Perhaps since this is a shooting and not a hunting forum my comments may be out of line. I think that it is as much a hunting issue as it is a shooting issue so I will go ahead.
Due to my fuzzy memory I had to go back and look at Jim Zumbos original comments. My interpretation of his comments is that he was more concerned with the place of black rifles in hunting rather than simply saying they should be banned. Hunters particularly older ones tend to be traditionalists. We grew up with walnut stocked bolt and lever actions. Whenever something perceived as technologically advanced comes along there is an uproar among some who question the place of that advancement in fair chase and hunting tradition. Most of these "advancements" turn out to be no big deal and are usually marketing hype. Look at the long raging discussions in the archery world over recurve so versus compounds versus crossbows. With me the look and feel and noise of a crossbow insults my aesthetic sensibilities. If I should say this should I be banned from the bowhunting world or should it just be seen as a topic for good natured campfire talk?
Jim Zumbo screwed up in that he didn't use good judgement in how he expressed his feelings. Using anti gun buzz words like assault rifles etc did not sit well with a lot of us. The role of black rifles in fair chase hunting at the time was being questioned by some traditional hunters. That is why the industry rebranded them as "modern sporting rifles" Any new advancement in technology probably should be questioned by ethical hunters. The same thing happened when compound bows came on the scene. We were certainly allowed at the time to express our "outrage". None of us were banned or vilified. It was just the hunting culture evolving.
I thought then at the time that the reaction to Zumbo statements was way out proportion to the "crime". I still do. Whatever good the man did for the hunting and conservation world was suddenly out the window over one stupid paragraph. We get so upset with the left and its political correctness and rightly so. Political correctness however is alive and well on our side of the aisle. We sadly are hypocrites in that respect. Give it a break.
