How did you get hooked?

[frankie]

Sounds like you need to step it up a little so you don't get left behind

Thanks Ellis that is great advice. lol

 

[springfield art]

What got you hooked on muzzleloading? I'm a bit of a history afficionado, so I think what drew me in was the connection to a bygone era. While that's still applicable, I grew to appreciate the fact that many of these weapons were simply functional art.

Automatically hooked by being born into 1st cohort of BabyBoomers! All the Westerns, Crockett, Johnny Tremaine, Boone, then the Civil War Centennial, enjoyable before all things Confederate became politically incorrect; THEN, the Big Bang of the BiCentennial!! Rev War enacting, living near the Liberty Bell and Valley Forge where cousins' attended big Jamboree in the 50's. Whew! Thanks for asking!

 

[Ninering62]

Good post topic.
For me & my youngest brother, our father excuse got a .50 TC Hawkens when we were fairly young ( late teens for me ). It was fascinating to us ( we were all raised country & shooting & hunting ) - the nostalgiac aspect of it & its a nice lookin gun & ( much nicer to look at than actually shoot ) combined with the fact that it extended the hunting time & amount of deer we could take in a season was a big factor for all three of us bc up to that point we only had 1 wk of deer season & with shotgun only ). The father never let either of us touch or use his Hawken ( or really anything else of his ) we both ended up getting our own. I never was a big fan of real black & PRB's, still am not, I hunted a little with my first sidelock, then sold both the Hawken & the Pa & got into inlines & never looked back. I've fairly recently gotten a cpl traditional - semi traditional percussion rifles & a pistol, I'm enjoyin using T7 & conicals in them.

 

[UndeadPoet]

I am not a muzzleloader addict nor hooked on them. I have bought 6 in the last 4 months. 1 Gibbs, 2 Pedersoli Hawkens, 3 lyman great plains. My definition of a muzzleloader addict would be if someone bought 10 in the last 4 months. So as everyone can see I am well under the 10 in 4 months. Just saying.

Seems reasonable…

 

[Ninering62]

I am not a muzzleloader addict nor hooked on them. I have bought 6 in the last 4 months. 1 Gibbs, 2 Pedersoli Hawkens, 3 lyman great plains. My definition of a muzzleloader addict would be if someone bought 10 in the last 4 months. So as everyone can see I am well under the 10 in 4 months. Just saying.

Thats awesome & hilarious. I too think that you are waaay under the " addict or hoarder " parameters. I'd go as far as sayin that buyin 1 gun a wk is still not addict or hoarder level bc I look at it as there are 6 other days a wk that you use restraint - damn good job. I'm sooo jealous over the GIbbs ( my fav traditional ML by far ) I've kicked myself repeatedly for not gettin one when I was much younger, eyes were in good shape & when I could afford one. They've climbed several hundred dollars just in the last cpl yrs alone. I should have bought the last Gibbs in .45 1:18 that I saw for under 1200.00

 

[COTNTOP]

An old 85yr old gent made some holsters for me. We got to talking about shooting and he was a BP addict so there is where it all started for me. He is in a rest home now, think I need to give him a call.

 

[Maven]

Three things pushed me toward BP guns. First, reading of Hawkeye and Chingatchcook (sp?) in the "Last of the Mohicans." Second was visiting a range out on Long Island (Patchogue I think) where someone was shooting an original Sharps rifle with BP loads. Lastly, I worked for a Woolworth's store outside of Philadelphia, PA some years later and picked up a new Colt 1851 Navy replica for a very reasonable price. My first shots were awful, but the thing was reliable and fairly accurate once you learned that it shot high. Btw, the whole idea of BP fascinated me so much so that I saved a piece of skyrocket paper for at least a decade because it had that wonderful aroma.

 

[pheenix99]

Hard to believe it's only a little over a year ago that I first shot a black powder gun. Since then I've sent over 3k balls downrange through the 5 flintlocks that I now own.

I was shooting my modern guns a lot and reloading all my own ammo when the great primer and ammo shortage hit. I was pretty well stocked with ammo at the time but since I didn't know how long the crisis would last I got worried about not being able to shoot. I thought a black powder gun would be a good alternative and since caps were already as scarce as primers a flintlock seemed like the way to go.

Like some others I got hooked right away. I still shoot my modern guns, but the flintlocks get most of the range time. And I get a lot of range time.

Sounds close to where I'm at.

I'm with Daryl, history was always a big part of my interest in school. I can remember being completely engrossed the American Revolution 8th grade history., That summer we went to Boston as a family and visited historical places like Bunker Hill and Paul Revere's home.
Once I was in my twenties and was a successful hunter, I subconsciously pursued a challenge in my hunting method.
I also wanted to be able to shoot a doe with my unused buck tag in the late season (our regs in PA) Once I started shooting a flintlock there was no turning back. Now I keep getting myself more and more into the details of shooting guns, building guns, black powder making and even bought some clothes here recently. Not sure that the clothing thing was a good idea, it's a bit much $.
Being that I'm the 10th generation in Pennsylvania and all previous generations residing in the southeast part of the state it goes hand in the hand with my personal family history. Swiss Mennonites on my mom's side and Amish on my dad's side.
I reckon it's a part of me.

Building is definitely on my to do list someday. Maybe some day a "Kibler kit built by Pheenix99" will be worth something

 

[pheenix99]

Here's what inspired me to ask the question:
I know someone who is making a 1:1 scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry (look up the dimensions, one hell of a project for one person). She is more interested in the craft aspect while I'm more interested in the history side. I was curious to see what drew people into muzzleloading.

 

[tenngun]

I am not a muzzleloader addict nor hooked on them. I have bought 6 in the last 4 months. 1 Gibbs, 2 Pedersoli Hawkens, 3 lyman great plains. My definition of a muzzleloader addict would be if someone bought 10 in the last 4 months. So as everyone can see I am well under the 10 in 4 months. Just saying.

They did develop a twelve step program for us BP anonymous, problem was groups got together’High, my name is Buff and I’m a BP addict’
High Buff
‘I started when I was nineteen, a hunting buddy invited me, it seemed like good clean fun’
Hey buff we’re having a voo next weekend
‘Oh I’m there!!!’
Just happened every time they opened a chapter

 

[frankie]

Thats awesome & hilarious. I too think that you are waaay under the " addict or hoarder " parameters. I'd go as far as sayin that buyin 1 gun a wk is still not addict or hoarder level bc I look at it as there are 6 other days a wk that you use restraint - damn good job. I'm sooo jealous over the GIbbs ( my fav traditional ML by far ) I've kicked myself repeatedly for not gettin one when I was much younger, eyes were in good shape & when I could afford one. They've climbed several hundred dollars just in the last cpl yrs alone. I should have bought the last Gibbs in .45 1:18 that I saw for under 1200.00

Thank you nineringer. I wish you could tell my wife all that, I need a lot of support.. ha. I bought the Gibbs a couple of months ago. I searched and searched and found a new one. They are top quality. Inletting was flawless. I'm replacing the tang sight. There was a used one for about $1100 on gunbroker last week with only 1 bidder. I hope you run across one. Thanks

 

[frankie]

They did develop a twelve step program for us BP anonymous, problem was groups got together’High, my name is Buff and I’m a BP addict’
High Buff
‘I started when I was nineteen, a hunting buddy invited me, it seemed like good clean fun’
Hey buff we’re having a voo next weekend
‘Oh I’m there!!!’
Just happened every time they opened a chapter

I definitely need the 12 step program Tenngun. I tried to start a "go fund me" page on this forum a couple months ago to buy more ML's but it didn't work. But it's ok. I realized no one donated to my cause because they are fighting the same obsession I am. lol

 

[appalichian hunter]

1975 home on leave from the Marine Corps and dad was in his work shop putting the finish touches on a C.V.A. 50 cal. he bought ask him what you going to do with that, his answer was kill a deer, (he was a deer hunter first rate) couple weeks later came home from Camp Lejune it was late muzzle loader season I not having a correct rifle for the season tagged along it was not much after daylight and he had one on the ground it was memmerizing watching the smoke hang in the air that morning,helped him get the deer took care of and it was time to head back to base. Being newly married with a baby and living on a corporals wage at the time a rifle was not in the budget. Next time I made it home he handed me a kit and we worked on it when I could get home, over the years have built a nice collection of BP weapons and killed quite a few critters with them,Civil War reenactd 25 years and F&I near 15 years, being a history fan and enjoy making as much of the gear associated with the period is also a big draw for me, So started 1975 and still going strong.

 

[granth]

I got into muzzleloading a couple months back. I am very interested in history (English Civil War, Revolutionary War, King Phillip's War, Golden Age of Piracy, etc). My affinity for history led me to getting interested in muzzleloading, and I picked up my Hawken for my birthday. A couple months later, and now I own three muzzleloaders, a casting pot, shooting box, and all the goodies I need to go shooting. I'm thinking of learning to do gunbuilding one of these days.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I used to see guys at the range I went to, shooting muzzleloaders from time to time. I just decided one day I wanted to try it. I did some reading on the subject, then opted to try a percussion first, as that seemed easier to master. So, I bought a TC Renegade left handed percussion, and started shooting it. Enjoyed it but something kept telling me to try a flintlock. I always enjoyed Colonial era weapons, and even though I never bought any repro of such, I did buy a flintlock, a Lyman Great Plains rifle. Yes I know, more of a western type gun, but still a flintlock. The first time I fired it, then I was really hooked. 3 flintlock kits, and 30 some years later, and I'm still hooked. I never went back to the percussion. The Renegade is a safe queen now.

Now,, if I'd ever get off my arse and finish the matchlock kit I have, maybe things will change again. When it gets too hot to work outside,, I'll jump back on it.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I hunted with my dad when I was very young but after I went in the Air Force I discovered black powder. It has been down hill [up???] ever since. Polecat

 

[hanshi]

I've always been a "minimalist" regarding less as more. Technology did not interest me in the way it did others. I have friends who call me a "purist" but I believe that's a stretch. Fate destined me to become a muzzleloading addict, yes, an addict. As a "kid" I read "Bears of Blue River" and got hooked. Another book "Hi to The Hunter"(?) or something similar got me strapped in tight. I loved David Crockett like most everybody else so I suppose that influenced me some as well.

Today I cannot recall the last time I fired a modern gun; I know it has been years. When shooting is mentioned to me I ALWAYS grab a flintlock; that's just how I think. Maybe it's vice, if so, it's a truly a wonderful one.

 

[MAPMFF]

Love of history, which lead to reenacting, which lead to "man let me shoot these live", to "man I need to collect more"...And here we are.

 

[UndeadPoet]

I love how many of us have multiple BP weapons as our avatar.

 

[smo]

I watched Daniel Boone on tv as a kid..
I think I was addicted too the smoke & fire from the guns…

My first was a bp revolver bought back in 76’ …My first rifle a Investarms.50 shortly followed..

The rest is History, as they say..

I never could split that tree like Ol’ Danl’…