how many of you belong to the NRA and should I renew my membership

buckbull

Veteran member
Jun 20, 2011
2,130
1,303
I quit supporting them after their ramrodding of crossguns into the Illinois archery season. Since when does defending 2nd amendment rights have anything to do with wildlife management? They need to stick to their mission statement.
Thoughts on Illinois allowing straight wall cartridge's. Passed IL house and senate, just waiting on Pritzer to sign. Word on the street says he will.
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
737
61
LaPorte, IN
Thoughts on Illinois allowing straight wall cartridge's. Passed IL house and senate, just waiting on Pritzer to sign. Word on the street says he will.
I am not in favor of this, nor any other liberalization of firearm seasons. If for nothing else, it's a foot in the door. In fact I hate all legislators that stick their noses into wildlife management. That's the job of the DNR! You think any of these bill sponsors have any wildlife biology educations? Hell no. They just got deep pockets for one special interest group or another. It doesn't matter who to them. The only qualification is their cold hard cash. See Jerry & Ravin.........in bed together.

In this case, this legislation will have little impact on buck quality. Due to the gun rut season being only 3 days. It's mostly the principal of it that bothers me, and the potential to lengthen the season down the road, which most definitely would hurt quality.
 

buckbull

Veteran member
Jun 20, 2011
2,130
1,303
They just got deep pockets for one special interest group or another. It doesn't matter who to them. The only qualification is their cold hard cash. See Jerry & Ravin.........in bed together.
Yeah, The vote in both houses was unanimous. Chicago Democrats voting with Southern IL Republicans had me scratching my head. I guess enough palms were greased to get it through. I'm OK with it and will most likely buy a rifle chambered in 350 legend. I haven't been able to find my slugs online or at retail locations in a few years. And they are now around $25 for a box of 5. I'll gladly turn in my slug gun for a rifle.

But I do agree, it does nothing to improve the herd and most likely will be detrimental by potentially increasing range 2x to 3x compared to a slug gun. But who knows, most guys can't shoot worth a crap and won't put the extended range to use.
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
737
61
LaPorte, IN
Yeah, The vote in both houses was unanimous. Chicago Democrats voting with Southern IL Republicans had me scratching my head. I guess enough palms were greased to get it through. I'm OK with it and will most likely buy a rifle chambered in 350 legend. I haven't been able to find my slugs online or at retail locations in a few years. And they are now around $25 for a box of 5. I'll gladly turn in my slug gun for a rifle.

But I do agree, it does nothing to improve the herd and most likely will be detrimental by potentially increasing range 2x to 3x compared to a slug gun. But who knows, most guys can't shoot worth a crap and won't put the extended range to use.
Gun hunters are transitioning away to crossguns anyway, for more of the rut and much longer season. It went on for 10 years + here in Indiana. I have 5 guns, but am not a gun guy. I rarely touch them. 98% archery. I drew Illinois full firearm season public tags the last 5 years, and never used any of them. I'm too tired after 8 weeks of hardcore archery hunting. And last year I had already filled both my archery tags. There are so many xgunners on public these days I had to quit hunting from walk in areas and go strictly with boat access spots only.

I actually bought a new Savage 20 guage bolt action slug gun 6 years ago, which I still have never hunted with! Top notch scope too! I don't know how much the demand for that gun will be reduced by this legislation. I don't know how much benefit these rifle restricted calibers have over my quality slugger. Something to study. But my only rifle is a Remington .300 Win Mag for elk and stuff, which I rarely use, and which I doubt will ever be legal in Illinois. So I expect I'll keep my Savage.
 

buckbull

Veteran member
Jun 20, 2011
2,130
1,303
Gun hunters are transitioning away to crossguns anyway, for more of the rut and much longer season. It went on for 10 years + here in Indiana. I have 5 guns, but am not a gun guy. I rarely touch them. 98% archery. I drew Illinois full firearm season public tags the last 5 years, and never used any of them. I'm too tired after 8 weeks of hardcore archery hunting. And last year I had already filled both my archery tags. There are so many xgunners on public these days I had to quit hunting from walk in areas and go strictly with boat access spots only.

I actually bought a new Savage 20 guage bolt action slug gun 6 years ago, which I still have never hunted with! Top notch scope too! I don't know how much the demand for that gun will be reduced by this legislation. I don't know how much benefit these rifle restricted calibers have over my quality slugger. Something to study. But my only rifle is a Remington .300 Win Mag for elk and stuff, which I rarely use, and which I doubt will ever be legal in Illinois. So I expect I'll keep my Savage.
Yeah, I saw the bucks you killed last year on another forum (hunttalk maybe?). Super nice. I bought a Browning A-bolt 12ga bolt action slug gun when they first came out in the nineties. After Browning stopped manufacturing them; I routinely saw them for $2500 on gunbroker and I'm pretty sure I paid less than $1000 back then. I subscribe to IL outdoor news and they post the deer kill numbers and break them down by compound/crossbow and I believe last year there were more crossbow kills than compound. If I'm not remembering correctly then the gap between them is extremely close. Gun totals continue to go down. We had a lousy deer season last year. We had EHD bad again last year and surrounded by outfitters so I never know if the bad hunting is localized or statewide until the numbers get released by IDNR.
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
737
61
LaPorte, IN
Yes and I turned 62 last season. Under the old Illinois regulations I would have qualified to use an xgun regardless of handicap, but I didn’t. I am just old school and enjoy the challenge of real archery. Contemplating getting a recurve actually.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScottR