Death of muzzleloading

[cannonball1]

Here is my idea from spent shot shells to make charge tubes. Doesn't take hardly any time to make a hundred or so and they are free. I used .410 to 12 gauge. Different colors for different charges. The lid is made by cutting off the plastic at the base of a high brass - placed in a fire for a few minutes. They clean right out.

 

[Sun City]

I'll throw some fuel on the fire, did the introduction of inline rifles, pellets, sabots, etc. take away the use of traditional muzzleloaders or help bring more shooter to the traditional side of muzzleloading ?

No! One must have a love of history to own and use these rifles and the folks that use the inlines are not cut from the same cloth!! And thank goodness for that!!

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

IM, a gonna win me that Beef Critter!

 

[Coinneach]

Why are there no Australian's starting a business of building muzzleloaders? It seems there is a market for someone to step-up to the plate and do it.

Simply because the mark up is too prohibitive to maintain a viable business, what you pay for as a retail cost triple that for an importer here in Australia, then add freight.

 

[toot]

Actually they're charge tubes. Each tube holds 60 grains of FFG black powder. I've seen (or heard of) accidents on the firing line with powder horns and bulk black powder. Not only does this keep it neat but it speeds up loading without the safety issues of paper charges.

thank you so much for the reply to my question. toot.

 

[toot]

View attachment 131710Here is my idea from spent shot shells to make charge tubes. Doesn't take hardly any time to make a hundred or so and they are free. I used .410 to 12 gauge. Different colors for different charges. The lid is made by cutting off the plastic at the base of a high brass - placed in a fire for a few minutes. They clean right out.

WOW! now you have rely hit on something that is a great item, and UBER safe. thanks for the posting of it. I for one am going to start making some of them today! toot.

 

[toot]

so the base goes onto the parent shell? 410 on 410, 20 on 20, 16 on 16. 12 on 12, etc ? it just slides over the case, and makes a water roof carrier for the BP, in it.

 

[cannonball1]

I do like to spray the ends just in case the spent primer maybe a little loose, but have used them without painting.

 

[tenngun]

I thought that my buddy would have a fit when I converted my southern mountain rifle flinter to percussion. I still use my .50 cal Pennsylvania flinter for most things

A tear runs down my cheek just reading that
( just razzing you)

 

[sheriff john]

The decline I've witnessed has been the decrease in opportunities to participate in even semi-organized get-togethers where like-minded folks had fun. Exclusion of modern designs will continue to shrink interest simply because the availability of traditionals we once enjoyed is gone.

The person who wishes to shoot with a group of muzzleloaders but only has a modern design not allowed to participate is one more we lose. Certainly not to suggest allowing "moderns" to take over contests, but having a side event allowing them makes more sense to me than watching a man turned away to never be seen again.

One of the interesting aspects of Friendship to me were the custom guns competitors showed up with that adapted flint/percussion to modern designs, fine machine work, beautiful wood, great optics, etc. Those guns weren't meant to represent any "historic" period, but the results impressed me to this day.

Fair to suggest anyone wishing to purchase a traditional M/L at the largest retail firearms sellers - Bass Pro, Cabellas, etc. is out of luck.

 

[Flintlock]

The decline I've witnessed has been the decrease in opportunities to participate in even semi-organized get-togethers where like-minded folks had fun. Exclusion of modern designs will continue to shrink interest simply because the availability of traditionals we once enjoyed is gone.

The person who wishes to shoot with a group of muzzleloaders but only has a modern design not allowed to participate is one more we lose. Certainly not to suggest allowing "moderns" to take over contests, but having a side event allowing them makes more sense to me than watching a man turned away to never be seen again.

One of the interesting aspects of Friendship to me were the custom guns competitors showed up with that adapted flint/percussion to modern designs, fine machine work, beautiful wood, great optics, etc. Those guns weren't meant to represent any "historic" period, but the results impressed me to this day.

Fair to suggest anyone wishing to purchase a traditional M/L at the largest retail firearms sellers - Bass Pro, Cabellas, etc. is out of luck.

I can see your point in part but yet if a shoot is a "traditional muzzleloader shoot" then it needs to stay that way or where do you draw the line, next it's lever actions then AR's. We need rules in our hobby or our hobby will die.

 

[KYCoffeeman]

I know folks that hunt with muzzloaders only because it extends their hunting season. These folks cannot be counted on to grow muzzle loading. They have zero fondness for it as a separate sport.

 

[longcruise]

The person who wishes to shoot with a group of muzzleloaders but only has a modern design not allowed to participate is one more we lose. Certainly not to suggest allowing "moderns" to take over contests, but having a side event allowing them makes more sense to me than watching a man turned away to never be seen again.

Our state association has a charter that explicitly states that a part of our "mission" is to promote all forms of muzzle loading. However, all attempts to draw the "modern" muzzle loaders into any shooting activities has been a bust. You are right on in your assessment of how many own a muzzle loader just to extend their season or to participate at a time of year that they deem more advantageous (in my state it's the September elk rut).

Further, these people don't have much interest in shooting their rifles for anything other than a few shots before the season. Pretty much analogous to the guy who hunts with his 30-06 for twenty years with and doesn't use up his two boxes of ammunition. When did you ever see a shooting activity that was for the modern ml shooters? I suppose there are a few but I've never heard of one.

So the modern stuff has been a primary cause of the loss of some trad shooters and has prevented many potential trad shooters from ever getting involved because they don't have to in order to hunt with ml. And of course the perception of the modern ml superiority leads them directly there.

 

[Cattywompuss]

No! One must have a love of history to own and use these rifles and the folks that use the inlines are not cut from the same cloth!! And thank goodness for that!!

Well that ain't true, and I am proof. Maybe you were being facetious? I was six when I first shot a cap lock. Grew up loving flintlocks despite never owning one. First gun I bought myself at age 18 was a CVA Bobcat. Then a Pieta 1851 Navy. But then about a decade ago I got into Knight inlines. Fantastic guns. Now I only shoot flintlocks. But I can't agree with your assessment and hope it was a jest. As for history, you will find several hundred books in my house and most of them are history. If one can only appreciate muzzleloaders from a certain era, one will find oneself disappointed to learn that breechloaders are as old as the flintlock itself.