In light of the recent thread on traditional muzzle loaders I thought this recent message from the president of Pedersoli was very interesting. Pedersoli makes a lot of muzzle loading rifles, both traditional and inline. Food for thought and discussion.
13Echo
"In the past we allowed Mr. Bridges to test our traditional ML rifles
as well as our inline ML rifles and he had our cooperation and
limited sponsorship. Due to the new path Mr. Bridges has taken , in
which traditional muzzle loading rifles would no longer have their
current exclusive hunting period and in which inline rifles would
hunt at the same time as the traditional rifles, we have withdrawn
our former support and sponsorship of Toby Bridges."
"The Davide Pedersoli company has advised Mr. Toby Bridges to remove
our company name from any list of sponsors who support his lobbying
efforts because even though we manufacture in-line muzzle loading
rifles, we strongly support the use of traditional types of
flintlock and percussion lock rifles during hunting periods assigned
to muzzle loading rifles.
We always believed that the hunting with muzzleloading guns, both
traditional and modern black powder in-line rifles, could co-exist,
even if two different muzzleloading hunting seasons would be more
required. Certainly we never thought they could get into conflict
with each other.
We regret Toby Bridge's decision which surprised us, considering
that in the past he took important positions, which we could share,
but absolutely not his last one.
The use of traditional muzzleloading rifles for hunting has all the
historical, political and rational reasons to continue and to expand
and cannot be forced to die, as Toby Bridges warns and predicts (and
is trying to make happen) nor can be the enthusiasm and will of
people who are dedicated to this traditional sector be disregarded.
On the contrary, the traditional muzzle loading guns contributed
surely much more than the modern inline muzzleloading guns have to
the muzzle loading hunting being accepted in our states. Rather than
trying to promote the inline rifles and push aside the exclusive
hunting season for traditional percussion or flintlock rifles we
should all be working to strengthen the separation of hunting seasons
for archers, traditional muzzle loading rifles, the powerful inline
rifles and of course the modern cartridge rifles."
"The inline rifles compare directly with modern high power cartridge
rifles and we hope that all government officials involved with making
or changing hunting rules will recognize the big advantage in power
and range which inline rifles (which use conical bullets) have over
the traditional antique or replica rifles which use round ball
bullets. Both archery hunters and traditional muzzle loading rifle
hunters accept the great challenge and limitation of their hunting
weapons, the need to stalk the game and get very close in order to
make a clean killing shot. For the inline rifle and modern cartridge
rifle hunters a much different challenge is presented and the mixing
of traditional and inline rifles in the field at the same time would
be unexceptable to the vast majority of traditional muzzle loading
rifle users."
"I read the letter Toby Bridges published in his web site in which he
explained he has been misunderstood. I acknowledge his effort,
however this letter gives me the opportunity to contradict Toby about
the in-line rifles being the natural modern evolution of the
muzzleloading guns.
The real modern aspect was when many years ago some of the American
states opened the hunting season to the muzzleloading guns. This was
a modernity sign! What happened later with the introduction of the in-
line rifles and the continuous improvements to reach high
performances, such as the use of pelletized substitute powder,
waterproof ignition systems or sabot bullets, etc. made the modern
muzzloading guns get closer to the modern cartridge gun performance.
I am convinced that the hunters using in-line rifles are only taking
advantage of this enhanced performance in a dedicated muzzleloading
hunting season. I am also convinced that if the muzzleloading hunting
season becomes an "open hunting season", several of the users of the
in-line rifles will drop their rifles to hunt only with the modern
ones.
I have to say that I am fond of the hunt in all its aspects, I am a
hunter with modern guns, with cartridge guns and with muzzleloading
traditional guns."
"Davide Pedersoli is not against the modern In-line rifle hunting,
which we consider as an alternative and different activity from the
one with traditional guns . Without doubt, hunting with traditional
guns must be protected and sustained in the spirit of the rules
approved in many of the American states because it gives the American
sportsman a hunting challenge and emotional satisfaction which no
other type of gun can give."
Pierangelo Pedersoli,
President
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Originally Posted by Willbird
