What is it?

[kentucky bucky]

With me it seemed heredity. I was thrilled at the first exposure as a child in a Civil War battle field demonstration in the mid 60's.
It connects us to our forefathers and our history. Another aspect is that you don't hurry when shooting a longrifle and it in turn is relaxing to me. It's a great way to unwind.

 

[roundball]

1) Lifelong avid deer hunter got caught up in the inline advertising for an extra week of deer hunting;
2) Couple years later saw somebody with a TC Hawken caplock, immediately became taken with it, the looks, the notion that is was traditional, etc, got one immediately and started down the road;
3) Began reading, learning, growing into real muzzleloading, additional calibers, conicals, then PRBs;
4) Then tried a Flintlock 5 years ago and have become consumed with shooting them every week since...additional rifle calibers, plus smoothbores, done all my hunting with them for 5 years now.

Hunting and weekend shooting with Flintlocks has become a passion...when I'm alone hunting in the beautiful fall woods of the November rut, lay the Flintlock back down across my lap with smoke curling up out of the vent, and a nice buck laying in the leaves 50yds out, I get a connection to the past like I was a settler out hunting, getting meat & hide for the family...I get the same feeling every time, and have never experienced anything so gratifying in all my previous decades of hunting as I do taking a deer with a Flintlock.

I've always had a general high level interest in the 1700's, 1800's...Revolutionary War, Civil War, the lives & hardships of the settlers expanding through those centuries...but never got caught up in something specific that I wanted to drill down into like the F&I War era or something. Never had any interest in dressing or re-enacting periods of time, never got interested in making things like clothes, etc.

Basically my passion is 99% using, shooting, hunting Flintlocks using real BP, real flints, and patched balls...expanding Flintlock hunting opportunities where I can...this spring was Turkey hunting...this summer I want to try the coyotes again with a .45 Flint rifle, and the .54 Flint smoothbore on crows, doves, and squirrels...then hunt the rut again.

And I too never cease to be amazed that the contraptions work at all, much less as perfectly as they do...what a simple yet complex, perfectly reliable mechanical device to have been designed and implemented so many centuries ago...

:thumbsup:

 

[Wolfbane]

Both history and simplicity appeal to me. I still hunt with cartridge rifles but even there I try to avoid the urge to 'accesorise' my rifles to death.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

What is it about muzzleloading that attracts you?

Several things...

I suppose a big reason is because I became increasingly disgusted with "modern" firearms that continue to get less "user friendly". By that I mean that muzzleloaders are able to be repaired by me, not requiring complex expensive tools or 12 college degrees in rocket science or similar. I can fix what breaks, and have done so on many occasions.

I also save practically everything--and usually can find some use for it in muzzeloading.

It also forces me to be a better marksman, knowing that I have just one shot, forgetting about a quick reload, and watching how bullet mass (in the right place) makes up for high velocity.

The accuracy of muzzleloaders still amazes me after 30+ years, and I like having flexibility and control of my loads.

I really do like having real wood and steel. Those "half plastic, rest is alloy" guns turn me off in a big hurry.

I can build one from parts, and the sense of accomplishment is fantastic.

I guess that's pretty much why...
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Slake]

actually, I have. And it is really cool. I have a Vaquaro in 38/40 and those are pricey to buy...cheap to load in bp...a cool smoke show it gives...and they have a good punch

 

[john12865]

I WAS REINCARNATED.

rabbit03

I'm with rabbit on this.
De'javue.
I think I spelled that right.
Wasn't ever a Frenchman I guess?