Gentlemen,
I think that the general populace's lack of interest is multipartate. To overcome the problem, we need to understand the root causes of the lack of interest, and what we can do about it.
The first part of the problem is that we are a part of what has been called a silent majority. Gun owners have by and large ceded the moral high ground to the antis. How often do most gun owners vocally and monetarily support gun ownership and use?
The second part of the problem is that we are a small group within the gun owners. The common perception is that those that shoot muzzies are cranky old men in buckskins. The media has not helped with this, see Jeremiah Jones.
The third part of the problem is cost. It is more expensive to get into muzzies than it is for modern guns. You can buy a MN 91/30 for less than $150, and a Savage Mark II for less than $250. How much does a basic caplock cost? (and then add in the cost of accessories)
The forth part of the problem is relative abilities of muzzies v. centerfire rifles. A suppository gun has a much longer effective range, has a flatter trajectory, and can usually get a second shoot off much faster than can a muzzie.
The fifth part of the problem is that of difficulty. The care a feeding of a muzzie is not a simple process. Just take loading a muzzie; it requires several accessories, and is not a quick process, nor one that reacts well to anything less than precision and consistency.
We are a breed of specialists, men and women who enjoy a sport that requires fiddly bits, patience, and a willingness to limit ourselves. By and large, we are not a young group, either for reasons of time or money. And while we try our best not to be insular, we speak in terms that the layman has to work to understand, rendering ourselves that much harder to access. Much as fly fishers are the technical specialists of the fishing world, we are the specialists of the shooting world, with all of the challenges that come with that position.
So what can we do about it? First, we kill all the lawyers... (My apologies to the good guys, I just couldn't resist :grin: ) Really, we are already doing most of what can be done; Many of our ranks have fairly active outreach policies such as show a friend, show a youngster at the range, do demonstrations where possible. We have at least a few members who are active in the politics of gun support, and pretty much all of us have sent the retailers a notice of our interests by purchasing muzzleloading supplies and materiel.
We cannot force the gun companies to decrease the prices of entry level guns, I do not think that we can force the entertainment industry to give more airtime to muzzleloaders, nor are we likely to be able to give guns in general a more positive image. However, what we can do is to make inroads into the youth wherever possible. Take your children and grandchildren shooting. Work with social media to get the images of us smiling and enjoying our sport out in public, much as Claude has done. Work with youth groups to introduce muzzies. Petition the boy scouts to introduce a muzzleoading merit badge, instead of folding the topic into the rifle merit badge.
In short, we have chosen a technical sport, one that can be hard to get into, and can be hard to get information and materials for. But we have some spectacular opportunities; the internet allows outsiders to gather the information and materials they need, even if they don't know anyone who shoots. Social media gives us a new forum in which to spread our ideas. Our age gives us authority that can be used to build trust and interest in the sport. Our sport has a rich history, so let us use that to reach out to those that want to connect with history.
Great progress has been made since the '50s, when our sport was practically forgotten, and yet look at us now. Let us work together, using whatever means possible to make the coming decades that much better for our chosen sport.
Regards,
Loki
atriot: 
