Muzzle Loader Restrictions

Oathkeeper1775 · Jun 20, 2015

Looking for a muzzle loader that is legal to hunt-with in Oregon?

We tried three major retailers to find a NW edition today; not one of the muzzle loaders in stock were legal, even though they were categorized as NW editions by the stores.

I won't name which stores, suffice to say major retailers.

Scrub the regs before you buy.

OFADAN · Jun 20, 2015

Try the Gun Works in Springfield largest muzzleloader shop west of the Mississippi. Joe or Suzi are great people and will get you locked down with something new or used.

jluck · Jun 20, 2015

Oathkeeper1775 said:
Looking for a muzzle loader that is legal to hunt-with in Oregon?

We tried three major retailers to find a NW edition today; not one of the muzzle loaders in stock were legal, even though they were categorized as NW editions by the stores.

I won't name which stores, suffice to say major retailers.

Scrub the regs before you buy.

The NW editions I have seen were Oregon legal. What was not legal about the ones you looked at? Even a small slit in the receiver with a non 209 primer and open sights your good to go.

Oathkeeper1775 · Jun 20, 2015

I was in and out of the conversations; was a hunting buddy doing the shopping, but they all had rotating bolts and closed breaches.

We weren't looking at the flint-locks.

I know for sure, he went through each model (I guess 18 or 19) and went away with no M/L, but with a lot of useful info.

rick benjamin · Jun 20, 2015

Summary for Oregon Muzzleloaders
no pelletized powder,
no scopes or battery powered sights,
no 209 primers,
no closed area over the primer,
no sabots,
no jacketed bullets,
no bullets longer than 2X diameter

rick benjamin · Jun 20, 2015

Northwest compliant ignition systems
Cabelas
Gary Lewis

jluck · Jun 20, 2015

Holy smokes! Things have changed. I had no idea there was 18-19 NW classed ML's

When I first saw Thompson Center's NW edition I thought it couldn't be legal until I really looked at the regs.

Oathkeeper1775 · Jun 20, 2015

jluck said:
Holy smokes! Things have changed. I had no idea there was 18-19 NW classed ML's

When I first saw Thompson Center's NW edition I thought it couldn't be legal until I really looked at the regs.

That's the catch, there isn't (for all I know). The stores were "saying" the M/Ls were NW editions. The one associate expressed a bit of anxiety over the thought that the store may have sold M/Ls that would be illegal if used for hunting in OR...

Greenbug · Jun 20, 2015

Unless they changed the regulations drastically (I mean ALL of them) every ML I saw at Sportsman's is Oregon compliant. Maybe you need to re-read the regs?

Open ignition (you can see the cap when the gun is ready to fire)
No 209 primers allowed.
Fiber optic sights now ok since about 2008 or so.
Only lead projectiles, no sabots, no plastic bases or tips on your bullets. (this has nothing to do with the rifle)
No scopes, no red dots. (again nothing to do with the rifle)
No pelletized powder. (again nothing to do with the actual firearm)