What is your main use for your muzzle loaders?

[Patrick Thomas]

Hunting. I enjoy looking at them. I enjoy the feel of them. I enjoy the loading ritual. I enjoy hunting with them.

 

[Griff4570]

Relaxation. I do enjoy trail walks/rondevouses. Hunted elk twice and will again when I draw a tag. i really like the pace of muzzleloaders. Watching folks fire their 3rd shot before they aim their 1st with a black rifle just doesnt do it for me.

 

[cannonball1]

It used to be hunting, now it is target shooting. Relaxation - You Bet!! But here are some words for thought: A friend of mine brought his grandson, who works at a gun manufacturing facility, to see the gun I am making. He told me he was making one of "those" other guns. You know what I mean. We got talking about accuracy at long range and then the conversation went to cost at the range. He is shooting a special muzzleloading bullet - cost $1.80, special powder - cost $.85 per shot, and primer $.03 = Total $2.68 per shot. I cast my own bullets free lead - lets say cost - $.02, Swiss powder - cost $.45 per shot, and primer - cost $.06 = Total .53 per shot. He said he usually shoots about 25 shots and does not clean between shots. When he goes to the range = Total out of pocket cost is $67.00 for three hours of entertainment. I clean between shots and never shoot more than 20 shots in a session = Total out of pocket cost for me $10.60 for three hours of entertainment. Maybe not for you, but for an accountant that holds a lot of weight.

 

[robinsroost]

To make me a better hunter

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

What do you mainly use your muzzle loaders for? Be it target shooting, hunting, shooting matches, simply for display, etc?

Loads of fun to shoot at anything legal and safe. Love to talk to Pilgrims about the sport especially when they have no idea what a muzzleloader is. (LOL)
Making my own from a blank chunk of Maple, sighting it in, and then being able to hit what I aim at. Showing my son in law the hows and nots of muzzleloading.
Flintlocklar

 

[WRustyLane]

Plain and simple--shooting!

 

[TexiKan]

100% target shooting since 1973. I had a .45 cal. stolen and I was talked into a .50 cal. Gawker because “you can go hunt and target shoot with it.” It is a Sharon and a bit heavy for my frame but I will never hunt. If I had to do it all over again, I would have built a .40 or .45.

 

[Eutycus]

Plain and simple--shooting!

Or just plain and simple shooting.Anything more than an old revolver is too complicated for me.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Harvesting tasty critters.
Target shooting is to practice..., harvesting tasty critters.
LD

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

Just finishing my first rifle.
Mostly got it because I am trying to put together a collection of rifles in our country’s history.
Long rifle, civil war cap lock, lever gun, M1 garland, and those ugly black guns.
So I guess history is primary, but I think this flintlock will be more fun to shoot than all.
Kinda got bored shooting my modern guns

 

[Griz44Mag]

Historically correct shooting , target shooting.

So just curious since we don't have any video of the old timers and how they shot their guns, was there something special in the way they held their guns, or aimed, or stance, that we could perceive as "historically" correct??? Did they pull the trigger with a different finger maybe??? How do you know you are shooting "historically"??? Or is it that target shooting is not historical?

 

[Cruzatte]

Historically correct shooting , target shooting.

Same here.

 

[Stantheman86]

So just curious since we don't have any video of the old timers and how they shot their guns, was there something special in the way they held their guns, or aimed, or stance, that we could perceive as "historically" correct??? Did they pull the trigger with a different finger maybe??? How do you know you are shooting "historically"??? Or is it that target shooting is not historical?

I dont know man just didn't know how else to concisely phrase "shooting in a historically correct manner" but for some reason you seem offended?????

Clarify your anger at my response please

 

[Grenadier1758]

How do you know you are shooting "historically"??? Or is it that target shooting is not historical?

Target shooting is indeed a historical activity. It is written about for any kind of shooting sport. Humanity has been observing and comparing on target accuracy since our earliest ancestors started throwing rocks.

We have accounts of archery contests and cross bows and shooting matches for a long time. Think of Robin Hood, William Tell, and David Crockett.

 

[Stantheman86]

Here, - Spent 2 hours making paper cartridges for my .69 Springfield Musket so I can shoot in a "Historically Correct" manner, thus enhancing my enjoyment of my historical firearms by coming as close as I can to shooting them in a manner consistent with 1860s techniques, short of building a time machine it's the best I can get.

 

[Stantheman86]

People loved to shoot for fun 300+ years ago just like we do now.

Early "Marksmen" regiments were formed during the Revolution by simply holding tryouts for Militiamen who owned rifles and were good shots. Similar practices in the Civil War, guys with heavy barrel stump guns would join their respective Army to serve as sharpshooters, because prior to the war they had been avid competitors in shooting matches.

The NRA was founded in England because people wanted to shoot target rifles.

 

[Eutycus]

I did not know that the NRA was founded in England. I had always heard Union Generals Butler and Wingate founded it here in America right after the Civil War due to the poor marksmanship of the soldiers during that War.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

was there something special in the way they held their guns, or aimed, or stance, that we could perceive as "historically" correct???

I've been told that some of the more "modern" caplock rifles, say circa 1850, with the very pronounced C shape on the butt stock, were not held against the shoulder, but had more "cast off" and were held where the arm meets the shoulder. I have tried to "shoulder" several such rifles and the points of the buttstock poked into my shoulder. If I was to fire such a rifle it that position, I would have two very nice bruises from those two points going into me from recoil. However, when I moved the buttstock to where my arm does meet my shoulder the crescent of the buttstock on each of the rifles fit very well. Alas as they were antiques, I had no opportunity to actually shoot them. The fellow with the rifles had no actual documentation, but he was correct in how they fit.

LD

 

[Alice1885]

I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I build a rifle for a customer and I am with him the first time he pulls the trigger on it. The expression on the face makes it all worth while for your time and effort. I built my first rifle in 1979, I get true enjoyment from building, it's relaxing, and good for my soul. I enjoy shooting rifles I have built at matches, and it's even better when ya win a few with something that you created with your own hands. Heck I hardly shoot any firearms anymore that aren't black powder. It's hard to explain but it just something ya gotta do, in my opinion there is no other shooting sport that compares to it period !!! My main concern is that it's slowly fading away, can't seem to capture to many of the younger generation. However we must continue to try and get them involved, cause once they pull the trigger, generally you have them hooked !

 

[Zonie]

I did not know that the NRA was founded in England. I had always heard Union Generals Butler and Wingate founded it here in America right after the Civil War due to the poor marksmanship of the soldiers during that War.

The American National Rifle Association was founded in 1871.

Although the United Kingdom had created a National Rifle Association in 1859 it did not directly have anything to do with the American NRA nor did the American NRA have anything to do with the one in the UK.
The UK, NRA was only used to serve as an example of what could be done in America.

With the gun laws that have been created in the UK, it seems to me that the older UK NRA with a membership of around 50,000 is more of a toothless lion while the American NRA with a membership of over 5,500,000 is a huge barricade against laws that would restrict our right to own firearms.