Anyone from Oregon that could help me find a muzzleloader to hunt with?

Status
Not open for further replies.
The part about feel of a centerfire had no bearing on my purchase. Lock time was not part of my decision either. I am new to muzzleloader rifles, so I don't know the difference between the feel of one over another, nor do I know the difference between one lock time to another.

What I was mainly concerned with is the legality of hunting with a rifle in different conditions than can be done with a centerfire rifle. I am disabled and in chronic pain 24/7/365. Yet my Dr. doesn't believe that I am disabled to a point that would qualify me for a disabled hunter permit. I have a hard enough time getting around during regular rifle season, that maybe I will be able to do a season or two before I die where I may be able to call in some elk or catch the deer in the rut!

You folks from the midwest and east have, for the most part, quite liberal hunting seasons. The guy From PA notwithstanding. You guys can get 5 or 10 over the counter tags that last from the end of August to the end of the year. This may or may not be the case, but this is the way it appears to be portrayed on the Outdoor channeol. In Oregon, we get 1 month to take 1 Buck deer. Does are by special drawing. Cows are also special drawing. My elk hunt was 9 days long. I was successful, but it damn near killed me.

You guys that use the muzzle loader rifles for the allure of the olden days... More power to you, but not everyone has the same feelings you do. I don't feel that way about them at all. I do appreciate a beautifully crafted rifle, whether old style or new.

Do I think you are wrong for your beliefs? Nope! Not at all! So, please do not judge my reasoning behind my purchase. So it ain't your bag. Fine. Leave your opinion and move on.

The feeling that your post portrays is one that you feel you are somehow better than I am because you like the traditional rifles and that is the only right way of enjoying a muzzle loader rifle. I completely disagree!

Thanks for your post though.

Mike!
 
Mickey, I don't think anyone means to sound like they are better than you.

As far as the rifle you got, it is beautiful and I would hunt with it. The sound that you are hearing is the echo from a fight that took a lot of years and that fight was to get a season for Traditional muzzle loaders with traditional sights and ignition systems. We finally won and got our season and People are a might protective of it.

On the other side of the coin, I headed out during regular rifle season with my muzzle loader, and found myself on the losing end of a fight with the state.

That battle has now been won, so "3-way ignition making it 50 state legal" as far as Oregon, is accurate, just not during primitive season.

Build a Lyman Great plains from a kit and then you will have great Black Powder Muzzle Loaders for both "Primitive" and "Open" season.

Off topic a foot or two: Where you at in Oregon? I was born in Medford, went to college in Grants Pass and Ashland, worked and grew old in Eugene and Portland. Now residing in the Sierra Foothills of California but still hunt in NE Oregon.
 
I am on SW coastline. I normally would hunt the Tioga unit. Does that ring a bell? ;-)

I don't want to pick a fight guys, it is just that according to my own research, the rifle I bought has an open breech whereas the percussion cap will be exposed to all of the elements just as they would be on the Lyman you recommended. The reg book clearly states that fiber optic sights are legal as long as no artificial light is used to illuminate them. Therefore I will have to disagree with your point that my rifle is not legal during, as you call it, "Primitive" season as long as I use approved loading components. I cannot find anywhere that Oregon designates the muzzleloader season as primitive. They just regulate it, and my modern in-line muzzleloader meets these regulations. Whether that was the intention of those who wrote the regulations or not, that is the end result IMO as well as many other Oregon hunters.

Mike!
 
Mickey, first I need to apologize, I was wrong about that rifle. I thought from looking at the pictures the bolt enclosed the primer. Having done more reading, I realize the primer is exposed to the elements at all times, making it Oregon Legal for Black Powder Season.

Everyone I know and how I read the regulations state that you absolutely can not use fiber optic sights. You may get away with it, but I would not want to be the one with a nice rifle caught if your wrong.

Yes Tioga does ring a bell, drew a doe tag there about 30 years back.

Being on the high side of 60, I call any black powder only season, Primitive, just an old man reflecting.
 
Sorry if my not getting it sounded if I was climbing on you, I just simply don't understand how in-lines fit into the primitive hunt. Now, mind you, it most certainly is legal, but my disconnect is just that - it doesn't fit in my head.

ML tags are on the decline in OR. With tag numbers in general going down, ML tags are the first to be trimmed in honor of the modern hunts. Used to be 400 either sex tags in my favorite unit, now there are about 20. But the centerfire tags remain....:cuss:

That said, unless one is a ML fanatic, you probably have a better chance for a tag with a centerfire or general season hunt than you do a ML-only hunt. In that case, given your physical limitations, a .243 might be a better choice for deer. A bit sketchy for elk, but certainly works there. A .50 is plenty for deer, but likewise sketchy for elk with a ML - so for deer only a .40 is a wonderful caliber. Almost no recoil, very high velocity (for a ML) and flat shooting. I have had, as have other friends, great success with deer hunting with a .40.

But as I said before in my earlier post, if you really want to hunt ML, particularly since we have such limited ML-only opportunities in OR, go traditional! Of course you're getting my opinion, which is just like something else we all have.......:D
 
To both of you,

I didn't post here to fight, but after I found out more info and it didn't mesh with the info I was getting here, I didn't want to leave it there, so that mis-information was the final word. I have it on good authority that my information is correct, and here is the final words I will say about the fiber optic issue. It was explained to me by a fish and game officer that fiber optic sights had been illegal up until last year, and then they changed that so they can now be used legally as long as there are no electronics or magnification involved.

I understand the allure of the traditional ways, I do. Really! I am not a spring chicken myself, so I see the benefits of keeping an old tradition alive, but to get angry when someone else has a differing opinion, was what I was referring to. If you weren't, then I am sorry for reading something into it that wasn't there.

I am sure that eventually I will get back into better shape and may even be able to stalk prey like the rest of you have been able to for most of your lives, but right now I just need a little bit better chance than the centerfire season affords me.

I really loved the look of the rifle I bought, and since it is closer to what I am used to, I figured there would be a less steep learning curve transitioning from one platform to another.

Firearms and hunting is fairly new to me. I grew up in a citified area in Southern California, where hunting was something hicks and backwoods folks used to do back in the day. My parents didn't teach me that, it was just the impression I got, because no one I new hunted or did that sort of stuff. I had always secretly yearned to hunt, but there are not a lot of opportunities when you are working 60-70 hrs a week just to make the house payment. Then when the company I work for gave me the option to move anywhere I wanted to after I got injured, I chose the coastal area of Oregon, because it was beautiful. I had seen pictures of that area, and I had also secretly wanted to move there too.

Once I moved here to Oregon, I was introduced to hunting by seeing neighbors drive in with a dead elk in the back of the truck. That first year here I missed all of the hunting seasons, because I learned about them after all the tag deadlines had passed. I did as much research as I could over that winter and I bought my first centerfire rifle. Then I started scouting and learning what to look for and then hunted both deer and elk seasons. Then this year I did the same and this year I was successful in taking my first elk with my 300 Win Mag. In fact that is what I had for dinner tonight. It is the absolute best tasting meat I have ever eaten in my life.

So, you see, I am learning, I am also trying new things. The reason my company let me move here is because I can no longer work in the field, so now I sit at a desk as phone tech support for video and computer network techs across the country. This affords me lots of time to do research. I have also gotten pretty good at it. That is how I got to tonight and telling you guys what I found out.

Hope you understand, I am not a jerk, or just trying to pick fights. There is no fun in that for me whatsoever.

I hope we can become friends and allies in our quest to enjoy this sport/hobby we so dearly love.

Thanks,

Mike!

P.S. Sorry for the long read!
 
Mickey, I can not speak for anyone except myself, but I never took any of your posts as trying to pick a fight.

My opinion was based on two things. Miss understanding in the beginning the lock system on your new rifle and second, not having heard the law was changed this past year on the optical fiber sights.

My personal preference is for Traditional Muzzle loaders, but that does not diminish my ability to admire a beautiful non traditional muzzle loader or cartridge rifle. You have gotten yourself one beautiful rifle to say the least and I hope you get many great hunts using it.

In the process of this conversation - I have also been blessed with the ability to learn something new.
 
I am glad to hear it Two Walks.

I am glad to we got everything straight. I am looking forward to those many great hunts you referred to. And thank you for the compliment on the rifle. I am very excited about it. I can't wait for it to get here.

One an aside:
On top of hunting the Tioga unit, I love to fish the Marshfield Channel for salmon and steelhead. I hear the steelhead fishing is excellent this year up near the Millicoma Interpretive Center Hatchery on the N. Fork Millicoma river.

I am not sure I recognized where in California you were referring to. I have been all over the state as you have been all over Oregon. What made you decide to move to California? I hope you don't mind me asking.

Mike!
 
Don't mind at all. Got married a few years ago to a wonderful Lady. She lived in Southern California and I was living in Portland. We decided to meet in the middle and moved to Sonora, Ca.
 
I lived most of my life in Riverside County, but then we moved between Sacramento and San Francisco for a few years before moving up here. I never did visit Sonora though. I bet it is nice there.

Mike!
 
My A&H came a few days ago. That wood stock is beautiful! I will be going up to the range tomorrow and do some testing, but I think this is going to be great!

Mike!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
going to get a Knight 209 magnum
Replies
4
Views
604
motorcycle_dan
M
D
  • Locked
A fire for the muzzleloader
Replies
2
Views
647
4v50 Gary
4v50 Gary
Y
  • Locked
Muzzleloader recommendations
2 3
Replies
68
Views
2K
kelljp
K
A
  • Locked
Best Bullet, Primer, and Blackpowder for Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter XT .50 cal Muzzleloader?
Replies
0
Views
802
Aim1
A
S
  • Locked
ID Commission Bans Modern Muzzleloaders in muzzleloader season
Replies
19
Views
1K
jlrhiner
J
Back
Top