Are you under 40?

[elkslayer]

I'm 32 now and started shooting black powder 11 years ago. It was something I had always wanted to get into ever since I saw "Last of the Mohicans" and "Jeremiah Johnson" when I was kid.

To this day I do not know anyone else who shoots side locks so I still don't have anyone to share my interests with. Most guys I know are into long range shooting and black rifles but I find pure lead round balls and historical rifles to be far more interesting.

My home state doesn't have many muzzle loader hunting seasons so I hunt with it during the rifle seasons. I don't use it as much as I would like to. With limited hunting time and a taste for elk meat I can't bring myself to risk my freezer space on the muzzle loader. As is I've killed a few deer and a bear with it. This year I hunted 2 weeks of a 3 week cow elk season with my muzzle loader but wouldn't you know it I only ever got in range of bulls. 2 of those bulls were easily 320". I finally used an unmentionable the final weekend to kill a cow.

On a side note, when I was growing up there were only 2 movies that my parents would allow me to stay up late to watch; "The Ten Commandments" and "Jeremiah Johnson". I think my folks had good priorities and it did a lot to shape my interests.

 

[illuveatar]

I first became interested in muzzleloaders about 6 years ago after buying a cheap CVA from a pawn shop. I cleaned it up, refinished the barrel, made a few carvings on the stock and refinished that, replaced all of the plastic with brass, converted it to a flintlock, converted it into a smoothbore.

Since then I've been hooked, I've built or modified several other muzzleloaders and haven't hunted with anything other than BP in 5 years.

Today I'm headed North to Muzzlecamp, an annual Deer camp (read: beer camp) with several friends who all love muzzleloading. We don't often get a deer but last year I put meat on the table with 2 hares and 3 squirrels shot with my old CVA.

 

[Onojutta]

A little late, but still under 40 (just barely). :thumbsup:

 

[Stringbean]

37. I got into black powder shooting about 15 years ago. The late flintlock season here in PA is my favorite event of the year. The building bug has me now as much as the shooting. I appreciate all of the helpful information on this site. And, if your over 40: Thanks for helping us younger guys along...
String

 

[longrifle78]

Im still part of the under 40 group for another year and 8 months☺. I shot a muzzleloader the first time when i was about 8 years old. When i was 14 i got a summer job to buy my own, been hooked ever since.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Need folks to keep it alive. Living near PA helps spark interest due to people needing a flintlock to get a guaranteed doe tag.

Promote publicly. You hot events, put it out there. Newspaper, regional hunting forums, etc.

Letting modern in lines in a local monthly shoot has steadily added 2 or 3 converts to traditional every year.

I always look out for affordable flintlocks. I get all the goodies together for a newbie to borrow then eventually buy. A loaner helps alot.

Public events like the fair, local parades, hunters expos, and using your flintlock during local club public shoot in days brings in recruits.

My club has a kids bow n arrow shoot at balloons booth to attract folks at the fair. Traditional clothing, a few fine arms, and a nice taxidermy piece or two brings in interest.

Been doing this 7 years or so, almost 40 now. I shoot, build, and hunt alot. Most of my hunting is with blackpowder, but I do hunt some real open areas at times.

 

[deseeb2001]

May not feel like it every day, but I still am. Shot my first BP rifle around age 16 at a Boy Scout camp, and been hooked ever since. About six years ago I got a hold of one of my own.

My son enjoys taking it out, and I have at least one friend so far that has "got the bug".

Always fun, and the more the merrier!

 

[smrkdown]

I'm 33, and I just got started this year.

I was never really interested; I always thought it was complicated, antiquated, inaccurate, and less effective. And other reasons.

I started this year as a way to extend the season, and now I'm really interested and enjoying it. And the experience has shattered those misconceptions.

 

[Jason Lewis]

i'm 38 in April, so i've got a couple years yet.

 

[palonghunter]

I'm 36. I've been shooting a flintlock for 8-10 years. I've always been interested in pre-Revolutionary history. I'm not a reenactor, and not really interested in it (as a participant at least, I like to watch), but I like to make and use period correct equipment to hunt with.

 

[Ray-Vigo]

I'm 33. I've been shooting muzzleloaders for several years, shooting generally since I was small. I joined a local NMLRA charter club and have served the past couple years as the club president.

The club was very welcoming and we have a focus on getting new people to join the sport. We have one guy who specializes in youth and novice shooter education with muzzleloaders and several people who do "ambassador" type activities with younger shooters.

We do have a few younger members, but we need more. The average age in this sport is getting advanced.

My fear is that in 30 years this sport will virtually not exist in many places, at least at an organized or club level. It seems that on a national level, and regionally, we are losing numbers as older shooters pass away or hang it up, and we have fewer younger shooters to replace them.

I would not say our sport is quite at a "crisis" point yet demographically, but we're headed in that direction and are not far from it, unless we can bring new folks in.

 

[azmntman]

If thats true then in 30 years there will be ALOT of great deals on no longer used BP guns. I of course, as usual, will miss that boat as I will be getting too old to come up with li...er stories to tell the wife on the origin of the new finds. :shake:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I would not say our sport is quite at a "crisis" point yet demographically, but we're headed in that direction and are not far from it, unless we can bring new folks in.

Water a tree and it will grow....Water it too often and it will die.

Young trees grow faster than old ones....
Nothing grows under the shade of a big tree...

Eventually all trees fall, and make room for new ones.

 

[flyfish]

You can see from by bio that I'm over 40. Didn't get into muzzle blaster shooting until a few years ago. I avoided as long as possible. :rotf:
When I go to meetings the State holds every year on the results of the past deer seasons, you look around the room and about all you see is GRAY! So muzzle loading isn't the only victim, hunting and shooting in general has an aging population. Maybe even fishing. Not to open a can of worms here....but....between video games, cell phones, mass shooting and the change in society in general has had an impact on how our sport is viewed. Even the availability to find places to shoot and hunt has an effect. All this is just "MY" humble uninformed opinion. Kind of sad. Sorry if I got a little off topic and wound up.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Look at it from the perspective of a Banker loaning you money if you were a business....and you used word's like;
Dying
Decline
Fear
Not exist
Sad
Would the Banker help you expand your business by giving you the loan?

 

[SgtErv]

I have a bit of a theory regarding us younger folks as a whole and would like to offer it here

No matter how you cut it, getting into muzzleloading is a bit of an investment of both time and money. Right when we're at the age when we're apt to get into it is right about when we're also doing things like buying a home or having children - or investing in the home we own to raise its value, etc.

Just something to consider. No doubt there's a whole bunch of folks waiting a bit until they're a little more settled before they get into something they know is fairly pricey. The weapons a lot of folks choose to purchase also serve as hone defense so I suspect there are choices being made there. Maybe? Now, I don't know if it was as expensive in relative terms in the 70s and 80s, and would love to hear thoughts on that

That being said, I do see a new crop coming up, however small in number. Check out some of the social media groups and you'll see a lot of guys making videos (good videos at that). I have hopes.

For my own part, when at public ranges you can bet that I ask interested folks if they'd like to shoot a flinter. I know at least one over the course of doing this caught the bug lol. Probably a few youngsters at the historic site I volunteer at did too I hope.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Are you under the age of 40?
If so, this topic is for you. (alone).

 

[Tennessee.45]

I'm 25, been interested in muzzleloaders for a few years now, just finished building my first flintlock, and now have a caplock, I've sold all but two of my cartridge rifles because they've become boring to me. Planing a couple more to build

 

[Silky921]

That's awesome starting so young. Imagine what type of work you'll churn out after 30 years of doing it!

 

[DennyDucet]

Yes sir. Late 30's.