I see a lot of posts here that some of the people are trying to keep things going, but with 0 replies and my own participation is very lacking along with some of you others. How about this to stir up a little conversation. I was reading about the Knight problems and about how well some like the Savage smokeless rifles and I started thinking, too much. Don't get me wrong with all this, I have a Knight Disc rifle and have used it a lot over the last 10 years to kill my share of deer and like it a lot. The thing that I started thinking about is that with the exception that these modern guns hold only one shot and load from the front end, they don't even resemble the primitive weapons that most of the muzzle loader hunting seasons were originally established for.
Oh man I can hear the "it's perfectly legal, more humane, and harvests more deer to use modern in line guns" train rolling right down the tracks at me already. First let me say that I know all those things, but when different groups approached the Iowa DNR about a special muzzle loader deer season this is not what either side had in mind. No one in 1985, in planning for the first ML season in 1986, envisioned in-line rifles capable of shooting 250 or 300 grain bullets at 2200 or 2500 feet per second into sub one inch groups at one hundred yards. They talked about either original or replicas of different percussion cap or flint lock guns with buck horn sights shooting patched round ball or conical bullets. A hot load was 80 or 90 grains of FFg powder with a ball and shooting a little over 1000 feet per second. It could hit and kill a deer at 100 yards but 50 or 60 yards was a much better shot. These groups wanted a season for them to have fun and try their hand at harvesting a deer the same way that their fore fathers had done. To learn and use woodsman skills to get close enough for their primitive guns to be effective. For the first few years the DNR didn't even sell out all the 5000 licenses available for the season in October, and then Tony Knight came on the scene with the MK85 in line and things changed quickly.
Now a current ML hunter has a T/C, Knight, CVA, or Savage rifle with a camo synthetic stock, a high dollar variable power scope that almost makes it's own daylight, special saboted bullets designed for great ballistics, pelleted powder or pre measured exact smokeless powder charges, 209 primer or hotter rifle primer or even electric ignition systems with faster lock times than many center-fire rifles, and stainless steel fast twist barrels that deliver unbelievable accuracy. I am not saying that any of these things are wrong or immoral, or unethical, just that they are not what was originally intended. My Knight rifle covers all these categories. What I am saying is that maybe it is time that we move backwards, or regress, a little and perhaps consider making the early ML season back into a primitive season again and let those that enjoy that type of hunting have their day again. I would continue the same late ML season for the more modern hunters and as always the modern in-lines could be used for any of the other gun seasons in Iowa.
Ok there it is, my opinion, so fire up the boiler and get the train rolling and I will do my best to defend it if necessary. Thanks to the guys who have been keeping this form alive.
Oh man I can hear the "it's perfectly legal, more humane, and harvests more deer to use modern in line guns" train rolling right down the tracks at me already. First let me say that I know all those things, but when different groups approached the Iowa DNR about a special muzzle loader deer season this is not what either side had in mind. No one in 1985, in planning for the first ML season in 1986, envisioned in-line rifles capable of shooting 250 or 300 grain bullets at 2200 or 2500 feet per second into sub one inch groups at one hundred yards. They talked about either original or replicas of different percussion cap or flint lock guns with buck horn sights shooting patched round ball or conical bullets. A hot load was 80 or 90 grains of FFg powder with a ball and shooting a little over 1000 feet per second. It could hit and kill a deer at 100 yards but 50 or 60 yards was a much better shot. These groups wanted a season for them to have fun and try their hand at harvesting a deer the same way that their fore fathers had done. To learn and use woodsman skills to get close enough for their primitive guns to be effective. For the first few years the DNR didn't even sell out all the 5000 licenses available for the season in October, and then Tony Knight came on the scene with the MK85 in line and things changed quickly.
Now a current ML hunter has a T/C, Knight, CVA, or Savage rifle with a camo synthetic stock, a high dollar variable power scope that almost makes it's own daylight, special saboted bullets designed for great ballistics, pelleted powder or pre measured exact smokeless powder charges, 209 primer or hotter rifle primer or even electric ignition systems with faster lock times than many center-fire rifles, and stainless steel fast twist barrels that deliver unbelievable accuracy. I am not saying that any of these things are wrong or immoral, or unethical, just that they are not what was originally intended. My Knight rifle covers all these categories. What I am saying is that maybe it is time that we move backwards, or regress, a little and perhaps consider making the early ML season back into a primitive season again and let those that enjoy that type of hunting have their day again. I would continue the same late ML season for the more modern hunters and as always the modern in-lines could be used for any of the other gun seasons in Iowa.
Ok there it is, my opinion, so fire up the boiler and get the train rolling and I will do my best to defend it if necessary. Thanks to the guys who have been keeping this form alive.
, BUT in this case the early ML season was created pretty much for the real traditional ML's. Therefore, I would favor a return to that style for the early season.
