BP hunting law change proposal

[waksupi]

I am going to throw this out for your consideration. I will be sending this to my representatives in Washington, and other hunter friendly people there. With any luck, we may be able to gain some ground on hunting. Please spread it around to people interested in BP hunting.

A proposal regarding Muzzle loading and Damascus barreled shotguns

When the laws were passed restricting lead shot were put into effect, many older shotguns were made unusable for waterfowl hunting. Muzzle loading shot guns, and other antique shotguns, are unsafe to shoot with substitute shot. Severe damage will result to the firearms, and could cause injury or death.

The numbers of these firearms in the United States are miniscule. I would be surprised if they comprise .001% of guns that would be in the field during the season. The amount of lead shot fired during a season would be negligible. I propose there be a lifting of restrictions on this class of firearm, i.e., antique Damascus barreled, and muzzle loading shotguns for the use of lead for waterfowl.

Please help us restore the use of these fine old firearms to the hunting fields.

[KCSO]

Federal Law has an out for guns firing non fixed amunition. However State law here in Nebraska doesn not permit anything but steel, ect. Whe the law first went into effect I called the State Game commission and asked if they were going to go with the federal exemption and I was told to "Go buy a good gun".

[waksupi]

Federal Law has an out for guns firing non fixed amunition. However State law here in Nebraska doesn not permit anything but steel, ect. Whe the law first went into effect I called the State Game commission and asked if they were going to go with the federal exemption and I was told to "Go buy a good gun".

Jim, any details on the non-fixed ammo slant? I'll try to find it.

[9.3X62AL]

Ric--

A very worthy effort on your part. If the Federal statutes allow the exemption for non-fixed ammo, it forms a precedent that states might act on in positive fashion. Even in a state as anti-hunting as California, over the past 10 years or so a number of additions to the lawful weapon types for game animals have been added--most notably handguns for deer and airguns for resident game birds.

Dunno about MT, but California has County Fish & Game Commissions that also wield considerable power in setting seasons and bag limits. Once you get the Federal question resolved, there might be two--not one--levels of bureaucracy to address. E.G., San Diego County disallows use of handguns for resident small game, and has for many years. Go figure.

[grumble]

"...I would be surprised if they comprise .001% of guns that would be in the field during the season..."

That's one in one hundred thousand (1:100,000). 10 per million. If there are three million waterfowl hunters each year, that would be only thirty muzzle loading shotguns in the gaggle?

Not disputing your numbers, waksupi, just want to emphasize what a small number of guns that is.

[KCSO]

To possess any SHOTGUN SHELL loaded with a shot size larger than steel T, bismuth BBB, tungsten-iron BB, tungsten-polymer BB, tungsten-matrix BB, or tungsten-nickel-iron (HEVI SHOT) when attempting to take waterfowl.


This is from Illinois Law and closely follows the federal law as it was written in 1991. Since that time Federal Law has been written as, "to posess shot". Currently Federal Law is directed at removing all lead as an enviromental hazzard.

In South Dakota the only place you can use lead shot is on private property as long as it is not near any State or Federal land. IMHO this is just another backdoor gun control, make enough regs and make them hard enough and expensive enough to follow and you keep the next generation from taking up the sport.

Now to legally hunt waterfowl in Nebraska you have to get a license, a habitat stamp, a HIP registration, and a Federal Duck Stamp. When we had the point system you had to carry a calculator to figure your limit. You have to have a map to figure your seasons and zones and a time chart to see when it is legal to shoot.

[waksupi]

Thanks for the research, KCSO

Grumble, I actually think that number would be pretty darn close. Lots of BP people don't hunt waterfowl at all. For that matter, a very small percentage actually even hunt, regardless of weapon. At our shoots, we run maybe 10-15% or less of the shooters who shoot smoothbores at all, and maybe a quarter of them regularly use shot for any purposes, other than competition. I think my number is in the ball park.