MuzzleBlast

[jamesthomas]

Once again they have a scoped inline as their hunting picture. Its getting kinda bothersome to me. I'm pretty sure they get enough flintlock and percussion pictures in, why don't they use those 100% of the time?.

 

[galamb]

Hmmm - trying to sell magazines.

Many more muzzle loaders with plastic stocks out there which is their target audience.

They are the ones looking for the latest/better/stronger/faster do-dads.

The advertisers are selling to them, not you and I.

Makes perfect "economic" sense.

T/C didn't stop building side-locks because they were finding it impossible to keep up with demand...

 

[curator]

If you are referring to the "Muzzle loading afield" article in the June "Muzzle Blasts", what's got your panties in a twist? The NMLRA magazine has 98% of its content promoting traditional sidelocks. (well except for the article about grenades and grenadiers)

I hate to break the news to you but 90% of hunters who take up muzzle-loading rifles to hunt with in most States use "modern inline" guns. They do this because of the ease of loading and familiarity with the gun's design features. Off the shelf accuracy is nothing to sneer at either.

We traditionalists can't treat the inline crowd with disdain and expect to win them over to our side. I have been a Florida Hunter Safety Instructor for 30 years and know that pretending to be a purist does not work. A good half of the inline shooters are "method hunters" and will explore something more traditional if they can get good advise and help getting on target.

Volunteer with your State's hunter safety program and make a real difference or sit on the sideline and take cheap shots.

 

[necchi]

what's got your panties in a twist?,,,,,,,

We traditionalists can't treat the inline crowd with disdain and expect to win them over to our side.,,,,,,,


A good half of the inline shooters are "method hunters" and will explore something more traditional if they can get good advise and help getting on target.

:bull:
That's why I'm at this site,
It has a tag line,
"Keeping Tradition Alive"

I'm not here to hear anything about the plastic manure. I don't support them and I won't.

An in-line is always welcome at our shoot's,
"Hanging from a rope on the 50yrd line!"

 

[F.G. Ford]

Necchi!
You are nasty and to the point, without reserve.
That is why I like you :thumbsup:
Nobody can say you beat around the bush.
Please keep it up.
Fred

 

[tecum-tha]

There is an easy fix. Don't read Al Rychard's or whatever his name is column. Problem solved.
Most topics are traditional muzzleloader related.
If you check out the Spring National Shoot online program, you will find that there are hardly any modern ML matches. You hardly ever see one of those at all. We usually just convert them if they're a seriously into shooting...

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Frankly, I have no interest in hunting Musk ox in Kamchatka in January, or in flying to Paraguay to hunt $3.00 worth of wild pigeons, so I usually ignore the hunting articles anyway. Too often they remind me of those canned hunt shows on the boob tube. Now maybe hunting wild tree shrews with a brown bess .....

 

[Black Jack]

I agree with you on this. Sometimes it seems like the most challenging aspect of these hunts is accumulating the several thousands of dollars it will take to buy the hunt. I'd rather read about a guy who takes a small six-pointer or nice fat does on public land.

As far as the Muzzle Blasts hunting article, I too would rather read about a hunt using a traditional rifle, but the NMLRA policy is to include all types of muzzleloaders. So be it. I do not believe any type of firearm is "bad", it's just that I'm more interested in the traditional ones. As a group, the more black powder shooters under our big tent, the better.

 

[Snakebite]

Back in the mid 90s there were a lot of inline articles in Muzzle Blast so I wrote them a letter expressing my concerns and resigned my membership. But a couple of years ago I got a free edition from TOTW and saw they had amended their ways somewhat and rejoined. A couple of months ago I received notice of the people running for the board and there were contact numbers and emails so I sent an email to each and everyone. I got 4 replies back and each expressed their opinion of inlines and each thought they should be included in the Association. I was a little disappointed but I guess that is just the way it's going to be. If it gets too much, then I'll move on, but for now I can take it. It's a good Association and about the only one that has a voice for us.

 

[Billnpatti]

Personally, I don't like to see it either but unfortunately, that is the direction muzzleloading is headed. The membership numbers in NMLRA are in a decline and it is not because of the inline stuff that is showing up in the magazine. That is putting the cart before the horse. It is simply that the number of people who are interested in shooting the old style sidelock guns are in a decline. The median age of the shooters of traditional muzzleloaders is constantly going up and we aren't adding like minded members as fast as the old ones are dying off. The unfortunate direction the sport of muzzleloading is taking is that of the inline. You go into any sporting goods store and ask which muzzleloaders are selling the strongest and it is the inline whether we like it or not. NMLRA and MuzzleBlasts is being drug kicking and screaming in that sad direction. They stood strong for many years but it has become obvious that if they are to survive, they must become more accepting of the new wave of inline shooters. It is a sad, sad situation that we NMLRA members find ourselves in, but it is what it is and, unless we start bringing in new members who have an interest in the old ways, we must accept the inevitable. If we bail out, we are just handing everything over to the inliners. When that happens, it will no longer be NMLRA but will become the National Inline Shooters Association. Kinda makes your skin crawl, doesn't it?

 

[Claude Mathis]

It's a good Association and about the only one that has a voice for us.

Do you mean a "political voice"? Do they lobby?

 

[Snakebite]

I know the NMLRA had a booth at the NRA show.

I admit they aren't the strongest voice out there and they do some political stuff, but I don't really know of any other group that has a voice or the public exposure that the NMLRA does.

Other than Muzzleloader Magazine, are there any other publications that are muzzleloading?

 

[wulf]

I dropped all their adds and pro-mo's on Friendship and switched to Muzzleloader Mag. Now
there is a mag for traditionalists.
Wulf

 

[tecum-tha]

Muzzleblast is an association publication of the NMLRA and not a commercial magazine about "muzzleloading". See it as the newsletter of the NMLRA with some interesting articles.
Because that is the real intention. You can't buy a subscription to MB, but you become a member of the NMLRA and then get the magazine.

 

[FishDFly]

I am a member of the NMLRA and I do not read each and every thing in the magazine.

If I am interested in the subject matter I read it, if not, I do not read it.

Simple to me, the NMLRA cannot be everything to each member.

 

[Black Jack]

I dropped all their adds and pro-mo's on Friendship and switched to Muzzleloader Mag. Now
there is a mag for traditionalists.
Wulf

I have a suggestion. Get both and enjoy twice the reading pleasure. The focus of the NMLRA is traditional muzzleloading and is the majority of Muzzle Blasts articles also.

 

[Snakebite]

I dropped all their adds and pro-mo's on Friendship and switched to Muzzleloader Mag. Now
there is a mag for traditionalists.
Wulf

I have a suggestion. Get both and enjoy twice the reading pleasure. The focus of the NMLRA is traditional muzzleloading and is the majority of Muzzle Blasts articles also.

Good advice.