The Reason is Visibility
The focus of effective hunting has been visibility for decades. Naturally, that is the reason for scopes, binoculars, and spotters. The debates over the "better" scopes and binoculars seem endless, but if they were not considered vitally important hunting equipment there would be no particular reason to debate about them at all. We all seek to know exactly what we are shooting at, and how far we are shooting at our game-the reason that laser rangefinders, yet another optic accessory are now considered vital equipment for many hunters around the world.
We also seek the most accurate, most terminally effective hunting projectiles-- projectiles that were not made, and could not have been made back in the day. The vast majority of muzzleloading enthusiasts are not using blackpowder at all-- instead, more energetic synthetic propellants like perchlorate enhanced Pyrodex or di-nitro hopped-up Triple Se7en are standard fare. Muzzleloading rifles, regardless of brand, are made on equipment that simply did not exist even a few decades ago. Modern manufacturing mass-production techniques are applied in varying degrees to all popular muzzleloaders made today.
No 209 fired inline is designed around blackpowder at all-- the necessity for the 209 battery cup anvil primers is present in Triple Se7en pellets, where "for 209 use only" is clearly stated. Of course, a quick look at pellets reveals that they are not powder at all-molded cylinders that you might expect to find as an Estes model rocket engine. Most inlines are designed around pellet use; certainly all "magnum" touted inlines are. Though Hodgdon only allows use of two pellets in .50 caliber inlines, it is hard to find a popular model that does not recommend three. Some makers recommend more. No disillusions of role-playing persist: it is modern equipment and modern propellants across the industry and across the country. The public record adamantly shows this beyond dispute.
Yet, the severe limitations of being handloaders in the field, with only one shot remain. The one shot, by virtue of being loaded from the muzzle, has finite limitations. With hand power loading only, we are left with soft polymers and poor flying, large caliber projectiles. No matter what the brand or make of muzzleloader, a second shot at a running animal is unlikely, and the basic exterior ballistics of large caliber projectiles limit what can be done.
An aversion to technology would be specious; as this article is likely being read over the internet. Everything we do when we hunt seeks to be as effective as possible. Trailcams, ATV's, scouting, and glassing are all examples of where we utilize the best equipment available. We do not always make our own boots, gloves, blinds, walkie-talkies, treestands, much less our own GPS units. We certainly don't head to the hunting woods by foot or horseback for the most part; invariably a horseless carriage is involved. In fact, even our hunting tags are often ordered over the Internet.
After all of this embracing of new technology, and working to both better and maintain our visual equipment in the field-- it certainly seems a bit duplicitous to destroy it. Yet, every time we fill the air with caustic smoke we can deposit caustic residue on our equipment. Our scopes don't work as well with a film of residue; there is no glory in taking more time to clean your equipment than your deer, and to lose an animal after the shot due to thick fog we produced in dense cover seems self-defeating. It doesn't happen all the time, of course-- but happen it does.
The over one century old approach of not filling the air with toxic, corrosive smoke that destroys visibility and equipment alike was a good one a hundred years ago-- and it makes all the sense in the world right now.
© October, 2005 by Randy Wakeman
