I agree with you there trigger that 75 yards scope or no scope is the farthest I would consider shooting a deer with my muzzy. Where I hunt I'm lucky if I can get a shot much over 45 yards, I would just feel more comfortable personally putting the crosshairs on the vitals probably becuase every other gun I own with the exception of the shotgun has a scope on it and thats what I'm used to. I guess scopes would probably tempt some to make longer shots than capible from their muzzy, what it raelly comes down to is practice, practice, practice and taking good clean shots.

Heres a artical from a guy I've shot my 50 cal. hawkin with,I bought this rifle in 1972 and it yet shoots great out to 200 yds with 120 grain powder & round ball.

http://www.wctrib.com/articles/index.cfm?id=44412&section=outdoors,outdoor%20news

http://www.wctrib.com/articles/index.cfm?id=44411&section=outdoors,outdoor%20news

I have said it before. Google Bad Bull Muzzleloaders. They say they will shoot minute of angle accuracy. Customer claims of 1.5 inch groups at 300 yds. Aiming dead-on out to 300 yds. Way more than enough energy to kill a deer at 400 (their table doesn't go any higher). A big scope on one of these and you can outperform most centerfire rifles. Not a primitive weapon at all in my opinion. A special muzzleloader season was not created for things like this.

I think they should write the law to make the posession of a scope illegal by a ML hunter during the ML season to keep folks from using these quick-detach scopes.

I think that there are an aweful lot of them out there, off when they are in the truck, on when they get to the stand.

I agree trigger, it just amazes me how once we have our rules many are quick to bend them especially when it comes to deer hunting. I would have liked to turn the guy in but how can we prove the illegality ? Do I need to appear in court, I'm sure the guy would've said I didn't have a scope on it, would I need to watch the warden frisk this guy or how would I detain him, at gun point ? Same with trespassing on my land, it wasn't me on your property, these things are difficult to enforce. Same with the guys baiting on my neighbors farm where I couldn't rifle/musket hunt this year because if you are aware of bait, isn't there a 10 day or 2 week rule ? If I turn them in I can't imagine what the towns people would think to see their names in the paper for baiting. They would certainly know who turned them in. They took at least 9 deer off those corn piles by Halloween, how many since I don't know, they are still actively hunting. 4 guys and 20 tags, not good. It just bothers me how non-chalant people are with breaking rules that level the playing field somewhat like the guy taking off his scope.

If we use the logic of the guy that wrote that articles then we would have to believe that his lead ball muzzleloader bullets are more lethal than a 300 win mag or rifle bullet or say a .50 caliber sabot style shotgun slug. Yes the wound channels are different though I'll give him that. I saw a wound display on the history channel showing the affects of different types of bullets and guns used in war.

I would like to have a scope on my in line muzzleloader. If I hunted in states that allowed scopes with a muzzleloader I'd have an issue figuring that one out. Currently I use a peep sight on my muzzleloader and I'm very accurate with that. I'm obviously not able to shoot accurately past 100 yards though so I won't be taking that kind of long range shot. If I had one of the scopes with the BDC reticles on it specifically made for muzzleloaders I'm sure I would take a poke out to probably 150 yards if I felt comfortable that I could make that shot. I don't think our state is going to make a change on this law so I'm really not concerned about it for the future. Most of the shots I have or take rifle hunting or muzzloader hunting are always under 100 yards. Sometimes I wish I had my bow. It would mean a lot more to me with a bow.

I suspect that they will make some changes to what types of muzzleloaders are legal, and the types of powders that can be utilized. The one factor that does limit the effectiveness of current in line muzzleloaders enforced by Minnesota is the fact that you can't use a scope. Now that some of the muzzleloader have electronic ignition systems, or can use smokeless powder they are going to have to define what is O.K. and what isn't. The technology is just going to keep advancing so it's going to be up to each individual state to set the limits.

Ryan

Muzzleloaders dont look very traditional to me

Are you saying Davey Crockett didn't have one of those?

Thats a tough spot Musky, like you said, you can't hold him there at gun point and it would be your word against his. Too bad about the baiting issue also. Rules are always going to be broken not matter if its hunting, fishing, etc. its just too bad not everyone can get caught.

Hey Boozehound I'm an Ottertail county guy as well, this is where I've been dealing with baiters, scoped Muskets, numerous trespassing issues, poaching, early/after hour shooting, road hunters I mean road shooters. I wish there were about 10 more Tricia Plautz' and Greg Oldakowski's and the new Perham guy I was used to dealing with Flodeen and occasionally the retired Bruce Faltzgraf. Year after year of this is really becoming tiring. The scariest time is that last 1/2 hour or so because I have many fenceline huggers, 2 years ago my life almost ended as a stray bullet went whistling by just a few feet away, someone shot I assume at a deer on private land on a hill with standing corn as a backdrop, I was sitting watching the field road in the middle of the field under the pivot and it was frightening, some do that, shoot one at dark wherever and come back to get it later after the hunters are in for the night or if busted drive off fast and leave the area altogether. No doubt sledneck, technology has really gotten technical !

I hunt by Amor, my grandparents have a farm there. Sunday morning the opening weekend of rifle hunting I heard my first shot at 6:21 am! I don't know what goes through some peoples heads sometimes. Two years ago, headed back out to the woods after lunch and as I came to the top of the ridge about 150 yds. from my stand I thought I spotted some orange. Took the binocs out of the pack and sure as [PoorWordUsage] there was somebody up in my stand! I tried to make my way down to the stand as quitely as possible, but he saw me soon after and hurried down and hopped the fence. [PoorWordUsage]! Its no wonder hunting gets such a bad rap from the commmon public.

I hear ya, when I was 15 I shot a 12 pointer, 209 pounds on the scale, took my dad to help get it, it was the first year I could hunt deer without a grown up, I was plenty excited, when we got back to my stand a guy from White Bear Lake was sitting in my stand, he said I almost shot your deer, saw it laying over there, would you take 300 bucks for the head ? My father said if you don't leave on the double you'll get 300 stitches in the head. I have no clue how I didn't see him on the trail out, where he came from, no doubt he knew he was in the wrong area as we owned at the time the whole section. I hunt 2 miles south of New York Mills.

No, they don't look like the old muskets, but inlines rely on the same concept when it comes to hunting during Minnesota's muzzleloading season - one shot and open sights. The ignition system is obviously different but that's more an advancement in functionality, that your gun will go off successfully nearly every time. A scope can lead to a substantial advantage in accuracy at longer ranges.

That's not to say there's not a place for them during gun season, just not during muzzy season in my opinion. Otherwise, you might as well just have a second gun season instead and open the woods up to everyone again.

if we dont want adavantages over the deer we mite as well get rid of all weapons and go out in the woods naked and on all 4s and try and harvest a deer with our bare hnds. face the facts hunting is never gonna b fair because we r in the tree with a weapon waiting for that uneuspecting deer, not bashing anything because i love it. Instead of arguing why we should or shouldnt hav scopes y not justs legalize it and let people decide on their own. n for all those saying we want muzzy scopes to make up for lack of target practice i will put in my 2 cents and say i can make 6 inch groups at 100yds open sight but id rather be able to use a scope and make 6 inch groups at 150yds. I just want to harvest a nice deer. The idea of tradition means little to me, and if i want challenge i go out with the bow. on the other hand i dont bowhunt becasue its challenging, i just do it because i cant hunt with a scoped rifle all fall. i would if i could tho