What is it that pulls us into muzzle loading!

[Griz 54]

@Bucks Co, at the Hawken Classic, we had a visitor from New Zealand who was so amazed that we could shoot our rifles. He made the statement that one couldn't shoot a rifle in NZ. I mentioned that he should look into muzzleloading as there are members on the Forum that have traditional muzzleloading rifles and that they shoot them. Some people seem to refuse to even look into the alternatives that are available to them.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I shot rifle competition in the Army at the local level, got started in pistol competition locally and worked up to 2nd Army level and qualified for Camp Perry. Got out at the end of my obligation and shot in police competition at local and state levels in a couple of jurisdictions. It got very serious, with much practice, exercises, diet, etc. One day I came home from a match stressed out and my wife asked how the match turned out. "We won!" "Then why are you so upset?" "Because I dropped a couple of points I shouldn't have dropped!" She waited a while, fed me supper, and in a quiet moment said,
"You started this competition business because you enjoyed it.
It doesn't seem to me that you're having much fun any more."
A friend of mine named Jim Bell, a former Marine, was into muzzleloading and had a repro 1861 Springfield. This was 1968 and quality replicas were few. He knew that I had a battered old 1858 Remington and a restored Harper's Ferry rifle that I had shot while in college. He said, "You need to hang up your match guns and come shoot blackpowder with me. Muzzleloaders have matches too, but they're having so much fun it doesn't really matter who wins."
Jim was right! I finished that season with the pistol team, put my unmentionable match gear aside, and never went back. That was 56 years ago and I've never regretted it. I've been truly blessed with good friends, great experiences, and more joy and laughter and just plain good fellowship than I could have imagined. Jim is gone now, though we remained friends until his passing just a while ago. So are many of the others who's trails and mine crossed over time. I'm sharing a picture of Jim and myself taken at a rendezvous here in Texas a few years ago. I'm the little guy in the blue shirt, only 6 foot 2 back then. More stooped now, with arthritis and busted spinal disks. And age. Anyway, that's how I got into muzzleloading, and buckskinning.

 

[TDM]

I grew up with guns, shooting, and hunting. Watching Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. But never got interested in ML's until after seeing Jeremiah Johnson in '73. It still wasn't until '80 or '81 that I bought my TC Renegade. And at the time it was mainly a way to extend hunting season. Didn't know anyone else that shot them, being rural there was very limited written resources. Relied mainly on a DGWs catalog and a Black Powder Digest that I ordered. Then I ordered The Muzzleloading Hunter by Rick Hacker, which helped a lot. During the 80's I added my New Englander and a few revolvers. It just continued to grow from there. But it wasn't until the last 5-6 years that MLs became my primary source for shooting. I don't fool with modern stuff much anymore. Never been involved in reenacting, but love seeing those that do. I enjoy building MLs and making my own accoutrements, it's pleasant and relaxing.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I met my life long friend at high school; we share an interest in Hunting Shooting (and Steam Power) Dave introduced me to another soon to be very close friend who had a 45 Kentucky(Numrich Barrel - Robbins Lock - NZ Rama-Rama wood stock) to my 17 year old eyes(I'm now 72) it was absolutely stunning and captivating. Of course with a watching of Fess Parker and an interest in History, I was hooked from that day on. I have managed to assemble a little collection of shooting reproductions over the years and have made a number myself, have lucked into a number of originals as well. From NZ I've been lucky to have had 2 trips to Friendship and attend 3 World MLAIC Championships. All in all the real joy to me has been the truly wonderful people I have met along the way and that's what keeps me at it.

Yes all lovely people on this forum and now have some life long friends I am getting along with my flint jager, it takes time. But I wanted to say hello as you said “steam” I started making a 3.5hp stuart turner Swan back in 1972 , I have had it running but still not finished, to display standard , it’s designed to be a slow build to keep the model engineers happy Grown past steam boats these days .shooting arrows this morning got an ionx bow hoyt

So I guess it love from London far across the pond , had miserable rain , nice and sunny ble skys

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Yes all lovely people on this forum and now have some life long friends I am getting along with my flint jager, it takes time. But I wanted to say hello as you said “steam” I started making a 3.5hp stuart turner Swan back in 1972 , I have had it running but still not finished, to display standard , it’s designed to be a slow build to keep the model engineers happy Grown past steam boats these days .shooting arrows this morning got an ionx bow hoyt

So I guess it love from London far across the pond , had miserable rain , nice and sunny ble skys

Answer it simple “ the smell of the black stuff”

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I bought a cap & ball pistol (Colt) back in 1965 in Maine when in the AF
, that started it ! I didn't have too much money for shells for a modern gun!
Jumping ahead to the Bicentennial years , I joined a group of history nuts in the Lehigh Valley area of PA and that just made it all happen. We ended up joining another larger group from Philadelphia and that turned into a 10 years of fun and enjoyment!
I found a bunch of people who all had the same feelings of history and enjoyment with being with others, from learning the military way of arms of the 18th century to hawk throwing, all good!
I met some good friends who enjoyed hunting here in PA with the flintlocks and things just progressed to building them, have built a few over the years and still am, God allowing!
Like someone else mentioned, this is a good thread!

 

[springfield art]

Just wanted to chew the fat with you fine folk about this. While I was cleaning my Mountain rifle barrel out by my man shed. SWMBO walks out there to chat with me. She looks down at my 5 gallon bucket of hot soapy water with a barrel shoved in it and she asks, "why do you go through all that to shoot a gun? Don't you have guns that doesn't smell like egg farts?" I simply told her I enjoy these a lot more. But I got to thinking about it all when she walked off. Just WHAT is it that has me so addicted to this. I think it is all of it. How we can make just about everything there is to shoot these things. Or how you get to really spend time with the gun, pistol, or revolver. There's just something about pouring that charge down the barrel and ramming whatever you want to shoot down there. I got into muzzle loading back in about 2008 due to ammo shortages, modern ammo component shortages. And since then I shoot black powder firearms more than anything else. So what is it that draws YOU in?

Love the "egg farts" comment!

 

[mushka]

I'm right there with Tanglefoot. Had to slow down or go nuts.

 

[Klondike Dave]

@Bucks Co, at the Hawken Classic, we had a visitor from New Zealand who was so amazed that we could shoot our rifles. He made the statement that one couldn't shoot a rifle in NZ. I mentioned that he should look into muzzleloading as there are members on the Forum that have traditional muzzleloading rifles and that they shoot them. Some people seem to refuse to even look into the alternatives that are available to them.

When is the Hawken Classic in Bucks County?? I would love to attend that. I live up in Pike County,Pa.

 

[Ed C.]

I don't know. It's just fun. Fiddling with the gun and loads to get it to shoot right. Before each shot the anticipation of pulling the trigger builds as you load up powder, patches, wads, ball, capping and then finally get to shoot. Love pulling back a big 'ol hammer and using double set triggers. Nice deep rumble and all the smoke makes you feel like you've shot a real gun. And the attraction of it being old timey stuff.

 

[Grenadier1758]

When is the Hawken Classic in Bucks County?? I would love to attend that. I live up in Pike County,Pa.

It's not in Bucks County PA. I was responding to a Forum member who uses Bucks Co as his name. You will have to travel a bit further than you hoped.

The Hawken Classic is held near St. Charles, MO.and not for a other year.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

@Bucks Co, at the Hawken Classic, we had a visitor from New Zealand who was so amazed that we could shoot our rifles. He made the statement that one couldn't shoot a rifle in NZ. I mentioned that he should look into muzzleloading as there are members on the Forum that have traditional muzzleloading rifles and that they shoot them. Some people seem to refuse to even look into the alternatives that are available to them.

one couldn't shoot a rifle in NZ.

Not so... as reported here.
Noting that your post is in a thread relating to muzzle loaders, I make the comment that the law ( as it stands at the moment) re muzzle loaders, is very clear and simple. In New Zealand, owners / holders of "Antique Firearms" do not require any form of licence or authority to OWN / HOLD an antique firearm. Here is an extract of the "law'.

"You do not need to register antique firearms. When a firearm is considered an antique. An antique firearm is any firearm that:

• you hold solely as an antique (but not as a copy or replica of an antique), and
• is not designed for firing, and is not capable of firing, rimfire or centrefire cartridge ammunition, or
• has been declared by regulations made under this Act to be an antique firearm for the purposes of this Act, but
• does not include any firearm manufactured after 1899."
  
  Now we come to my "Not so." No licence / authority is required to own / hold an antique BUT TO DISCHARGE any firearm, be it antique / replica / modern day etc .the person so doing must hold the appropriate fire arms licence / authority."

.
Note also that owners / holders of modern day replicas of any post 1899 firearm must also hold the appropriate fire arms licence / authority TO OWN / Hold.
NEEDLESS to say, rifles can be owned and fired here in New Zealand. I suspect your visitor is confused about the restrictions imposed upon us relating to "Military style Firearms" following the Christchurch massacre of Muslims which arose from the incompetence of our Constable Plod's and the hate of an Australian nutter.

 

[Klondike Dave]

It's not in Bucks County PA. I was responding to a Forum member who uses Bucks Co as his name. You will have to travel a bit further than you hoped.

The Hawken Classic is held near St. Charles, MO.a d not for a other year.

Oh, ok. My mistake.

 

[Coinneach]

Oh, ok. My mistake.

Nah nah its not that easy, you have to do some sincere penance now, the "Muzzle Loader forum Inquisition" will consider a 4 hour dancing session with a grossy overweight yet conversational "transgender" personality "the levine" to be appropriate.

 

[Bucks Co]

It's not in Bucks County PA. I was responding to a Forum member who uses Bucks Co as his name. You will have to travel a bit further than you hoped.

The Hawken Classic is held near St. Charles, MO.and not for a other year.

Confusing guys? I live in New Zealand but I used Bucks Co as my name because I had not long acquired a very nice Flint Bucks County - Rudyard was a little peeved I didn't use Bedford; as a Bedford largely built by him is my go- to rifle most of the time. The Hawken Classic is on my Bucket list.

 

[Bucks Co]

Yes all lovely people on this forum and now have some life long friends I am getting along with my flint jager, it takes time. But I wanted to say hello as you said “steam” I started making a 3.5hp stuart turner Swan back in 1972 , I have had it running but still not finished, to display standard , it’s designed to be a slow build to keep the model engineers happy Grown past steam boats these days .shooting arrows this morning got an ionx bow hoyt

So I guess it love from London far across the pond , had miserable rain , nice and sunny ble skys

My friend's Steam passion much worse than mine - he has a 2-1/2" Gauge Loco he built whilst still at school - also he's been building a 5" Shay for a long time: I've acquired over the years; an incomplete LBSC Tich; ; A Sentinel and the wreck of a 3-1/2" Jubilee - all projects for when I can finally retire - Have a few rifle projects on the go in the shed - 58 Leman/ 32 Ohio and a few more. Keeps me out of 'er indoors hair!!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

My friend's Steam passion much worse than mine - he has a 2-1/2" Gauge Loco he built whilst still at school - also he's been building a 5" Shay for a long time: I've acquired over the years; an incomplete LBSC Tich; ; A Sentinel and the wreck of a 3-1/2" Jubilee - all projects for when I can finally retire - Have a few rifle projects on the go in the shed - 58 Leman/ 32 Ohio and a few more. Keeps me out of 'er indoors hair!!

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[Sir Boniface Harrison]

For me it is part of a pattern. I find that when a technology reaches the limit of its refinement it becomes boring. Which is why I ride my old BSA motorbike rather than a modern Japanese fizz-box. Prefer spitfires and P-47s to F -16s. Prefer steam locos to modern bullet trains. Prefer stone or timber built houses to modern bungalows or flatblocks.

At my local club most of the members lined up with me have ultra - modern rifles with fancy scopes and shoot their (barely audible) .22s at tiny targets with clinical precision and zero recoil. Sometimes they go through an entire box of .22 LR in about 5 minutes. Sometimes someone shows up with a larger calibre rifle, but apart from the sound of the shot things are still the same.

Each reload and discharge for me is an event in itself. I'm lucky if I get through 20 shots in a session. Getting all my shots in the 'black' of the target is a good day for me. Casual observers cluster round to watch the reload, asking questions. They admire the appearance of the rifle - whether it is the ornate, Roccoco ornamentation of the hunting rifles, or the no nonsense, solidly built, brass adorned Zouave rifle. Despite wearing ear defenders, they jump and shout 'Mon Dieu' when the gun goes 'BOOM'.

Some of the onlookers ask to handle the rifle and say things like 'I've often wanted to get into BP shooting but have never got round to it'. I look at their expensive, unattractive, utilitarian modern rifles with hundreds of Euros worth of additional technology and wonder why they dont.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I got into shooting black powder with my dad at a very young age. I been hooked every sense. Although there's been patches in my life where other things took priority sports, girls, work, school etc etc. I have gotten back into it hardcore again. For me the smoke lingering in the air, the fart like smell, loud guns/no recoil, the people involved 95% are the greatest people on earth. Of course the other 5% ruin it for many. I love going to Rondy's because for that weekend I don't typically think about work etc etc. I am not John or Mr/Sir etc I am Johnny Too-Tall or just Too-Tall. I can escape my normal life to something similar and much more relaxing, eat great food, tell tall tails, take naps during the day, ringing some steel. I try the same relaxation plan at home but its not the same. Besides who doesn't love greasy bacon, eggs cooked in same bacon grease, fried taters and onions for bfast cooked in cast iron pan over open flame. Getting hungry just thinking about it.

 

[Patguitarman]

My wife and youngest son really like the broadway play “Hamilton”. He, like me, loves guns and knives, etc…. He was asking questions about the guns of the day, and I thought it would be cool to try to get a muzzleloading pistol. I put a want ad on the local gun forum, and was able to get 2 different pistols, both kit guns assembled in the 70s. They’re percussion fired, but that’s ok, and we enjoy shooting them both. I was in a pawn shop recently and got an 1853 Enfield musket copy made by European Arms, it’s in absolute mint condition. I also bought and assembled an 1851 colt navy CVA kit from the same shop. It’s my first time ever assembling a gun, and I’m by no means a handy man, so the results aren’t perfect, but I love it and it shoots well.