Since Louisiana opened their primative weapons season to include certain centerfire rifles, I've been pursuing the ideal set up. On the allowed list is the John Moses Browning designed 1885 single shot rifle. I found a good used Browning BPCR w/o the vernier BP sights and adapted it to modern 45-70 loads. I mounted a Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 with Ballistic reticle. My best load, so far, is 250 gr. Barnes TSX FN bullets over 53 gr. Vv 120. This load chrono's at 2,500 fps from the 30" barrel. It shoots around 1" at 100 and it just so happens that the reticle marks correspond perfectly to 150, 200 and 250 yds, and with the pointed top of the post, dead on at 300 yds. So, by sighting on the top of the duplex part of the vertical wire, I can put three rounds on a pie plate (approx 5" group) at 300 yds. Thus, this 12+ pound 1885 single shot BPCR is a bonafied 300 yd. 45-70 "primative weapon" per Louisiana regulations. Really, not that primative and deadly to anything in the path of that gaping, hollow point Barnes bullet.

Dirtfarmer

In MS we can use TC encores in .35 Whelen or even 375 H&H....primative indeed. I shoot my whelen out ot 600 with enough accuracy to hit a deer in the vitals but would not shoot a deer at that range with it.

Try a heavy, cast lead conical, and it'll go well FAR beyond 300.

'Primative weapon' season is a joke! No more 'primative' than The Today Show....with glass atop and all other sorts of junk tied to it!

Amen to thhat sharpsman.

But it stimulates commerce, and that's the true intent.

Deer population can be managed a lot more efficiently by just adjusting the kill quotas and tags issued during the general season.

Anything to make folks run out and buy more junk.

That does seem pretty loose regs for a primative weapon. I might not like alot of crap in California but they got it right the way they restrict the muzzleloaders to keep it more in touch with the intent (no optics and some other rules)

Montanamarine hit the nail on the head. It's all about the state getting a bit more revenue from guys willing to purchase the Primitive Weapons tag. I bought a 444 Handi-Rifle this year just to get in on the extra two weeks of hunting season. 3-9 with dots makes it a legit 250yd rifle. A "primitive weapon" it ain't.......

Here in Mississippi, our archery season runs from 1 Sept for about 5 weeks and then "gun season" (including a couple of periods for "primitive weapons" and others for hunting with/without dogs) runs to the end of Jan. Several years ago the first relaxation of the primitive weapon regulations was to allow scopes with NO magnification on "normal" muzzleloaders. That was effort to keep those of us with older eyesight who have trouble focusing on irons in the ballgame. Then, it relaxed even further to include scopes WITH magnification. MDWFP adopted regulations similar to LA. for "primitive weapons" a few years ago and I believe the intent was to get more man/days afield deer hunting in order to help with the deer population. It's a legal method so I have no problems with anyone playing by the rules, liberal though they may be. Most of us believe that it's only a matter of time before they do away with the "primitive weapon" season altogether.

It's also not a matter of number of "tags" since there are no tags issued. Bag limit is one buck per day not to exceed three/year and one antlerless deer per day not to exceed five/year and compliance is basically on the honor system since there are no check stations, etc. They want us to kill more deer!!

When the change allowed breech loading rifles of cal.38 or larger(the 38/55 was included by the regs after a short period of misunderstanding about bore diameter vs designation,etc.) with exposed hammers DESIGNED before 1900 I switched to the 38/55 in either an H&R Classic Target or a Winchester 1885 (recent mfg). I would have no problems taking a poke at a known 200 yds with my handloads but wind is a MUCH bigger problem with slower bullets.

VAnimrod,

I thought about heavy cast bullets and agree with your accessment. The 30" Badger barrel utilized by Browning and Miroku in Japan was made for that application. This used BPCR came with a spread sheet of cast bullet loads the previous owner had worked up for this gun. And some were about as accurate as the Barnes 250 TSX load. There's no way I would shoot at a deer beyond 300 yds with this rig and the Barnes bullets are more destructive than a plain lead projectile. Cast lead bullets in a 45-70 can't be pushed to 2,500 fps and the trajectory wouldn't perfectly correlate with the Ballistic reticle like this load does.

Dirtfarmer

I agree that muzzle loader season should be primitive. Cartridges, scopes, and bolts should not apply. KS, at least, does not allow scopes or cartridges for muzzle loader season.

KS Fish and Game has been famous for their backward deer regulations. Now they are pretty sensible. Residents can purchase only one either sex tag. It is good anytime from Sept youth season, muzzle loader season, Oct/Nov bow season, Dec rifle season, and Jan late rifle doe only season. Land owners (80 acres) are 1/2 price. Extra doe tags are 1/2 price for all.

CR,
Here is Nebraska we had a pretty good set of laws for the M/L season but the NGPC was bullied, by threats of lawsuits, into expanding the definition of "muzzleloader" into everything imaginable. A couple of buds are using the scoped, camo'd, sabotted, pelletized abominations that qualify as m/l's for this season. They are going out tomorrow a.m. for opening day and I won't be with them.


Johnny $

Now how in blazes can anyone call Primitive Hunting with an "inline muzzle loader" or anything with a rifle scope mounted on top the barrel I ask???

Some years ago, we were to have a muzzle loader season to hunt deer, then came the Inline rifles and Traditional Muzzle loader hunters may as well hunt with those using their .308's, 30-06's and so on. It is a Big Frigging JOKE!!!

Nail on the head. The loosened regs do not prevent you from using an old smoke pole. But it did kill the fun we had with them old guns. Disorginized deer drives were the norm during PW season here. They were a lot of fun if not a bit dangerous.

Oregon has at least kept the lid on muzzleloaders as primitive weapons. Must have an exposed ignition system (no primers), no pelleted powder, black pwd or a substiture, no sabots, no scopes (iron sights only), slugs no longer than 1.5 x caliber.