New look Muzzle Blast

[fleener]

Got my MB today. This is the second month of the new all color addition. It looks great!

Fleener

 

[Old Timer 48]

Yeah, I like it!

 

[fleener]

for those that dont get MB and would like to join the NMLRA memberships are on sale right now!

I am going to buy one for both of my boys.

Fleener

 

[Boomerang]

Yep, got mine too. They are really nice!

 

[Zonie]

Lee A. Larkin, the editor of MuzzleBlasts in his talk about the new magazine format makes a request for members to send in their hunting stories for publishing. He mentions that both Traditional and Unmentionable gun stories will be accepted.

Right after this he talks about the falling membership of the NMLRA being a real problem which could doom the organization.

Like many before him, he doesn't seem to recognize that much of the falling membership is due to the dislike many of the former members have for these unmentionable types of guns.

For the present, the magazine is totally devoted to Traditional style guns.
Many hope this will continue to be the case and I believe if it is, many of the old members will return to the fold.

Speaking of a sore spot, it seems like Al Raychard in the "Muzzleloading Afield" section is spending a lot more time talking about hunting and isn't talking about his favorite unmentionables style rifles.

Let's hope this continues.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Got mine a week ago......Always beautiful and well put together.... :thumbsup:

 

[fleener]

Right after this he talks about the falling membership of the NMLRA being a real problem which could doom the organization.

Like many before him, he doesn't seem to recognize that much of the falling membership is due to the dislike many of the former members have for these unmentionable types of guns.

For the present, the magazine is totally devoted to Traditional style guns.
Many hope this will continue to be the case and I believe if it is, many of the old members will return to the fold.

I think that is an inaccurate statement. For many of the old members to return would require them to rise from the dead.

you really think that the majority of the decline in membership is due to that???? How about increasing average age of traditional shooters? and not attracting new and younger shooters?

Now if your opinion is that there are member's that are unhappy with the other types of ML and have not maintained their memberships as the result of that I am sure there are a few. But to say this is the result of much of the decline?

You ever been to Friendship? You will see some other ML, however they are very few and far between. You might have 10 guys shooting them vs the hundreds of traditional guns. The guys that do shoot them, I know most of them. They also spend most of their time shooting traditional rifles and just play around with the "other ML".

The quote of the day for this forum is "In this country we have no place for hyphenated Americans."
~ Theodore Roosevelt

I think that could apply to the "other ML"

Fleener

 

[Don Steele]

I like the new magazine format. FWIW: When I saw it, my first impression was that the folks who put Muzzle Blasts together had set one of their earlier magazines next to another publication that's dedicated to muzzleloaders...and asked themselves if they could get OUR magazine to look that good. I'd say they did a pretty credible job.
As to the "unmentionable" gun issue, I just don't get it.
When I got to shooting regularly with the blackpowder group at my gun club....I heard a few of the old-timers expressing their disgust with the NMLRA for allowing those "other guns" to compete at Friendship. OH THE HUMANITY..!!!! :surrender:
When I made my own very first trip to Friendship...I wasn't sure what to expect. To hear our old-timers talk...one would have thought that plastic stocked stainless steel rifles with big scopes were all over the place, and I was going to be FORCED to use one if I wanted to compete, or to compete against those "unmentionables" with my old-timey flintlock. :bull:
Imagine my surprise when I discovered otherwise. :hmm:
I suppose if someone wants an excuse bad enough, they can fantasize themselves into believing just about anything. That appears to be the case with a number of our old-timers and I'm sorry their missing so much of the fun. :idunno:
It's the National MUZZLELOADER Rifle Association.
If'n it loads from the muzzle, we oughta have a place for it. I see RIFLE in the organization's name...yet I don't see people disgusted about the handguns, smoothbores and fowlers being used.
21st century America is the LAST PLACE we need to be excluding people from shooting sports simply because some of us don't like THEIR choice of equipment.

 

[fleener]

yesterday I purchased 2 gift memberships. Regular memberships are $40, and right now a gift one is $30 a year. I am thinking that next year I might buy a life membership for myself. I have also contributed quite a bit towards the 1 of a 1,000 members for number 450.

Joe Hill the current President is a very good friend of mine and he is the kind of guy that gets things done, and he is getting things done.

I have never shot at the fall match, but I have been to the Spring match for several years now. When I started to go I did not know anyone there. I have dragged along with me 7 different people over the years and I have a friend from KS that has always wanted to go and I think he if going to make it this year.

I am only able to be there for 3 or 4 days of shooting, and when I first started going I would literally shoot all day long. Now that I have gotten to know the guys at the range I shoot with, most of them have become very good friends and shooting is secondary.

I cant wait to go back this year to enjoy Friendship and see my friends. My 18 year old college freshman son the other day stated that he hopes that he is able to go again this summer, he loves it as well.

My son has been known to shoot one of them "other ML" at Friendship. I dont care, I am happy he wants to hang out with me and is shooting. He loves shooting his original shotgun and he is getting old enough to be able to be disciplined enough to shoot at 500 yards with a traditional rifle and be half way decent with it. (he got 3rd place last year at 500 yards)

Your expectations of your experience will partially dictate your satisfaction.

Fleener

 

[BillinOregon]

Hmm. I might have to give the NMLRA another chance and re-join.
I am sorry, though, that I have no use for the "apostate" guns. I prefer not to see them or be around them -- a primary reason why I appreciate this Web site and Claude's dedication to traditional muzzle-loading firearms.

 

[meanmike8665]

I hope you did rejoin, the NMLRA does support and do a lot of good for our young shooters. As to the unmentionable, I have been a live and let live guy. I own one and it is just a frustrating to shoot as my traditional guns and just as fun!

Michael

 

[BillinOregon]

Michael, I did rejoin. Hoping Muzzle Blasts is better now than it was.

 

[meanmike8665]

If no one else thanked you I will! THANK YOU.
Michael

 

[Ray-Vigo]

I also think the single largest factor in the decline of the NMLRA has been the struggle to bring in new members and new people to the sport generally. The "regulars" in our charter club here in VA tend to be in the 50s or older. Our number of younger shooters does not come close to matching the number of older shooters we have. In the coming year, I would love to get a nice website for our club and try to reach younger people who might be interested in learning the sport online through website and email.

I very much like the improved magazine format and the color pictures. I view the change as bringing the magazine to an up-to-date status in print. I think the old format was fine, but very dated. I'd love to see a members log-in on the website where you can also view the magazine in a .pdf or similar format. I'd love to be able to read both in the print format I get in the mail, as well as in an online format on my tablet.

 

[coloradoclyde]

the NMLRA does support and do a lot of good for our young shooters.

Michael

Really!. :shocked2: ..If you say so....
I won't put you an the spot and ask for numbers.... :v

 

[coloradoclyde]

It's the National MUZZLELOADER Rifle Association.
If'n it loads from the muzzle, we oughta have a place for it. I see RIFLE in the organization's name...yet I don't see people disgusted about the handguns, smoothbores and fowlers being used. .

I don't see the NRA (which also has rifle in their name and has always accepted modern rifles) Jumping to claim them.....It's not an NMLRA issue.... Should a corvette club accept a Tesla just because they both have tires?????...
Your argument is meritless.

 

[fleener]

CC

have you ever been to Friendship?

If you have you would notice that there is a shooting area that is totally isolated from the other ranges that is just for the kids. They have plenty of adults there to help the kids.

Boy scout groups regularly are seen at Friendship. Over the years more than once when they stop to watch us shoot at 500 yards we will get the kids on the range and watch them smile when they shoot a rifle at 500 yards and hear the metal target ring when they hit it.

They make if affordable to have a JR membership. Also some of the shooting disciplines have a special JR shooting contest with great prizes for the kids.

A few years ago my youngest won a new ML rifle at Friendship as the result of winning a JR shotgun shooting contest. You had to shoot trap, skeet and sporting clays.

Both of my boys have won college scholarships from the NMLRA.

2 new play grounds will be on the property before the Spring shoot this year.

I cant not think of any organization that I belong to that I agree 100% with or am 100% happy with, however that does not stop me from belong to or supporting those that I can readily identify with and those that I have a strong passion for.

The NMLRA is a great organization. Going to Friendship has made many great memories for myself and my youngest son. Some of my best friends in life are those that I have gotten to know at Friendship and are with at Friendship.

People on this forum have a strong passion for ML and I would also hope have a strong passion for and support the leading ML organization in the United States.

Fleener

 

[JwHill]

No a corvette club should not accept a tesla, but that's a compairable, how about a corvette club won't allow any corvette newer than 1980, that's compairable. Name another Association or club that is the size or the age of the nmlra, or one that does what it does with youth. I'm glad everyone is liking the new muzzle blast it's going to get better from here. There will also be a new website coming in the near future. If anybody would like to discuss the reason for the memberships decline I would simply say this the average age of a member right now is 68 next year that number will not be 69 it will be 70 to 73, the only chance we have to turn things around is to change what we've been doing for the last 30 years and that's exactly what I'm intending to do. I am very passionate about the nmlra and I refuse to give up, some have, but I can assure you, I will not. At the last couple shoots the most other guns was probably about 15 her shoot that would leave over a thousand other guns being shot that are all muzzleloaders. I think part of the big problem with the nmlra is that people think we should only have flintlocks on our line, problem is when you look at the founding fathers of the nmlra that was not the intent of the organization and before anybody gets upset let me assure you there will be NO AR'S or modern handguns during our Muzzleloader shoot. I think everybody should read letters to the editor in the January muzzle blast issue our editor Lee Larkin spells it out quite clearly.

 

[meanmike8665]

Hi Joe,
I see only 2 posts, so welcome.
Michael
NMLRA
Region 7
Field Rep

 

[coloradoclyde]

If the only focus of the NMLRA is the number of memberships they have.....Then they will never get a dime of my money and they are ripe for the picking.... :td: