Comments at the range

[user 36911]

I must go to an educated range. Nobody ever asked me anything about the gun. Especially, the comments you guys are claiming. I doubt i'd smile at some of them.

Most could shoot moa with their CF guns too.

 

[Elkpurgatoire]

I have heard most of the comments put forth here, and always always offer up the opportunity for the neophytes to try it out. The best non-comment was from a German work colleague whom I took to the range with his wife to shoot a Garand and some WW2 German rifles from my collection. For a little variety I brought along a T/C Hawkin (50), a CVA Mtn Pistol (50) and a ROA for them to sample. They were speechless but wanted more. They were amazed at the accuracy and range.

 

[Rfp10000]

“I love that thing!”
“You better pick a spot up wind from that guy”
“That thing is loud!”
“How old is that ?”

 

[Nazgul58]

In 1978 I was a SGT in the Marines in Seattle. Shot on the unit rifle team and coached a small bore pistol team. Was at a civilian range shooting a TC Hawken 50 cal. 2 guys were watching me shoot decent groups at 50 yards offhand and they were interested. Let them try it a couple times and one wanted to buy it. Told him $200, he produced the cash and it was done. Went straight to the BP shop nearby and bought the Sharon Hawken I had my eye on. Really wished I still had the Sharon.

Don

 

[JohnnieT]

In my neck of the woods I hear things like:

“It won’t kill deer without 150 grains of powder.”

“Why don’t you get an in-line like everybody else?”

“Why do use that old stuff?”

Some folks just don’t get it I guess

 

[Grenadier1758]

It's not muzzle loading per se, but the ladies of the unit brought her baby to a reenactment. Some women doing the tourist visit of a Reenactment came by and watched for a bit and saw the baby kicking. One of the women gasped, "That's a real baby! I didn't know they had them back then."

 

[gunnyr]

In 1978 I was a SGT in the Marines in Seattle. Shot on the unit rifle team and coached a small bore pistol team. Was at a civilian range shooting a TC Hawken 50 cal. 2 guys were watching me shoot decent groups at 50 yards offhand and they were interested. Let them try it a couple times and one wanted to buy it. Told him $200, he produced the cash and it was done. Went straight to the BP shop nearby and bought the Sharon Hawken I had my eye on. Really wished I still had the Sharon.

Don

That was a good price in 1978 , wish I could buy like that now , I'd buy all day long at that price. It's funny how
we all miss the ones we let go. The fondling factor is enough to keep all of mine. Try to exercise them all, hunting or at the range.
gunnyr

 

[Ridge]

A guy and I were parked side by side getting ready to head onto some public land that I like to squirrel hunt. I start loading my fowler and he looks at me and lets me know that black powder season (deer) isn't in. I said I know. I'm hunting squirrels. Then he asks what caliber my gun is. I tell him it's a 20 gauge smoothbore.

He replied "someone must have made that barrel".

Yup. They sure did....

 

[Zonie]

Several comments I've heard at the shooting range:

A couple of guys watched me load up one of my longrifles and said to his friend, "That's almost as much work as fly fishing." I looked at him and said, "I like fly fishing too."

A dad with his 8-9 year old son walked past me while I was loading one of my percussion longrifles and the dad said, "There's a old time musket just like they used when the United States was first started!" I replied, "I'll shoot it so you can see how it works." and fired the shot. The dad and the kid were amazed.
I did not correct his comment about it being a musket because I figured that if I did, it would only make him look foolish in the eyes of his son. No good reason for doing that.

The most common comment I hear is, "You aren't really going to shoot those rifles, are you?", or, "Those are too nice to shoot".
My comment to them is, "Shooting is what I made them for so yes, I'm going to shoot them."
Here's a picture of some of them for those who haven't already seen it.

 

[JohnnieT]

That’s a beautiful collection!

 

[user 49399]

Holy smokes! If my black powder collection looked like that I'd sell all my other guns. Hmmmmm,,,,,wait,,,,,,,no,,,,,,,maybe,,,,,,

 

[appalichian hunter]

Nice guns Zonie

 

[Eutycus]

You'd be surprised (or maybe not) how many grown men are scared of muzzle loaders.Or sure seem to be.

 

[gunnyr]

Zonie, those are beautiful , there is no way I'll show mine. I had to show the wife the pictures, her comment was
you're all crazy I told her that maybe so but it's a wonderful feeling. Have to stop typing I'm drooling all over
the key board.
gunny

 

[FishnRod]

In elk camp this year, 2 of us were carrying GPR's, the other 7 hunters were using unmentionable muzzleloaders. Two of them said they owned sidelocks but left them at home. When we asked why they said, "well everyone knows that they aren't very accurate."
None of them seemed to have time to run over to the nearby rockpit for some competition. Lol

 

[bakerjw]

When I was a kid we knew all about Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, The American Revolution and the guns used back then.

OT just a tad. The Daniel Boone trail ran right in front of our house here in Johnson City. Here in the eastern states, you can tell old houses or ones that used to be stores. They are located close to the road. Back before cars, people walked or rode horses so there was no need to be way back from the road.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Where I shoot there are 25, 50 and 100 yard points. I favor a bench that is right at the 50 to 100 yard transition looking downrange and from left to right. This is because I put a lot of loading stuff on the bench to the right side of my table, and I keep room between the touch-hole and another shooter on the bench right of me. There's a beam too that helps block smoke some if it goes right, if smoke goes left there is a space before the next table.

A lot of people show up and want to hang their target. A lot of times people ask/state: "You're not shooting at the 100 are you"? When I reply "yes", a lot of times they ask again, as if in disbelief.
It goes like this...
"I'm going to put my target on the first 100, okay"?
NO- I have my target there.
"No I said 100"
YES - I'm shooting the target on the 1st 100-point.
"You are"?
YES
"Can you even see it with those sights"
JUST FINE.
"Are you hitting anything"?
WHEN YOU WALK OUT THERE YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Something similar nearly every darn range trip!

 

[rrebuck]

I asked a young fellow if he wanted to shoot my GPR. He couldn't have been more than 10. His granddad said, "Not everyone gets to shoot a musket." Dialed it back to 30grs 2F and let him take aim off the bench. After asking what he thought, wide eyed he said, "Terrifying."

If anyone asks me about my muzzle loader at the range, I offer to let them shoot it. Had a kid probably around 12 recently with his dad and I offered to let him shoot my 32 caliber and the kid liked it, but they didn't ask many questions.

 

[Newtire]

There was a young couple shooting some kind of .22 next to me at a 25 yard target. They were on the paper but nothing I'd call a group. They walked over before leaving the range. I was between shots and swabbing the barrel of my .45 Pedersoli Flintlock. After seeing the target out at the 100 yard mark, he asked " Can you actually hit that target way out there. At that moment the Range officer called a cease fire for target changes. I invited him to take a walk with me. I showed him my first shot high and left and I marked it with a #1 then my second shot low and right (over corrected) and the next three shots walking them into the 10 ring. I marked each shot and went back to the shooting bench. I loaded the weapon and let him take a shot. His shot hit just under my number one shot, high and left.
He had his girlfriend take a picture of him holding the gun. I haven't seen them again but I bet he talks about that day.
Neil

This is a great way to get people to realize that shooting guns is fun and also that gun owners aren't monsters. Love to see the look on someone's face when they break a clay pigeon with a black powder shotgun. Usually it's something like "Did I hit it?" Then their group saying "yeah!" "Anyone else want to shoot ?" is what I say next . I have more fun watching them shoot than shooting myself.

 

[Newtire]

"That a Damascus barrel?"
Yup.
"What do you shoot out of it?"
Full house of black powder.
"Oh." (looking worried)
Pull! BOOOM!!!
"HOLY F***! I'm outta here! (and he left the line)

True story (except it was only 70 gr FF). Lots of folks believe the folk tales about Damascus guns.

I run a damascus disposal unit to help people get rid of those old things before they put an eye out or worse. Know anyone trying to find a place to dispose of one, let me know. Here to help.