Primitive Muzzle Loader Regs in New Mexico and Power Belts

[miked]

New Mexico hunting regulations state that no multiple projectile loads are legal for big game primitive muzzle loader hunts. Sabots are excluded, as are pelletized powder and 209 primers. Does anyone here know if this definition of "multiple projection" would exclude the use of Power Belt bullets. Power Belt and similar bullets are two pieces, but, at least, to me they do not seem to satisfy the "multiple projection" definition, as say, buckshot or multiple ball loads would. Any opinions or experience? Thanks.

[ButlerFord45]

From your description, it sounds as though New Mexico has a good idea of what a Primitive hunt should be!  Why are you trying to circumvent it?  Do you think ol' Zebulon Pike was using bullets with built in plastic wads?  Accept the challenge, do it right, there's no doubt in my mind you're up to it and will appreciate the fact that you did when it's all over.

[miked]

OK. Don't necessarily disagree, Butler, but I still would like to know if anyone else may have pondered the legality of Powerbelts in New Mexico.

[ribbonstone]

Never hurts to ask.  Would guess that the firendly (or not so friendly) Fish and Game department would have the final say-so of how thier rules are interpreted reguardless of what other people have thought aobut their legality.

[crow_feather]

It sounds as if you want a legal opinion from one of us.  That opinion and one game warden equal jail if the warden has a different idea.  Call your local fish and game people and ask them.  Get the name of the person you spoke with in case you find a warden of a different opinion.

It does come down to what your fish and game people have in their minds, not what we have in ours.  And as the extremely intelligent gentleman that wrote before me said, accept the challenge and do it right.

C F

[ribbonstone]

Crow Feather:
Drat... dyslexia has returned.

Here is Louisiana, the muzzle loading rules spell out that only 36cal and below can be used for small game and only 45cal and above for large game....which kind of puts the few 40, 42, and 44 rifles in limbo.

Laws don't have to make sense...so better to get at least one written opnion from the enforcers of that law before taking off on yourown.
----------
Friend in coledge had two birds over the limit...and ran stright into a game warden waiting by his truck.  He spent several weekends stabbing trash with a nail pointed stick along highways.

[dlemaster]

miked
The advise to contact your Division of Wildlife is sound, but still requires caution. I will give an example that happened just last year in the Penn. deer season. Pennsylvania has a law against baiting for deer. A couple were hunting together on their own land when a deer jumped the fence from a neighbors land and started grazing. The wife shot the deer and she and her husband were in the process of field dressing it when the Game Warden pulled up and promptly wrote her a ticket for shooting a deer over bait. When they protested there wasn't any bait the Game Warden told them that there was shelled corn that the neighbor had put out on HIS property. The husband investigated and found that the neighbor had indeed put out corn to feed the deer but the closest place was 300 yards from his property line and he wasn't even aware of the corn. They took it to court and the judge sided with the Game Warden and it cost them above $600.00 in fines.
The bad part was that a short time later they met another Game Warden and told him their story and he said he would not have written a ticket under those circumstances and felt that it was quite a stretch of both the letter and intent of the law.
My point is get all the information you can from the authorities but still be careful.

Regards, Dave

[dodd3]

get it in writing that way you have some back up. here in wes australia its illegal to shoot kangaroos unless you get tags from the authorities. but some times some country shires have open season's but and this is the catch unless you have the tags you cant youse the meat you have to leave it to rot  
, in other you can legally shoot them without the tags because it is a declared open season but you cant take any home how dumb is that .
bernie  
 :cry:

[tundragriz]

A powerbelt is a single projectile. The plastic seal is the equivalent of a patch.  I hunted New Mexico last September for mulies with my Lyman GPH.  Used 295 Powerbelts.

[ribbonstone]

Tue enough...never thought if it in quite this way, but the patch on a patched ball falls way shortly after exit, and could be considered a second projectile (as would any sabot...which is more or less what the patch is).  Isn't intend to be a projectile, but could be considered one (patch is a projectile, just not a deadly one).

[crow_feather]

How great is it that we can have a conversation with people from all over the world - even Australia - and not have to wait a week for a reply.  I would love to be young enough to see what is going to happen in the next fifty years.

C f

[Charles/NM]

I live in New Mexico and can assure you Powerbelts are OK.  For some reason they don't want you loading 3 balls in yer smoke stick.  Can't imagine why someone would want to anyway.  The reg also excludes ML shotguns.