newly approved Colorado regs

[txhunter58]

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... proved.pdf

Lots of info (it is very long) but appears to have a couple of new wrinkles for muzzleloaders. There is no mention of a length requirement on bullets for muzzys (I have heard they were going to eliminate that reg). And they have the new unit specific muzzy info starting on page 97.

Also, there are some units with either sex muzzy tags

Here is the paragraph on legal muzzy methods:

Muzzle-loading rifles and smoothbore muskets, provided the minimum caliber shall be forty (.40) for all big game except elk and moose. The minimum caliber for elk and moose shall be fifty (.50). All muzzle-loading rifles and smoothbore muskets from forty (.40) caliber through fifty (.50) caliber must use a bullet of at least 170 grains in weight. All muzzle-loading rifles and smoothbore muskets greater than fifty (.50) caliber must use bullets of at least 210 grains in weight.
a. During the muzzle-loading firearms seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, and moose only lawful muzzle-loaders and smoothbore muskets may be used by muzzle-loading license holders.
b. During the muzzle-loading firearm seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, and moose the following additional restrictions apply:
1. Propellent/Powders: The use of pelletized powder systems and smokeless powder are prohibited.
2. Projectiles: Sabots are prohibited. For the purposes of this regulation cloth patches are not sabots.
3. Loading: Firearms must load from the muzzle. Firearms which can be loaded from the breech are prohibited.
4. Sights: Any muzzle-loading rifle or smoothbore musket with any sighting device other than open or ?iron? sights is prohibited.
5. Electronic or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or attached to the muzzle-loading firearm.

 

[frontier gander]

shall shall shall shall shall shall shall shall shall shall shall..

goodness that word is going to be stuck in my head all damn night!

 

[Lee 9]

No peeps?

 

[txhunter58]

Yes, peeps qualify as "open" sights. Just no scopes

 

[Chick]

No sabots, no pellets, no scopes. Those are the biggies. I'm surprised that I do not see "no 209 primer systems".

 

[sabotloader]

Chick

All of those regulations + no 209 in Idaho, Washington, Oregon--- not that is not right you can use sabots and copper in Washington - they are getting ready for the lead ban...

 

[frontier gander]

no scopes, no pellets, no smokeless, no sabots doesnt hurt colorado muzzleloading season. Just saw a post on a 275 yard shot on a doe. Yeeeep, gut shot. Hunters taking shots at TO long of range that they dont practice at is why i like that colorado doesnt allow scopes.

 

[txhunter58]

I suspect that one of the reasons they did away with the length ban is to allow copper bullets (and eliminate that evil lead!)

 

[frontier gander]

or so we can shoot 500gr conicals! :shock:

either way, you dont have to cut off the tips of the hornayd fpb's anymore LOL. Thats one thing you no longer have to write down on your To Do list this year.

 

[txhunter58]

No razor blade in the possibles bag: check!

But the first thing I want to do is check out the 300 gr thors.

 

[Chick]

no scopes, no pellets, no smokeless, no sabots doesnt hurt colorado muzzleloading season. Just saw a post on a 275 yard shot on a doe. Yeeeep, gut shot. Hunters taking shots at TO long of range that they dont practice at is why i like that colorado doesnt allow scopes.

If you shoot NRA High Power Rifle, you shoot 200 to 600 yards, with aperature sights in standing, sitting, prone, and rapid fire and prone positions. Not having a scope doesn't hurt the scores. What a scope does, is gather light, so you can make a shot in limited light. Once there is enough light, iron sights would not deter me from the potential of the muzzleloader. Scope or no scope law, will not cure stupidity. But, it might allow someone to make a good shot, that is fixing to make a bad one.

 

[Busta]

Chapter 02 - Big Game, never covered the bullet length restriction, that was always in Chapter 00 - General Provisions. If you notice in your link, there is red ink where changes were made, none in "Manner of Take". I wish I could find the changes for Chapter 00, with the red ink. My link is the final reg, all black ink.

Chapter 00 of the regulations used to cover the bullet length restriction in the definition of "Muzzle-loading rifle or musket". This Regulation was updated 1-11-2010, and no longer has the bullet length restriction in the definition.

10. "Muzzle-loading rifle or musket" means a firearm fired from the shoulder, with a single barrel which fires a single patched round ball or bullet.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... 0/Ch00.pdf

http://wildlife.state.co.us/RulesRegs/Regulations/


Here is something else that is new:

Muzzleloading Elk Licenses:
"Statewide" muzzleloading licenses are no longer available in 2010. All muzzleloading elk licenses are valid in specific Game Management Units (GMUs) or Data Analysis Units (DAUs) only. Either-sex licenses are also available in specific units.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NewsMedia/P ... essId=6243

The Brochures will not be available until mid-February, and they should tell the story for sure.

If you want to read the actual updated Regulations for Big Game Hunting, click on the link below.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... 0/Ch02.pdf

 

[Busta]

FOUND IT! Here it is in big beautiful red struck through letters in Chapter 00. You will have to download and read for yourself. I just had to see it struck from the record. It is right at the top of the first page.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... proved.pdf

 

[tpcollins]

No peeps?

I took a Colorado elk in 96' with my MK85 and T/C Maxi-Balls. Didn't hit it where I wanted to but did recover it. I hated those iron sights - if I had to do it again I think a peep would be the better option. Even the blade type would be better than the buckhorn style rear sight for me.

 

[Chick]

NRA competition shows that there is no advantage of a scope over aperature sights, as long as there is available light, and you have normal vision. When i use to compete, and the match rolled to the Any Sight phase, I never saw anyone switch to a scope. Now, when shooting outdoors, and dealing with mirage and wind, a scope can actually help you read the wind and mirage better, but that can be better accomplished with a spotting scope. The human eye will naturally center the front aperature or post. Realize though, that without practice, everything is a toss up.

 

[frontier gander]

scopes wont improve poor shooting. Its amazing the far back hits and gut shots you see with scoped rifles. Not just muzzleloaders mind you, but centerfires.

 

[Chick]

I know. Like I said, scopes won't cure stupidity, but they might allow some one to make a good shot, that is fixing to make a bad one. Some of these people, are going to shoot, regardless. And in poor light, a scope will give you an edge over open sights, so, with a scope, they might make a clean kill. MIGHT.

 

[txhunter58]

FOUND IT! Here it is in big beautiful red struck through letters in Chapter 00. You will have to download and read for yourself. I just had to see it struck from the record. It is right at the top of the first page.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... proved.pdf

Thanks, Busta! I was also trying to find the specific words crossed out to be REALLY sure it had passed.

 

[Lee 9]

The real benefit of scopes is for older people who have trifocals or quad focal glasses and can not see the target and the sights on the same plane.
Personally believe that not to allow such a person to use a 1 power scope is discrimination. As they found out in several states where some one took it to court and they changed the law to read one power scopes.

 

[Busta]

FOUND IT! Here it is in big beautiful red struck through letters in Chapter 00. You will have to download and read for yourself. I just had to see it struck from the record. It is right at the top of the first page.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyre ... proved.pdf

Thanks, Busta! I was also trying to find the specific words crossed out to be REALLY sure it had passed.

txhunter58,

You're welcome! I just wanted to make people aware that everything about hunting Big Game in CO is not completely covered in the Chapter 02 - Big Game. I went round and round with the CO DOW about this for several years, as to WHY they couldn't either add that statement from Chapter 00 in with Chapter 02 - Big Game, or just get rid of the silly bullet length restriction altogether. It was always included in the Big Game guide, right along with the other legal manner of take information. Enough people must have bitched, OR the bullet manufacturers might have weighed in on it as well.

I would bet that the sales of 350 gr Hornady FPB's, and the 300 gr Thor go up "BIG TIME" in Colorado this year. No more cutting off, or removing the ballistic tips to meet the silly requirement. The 495 gr No Excuses and several long bullets as well.

What do you bet, we see other bullet manufacturer's entering this hollow base copper/jacketed bullet market this year. These bullets are VERY accurate, and eat PowerBelts lunch. :wink: