are we failing?

[hoochiepapa]

But if you share them with like minded people, the word doesn't get out. If you want to hide in your shell, okay, but people are curious and if you just stay in the fold, nothing gets broadcast.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Loki,
The sixth part of the problem is there is little to no publicity about hunting with a traditional muzzle loader.

How many times have you turned over too a sports channel and saw anyone hunting with a traditional muzzle loader.

We need one celebrity to convert to traditional muzzle loading and bring it too the forefront of TV. Then you could introduce the in's and out's and all the complexities of traditional muzzle loading!

I mean seriously the sports show now days are all about the product. If the gun companies were smart they could open up a whole new market line. All it takes is producing the show and instead of them using a inline, or modern firearm put them on there with traditional muzzle loaders.
Bingo you have a new resurgence in an old sport and every one knows you got to have at least one of whatever the new craze is.
It would be a win win for the gun companies and the sport!

But alas I don't sit on the board of any gun companies!!!!!!!!!

So I sit here as an old dinosaur with a great idea, and I pick away one at a time trying to interest others in the traditional muzzle loader.

Have I failed? I don't know. I sure have had a lot of interest at the public range when it was still open. If someone asks I try to always get them interested enough to shoot it. And after that I have had more than one say that is something they might be interested in learning more about!

 

[hoochiepapa]

:thumbsup: Think "Quigley Down Under".

 

[50cal.cliff]

Mike I fully agree but that was one movie. Now take Tom Selleck and give him his own hunting show and produce it for one year, and you got something going in the right direction.

 

[RC]

we only fail..if we quit..one step at a time...gain a follower...or is that fowler?

 

[S.Kenton]

I really think our sport is alive and well...Look at all the members on this forum alone. I'm not sure why you think we're failing..I didn't know there was a "task at hand" to fail at?
I tend to agree with what jack Wilson said earlier...I don't try and push my hobbies onto other people, if they show interest I will then share with my experience, knowledge and help them get started in whatever they're enquiring about.
As far as your "vent" goes about the lacking knowledge of history.. I'm not sure what your talking about. My son is in 8th grade, he was taught ALL about the Revolutionary War, the F&I war, as well Mad Anthony Wayne, Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone and so forth.. he was taught that in school. I know, because I helped him with some of his pre-test studying.. seems to me he was in the 6th or 7th grade when he was taught that.
anyhow I guess thats my 2cents.

 

[hoochiepapa]

My point was agreeing with your point. Because of that movie, there was a sudden popularity of that rifle.

 

[Vaino]

Various genre of movies create fads and most just go by the wayside, including movies featuring different guns. Asre American history...evidently it's taught in our shools to many pupils who aren't interested. W/. all the "distractions" in these modern times, young people prefer a plethora of interests and activities that doesn't include history or anything connected w/ it. That's just the way it is and it doesn't trouble me one bit. As was said by me and some others, there's no obligation for us to "educate" anyone asre MLing, so...the topic's question is irrelevant to many. Those who wish to persuade others to "be like us" are most of the time experiencing an "exercise in futility", but if that's what turns your clock, go for it....Fred

 

But if you share them with like minded people, the word doesn't get out. If you want to hide in your shell, okay, but people are curious and if you just stay in the fold, nothing gets broadcast.

Going about one's daily life is not "hiding". You seem to be inferring that if someone is not evangelizing what they do, they are hiding. That's simply irrational.

"Broadcast"? I'm not in the broadcast business. If you want to start a movement to promote your interests, that's fine, but don't tell others that they are somehow wrong for not joining you.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I am absolutely delighted to hear you son is learning American history.
One school I spoke to some years ago (the entire school, about 800 students) none knew anything about the American Revolution. When I asked the principal why, he responded "We don't bother with that anymore." I a 6th grade textbook I saw, the entire reference to the 'revolution' was: "After King George granted the colonists their freedom.........". "Granted?" Don't get me started. That makes me angry.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I really think our sport is alive and well...Look at all the members on this forum alone. I'm not sure why you think we're failing..I didn't know there was a "task at hand" to fail at?

The NMLRA membership is down about 10,000 from thirty years ago. I no longer see hunters with traditional style ml rifles during the ml hunting season.
"task at hand", I guess I am a bit evangelistic on the subject. Must be how I see it. I don't apologize.

 

[Stumpkiller]

:thumbsup: Think "Quigley Down Under".

Great movie, but it wasn't a muzzleloader. But we have had "Last of the Mohicans" and "The Patriot" for recent mainstream media muzzleloading.

We leave a lantern in the window with this website and hopefully some lost soul will be drawn to it's light. Come home, children, come home.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I really think our sport is alive and well...Look at all the members on this forum alone. I'm not sure why you think we're failing..I didn't know there was a "task at hand" to fail at?

The NMLRA membership is down about 10,000 from thirty years ago.

I used to be in a computer 'user group' many years ago. We had over 500 members and we packed the house at our meetings, showing people the latest software and computer news. We even did a good business selling floppy disks that contained fonts, shareware, etc. Once the Internet became widely available, our membership began to wane. The fact is, they simply didn't need us anymore. Our membership was high when we were the only game in town.

I'm not sure how that relates to the NMLRA, but it's a good story anyway. :wink:

 

[BillinOregon]

"We leave a lantern in the window with this website and hopefully some lost soul will be drawn to it's light. Come home, children, come home."

Stumpy, that's a very sweet sentiment. Claude, you have a very fine moderator in Stumpkiller!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

History isn't taught in out local high school. What passes for social studies is all there is.

History is taught as a boring memorization of names dates and places. History makes little sense unless we also understand the daily lives and motives behind their actions. I do have to give credit to my daughter's 11 th grade Social Studies Teacher. at the beginning of the year he had each student do a genealogy back at least to the 1600's if possible. Why did and how did they come to America. What was their occupation? Which side were they on in the revolution? American history was taught in regard to the time line of the student's family history. Suddenly for a great number of students, history lived through their personal family back rounds. Who had rebs or yanks in their family, Did any relatives die at Andersonville? who had doughboys. My daughter was actually excited about it. It was helping her with that family tree that we discovered we are descendants of Jacob Angstadt, a Berks County gun maker in the late 1700's. That teacher found a good, maybe great way to make history relevant. I know at least a few of those students, now graduated, are muzzleloader enthusiasts,

I don't think we need to be evangelists about our hobby. However, if we keep our hobby a secret they won't know such a thing exists unless they stumble over it. I have my own range at home to shoot. I still go to the public range to shoot for the purpose of getting some gawkers interested. when they see that it isn't an unreliable inaccurate proposition, they are impressed, sometimes enough to want their own.

 

[S.Kenton]

History isn't taught in out local high school. What passes for social studies is all there is.

VERY true!...I honestly can't remember ANYTHING of what I learned in History class when I was in school. Most of what I have learned.. and am still learning, comes from my own desire to know more about History..mainly local history.I've spent countless hours in the library and talking to different locals on the subject. I don't think I know ANY kid in my sons class ( and I know MANY) that gives a rats behind about history..at least not this stage in thier young lives. What causes one to want to know more about things that happened 200 years ago? Who knows..
My interest in ML'ers came from my Dad, he has a GREAT basic working knowledge of BP and shooting PRB..I shot my first smokepole at the age of 12. My interest didn't peak until around 28-30 years old. THIS SITE fuels my interest, until I joined this site I never imagined making and using different acroutments such as I do now.If you guys havn't noticed we feed off each other.. wether it be good or bad... we influence each other and teach each other...we don't always agree but thats the beauty of this site. Are we failing? NO WAY..
Sorry if this seems all garbled together... just a few thoughts I had on this subject on a late night after work.

 

[Robby]

If you belong to a M/L club, state or national association like NMLRA, it is already part of their bylaws to promote the sport. If you don't like the way things are going, or you have ideas you think would be more effective, those seem to be the places where your efforts might have the greatest impact.
If I'm at the range and someone shows an interest, I will take the time and respond. If there is a young fellow with his father, I 'always' offer to let him take a shot, with Dad's permission of course. So far, all but one has taken the shot, which translates into probably dozens. I cannot remember a single one that was not wide eyed, and grinning from ear to ear after the shot, Dad too. What impact that will have down the road is anyone's guess. I don't force feed, just a friendly gesture.
Robby

 

[50cal.cliff]

My point was agreeing with your point. Because of that movie, there was a sudden popularity of that rifle.

OK I get it Mike.

What I was trying to say was this a few years ago TC geared up to kick off their new generation of muzzle loaders and they have sparked a total new interest in muzzle loading but the modern kind.

I do believe the gun companies could spark an interest in traditional muzzle loading with the same kind of a campaign geared toward traditional muzzle loading. It would be to there benefit in the amount of rifles they would sell.

What people don't understand is that our muzzle loaders can be pretty much as accurate as the new fangled ones.

At the range it was always pretty much the boom that attracted the first individuals to me and my muzzle loader. If I could get them to look at a target and see what I was doing with open sites that was always a plus.

And there interest led them to the right answer to this question! Would you like to shoot it? Well then I knew I had a real good chance of making a convert.

A quick lesson on the difference between BP and modern powder, loading, and learning about yourself and your rifle and if they hung thru that...........well lets just say I have had more than one say I have got to try this for real.

 

[VEARL]

I have introduced several people into this blackpowder sport of ours. Some have continued on and others have dropped out.
I for one love history, Shooting and maintaining the rifle and gear bring me closer to the time period. Seeing the end results of shooting and mastering the BP rifles is what captivates me.
I have shot military weapons and law enforcement weapons for over 40 yrs. When I retired I left those behind. No modern weapon in my house.

 

[ebiggs1]

World History and American History is taught and required for graduation, here in Kansas. It starts in middle school and continues through high school.
My father was, until his passing, a history professor at Auburn and the University of Alabama.
It must have to do with the area you live. :hmm:

As far as a reply to your other previous post, here in Kansas anything is legal for muzzle loader hunting as long as you load from the front! I have heard rumors of Kansas limiting scope sights and some other minor stuff but no action so far. That doesn't help in the propagation of more traditional muzzle loaders. I am sure a dedicated primitive season would do much to help.