forgive me if you've heard my tirade before... many years ago, when giants walked the earth, when men were men, and paratroopers were the only ones who wore berets, i somehow became jaded with centerfire... after all the thing went bang whenever i pulled the trigger and it had seemed that the magic had lessened.
then i bought a used T/C renegade in flint and, lo, took it to the range with a tacklebox full of odd stuff. everyone else at the range was chatting about 'head shots at a klick' and their latest AK variant (which was why i had become jaded in the first place) and i proceeded to load the flinter as the nice fellow at the store had instructed.
when the range went hot again, i put a 50 cal roundball through a 6" circle at 50 yards- hardly a feat of great marksmanship off a bench, but certianly in the 'kinda cool for the first time' realm.
what really hooked it was the 'wow, the damned thing actually launches lead' feeling. now that i've made thousands of shots with a wide variety of flinters and capshooters, you'd think i'd get over that feeling, but i haven't.
everytime, it's as though the doubt is removed and 'wow, the thing actually worked...'
there in an ineffable and irreplaceably personal quality to firing a muzzleloading rifle which is not, can not and should not be reproduced in the centerfire world. the pace of the shot is different, the style of the shot is different, and those who try to interfere with this difference only delude themselves and dilute the sport.
did any of that rant answer any of your question? or have i simply been awake too long?
anyhow, good luck
MSW
