What was your first muzzloader?

[dodgecity]

Hopkins and Allen Minuteman .45 flint. Built it from a kit, 1974, I think. I still have it hanging on the wall, but I haven't shot it for years. Got my first muzzleloading buck with that rifle when Pennsylvania's muzzleloading season was new.

 

[Stumpkiller]

When I was 10, my brother and a friend and I used to make "tennis ball cannons" out of soda cans and fueled with rubbing alcohol

We used lighter fluid or gasoline and had a less politically correct name for them.

First "official" muzzleloader was a T/C Renegade .54 percussion back in 19-ought-77. I traded it away (for a .36 Seneca) and replaced it with another in '82, but the second one has nothing like the figured walnut that was on the first. I never claimed to be smart.

 

[Tahquamenon]

1970, T/C Hawken kit in 50 cal.
Still have it and it still shoots excellent!

 

[kodiakemt414]

Cabala's .50 Hawken, perc.

 

[RiverRat]

CVA Percussion Mountain Rifle in .50cal, 1977 vintage, I still have it. :thumbsup:

 

[Tyrone]

My first ML was a CVA Mountain rifle .50 cal. kit that I bought and built in 1982.

 

[silverfox]

First was in 50's a copy of a 51 navy owned it about 2 minutes wife took it. Replaced it with a 20 dbl from Dixie and in late 60's early 70' CVA Mountain Kit, son has rifle now and won't let me shoot it. Now trying to learn to shoot Flintlocks. Fox :thumbsup:

 

[loishd]

TC Seneca 45 cal precussion. Got my first deer the same year I picked up the rifle. Wish I had that gun back!!! :m2c:

 

[susie s]

Reading all about your make-shift muzzleloaders reminded me of the "Thunderbolt" the first black powder object I got to help shoot off. The thunderbolt is a black powder log-splitter. We'd set in a fuse, pour some powder into it, wad it down, bury it by the flagpole, and set it off on the 4th of July. Shook the whole neighborhood. Made a wonderful noise. (We live in the country.) Still have it. My son commendeered it, but it would be fun to set it off again sometime. S

 

[Gary]

Markwell Arms .45 caliber kit. It shot well and after the first shot, my uncle and I were hooked. Hardly shoot cartridge guns anymore.

 

[jim gray]

My first muzzleloader was my dad's .54 caliber flintlock Renegade. I liked it so much that my dad bought another one, but when I joined the Army the first Renegade went to my younger brother. The first muzzleloader that I bought for myself was a Traditions Deerhunter .50 cal. flinter, it now belongs to my son.

Sorry about the confusing response, but both of the guns that I mentioned has some significance as a first for me.

 

[mcneill]

TC Classic Hawken in .50 caliber. It's a beauty - almost (I say 'almost') too pretty to shoot.

Funny story, I ordered it with all the loading/cleaning accessaries I could thin of. When it came in I unpacked the shipment in the middle of the living room floor to take inventory. The wife wlked in, took one look and said, "You didn't have enough toys when you were a little boy, did you?"

Jim

 

[Gordon Horn]

Thompson Center Hawken, .45 cal. Kit. It was sometime back in the 70's. I used it for shooting matches and Deer hunting. Got several deer with it (I was a lot younger then) and thought it was a fairly good rifle. The stock did'nt fit me too well though and I ended up selling it. It hooked me on blackpowder shooting and I thank TC for that.

 

T/C Hawken, .54 caliber, percussion, given to me by my mentor back in '85 or so. I still have it and shoot it (infrequently) today. He built it from a kit, and did a pretty good job, there are some vise tooth marks on the barrel where it slipped out, the browning is a little blotchy, and the buttplate is dinged up, but those flaws are his character, and I just can't bring myself to change it. Regardless of its lack of beauty, it is a tack-driver and shoots way better than I can.

 

[TexiKan]

I joined a muzzleloading club without having a muzzleloader! I borrowed a Dixie Gun Works .40 cal. Kentucky rifle--Belgian barrel with snail. I assume this gun was from the late 1960's. Still have it although I have tried to change out the lock with little success. Dixie said the parts were available but they didn't fit, so I ordered a replacement lock. It didn't fit, either! Alco was selling out of their black powder guns and I bought a .45 cal. Navy Arms Kentucky that was stolen a few years later.

TexiKan
--------------
If you continue to do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got.

 

[bshultz]

Mine was a CVA moutain stalker in 50 cal.

 

[Tahquamenon]

:hmm:

Does no one start out with a custom or semi-custom ML?

Looks like the production ML's (especially T/C) have had more than a huge influence on this thread.

And I'd wager across the nation as well.

 

[musketman]

:hmm:

Does no one start out with a custom or semi-custom ML?

I would think it is safe to say that people test the water with mass production guns and then move towards custom guns as their knowledge and passion for black powder grows...

 

[IronMan]

My first was a .45cal Philly Derringer my wife bought at a garage sale for $10. Next was a pair of 1860 Armies my Dad gave me for Christmas two years ago.
IronMan

 

[the skrat]

cva mountain pistol kit back in late 70s i was in 8 grade my dad built it for me about 5 guns later i should be getting my first custom flinter in a couple of months still have that pistol but want to restock it in curly maple.