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

[GAHUNTER60]

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.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

F&G,s spring out all kinds of thing,s just stay aware in your State

 

[TNGhost]

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.

Hopefully the toters of the .45s, 50s, and 54s, recognize the need for precise shot placement in order to make a clean kill.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Makes more sense than where I live, we have deer species the size of coues deer and the legal minimum round ball size is still 54 cal

 

[GAHUNTER60]

My point is a shot high on the shoulder with a .54 is fatal to the deer. The same shot with a 47-grain, .32 caliber round ball probably will not be fatal, at least not immediately.

 

[No Deer]

Michigan has no minimum caliber requirement for muzzle loaders for deer. I have not met one person who uses less than a .45 cal.

 

[Robby]

I like it! Freedom requires people to act responsibly.
Robby

 

[Bob McBride]

.36 is the minimum in TN and has been forever. I usually use a .54 or .58 myself but I know guys who have great success with a .45. I try to draw the line fairly conservatively where I allow myself think, “Other people should do ____”.

 

[Henry Miles]

The change most likely reflects the introduction of high velocity modern muzzle loaders that use smokeless powder

 

[Brokennock]

As much as I am for freedom to choose based on people acting responsibly,,,, people don't. And the last thing the hunting community needs is a bunch of wounded and lame deer hobbling around for the anti hunters to use against us. I'm for a reasonable minimum for deer. I just wish my state had a "crossover" caliber to bridge the gap between deer minimum (.45) and small game maximum (.36) so a 1 gun hunter could still choose a rifle.

.30 cal in a muzzleloader does seem too small even with a conical. If people take irresponsible shots with modern arms, and a large number of muzzleloader hunters are modern shooters just trying to get another season,,,, I can see this ending tragically.

 

[FishDFly]

Michigan has no minimum caliber requirement for muzzle loaders for deer. I have not met one person who uses less than a .45 cal.

You read here about folks who are fans of the .40 for deer.

 

[smo]

I would say Henry Miles is on the right trail....

 

[jps2486]

That's a surprise. Usually the Gestapo DNR makes more restrictions.

 

[smo]

It’s all about the money...imho

They’ve re invented the wheel with all kinds of new potato gun ignition systems gizmos and such, so that every Joe blow can kill a deer with what they call a muzzle loader....at 300 yards..
Shooting modern projectiles there’s not much difference in a so called muzzleloader & a modern rifle.

Funny thing is..
Half of those Guys and Gals couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with that tube with glass in it..

That must be really ex-c—I—-t——I——-n——— g————!

 

[BruceS]

Most of the unmentionable muzzleloaders using unmentionable projectiles are 45-54 caliber. The traditional muzzleloaders have guns in smaller calibers 32-40 but most are experienced hunters and shooters and use appropriate calibers for thier hunting. I personally have 32,36,40,45,50 and 54 cal. Rifles but have never used anything smaller than 45 for deer. YMMV

 

[longcruise]

I'm with Robby on this. The muzzle loading hunting community is better able to determine what is and isn't adequate. If it's explicitly put upon the community to advise based on experience, all will be well.

The two times I have been in hunter ed classes the ml curricula has been ridiculously uninformed. Brought to you by people who may be knowledgeable in game management but without any direct experience with ml hunting.

 

[azmntman]

No rule here, if it stuffs down a single barrel.....bull elk beware (yep ya'll bring yer crockets fer bull elk!)

 

[William Lincoln]

The 30 Cal issue came up in Florida over the Airgun hunters wanting to use
30 Cal in the high powered Airguns. I voted for a larger Caliber but the
Commission went with 30 Cal. The reasoning went that most centerfire
rounds are in the 30 Cal sizes. So 30 Cal is the minimum now.

 

[smo]

I just had a conversation the other day on another Forum about something along these lines...

He had a .40 and was asking about using 150 grns of some weird fake powder...

That would have been a pile of powder in a 26” barrel gun which he was asking about..

I guess they figure you need all that extra muzzle velocity...,since they can’t get close enough for a ethical close shot...

 

[Musketeer]

As noted, Arizona has no caliber minimum for MLs either. As far as I know, people wounding deer or other larger game with smallbore MLs is not an issue here, or at least it apparently hasn't been enough of an issue to spur AZGFD to call for caliber restrictions. Most ML hunters nowadays use inlines and are going to use what's available, and it seems like 99% of inlines now are .50. Those who hunt with traditional rifles are a tiny minority and generally know what they're doing. I say this because people who get into traditional frontstuffing tend to have a keen interest in the subject and attempt to educate themselves about all aspects of the subject (like those of us here on this forum). People with a passing interest tend to read a few things, watch a few videos, see how much there is to it, and lose interest. You're always going to have the odd guy who inherits a .32 Crockett from Dad, goes onto youtube to figure out how to load it, then goes out and tries to take an animal it's not suited for or use it beyond its effective range, but those are going to be rare instances.

In short, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I figure the folks in GA will be pretty much like those out here and there won't be any serious issues.