One does not take a step back in time, in order to achieve the technological advances the pioneers would have desired, given the chance. I personally don't care all that much. But I tend to know when an argument has the sound of a heavy door firmly closing, and one that blows with the wind.
Most of us know that all the advertising hype of the inline manufacturers is on the far end of totally credible. At the same time, most of us know that the surge in the popularity of the inline system is based largely on those advertising claims and the inexperience of those who gravitated to muzzleloading for the additional hunting opportunities.
The entire aim of the inline manufacturers was to create a weapon that loaded from the muzzle, whose performance could be brought as closely as possible to that of a single shot centerfire weapon. The bar will continue to be raised, and in fact at this time, many of the inline weapon systems have exceeded the "one-shot" performance of some of the better slug guns. If I were hunting in shotgun/slug areas and felt comfortable with a muzzleloader, an inline would be my choice over a pump or bolt action shotgun/slug combo.
As it is, I use a Contender .45-70!
It's an interesting argument, but one that shows little imagination on the part of those who merely want to maximize their time in the woods, rather than optimize their hunting experiences.
Dan
