Strange but true

[Banjoman]

In Tennessee, it is legal to hunt deer, bear and elk with a muzzleloading rifle or handgun that is .36 caliber or larger.

You can also hunt small game with a muzzleloading rifle or handgun that is .36 caliber or larger.

However, you cannot hunt small game with a muzzleloading shotgun loaded with single solid ball or slugs.

I wonder where my .62 caliber smooth rifle fits in?

 

[ppg1949]

I think you need to get a good definition from the state DNR. IMO, if it is a smoothbore it is a shotgun to the authorities whatever you want to call it yourself. A rifle has rifling.

 

[64Springer]

Your smooth rifle is a shotgun.

And not as accurate as a rifle.

That's why they allow rifled bores and not smooth bores.

Sights, or what people call shotguns with sights, has nothing to do with it.

 

[Patocazador]

Can you hunt deer with a muzzleloading shotgun and buckshot???

 

[ETipp]

Interesting. Right next door in Ky there is no restriction on caliber for ML rifles (not even for deer) but we cannot hunt with ML pistols.

 

[Banjoman]

Can you hunt deer with a muzzleloading shotgun and buckshot???

Nope

 

[Banjoman]

Interesting. Right next door in Ky there is no restriction on caliber for ML rifles (not even for deer) but we cannot hunt with ML pistols.

wow

 

[Banjoman]

Your smooth rifle is a shotgun.

And not as accurate as a rifle.

That's why they allow rifled bores and not smooth bores.

Sights, or what people call shotguns with sights, has nothing to do with it.

You and I know that, but I’ve met TWRA officers who didn’t know a muzzleloader from a dog muzzle. When talking to them, I call it a smooth bore or shotgun.

 

[Banjoman]

And, the point I was trying to make is that a person could legally hunt squirrel with a .50 caliber rifle and patched round ball but not a .50 caliber smooth bore and patched round ball.

It’s not a problem for me though since I hunt small game with a .62 caliber smooth bore with shot and deer with .50 caliber rifle and patched round ball. Just thought it was interesting how the rules were written.

 

[TDM]

I just checked the current ML regs for Louisiana and Mississippi to make sure nothing had changed. In Louisiana .44 cal or larger or 10 ga or smaller smoothbore, ball, slug, buckshot. In Mississippi, .38 cal or larger, no smoothbore gage restriction, but ball or slug only. Both states all .35 cal or larger breech loading metallic cartridge breechloaders with BP or smokeless powder. So basically it's a free for all and has been for a long time. Ruined traditional ML hunting.

 

[Banjoman]

At least we have a muzzleloader/archery only season.

 

[TDM]

At least we have a muzzleloader/archery only season.

Both states still have archery only season. But muzzleloading only disappeared about 20 years ago.

 

[Banjoman]

Both states still have archery only season. But muzzleloading only disappeared over 20 years ago.

That’s bad.

 

[TDM]

That’s bad.

Yes it is.

 

[user 31232]

,

 

[user 31232]

Interesting. Right next door in Ky there is no restriction on caliber for ML rifles (not even for deer) but we cannot hunt with ML pistol

Interesting. Right next door in Ky there is no restriction on caliber for ML rifles (not even for deer) but we cannot hunt with ML pistols.

Episode of KY afield awhile back. Tim farmer hunted deer with a flintlock pistol. Check it out on you tube. Maybe rules changed since then?

 

[TDM]

That’s bad.

The influx of inlines was bad enough and I admit I bought one way back, not even sure where it is now. But when they changed muzzleloading season to "primitive weapons" season and allowed the breech loaders that was the death knell for muzzleloading supplies to be found locally down here. You could buy a single shot H&R in .35 Winchester and be legal. I don't remember which state succumbed first but there was only a year or two difference.

 

[Brokennock]

In Tennessee, it is legal to hunt deer, bear and elk with a muzzleloading rifle or handgun that is .36 caliber or larger.

You can also hunt small game with a muzzleloading rifle or handgun that is .36 caliber or larger.

However, you cannot hunt small game with a muzzleloading shotgun loaded with single solid ball or slugs.

I wonder where my .62 caliber smooth rifle fits in?

Sounds like you could still hunt small game with your .62 smoothrifle using shot.
You didn't mention if they have any rules for shotguns for large game. Many states allow it with a single projectile, but not with shot.
Disallowing large single projectile use from a smoothbore/shotgun for small game probably has something to do with a perceived lack of accuracy. They have to regulate to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Banjoman]

Sounds like you could still hunt small game with your .62 smoothrifle using shot.
You didn't mention if they have any rules for shotguns for large game. Many states allow it with a single projectile, but not with shot.
Disallowing large single projectile use from a smoothbore/shotgun for small game probably has something to do with a perceived lack of accuracy. They have to regulate to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Brokennock]

Thank you for that information.
Looks much the same as many of us in that you can use your smoothrifle with shot for small game and with roundball for deer.
I'm a little envious of the allowance of rifle calibers that crossover between small and large game. I don't think I would hunt deer with a .36, but I would hunt deer and squirrels with a .45, but can't do that here.