Oregon muzzleloader regulations

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Smokeploe7166

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Do my eyes read the State of Oregon muzzleloader regulations right? It’s basically old school traditional? Patch and ball?
 
Ok here what I find
Oregon Muzzleloader Hunting Season Regulation
It is illegal to hunt with non-lead bullets, jacketed bullets, sabots and bullets with plastic or synthetic bases during muzzleloaderonly seasons and 600 series hunts where there is a weapon restriction of shotgun/muzzleloader only or archery/muzzleloader only.

ELK, BIGHORN SHEEP, ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT
Minimum centerfire caliber
(rifles and handguns)
.24 caliber
Minimum muzzleloading caliber.50 caliber: round ball or legal bullet

DEER, PRONGHORN, BLACK BEAR, COUGAR
Minumum centerfire caliber
(rifles and handguns)
.22 caliber
Minimum muzzleloading caliber.40 caliber: round ball or legal bullet
#1 or larger buckshot allowed for deer,
bear and cougar

Muzzleloader
During muzzleloader only seasons and 600 series hunts where there is a weapon restriction of shotgun/muzzleloader only or archery/muzzleloader only:
It is unlawful to:
  • Use scopes or sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy except for visually impaired hunters with a permit (see Disabilities Hunting & Fishing Permit Information). Open and peep sights are legal, including open and peep sights with fiber optics or fluorescent paint on them.
  • Hunt with or have in possession while hunting, sabots or bullets with plastic or synthetic parts. Cloth, paper or felt patches are allowed.
  • Hunt with centerfire primers as an ignition sources; the muzzleloader must have an open ignition. See Definitions.
  • Hunt with pelletized powders or propellants. Granular (loose) black powder and black powder substitutes are the only legal propellants.
  • Hunt with a revolving action muzzleloader.
During Any Legal Weapon seasons, hunters may use muzzleloaders with any ignition type (except matchlock), any legal sight, any propellant, or any bullet type provided the weapon meets caliber restrictions for the species.
 
Ok there are inlines that also can be used. lead conical bullets also can be used with the round balls.
 
As I read it, only lead projectiles w no plastic for sealing (so PRB, minie or maxi balls are ok).

Also loose powder (traditional black or substitute) ignited by flintlock or percussion (10, 11 or musket) no sealed ignitions.

No scopes.

All of which I agree with by the way.
TC
 
Sounds good to me. Getting back to what a primitive weapons season is supposed to be. Admittedly, I don't understand the prohibition on matchlocks, however.
 
Ok here what I find
Oregon Muzzleloader Hunting Season Regulation
It is illegal to hunt with non-lead bullets, jacketed bullets, sabots and bullets with plastic or synthetic bases during muzzleloaderonly seasons and 600 series hunts where there is a weapon restriction of shotgun/muzzleloader only or archery/muzzleloader only.

ELK, BIGHORN SHEEP, ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT
Minimum centerfire caliber
(rifles and handguns)
.24 caliber
Minimum muzzleloading caliber.50 caliber: round ball or legal bullet
DEER, PRONGHORN, BLACK BEAR, COUGAR
Minumum centerfire caliber
(rifles and handguns)
.22 caliber
Minimum muzzleloading caliber.40 caliber: round ball or legal bullet
#1 or larger buckshot allowed for deer,
bear and cougar
Muzzleloader

During muzzleloader only seasons and 600 series hunts where there is a weapon restriction of shotgun/muzzleloader only or archery/muzzleloader only:
It is unlawful to:
  • Use scopes or sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy except for visually impaired hunters with a permit (see Disabilities Hunting & Fishing Permit Information). Open and peep sights are legal, including open and peep sights with fiber optics or fluorescent paint on them.
  • Hunt with or have in possession while hunting, sabots or bullets with plastic or synthetic parts. Cloth, paper or felt patches are allowed.
  • Hunt with centerfire primers as an ignition sources; the muzzleloader must have an open ignition. See Definitions.
  • Hunt with pelletized powders or propellants. Granular (loose) black powder and black powder substitutes are the only legal propellants.
  • Hunt with a revolving action muzzleloader.
During Any Legal Weapon seasons, hunters may use muzzleloaders with any ignition type (except matchlock), any legal sight, any propellant, or any bullet type provided the weapon meets caliber restrictions for the species.


The only thing that seems to be missing is if you're using a solid lead conical, it can't be longer than width times two. For example, a 50 cal. bullet can't be longer than 1".

Oregon is an either/or state. ML season is not an "extra" hunt.
 
Idaho has the same rules, stated a bit differently, but the same. They are trying to keep it a "short range season" (apparently they've never seen some of the conical boys shoot, such as Idaholewis) with those kinds of rules, looking for 100 yards or less type of capability. They also know a lot of folks simply can't/won't put in the time for accurate load development, so it will also reduce the amount of hunters for that season. It is all about having a lower harvest success rate.
Idaho is also a "choose your weapon" state...but really only for elk. I can choose an "A" tag for elk and it gives me all of September to archery hunt them (any elk) during the rut and also a late December muzzleloader only season (with above Oregon rules) for cows or spikes as a last chance to fill my tag. For deer a muzzleloader only season is an extra season and chance to fill an unused tag.
Think about the type of folks that would want to give the season a try solely for an "extra" chance to fill a tag. Many, many of them would go buy ONE kind of powder, ONE kind of projectile, a rifle with god knows what twist rate, probably the wrong type of cap for the nipple they have, and then go attempt to shoot some groups and get sighted in...without thinking about running a cleaning swab I probably should add. Can you say discouraged?

Now throw in sabots are okay, low fouling/less corrosive BH209, hot ignition that rarely fails, scopes, and newer inlines with twist rates made for sabots. That first time group and sight in session is going to go much better and result in another hunter taking advantage of the extra hunting opportunity.
 

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