intent was ever for a "traditional" season. The intent was to kill MORE WTs.

Our ML WT season falls after all other seasons have closed. In this case I see no problems with modern ML tech.

Now, if your ML season is a "primitive" season or falls before rifle season, then I understand what you're laying down.

quote:

What is the appeal of a stainless steel, synthetic stocked, scope sighted muzzle loader loaded with a sabot and a jacketed bullet

They're fun, they're accurate, they load from the muzzle, they require a fair amount of range time to become proficient with, you can tinker with powder and bullet combinations until your heart is content, they offer extended season, they are yet another gun you have to have, they look great...shall I go on?

Sheephunterab, I am right there with you... And probably one other detail a lot of us have missed is that one can cast his own projectiles, and not be at the mercy of the continuing rising cost of jacketed projectiles!