It happened again today at the public range...........

[ETipp]

So took the wife to the not so local public range today where she learned how to load and shoot her .50 Hawken. After she was finished I loaded up my .54 GPR and shot a few times. Wasn't long before a polite younger fella from a group at the far end of the benches came walking over. He said "excuse me sir, I'm curious as to what you are shooting there"? He then went on to say that he noticed it made a loud boom and saw lots of smoke. So I took the time to give him a brief explanation of what it is. He was quite fascinated with it.

Most younger folks have never seen a traditional ML or any ML that shoots black powder. I enjoy chatting with them.

Happens every time.

 

[Versanaut]

Love it! Each of us is an essential advocate for our sport! Great work!

Gotta love our thumping boom! Was hunting with my 45 flinter a couple years ago about a mile from the house. Very country setting, lots of gunfire all morning (open gun season in GA). I took a doe, and bided my time to reload and gather my stuff. About 15 minutes later, still in my stand, my father in law had walked over from the house to see what I got. I asked him how he knew it was me? He had a hard chuckle and said I heard ya. That boom stick ain't from around these parts... hahaha

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

And the best thing was you took the time to show and explain it to him. You just might have lit the spark of interest to bring another into the fold. Well done!

 

[SwampBilly]

So many experts on all things cartridge.... Really don't know very much at all about muzzleloading guns.

Anytime I shoot my cap and ball people are quite fascinated by that.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

I'm still amused by "You can really hunt with those?"

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Or “ is it safe to shoot something that old?”

 

[Uncle Miltie]

So took the wife to the not so local public range today where she learned how to load and shoot her .50 Hawken. After she was finished I loaded up my .54 GPR and shot a few times. Wasn't long before a polite younger fella from a group at the far end of the benches came walking over. He said "excuse me sir, I'm curious as to what you are shooting there"? He then went on to say that he noticed it made a loud boom and saw lots of smoke. So I took the time to give him a brief explanation of what it is. He was quite fascinated with it.

Most younger folks have never seen a traditional ML or any ML that shoots black powder. I enjoy chatting with them.

Happens every time.

Always helps to explain and inform those who ask: you never know if you start a spark with them or not....

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

So took the wife to the not so local public range today where she learned how to load and shoot her .50 Hawken. After she was finished I loaded up my .54 GPR and shot a few times. Wasn't long before a polite younger fella from a group at the far end of the benches came walking over. He said "excuse me sir, I'm curious as to what you are shooting there"? He then went on to say that he noticed it made a loud boom and saw lots of smoke. So I took the time to give him a brief explanation of what it is. He was quite fascinated with it.

Most younger folks have never seen a traditional ML or any ML that shoots black powder. I enjoy chatting with them.

Happens every time.

Every time I go to the range someone asks about them.

 

[TDM]

Well done @ETipp !

 

[ETipp]

Or “ is it safe to shoot something that old?”

When I was explaining the time frame of the Great Plains Rifle I told him this one was not that old and it was made in 1990. He replied “ that’s the same year I was made”.

Geese’s, everyone looks young to me now days.

 

[kyron4]

Good on you, this is how we keep the sport alive.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I taught the black powder and archery sections of hunter safety for about 10 years; I was surprised at how many kids between 10 and 15 didn't know there were ever bows made that didn't have wheels on the ends, they had never seen or heard of such bows.

 

[Bill Bryan]

Good for you. I shot at our NMLRA Club shoot this weekend and was happy to see a lot of youngsters there. Most of them were shooting with their grand parents. Bill

 

[Tenring]

The Club I have a membership with had one of the members doing some volunteer grounds work and I was shooting the the Remington Revolver and it was just him and I there that day and he was just blown away at how it shot and the loading procedure, I mean he was infatuated, I guess I take for granted that everyone now’s and has been around black powder firearms but it’s just not the case a lot of people have never really seen stuff like this in action.

 

[pacanis]

Even as a kid I have never seen a ML on a shooting range.
But darn, I knew what they were.

Kind of a testament as to where young folks are today.
Surely he must have seen The Patriot or one of the more modern movies... or have learned something about our early wars and seen pics...
Or not

Heck. When I was a senior in HS my history project was showing what all you had to go through to load and shoot a ML.
You won't find that done any more

 

[Tenring]

I hear ya, How true..

 

[TFoley]

Even as a kid I have never seen a ML on a shooting range.
But darn, I knew what they were.

Kind of a testament as to where young folks are today.
Surely he must have seen The Patriot or one of the more modern movies... or have learned something about our early wars and seen pics...
Or not

Heck. When I was a senior in HS my history project was showing what all you had to go through to load and shoot a ML.
You won't find that done any more

Well, Sir, apart from 'The Patriot' movie - now 25 years old - and the other one with L di C in it, I'm sat here racking what remains of my brain cells to think about what other movies are around that show our muzzleloading shenanigins?

Maybe the remake of 'The Three Musketeers' and 'Alatriste', but thems is decidedly NOT American, and anyhow, represent the matchlock and wheellock eras.

 

[BillyC]

I’ve talked to several kids about MLs and ask them if they know who Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett were and they have no idea. I guess they don’t have a flintlock weapon available on Call of Duty!!

 

[pacanis]

Well, Sir, apart from 'The Patriot' movie - now 25 years old - and the other one with L di C in it, I'm sat here racking what remains of my brain cells to think about what other movies are around that show our muzzleloading shenanigins?

Maybe the remake of 'The Three Musketeers' and 'Alatriste', but thems is decidedly NOT American, and anyhow, represent the matchlock and wheellock eras.

Off the top of my head, Last of the Mohicans, The Mountain Men, Master and Commander...

 

[Splitear]

I hook a lot of my 4-H kids when I tell them that they're going to get to shoot a "50 cal"