I can understand if a person wants to play pretend but ....................have never understood what being in period has to do with shooting ? Shooting from the bag ok, have to use a traditional ramrod that fits in the thimbles ok, cut at the muzzle patches ok but does that mean no modern lube will that eliminates most of the homemade lubes ( if it wasn't available pre 1840 ) ? And what difference does it make if I'm wearing jeans and a polo and your in a breech clout other then if your built like me it's really ugly when I strip that far (70 year fat man ). I have no problem with equipment restrictions
( although I don't have a problem shooting against a in line that has to use a patched round ball I've never lost a match to 1 yet ) and if your going to have a true primitive event and going to count threads and all that other B***S*** then maybe no fake powder should be allowed ? So I repeat what does pretending have to do with shooting ?
HERE WE GO!!!!!
Shooting is only part of a juried event, If I had a time machine I would love to visit Fort de Chartres anytime between say 1740-1760 or so, I would not like to stay, I enjoy hot showers and indoor plumbing to much. But there is so much we do not know about their daily lives.
Sometimes when I go to a juried event I do not even shoot, but it is the closest I will get to experiencing history as they lived it and having conversations with like minded people who do historical research that may be different than mine and so I learn. I am not interested in the military encampments but admire their dedication. I get to examine rifles, horns, quill work etc. etc. that I do not get to see at other places.
I get to see how other people take their historical knowledge and interpret it to the best of their 20th century abilities, it is not for everybody and that is why it is juried, if you only want to shoot in your blue jeans that is great, more power to you and there are plenty of places to do that.
This sport has people who only want to wring the last bit of accuracy out of a BP gun (people like Idaho Ron), people who only want to extend their hunting season, people who only want to be competitive in their local club shoots and then people who love going to juried events.
It is all good, just different.