Declining Interest In Inlines?

I noticed Cabelas does not sell the variety of inlines like it did in years past. The standard CVA Accura is no longer listed as a product carried by the company. Is this a sign sales of inlines are declining?

It might be declining a bit because everyone that wants one, has one, so sales may have slowed. I doubt that it’s being replaced by a renewed interest in sidelocks if that’s what you’re getting at.

So many states are now allowing certain straight wall cartridges during muzzleloader seasons now, mostly because of the different diseases. Guys have went crazy buying up 450 Bushmasters, the 350 Legend and others. I know guys that have hunted exclusively with a muzzleloader for over 30yrs, that are now just hunting with the 450 Bushmaster, not only during the general season, but also in the dedicated muzzleloader season now that its allowed.

CatamountRob said:

It might be declining a bit because everyone that wants one, has one, so sales may have slowed. I doubt that it’s being replaced by a renewed interest in sidelocks if that’s what you’re getting at.

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My question was not pertaining to sidelocks.

I think it could be a combo. of states allowing straight walled cartridges, smokeless muzzleloader conversions, and it seems like Cabelas prices are too high and they don't seem to have the good on sale prices they once did.

BuckDoeHunter said:

I think it could be a combo. of states allowing straight walled cartridges, smokeless muzzleloader conversions, and it seems like Cabelas prices are too high and they don't seem to have the good on sale prices they once did.

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You are certainly correct about prices. I have a friend who use to work there. He said it was more a case of managing inventory than anything else. As an example Cabelas use to carry hangon tree stands from eight different manufactures. Now it's I believe only two.

Since Bass Pro & Cabela's merged there has been quite a lot of inventory juggling. I've noticed (up here in Canada anyway) that the items stocked by each company has changed somewhat. Cabela's also seems to have "continual" sales, sometimes running multiple sales at the same time. I also see items sale priced in a flyer, but still at full price on the shelf in store.

We have been able to use pistols in our "ML season" for many years now. We do however have special lottery hunts that are ML ONLY. You can only apply for 1 of those hunts each year. You earn preference points each year you are not chosen and you can sign up as a group which will share points towards the managed hunt.

If im not mistaken we have managed hunts for ML, archery and firearms but you can only apply for one not one of each. So for us a ML still has some value because those hunts can be excellent chances at a harvest. Many of those hunts are in conservation/parks/refuge areas with minimal or no other hunting allowed. The managed hunt tags dont count against your regular season tag limit. Our regular firearms tag is our "other method" tag too. Shoot 1 buck in firearms season and you dont get another buck with a ML but you can take another doe.

Here SMLs are totally legal for any ML hunt. Only regulation is 40cal or larger and must only load from the muzzle. Mine will out shoot many centerfires with little effort. Mine can already make clean kills way past what im capable of doing even with a centerfire.

Around here, most guys who hunt the season already have one. Usually whatever inline Walmart had on sale. Drop two or three pellets down the tube with whatever sabot they had in stock.

Nothing necessarily wrong with any of that if it gets the job done. However, the art of it seems to be going away. Very little interest in different styles of guns, no building up of loads and searching for the best combinations, no range work. I can't get any of my hunting buddies to even try powder, to much effort is what they say.

Hopefully that made sense. I just don't see the interest or appreciation for the sport I saw when I first got started.

GM54-120 said:

We have been able to use pistols in our "ML season" for many years now.

Here SMLs are totally legal for any ML hunt. Only regulation is 40cal or larger and must only load from the muzzle. Mine will out shoot many centerfires with little effort. Mine can already make clean kills way past what im capable of doing even with a centerfire.

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What state are you in, GM54? I thought you are in Mich. I didn't know about the SML being allowed here.

Missouri....anything 40cal and larger is legal here for deer. No powder restrictions of any kind. No projectile type restrictions other than no FMJ and no buckshot (single projectile only). No ignition type restrictions. No sight restrictions of any kind other than it can not cast any kind of beam like a laser. Excluding the caliber requirement its virtually the same as the firearms regs.

I normally hunt firearms season with a ML or SML and ive never felt i was at any disadvantage. Our regular "any deer" firearms season is before our "alternative methods season" aka ML season. Only once have i ever needed a 2nd shot and it was for another deer because i had 2 tags on me.

I started muzzleloading when I got my grey suit and started reenacting. Got bit pretty hard by that "bug"
Here in Pa. we have some special regulations counties, archery, shot gun or muzzleloader only. I used to hunt in one, so using a muzzleloader made sense.
However. I quickly learned that even with modest loads, a muzzleloader is at least as effective as some of the popular centerfire calibers. Add that I can use one anywhere its legal to use firearms, little to no legislative hostility and it's a no brainer.
Now I have dabbled in breechloaders... But I'm now an exclusive muzzleloader and recommend them to all.Managed to convince a few and they still talk to me!
I suppose the demand is rather regional. The several states allowing straight wall centerfire will no doubt have an impact. Here in Pa. the flintlock folk have a death grip, but the October antlerless, and now bear too, might inspire some.
I think for most hunters, the muzzleloader is a novelty. For some of us, who've learned to appreciate them for what they are, nothing else will do.
There really is something about a BOOM verses a CRACK, and the smoke ( no offence to the BH 209/ smokeless folk) hanging in the air after a shot.
The muzzleloading hunter has one chance to take a critter's life. The critter has one chance to keep it. That seems very fair to me.

Thought we couldn't use smokeless in ML's?? Or am I getting confused again? I went to the range with friends last week, one shot white hot pellets, the other had T7 pellets, & Both made lots of smoke It was fun! I'm really looking forward to getting "tooled up". Still researching atm.
I do agree with what's been said, & I think many people do see ML as "too much effort" & so prefer their high power conventional rifles.

There are muzzleloaders designed to.use smokeless powder. They are not common and I think the only one widely available was the Savage.

ram2 said:

I noticed Cabelas does not sell the variety of inlines like it did in years past. The standard CVA Accura is no longer listed as a product carried by the company. Is this a sign sales of inlines are declining?

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What cabelas does or doesn’t do is not much of an indicator of the market . They might not sale as many or carry as many because you can buy the same muzzleloader online a whole lot cheaper and have it shipped to you in most places. I would never buy a muzzleloader at Cabelas. I hardly buy anything there anymore .
If anything there’s an increase in muzzleloader popularity especially inlines since they dominate the market with 90% of the sales being inlines .more and more states are increasing the appeal of muzzleloader hunting by decreasing restrictions such as optics etc etc
Appears to me that because the CVA accura is not listed that they simply aren’t carrying it , that hardly defines the market in my book

DaveyKBC said:

Thought we couldn't use smokeless in ML's?? Or am I getting confused again? I went to the range with friends last week, one shot white hot pellets, the other had T7 pellets, & Both made lots of smoke It was fun! I'm really looking forward to getting "tooled up". Still researching atm.
I do agree with what's been said, & I think many people do see ML as "too much effort" & so prefer their high power conventional rifles.

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Do not confuse production muzzleloaders with muzzleloaders designed to shoot smokeless propellants.
Savage built a smokeless but it went out of production. There are CUSTOM rifles being build that do shoot smokeless propellants.
DO NOT SHOOT SMOKELESS from any production rifle made today.

Thanks for the clarification ENCORE50A, it's what I understood, What I didn't know is that there are (or were) some ML's that could use smokeless. Personally I like the smoke!

1874sharpsshooter said:

What cabelas does or doesn’t do is not much of an indicator of the market . They might not sale as many or carry as many because you can buy the same muzzleloader online a whole lot cheaper and have it shipped to you in most places. I would never buy a muzzleloader at Cabelas. I hardly buy anything there anymore .
If anything there’s an increase in muzzleloader popularity especially inlines since they dominate the market with 90% of the sales being inlines .more and more states are increasing the appeal of muzzleloader hunting by decreasing restrictions such as optics etc etc
Appears to me that because the CVA accura is not listed that they simply aren’t carrying it , that hardly defines the market in my book

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Is isn't just Cabelas, that is just one retailer I happen to mention. I noticed other retailers listing fewer inlines on their websites.

A few years ago I started using MZ only for deer. Works for me. I haven't brought a muzzle loader in at least 10 years.