Ponderin' on the future

[fw707]

Well, I reached the ripe old age of 51 today, and I been doin' a lot of ponderin'. (I've noticed the older I get, the more ponderin' I do.) :grin:
Seems like all of my friends who are interested in traditional ML's and hunting are pretty close to my age. As a matter of fact, the majority are older than me, and all of the ones younger than me that I can think of right now shoot in-lines. They don't shoot them just for the fun of it either. They hunt deer with them during the ML only season, and put them up and get out the modern guns when the modern gun season opens. So it seems to me like they shoot them as a matter of opportunity, rather than a matter of enjoyment. :hmm:
I was just wondering what's the average age of the folks on here, and if y'all have noticed the same thing where you live??
So if you don't mind, post your age, or approximate age, and your predictions.

And I'm not bashing the in-lines, just wondering about the future of traditional shooting.
:winking:

 

[montanadan]

fw707-Our club has been kind of lucky,we have been picking uo one or two members a month for about the last six months.Most of the new members are in thier 30's,and a lot of them are shooting flinters.Sometimes I think muzzeloading has to run it's course,then comes around full circle.If you talk to any builders,they are all running about a year behind,so somebody is buying this stuff.I use to shoot CAS,when I started out we had 130 members, now down to about 70.some of those guys are dragging out their muzzeloaders and shooting with our club.I am 61,and a very high mileage unit...Respectfully Montanadan

 

[dlpowell]

I'm fixin to be 49 yrs young in okc. Been shootin bp since I was 15.

My youngest turns 13 wednesday For his bday he's getting a Lyman Deerstalker in 54 cal. Yeah it's a big cal for a 13 year old, but it was only $119.00 at the pawn shop. I'd of bought it even if it wasn't his bday. It'll go great with GPR same cal. :thumbsup:

 

[trent/OH]

I'm 45 and shoot flinters only, except for revolvers.

As I get older, I've noticed I'm getting taller. It takes about twice as long to stand back up after picking something up. Therefore I must be getting taller.

 

[FishDFly]

RDE--57 and retired.

A friend had some insight into those who shoot muzzle loaders. He said that kids shoot until they get a drivers license and start dating, then they are gone.

He said that most who shoot are over 50. They are at the empty nest stage of life, kids are gone, and now they have time and disposable money for which to buy guns and shoot.

Nearly all in the two clubs that I have shot with are over 50.

RDE

 

[bwhoffman]

....44 and feeling every bit of it.
wore my body out cattle ranching, shot everything gun-wise I ever wanted to do, got bored with the accuracy stuff, shot guns EVERY day at song dogs and rock chucks, lots of deer and elk. Found this neat little club where they shoot BP and acuraccy isnt at all what I was used to.
My guns shoot good enough, I am not judged by what I shot, how I look or how much money I have or dont have.

A great group of people, second to none, this forum and its people included.
This has been one of the best moves I've made in my time!
Glad to be a part of it!

Brett

 

[john s mosby]

I'm 65 pushing 66, I shoot with three diferent clubs and I'm the oldest shooter in each. Most are in their late 30's early 40's. I do see some younger people there, not as many as the older ones though.
I did notice at Dixon's fair the other week I saw alot of young people.

 

[Smokey in Oz]

Well FW,
I'm 38 and the new recruit to BP at our club, the bloke before me is the youngest at 36. I guess the average age of our dozen or so shooters is around 50.
Smokey.

 

[RiverRat]

A great group of people, second to none, this forum and its people included.
This has been one of the best moves I've made in my time!
Glad to be a part of it!

I could not agree with you more! I'll be 53 in September and I figure that if I work real hard at it I'll might have enough time left to shoot out a few flinter guns I have.

 

[twotoescharlie]

69, have my own private range, don't know anyone that shoots muzzleloaders except during deer season.


TTC

 

[TANSTAAFL]

67 years old, been shooting BP since the 50's, started building them in the 70's, don't see no need to stop now.

I have never proselytized to others, if they show an interest, I share my meager knowledge, otherwise, to each his own.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:grin: Hell you kids are worrying about the future of traditional ML. At 75 I don't worry about the future of ML, (nor ponder) I just enjoy it as much as I can. I worry about when I can't cut the mustard anymore and I still want to shoot---well my ranges are handicapped accessible so when I hit 96 and start to dodder a wee bit---then I will worry. Until then I am going to go through as much powder, flint & ball as I can. Too many guns to shoot and not enough time. :hatsoff: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

:hatsoff: Pasquenal; I am 75 as well. still building and shooting. started when I was 14, shot everything from 3inch down to grease gun in the seabees. have built maybee 45 pieces. If these kids will quit worrying about PC and do what they think is right and not worry about opinionated bigmouth knowitalls who really dont, the sport will carry on forever. lonesomebob Jackson MI

 

Im 34.Just started shooting ML's about 8 months ago.I just want a gun that I can hunt with.All the guys I know shoot inlines.Im gonna take my son with me huntin this year and maybe he will want to hunt with a ML.If not then thats OK.

 

[Halftail]

Well I guess I'm a young pup ringing in at 39.I'm the youngest member at the BP club I belong to and at the shoots I frequent.Except when my Sons come along(16 and 14) which aint aLL that often,what with all the young girls there is around the places that they'd rather be. :thumbsup:
Don't let my age fool ya though....them Ol' fellas aint all that easy to beat.....Heck.....I can't beat them at all!
Aint that right Soggy? :hmm:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

What a bunch of old farts (Crowhop the exception) I ain't far behind you at 43 (really 44 in September) I shoot all kinds of guns for fun but lately only shoot my muzzleloaders. I am not keen on clubs or ranges I don't like shooting with people I don't know.

I bought 5 m/l last year 2 flinters, 2 percussion guns and a Walmart special Omega for $109. 4 out of the five were T/C rifles and the other is a CVA bobcat that is a heck of a rifle considering I payed only $50 for it.

I have MOA guns all over the house but I want to take a deer with one of my flinters that is my goal. I will hunt in shotgun only areas if need be.

I hold no grudge to the inline crowd myself I like seeing people out hunting. The more hunters we have the better we are represented by our government.

 

[Pork Chop]

Twotoescharlie - if you get lonely on that range, put the word out here an I am sure that a few of us would schlep our shootin irons over to help make some smoke!

I guess I am fairly young here at a paltry 40. I feel older though, so does that count? :haha:

I have gotten one other guy interested in shooting muzzleloaders - working on a couple of more. Time will tell if that effort pays off.

 

[Forster]

I'm 55 as of March. I started shooting sidelocks 14 years ago and have been adicted ever since. I have a safe full of rifles but they only gather dust now. I belong to a club with more than 300 members but there are just a hand full of us that shoot muzzle loaders. To bad........

 

[JWP]

I'm 54 and use a rock gun or stickbow for hunting as well as enjoyment :v

 

[bob1961]

44 here soon to 45 in oct....haven't seen alot of younger ones though.............bob