Muzzleloading the sport, hobby, or what you call it needs

[gard72977]

I think that a ML looses the numbers game and people over look them. I have more fun shooting a ML at 50yds then I do a Center fire at 300.

I think the new shooters and the gun hater ask the same question. How far can I shoot a person with this gun. They miss the fun of hitting a small target at any range that challenges you.

 

[mooman76]

I don't see the sport dying out, at least any time soon. It may be taking a dip but I think it still has some come backs. We just need to find some ways to reach the younger crowd.

 

[azmntman]

I have more fun shooting a ML at 50yds then I do a Center fire at 300.

Same here. I may shoot only 20 times to my buddies 200-300 but i have MORE FUN!

I believe BP make one a better shot too, we are in no hurry and strive to make each shot count VS popping off 10-30 rounds at "nothing"

 

[Bear Rider]

I live in a community so small that it doesn't even qualify to be a town. We have the same problem here with kids. I was observing a boy scout troop where the kids were working towards some sort of physical fitness badge, and the majority of them could not do 5 pushups. They'd spent so much time in front of the computer and television that they were a complete liability in the outdoors.

Fifteen years ago, I had a quarter mile of fence to put up. I set the corners posts, then hired a couple of brothers to set the t-posts. They were still so short that they had to lean the posts over to slip the driver on. It took them a couple of weeks, after school and on the weekends, but they got it done, and done well. Out of the 200 or so posts, I had to reset only four or five.

This same generation of kids wanted a skate park. They spent two years raising the money and getting pledge for donations of material and time, then the community turned out and built it. For several years, it was under continual use, but now it's rare to see anyone there.

The difference? Perhaps aging. However, between then and now, cheap high-speed internet, complete with online games has become available to every household. One has to wonder.

 

[DSiemens]

I think taking the younger generation out shooting is the best way to keep muzzleloading alive. Even if they bring their .22's or other such guns if you pull out a muzzleloader there is going to be interest. They'll want to load it and fire it if only just to say they did. I shot my first muzzleloader at a scout camp. I took an interest and received one not long after. Another scout friend of mine later built one.

One of the best games to play with muzzleloaders at scout camps is to take the scouts that have never shot before and have them shoot at an egg at 25 yards. Tell them if they hit it you'll give them something like $20 bucks. Then give them a double trigger muzzleloader have them point down range and tell them to pull the first trigger to set it and second trigger to shoot. Conveniently leave out the hair trigger part. Then watch their disappointment and surprise as they put they're finger on the trigger as they normally would (often before fully sighting in) and the gun fires. Their even more disappointed when they find out they don't get a second chance.

 

[Tinker2]

Finding real black Powder is hard for sale.



IDEAS?????

Get Congress to remove the hasmat fees. Get them to removed it any way we can.

I remember when the anti-gun crowd first started talking about it as a way to infringe on some guns;
it was a dived and conquer, one type of gun at a time plan.

There is no place in my whole state that someone starting out can buy a can of blackpowder.
That makes it hard for anyone to get into the sport.

I wrote this as best I could to not sound like any of the forbidden subjects.
If it comes across that way it was not my intentions and Mods please remove as you see fit.
Thanks



William Alexander

 

[ike]

:bow: Right on. Kids around all of the time. At a rendezvous parents feel free to let the kids play in the camp. The kids know that if they do not act right the parents will know. Also we have activities for the kids. Here it is understood that takes a whole village to raise a child.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Muzzleloaders are the most enduring type of firearm. They have survived
Ӣ The repeating rifle
Ӣ Smokeless powder
Ӣ Semi automatic rifles
Ӣ Full automatic rifles
Ӣ Cartridge ammo
Ӣ Case less ammo
Ӣ Gun control
And even the modern muzzleloader.
Sounds like a ROCK to me!

 

[Shine]

Pure class is timeless

 

[nchawkeye]

This comes up every 3-4 months, it is up to us to teach others history to keep it alive...

Give talks on the American Revolution at local schools, the local public library and Boy Scout Troops...Teach your children about history...My middle daughter is a history teacher in Raleigh...When she was younger I use to tell her stories about early America and the rifle I use for demonstrations is her's...The Daniel Boone series from the 60s is available on DVD, my grandson and I watch it all the time...

Here I am giving a talk to Boy Scouts...

Another...

Giving a talk at a local elementary school, this was on the front page of the local paper...This school has a day called Colonial Days and I have participated in it for over 25 years...

Another, showing how a flintlock works...The grand finale is taking them outside and loading a blank charge and touching her off...

 

[nchawkeye]

Teach your grandchildren about history as well...

Here is my grandson at Guilford Courthouse, as you can see, he is very inquisitive... :grin:

Yea buddy, that's where the ball comes out!!! :shocked2:

Here we are after a morning of watching Daniel Boone and killing Indians... :grin:

 

[pargent]

May-be you guys in the states need to do what we do here in Aust. for our rondys,the whole event is a competition match for all traditional m/l longarms ,pistols and revolvers . They are open events to primitive, semi primitive and modern camping setups . Matches cater for open ,ladies and juniors all shot together , so family groups can supervise and coach their juniors as they compete together .All living history people are welcome from 1600 -1865 and they can portray any person or group in that time frame , they can compete in any or all of the matches provided they have the correct firearm .We have groups from different locations traveling together in convoys of sorts to get to events . So we pile every one to do with blackpowder shooting together into an event and they all get along politely .

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Clubs need to advertise, improvise, and not segregate.

Get your club online. Multiple mediums. Facebook, regular internet website. People want to do this, but need to know about it. Flyers at the local supermarket, post office, gunshops, etc help a ton.

People are very drawn to shooting gongs and competition, but might not have a muzzleloader yet. So, why not have a shoot that you can use 22lr or any type of muzzleloader. It's impossible to attract someone to a sport and require them to have the equipment already.

I am left handed, but always have a right handed gun for people to try out.

Clubs die because they turn into paid shooting ranges. Keep it a social club too.

Some thing clubs do that thrive.

-offer youth archery classes...
-non shooting events, like renting a bus to go to a big cabelas store, or firearms political rally, two local clubs offer annual fishing trips to the ocean.
-hunting item related swap meet.
-offer your club to local places. Don't wait for them to find you. 4-H, boy and girl scouts, YMCA, boy and girls clubs, etc....
-promote similar events and take advantage of dates like 4th of july.
-make sure your events and club info is on website like state or regional muzzleloading society websites, large regional or state muzzleloading and general firearms forums, even paying a bit of money to advertise on the state hunting regulations guide helps a ton too.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Another thing,

Promote your club at other events. You can combine this with fundraising activities too.

One club I know has a archery target booth. Shoot a dozen arrows for a buck or two. They do this at annual local youth fairs, the county fair, and other similar events. You can even combine this with a demonstration of some sort and have them put it in their events calendar. MAybe even include some sort of arts and crafts thing for the kids to do.

We shoot guns, but also do all sorts of craftwork. You can use that angle of our hobby.

That is where I am more worried. Not about loosing interest in shoot 200 year old guns, but loosing interest in one self abilities.

People are afraid of doing simple repair work on cars. Look at sears, every year there is less woodworking tools in their inventory.

Doing stuff myself is my entertainment. People are swaping real entertainment with canned entertainment.

People watch certain hobby shows with great interest, however, they're not doing anything in that hobby with fear of not being able to do it.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I shoot lefthanded, and all my flints are leftys while all my cap rifles are right handed.

Whenever someone brings their kids to the range, I'll ask them if they ever fired a muzzleloader.

I'll show them how to load and cap, and have some balloons set up out at 75 yards (while daddy's over there shooting his scoped rifle at 25 yards ...).

Once they touch off the .50 or .54, they're hooked. Last time out, a bored-looking 16 year old girl was shooting a right handed rifle and didn't look to be enjoying it. I asked her if she wanted to fire a lefthanded flintlock, and the entire group she was with came over to my bench to watch her. I showed her how to load, prime the pan, and set the trigger. She was able to load, prime and fire in about 20 minutes, and fired until my pan primer was empty. After the first few rounds, everything was in the black.

She said that her birthday was coming up this summer and she knows what she wants - an instant flintlock shooter. I also showed her how to change a flint, and gave her a list of websites to go looking for lefthanded rifles.

 

[gard72977]

Finding real black Powder is hard for sale.



IDEAS?????

Get Congress to remove the hasmat fees. Get them to removed it any way we can.

I remember when the anti-gun crowd first started talking about it as a way to infringe on some guns;
it was a dived and conquer, one type of gun at a time plan.

There is no place in my whole state that someone starting out can buy a can of blackpowder.
That makes it hard for anyone to get into the sport.

I wrote this as best I could to not sound like any of the forbidden subjects.
If it comes across that way it was not my intentions and Mods please remove as you see fit.
Thanks



William Alexander

Order in bulk. I just bought 25 pound in 1 pound cans for 13.90 each shipped to my door. You will get decent prices at 10 cans. Split it with a friend if you have to.

I plan to need a re-order this year!!!!

 

[jamesthomas]

Even ordering black powder in 5 lb. lots is cheaper than paying 25 to 30 a lb. at Bass Pro. and you get it fast, 3 days after ordering U.P.S. has it at your front door. Say I pay 17.10 a lb. for 10lbs. Hazmat is included in that price. But in my view a lot of folks don't read the order form right and think the Hazmat fee is added AFTER the order :shake: . Say $171.00 with 25 added for the Hazmat (total $196.00), when actually the Hazmat is included in the $171.00 price.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Give talks on the American Revolution at local schools

I have been giving Rev. Rifleman talks since 1976. I gave many in schools. But the 1,000 foot rule pretty much stopped me. Then I found out the Revolution isn't even taught in history classes anymore. Even many adults have never heard of the American Revolution. Last school presentation I gave was about four years ago in a private Christian school. Good on you for doing what you do. :thumbsup: My Rev. Rifleman speaking days may be over.

 

[cynthialee]

I fear we are the last of a dying breed.

With society moving to banning guns and the brainwashing of the youth to hate guns...

Enjoy your time at the range and on the hunt for now. Eventually there will be no civilian shooters. Modern or primitive.
But I suspect that what will happen is that there will be a need for the knowledge, and it will be passed on in about 50ish years by the youngest of us.

 

[Canute Rex]

I keep telling people about the primitive biathlons up here in the northeast. Wooden snowshoes, a timed run over a 1.5-2 mile woods course, gong targets, each hit knocks off 5 minutes.

The original one in Jeffersonville VT attracts about 200 people over a weekend every year, It can be -4F with a stiff wind and still there are dozens of people running through the woods. Some people dress for style (17th-18th-19th C) and some for survival (me in polypro and Goretex), but it's a crowd. The one in Manchester VT draws about 150. I'm not fast on snowshoes, but I try to make up for it with my shooting. Lots of fun. Some of the events have stationary shooting events as well, so the less agile can have some fun.

Part of the problem, I think, is that a lot of muzzle loader shooters are getting gray and creaky in the joints (I'm gray myself, and my right knee makes sounds you wouldn't believe), and tend to organize events that are comfortable and interesting for themselves.

There are a lot of younger folks who want to work up a sweat - mountain biking, running, canoeing, climbing. I'll bet a black powder triathlon would draw them in. Something like the opening scene of Last of the Mohicans, plus canoeing.

When you are trying to promote something to someone else, don't make the common mistake of looking at it only through your own eyes. Just a thought.