Georgia DNR proposes huge change to laws pertaining to muzzleloading deer hunting

[Nameless Hunter]

I like Jay have also pestered the heck out
EOF the state Congress critters over the fire stick, the only ones who listen are the country/ hunting types

Anybody else find it funny/ironic that the NMLRA landing page has a tag line about "Preserving History", while promoting inlines and the firestick in their "News" section?

 

[SOLANCO]

Currently, a muzzleloader must be .44 caliber or above to be legal for deer hunting. Our DNR is now proposing to allow deer to be taken with any muzzleloader .30 caliber or above, beginning next season.

I have mixed emotions on this issue. I realize that the vast majority of deer hunters will continue to do so with .45, .50, and .54-caliber rifles. Those who will take to the woods with smaller calibers will mostly be owners of high-quality custom "squirrel" guns. Hopefully these hunters recognize the need for precise shot placement in order to make a clean kill.

No less important with a .54 . Bigger bullets are no substitute for poor marksmanship.

 

[SOLANCO]

I've never cared what other hunters use when chasing after deer; I just continue using flintlocks for everything, every season, period. I also have never felt at a disadvantage or "under-gunned". Way back when, the smallest caliber I've killed deer with was a .22 Hornet. Now it's a .45 or occasionally something larger. I don't think any reg changes will amount to a hill of beans. All the lost deer I'm aware of were caused by hunters with modern rifles, anyway.

Not long ago and not far from here state game wardens caught a prodigious poacher after a long effort. He was making one shot kills with a .22WMR . If you do not know the deer's anatomy, and/or can not place your shot, the caliber of your weapon is irrelevant.

 

[M38]

Currently, a muzzleloader must be .44 caliber or above to be legal for deer hunting. Our DNR is now proposing to allow deer to be taken with any muzzleloader .30 caliber or above, beginning next season.

I have mixed emotions on this issue. I realize that the vast majority of deer hunters will continue to do so with .45, .50, and .54-caliber rifles. Those who will take to the woods with smaller calibers will mostly be owners of high-quality custom "squirrel" guns. Hopefully these hunters recognize the need for precise shot placement in order to make a clean kill.

The minimum caliber for muzzleloader deer hunting in Virginia is 45.

 

[Christophero]

If one were to only use the 110 grain soft lead concial in a 32 caliber, then, yes, at short distances it would reasonably kill deer. But, that is a rare oddity and I doubt many would consider it in a traditional rifle. 3 and half decades ago a few squirrels fell to that combo, but then roundballs made more sense for small game and the slugs were put away. Still, I can see how it could be successful in the right hands. I've not kept up with the inlines since giving my last one away to a brother. Didn't know they were making them less than 45 caliber for 35 caliber pistol bullets at super velocity, but it wouldn't surprise me. I would rather use a good side lock and open sights as long as possible, though.

 

[Brokennock]

I don't post much but feel the need to dispute the false opinion that 45 caliber is not enough gun or is a girls weapon. I have hunted Ohio's muzzleloader and/or regular gun season with a Thompson Center Seneca 45 caliber since 1975. Started with 3F black powder and a round ball but quickly migrated to Maxi slugs and later jacketed pistol rounds and modern powder pellets. The only time I felt the caliber was inadequate was with the round ball which lacked knock down power beyond 30-40 yards and the rifling didn't produce great accuracy with round ball in that gun. No doubt the 50-54 caliber guns are the dominant calibers in the field today. If you do your history homework you will find the early settlers used light calibers to conserve powder and lead. The game they hunted didn't need heavy calibers until they moved west of the Mississippi river.

If you look at the way the reply you are responding to is worded, I'm sure that you will see the poster is a "troll" and isn't worth our time. I too was going to dispute his nonsense, but, as they say,
"When one argues with a fool, it becomes hard to tell the difference who is who."

If he tries to rebut your reply, I would ignore him.

 

[Patocazador]

Florida also changed the minimum caliber to .30. They say it's because they allowed deer hunting with air guns of .30 caliber.

Both sound ridiculous to me.

 

[hanshi]

The .45 certainly is a pleasant, well mannered rifle and can cleanly kill deer at 75 yards; I've done that. It needs no exclusions, buts or excuses. A .440" patched ball and 50 to 80 grains of black is all that's needed for even large whitetails and (arguably) black bear.

 

[THBailey]

What might be technically legal under fish and game rules can be way different from what is ethically correct. Under the California big game weapon laws I can legally hunt deer with my Baby Browning two inch barreled 25acp unmentionable as long as I use soft point non-lead projectiles. Do we really need more legislation here? And FWIW, the minimum for a front stuff rifle out here is 40 cal.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I feel better about a .36 in the hands of an ethical Nimrod than a .54 in the hands of a Tyro.

On this same vein, there is a .36 caliber Maxi-ball of 125 grains, which has better ballistics in flight, and should have no trouble with penetration due to its long cross section, compared to an almost identical weight .440 patched round ball. IF I was so inclined to use a .36 on whitetail, I'd use a conical bullet as well.

LD

 

[okawbow]

I heard a national survey was done and it has been determinded that 45 caliber is only for girls, something like the 243 Winchester being only for girls or girly men.

 

[smoothshooter]

Currently, a muzzleloader must be .44 caliber or above to be legal for deer hunting. Our DNR is now proposing to allow deer to be taken with any muzzleloader .30 caliber or above, beginning next season.

I have mixed emotions on this issue. I realize that the vast majority of deer hunters will continue to do so with .45, .50, and .54-caliber rifles. Those who will take to the woods with smaller calibers will mostly be owners of high-quality custom "squirrel" guns. Hopefully these hunters recognize the need for precise shot placement in order to make a clean kill.

This may have more to do with sabotted bullets fired from in-lines, and air rifle projectiles than balls fired from traditional muzzleloaders.

 

[NorthFork]

I think it is more a nod to CVA's new high power smaller bore unmentionable muzzle loader guns. Currently 40 caliber, but I heard rumors that smaller bores may be in the works.

Yup, it's got nothing to do with anything even close to resembling a traditional muzzleloader. The inline crowd has been experimenting with very thick sabots and sometimes a sabot inside of another sabot with 'small' diameter rifle bullets inside of that sabot for awhile now. This is not about shooting deer with your squirrel gun. It's all about high BC modern bullets fired from an inline. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet one more step away from 'muzzleloader season' was supposed to be about.

 

[NorthFork]

Anybody else find it funny/ironic that the NMLRA landing page has a tag line about "Preserving History", while promoting inlines and the firestick in their "News" section?

Yes I do, and it's why I refuse to join that organization. If the NMLRA wanted to have an equal but separate 'sister' organization devoted to inline that would be fine with me. However I don't care to help promote the inline disease in our hunting seasons any more than I have to. And to be fair I own 4 inlines and enjoy shooting them for what they are. However as far as I'm concerned they just don't belong in our muzzleloader hunting season and they should not be normalized as such in a national organization and magazine supposedly devoted to the history and preservation of traditional muzzleloaders.