So..... why a muzzleloading?

[07Kingpin]

Here in IA the late muzzleloader season is longer and later than shotgun/center fire, plus you don't have to deal with all the trigger happy nuts blasting away at shadows.

Did the inline thing a bit but decided on a traditional style for the historical aspect and added challenge. Have to get better before I hunt with it, but then that's the point.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Here in IA the late muzzleloader season is longer and later than shotgun/center fire, plus you don't have to deal with all the trigger happy nuts blasting away at shadows.

Did the inline thing a bit but decided on a traditional style for the historical aspect and added challenge. Have to get better before I hunt with it, but then that's the point.

im the same way. i got a lot of shooting to do to get good enough to pull the trigger on a animal

 

[Big Tom 52]

When I was younger, I messed around with a few single shot percussion pistols and a 44-caliber replica of a colt dragoon but never really got serious. When my brother-in-law passed away, he left me most of his gun collection and the Cherokee was one of them. I've killed my share of game with modern guns so now I'm going strictly black powder. Like " oldschoolhunter, I too have a way to go before I'll pull the trigger on a deer. But I do enjoy learning and shooting my muzzle loading rifle so hopefully I'll be in the woods pretty soon.

 

[Pratt]

It all started in 1955 with Davy Crockett. I was fascinated with only one shot to hit the target. Man, you had to be good to do that. Over the years I have seen the obvious flaws in Fess parker version. Many years later I emailed him out in Napa Valley before he died. After the last shooting scene of the river boat pirates Disney took back the old Betsey. He said that the rifle was an eyebrow burner.
I learned that one shot one target was the only real gun control.

 

[Muley Gil]

Growing up watching the Davy Crockett re-runs and later on Daniel Boone, I wanted a KY long rifle. Got a .22 single shot Ithaca at age 15 and a few months later, went to the North-South Skirmish Association's Fall skirmish near Winchester VA. My dad had a friend who shot with one of the units and dad bought me a Zouave reproduction that weekend!!! Learned how to cast Minie balls and for Christmas that year, my grandmother bought me a Dixie Gun Works 28 gauge shotgun.

When I was 16, I received a Navy Arms Model 60 brass frame .44. I've never been without a muzzleloader since then.

As the years went by, I had other ACW firearms, a flintlock or two, and I did get a Dixie Mountain Rifle. Most of my toys revolve around the War of Northern Aggression. I have some of those modern breech loaders, but enjoy the front stuffers the most.

 

[Bad Karma]

My grandfather got me hooked at the age of around ten, before I knew any better.

He would take me squirrel hunting with his original Ohio 36 cal flintlock. Been collecting, restoring, shooting them ever since.

Same here. Grandpa had quite a collection of rifles and handguns (most of which are still in the family) I loved everything cowboy and still do so as much as I liked my Remington 22 and later my Model 94. I was always that one kid who couldn’t get enough stories, about the old days, the men, the saddles, horses, ropes, wild cows, and of course, the guns.,

I first noticed his 1860 Colt Army when I was old enough to notice such things, maybe 5 years old or so? It was kept in his desk drawer next to his big black business checkbook and his .45 SAA. It was so graceful and full of purpose, it was love at first sight. Then one lucky day when I was about ten he brought out his 1860 Army with a sack of ball, caps and DuPont powder. We exhausted his supply in short order and on my 17th birthday he gave me my first replica Colt it was just like his except it was a short 5.5” model he said was better for use on horseback. It and his original Colt are my most prized possessions.

Shot a lot of high powered rifles and handguns, enlisted in the Corps, shot a lot more high power and after I came back to the world I used lever and single shot rifles and revolving pistols for all of my hunting for a few years. Sometime in the early or mid 70’s I saw my first Renegade 54. Could not resist that rifle and didn’t and for another decade it was my only big game rifle although I did use a modern lever gun for elk depredation hunts and a .243 Winchester hung in the cab of my truck for coyotes or other varmints. But muzzleloaders are beautiful weapons and as well as they work there is just something about the marriage of fine woods and steel into something far more than the sum of its parts. Time spent on the mountain with a good horse, a fine belt gun, and a great rifle could never be subtracted from your allotted years.