Well, a comedy of errors---but I learned a bit about shotgun muzzleloading :)

[tnlonghunter]

This is a fascinating thread. Thank you for posting such thorough documentation of the process. I've never really found smooth-bore fowlers interesting. But as I've become more and more excited about SxS unmentionables, this flintlock double is increasingly fascinating. Not being a bird hunter (I pretty much only shoot clays), I'm not sure if a flintlock double is a good fit for me (speed of loading for a clays course or trap range might be an issue!), but it's really neat to read about. Thanks!

 

[Ponderosaman]

This is a fascinating thread. Thank you for posting such thorough documentation of the process. I've never really found smooth-bore fowlers interesting. But as I've become more and more excited about SxS unmentionables, this flintlock double is increasingly fascinating. Not being a bird hunter (I pretty much only shoot clays), I'm not sure if a flintlock double is a good fit for me (speed of loading for a clays course or trap range might be an issue!), but it's really neat to read about. Thanks!

It’s on my bucket list to shoot an entire sporting clays course with a muzzleloader. Prediction - Olympic sport.

 

[tnlonghunter]

It’s on my bucket list to shoot an entire sporting clays course with a muzzleloader. Prediction - Olympic sport.

I can see that being a fantastic way to spend a day with a couple buddies. It'd take hours hours shoot a 50 clay course, but man would it be hoot!

 

[Lonewalker]

It’s on my bucket list to shoot an entire sporting clays course with a muzzleloader. Prediction - Olympic sport.

Now that would be a way to get full money's worth out of clays course

 

[shorthair]

Well if you’re going to twist my arm and make me post pics of my buddy, sure! He's a pointing lab from Lankas Labs in Kansas. Mike and his wife run a great business and has always been responsive, helpful and is extremely experienced with gun dogs. Since this is my first, I have nothing to compare to but my other dogs in my life (we had a golden for 15 years, pound rescues before that)---I'll just say our new buddy is extremely trainable and Lankas seems to turn out some smart dogs. Housebroke @ 9 weeks, fetched/retrieved naturally (well he is a lab), already quarters and responds to hand signals, woahs, recalls, etc. He just soaks up lessons, brightest dog I've ever been around. My wife would say you made a mistake asking about our new son!

When I first got him
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Compared to today
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Funny pic my wife got. Naturally, he loves the smells on any of my hunting boots. First month we got him, she forgot to close latch our barn door entrance to the walk in, she heard it slide open and him scuttle down the hallway from our bedroom. She walked in and said "What are you doing!" and he froze like this. She yanked out her camera and we had a good laugh:
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His first point on a pheasant wing. Didn't raise his foot yet but he goes rigid and tail goes out--this was about 10 weeks:
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I work from home a lot (healthcare admin/analytics), so I'll be working and hear him whine. when I turn around, half the time he's assumed the position and waiting for a belly rub:
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And one of his favorite past times, next to chewing, chewing, chewing and chasing bird feathers/bumpers:

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We are at 13 weeks. My first experience training a gundog, going off the Knutson Training the Pointing lab bible. We reliably fetch, find hidden bumpers with quail/pheasant wings in deep grass, return to call and woah. I introduced birds (quail) one weekend to see prey drive--and he was all over the birds and popcorned around the yard after--so we are good to go there. I'm lucky to live in the country with him, we have a big pasture with deep dried up grass/clover, so it's a good training ground/walk to get there and back.

I'll wait until he's past his 4 month fear phase, then @ 5 months start introducing some loud sounds during fetch/hunting walks--and slowly start bringing the noise up to .22 blanks at a distance, .22 blanks closer, etc. etc. Luckily, I have a lot of shooters in the 'country neighborhood', so we've had distant gunshots go off quite a bit during our hunting walks and he doesn't seem to care/notice---and some of them have been the sharp staccato of an AR so I hope we'll be good when introducing the gun down the road. No e-collar yet, figure I'll wait until 6 months or when his teenager phase starts--he's good on obedience for now.


Ok I'll shut up!

Just me but after over a dozen German shorthairs and 6 labs and making most of the mistakes I work on sit, come, stay and heel during the first year with a new pup and little else because I want them to have fun and get the play while they are young. I have been fortunate in that I have a already finished dog to hunt with and most of all to help train the puppy. It's amazing how much easier it is to teach the pup when they are jealous of the fun and fuss the old dog gets to have.