Loading from the muzzle is only part of the picture, one could design a gun which would be a bolt action that the cartridge with primer and powder could be loaded from the breech then the bullet shoved down the barrel and seated, after fireing the cartridge could be extracted as with any center fire, by definition this would be a muzzle loader.. it would offer the same ballistics as a modern gun, if that is the only aspect of the definition that one acknowledges then there is little point in having two "classifications" of guns... no flame just another perspective, I think the modern type belong in modern seasons along side centerfires not in ML seasons most, folks who lobbied 30 years ago for the special ML season would agree, there was a definite type of gun EVERYONE had in mind when the ML seasons were started unless the special seasons are relitivly new. Human nature being what it is there is always the push to try and make things easier, faster, simpler, more user friendly, which is fine but kind of misses the point that was intended for "special" ML hunting seasons. They could not close the door back then on something that did not exist so we have what we have, and the line is drawn as to what folks feel about it. One side looks at the historical aspect and the original intent of most jurisdictions when they started the ML hunts, and the other side looks at a narrow definition (read loophole)to make their case. I think the loss falls to those who will not take the time to get to know the old guns and what they are capable of and imbrace the challenge, you can still easily put an extra deer or two in the locker.
