Age Range of BP shooters

[hanshi]

just remember that - OLD AGE ISN'T FOR SISSIES!!!

Correct! Old age is only for the living.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I do yearly dove and pheasant hunting trips with family in eastern Colorado each year. I take my flintlocks and everyone wants to try it out, on the hunt.

It’s fun

 

[Irishmusket]

I am over 70 old been shooting black powder since the the mid 1960s in those days there were not a lot of people doing that .There were very few repros out there and getting a hold of powder caps flints or ball was not easy especially for a kid. Luckily my Father was also interested in the stuff and had shot this stuff for years .I started out with a Spanish made 28 gauge percussion shotgun very light but worked well My Father bought for me I was 12 years old he bought mail order for 20 bucks brand new still have it still looks new.When I 14 years old I found a Belgian made flintlock trade musket in the back of the VFW magazine for 39.95 a Century arms Add It to was 28 gauge but it had a 51 inch barrel full stock My Father thought it was to long for a 5 foot tall skinny kid .How ever He did buy it for Me .He surprised Me with it on my 14 th birthday boy was I happy it was the best Birthday gift I ever recieved.He took out to the back 40 and He shot it a couple times then watch me load and shoot it I did fine .That long Tom musket set me on the path I still fallow .I would like to note the Belgian Long Tom is still my no 1 hunting companion still in great condition to this day after 55 years .

 

[Prowler5149]

I’m 72 now been target shooting sense around 1970. I went to a range with a co-worker in the early 70’s he had a BP Revolver. When he fired a couple shots (me standing to his right)he had more than one chamber go off and one ball went clean through my pant leg fortunately missing any vitals. His comment was “that one wad seemed a little thin”. So that was my first and last interest in BP till last year. Not wanting to shoot my ammo I gravitated towards air Rifles. Looking for other options I decided to purchase a Traditions Hawken kit. I have sense purchased an 1851 Pietta and have enjoyed a couple Saturday Shoots with the Green River Mountain Men at a local range. Wish I could shoot my Woodsman, and some of my other toys but with the ammo shortages and Sky high cost I’m enjoying and settling into BP arena.

 

[toot]

I started muzzleloading in my teens and am now 75. Yes, I get called "purist", "dinosaur" among other comparisons and most folks consider me a "wonder" and rather odd since I've only hunted with muzzleloaders. I rarely see anyone else with a sidelock at the range and they're especially rare out roaming the bush.

how about GREY Beard!?

 

[Henry Miles]

Traditional BP seems to be on a rapid decline, for whatever reason (multiple). On the other hand, the inline and smokeless crowd is growing steadily. Hunting is the main draw with these types of weapons. Hunting regs that give BP slight advantages like early seasons and either sex contribute to this interest. I own both types and enjoy both with traditional being favored. I don't own a smokeless version but my scoped TC Omega will drill the same hole at 200yds if I do my part correctly. It's the most accurate rifle I own and have many! The modern versions are selling as fast as they can make them and they are almost modern marvels of technology. This seems to be the trend with the generations coming of age. And no wonder. They don't have history lessons and movies to inspire like we did. We are a dying sport and unless Johnny Depp or Mark Walberg rescue us with a BP related movie, it won't get any better. I hope I'm wrong...

 

[Irishmusket]

Muzzle loading revival reached its peak about 1980 and has been in decline for some time now. In my area their are still quite few muzzle loaders out their hunting deer with side locks or modern inlines .at about 50/50%.However upland season or small game season you will rarely see a muzzle loader except for hand full of people with smooth bore muskets or shotguns It has always been that way since I was kid as for me its always smooth bore muzzle loader Matchlock Flintlock or Percussion muskets Muzzleloading rifles are useless and far to limited in woods of New England .