Muzzleloading reigns. Period!

[Skychief]

I had a flattering surprise a few days ago. You see, a neighbor friend of mine presented me with a fine and immaculate vintage breechloading rifle. He would not take "no" for an answer.

I found time today to fire the rifle and admit that I was looking forward to it. My plan of really wringing it out proved short-lived.

After 3 shots and 3 resulting bullseyes, I cleaned it well and put it away.

I ate some supper and mulled over in my mind the cold feelings that I had for shooting the gun. I don't want to seem unappreciative of the fine gift, I am not. Quite the opposite. The gun will never leave my possession and I will always cherish it and the friend from which it was gifted.

I came to the conclusion that things came way to easy with little of myself put into the quick and great results that the piece gave me. The outing lasted all of 5 minutes.

With a couple of hours of daylight left, I grabbed my flintlock fowler and its accoutrements and shot some roundballs out of it. Such a different experience compared to the other piece.

I found myself forced to quit when Ol' Sol gave it up for the day and the gongs were too dim to see any longer. I didn't want to quit measuring charges, lubing and cutting patches, ramming home cast balls down her long spout. I didn't want to quit smelling that white smoke wafting in the air. I didn't want to stop working on my cheek weld and sight picture. I didn't want to stop working on my flint freshening technique. I didn't want to stop hearing that echoing roar that only black powder can make.

While I hadn't forgotten the many reasons why I'm so deep into these frontstuffers, I was certainly reminded of them this evening.

I think that maybe the biggest of these reasons may be the satisfaction of having so much of oneself in each and every shot.

Best regards and enjoy the smoke ya make, Skychief

 

[BrownBear]

Oh yeah.

I'm not a collector, but I have some drooling-good modern arms, some of them dating back before the beginning of the last century. Haven't shot most of them in close to 20 years. I'd get rid of them all tomorrow, but the kids have spoken for them. I love and honor that sentiment, but for the time being they're just scrap metal that needs cleaning and oiling on a regular basis.

 

[Skychief]

I hear ya BrownBear. :haha:

 

[Joe Zakas]

:thumbsup:
Yep. It's not the destination but the journey.

Joe Z

 

[Kansas Jake]

Great story and I can relate to the love of front stuffers.

 

[Patocazador]

I am a semi gun nut and enjoy them all. (That doesn't mean I am nuts for semi-automatics.) However, I also don't fully appreciate anything that comes too easily. I hear conversations about shooting an inline 300 yds, with a special dial type scope and blasting a fist size hole through a deer and I want to puke.

What's the matter with figuring out where that same deer is traveling and waylaying it from 30 yards or less? Shooting it is still not really difficult regardless of what firearm you use but it gives me a much greater sense of accomplishment.

The first time I went turkey hunting, I sat down in an area I had never been within 40 miles of before, scratched on my box call, turned and shot a jake from 13 yards. The one with him had to be chased off. Obviously, that was all luck but it ruined turkey hunting for me for the rest of my life .. no challenge was presented and I still view it that way.

It's the effort, the difficulty, and the challenge that make everything worthwhile.

 

[azmntman]

turkey hunting is EASY! "if it works" If it works one can score in a morning with little effort. IF IT DONT WORK you aint calling one in and one stops at Safeway on the way home and pays the $1.19 a pound. Seems to do with weather, moon and luck. Of course ya gotta be a hunter, a idiot wont ever see one at all. Thats what Ive found anyway. I have called em in dressed in bright red plaid shirts (me) several times.

 

[Skychief]

There's just a lot less mystique with the suppository guns.

 

[mooman76]

I still like them. They all have a place but I always go back to the BP guns.

 

[Cruzatte]

There's just a lot less mystique with the suppository guns.

Bingo! :applause:

 

[hoochiepapa]

I've killed elk with my cf's, but killing them with a muzzleloader brings SO much more satisfaction.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Front stuffer junkies!!!!

 

[RonRC]

I've come to the same, compulsive conclusion. I love shooting the muzzle loaders whenever I can!

Still, I enjoy pointing some 30-06 down range with a 1943 M1 Garand; a 30 cal from an M1 Carbine; a 45-70 through a trapdoor Springfield; a 303 with a Enfield No. I Mk III from WWI; a 6.5 x 55 through a Swedish M96 from 1906; etc. But the thrill I get is due to holding history in my hands rather than just target shooting.

Given a choice, I'll take a 50 cal ball with 80 gr of the smokey stuff.
Ron

 

[MSW]

he's right ... there is an inexplicable and ineffable quality about flint shooting ... I cannot explain it (that's the inexplicable part, of course) and the feeling you achieve when the ball whacks the target is (with the possible exception of being under a deployed MC1-1B) about as much fun as a person can have with their clothes on (let's keep things G-rated).

it is magic.

yes, I understand the physics, and ballistics, and even some of the chemistry. all well and good...

magic.

we are, at the end of the day, irrational beings. if we were rational, we wouldn't like (we probably wouldn't even consider) using such archaic weaponry... but we do use archaic stuff ... take THAT, forces of Reason and Practicality!

magic...

lots and lots of magic

Make Good Smoke!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

It is the dame reason why I drive an old truck. New things lack the soul of the old things.

 

[RADeO]

It is the dame reason why I drive an old truck. New things lack the soul of the old things.

You've got that right! Same reason a diesel-electric locomotive isn't nearly as attractive as an old steamer - no soul.

Maybe we who shoot black powder are just more appreciative of the finer things in life. :grin:

 

[Howie1968]

Although i havent been around it as much as you all, i am definately hooked. i could have any modern item i wanted but what drew me back after a 30 year abscense was the measuring the powder, having only 1 shot the cleaning of the rifle. As i get older i appreciate the old ways, i love the thought of a round ball or big heavy conical taking your food supply for the winter.
While i havent progressed to the pure traditional stage (making your own patches,bullets possible bags) eventually ill get there.

 

[Crewdawg445]

It is the dame reason why I drive an old truck. New things lack the soul of the old things.

You've got that right! Same reason a diesel-electric locomotive isn't nearly as attractive as an old steamer - no soul.

Maybe we who shoot black powder are just more appreciative of the finer things in life. :grin:

You gents are spot on!

 

[Tallswife]

I've enjoyed everything I've shot over the years. The flinter, however, is the one that connects me to my ancestors, and the feeling of "ive been here before". That's why I grab the flinter before any other piece in the house.

The old ways and the connection to the past. That's why I spin, weave, knit, and shoot flinters!

 

[Crewdawg445]

The old ways and the connection to the past.

Ma'am, this simple sentence speaks louder than thunder. Well said, I very much have a deep love for the ways of old myself, which I'm sure I can speak for everyone else as well. :hatsoff: