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whats your favorite part of muzzleloading, what keeps you hooked?

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I think it’s the historical aspect and the fact that I’ve been doing it for 40 or so years. I know exactly what I’m doing. It’s just so much fun. Nothing like a good day at the Range.
guy i was talking to today was selling god help me a breechloader set i thought was cool martini and a snider kinda tempted to give him an offer love the old historic guns
 
Memories. Every item I fool with brings back memories of great times, old friends and family events from the last 65 years. Hunts, shoots, fixing stuff in someone's shop, trips to Dixie Gunworks, driving to Friendship, meals, even arguments of long ago come back as I look at and fool with different items. It's a part of my life no one can take away, so, kinda like petting an old hound dog, muzzle loading's real pleasant and don't hurt nobody.
 
The history of it. Seeing how simply made mechanisms such as flint or caplocks can function so well and yield outstanding accuracy never ceases to amaze me. Even shooting my most basic and simple handgonne takes me back in time. Just imagine the sheer astonishment and fear of the people who were destined to be the first on the receiving end of those gonnes. Unbelievable.
 
I was a builder (houses, commercial, etc) for 50 years. was able to fool many with the artistic side of me. always loved anything that went bang. started out with BP so ending with the same seems right.
don't, won't build structures any longer so building rifles is the outlet for the tiny artistic talent i have. all the other things that come along with bp shooting are just a bonus. keeps me off the streets.
 
It forces us to SLOW DOWN and go through all the steps just to get one shot off. Shooting modern guns doesn’t give me a quarter of the satisfaction that a muzzleloader does. Even shooting my cap and ball revolvers take time and concentration to load. The only other thing that gives me such satisfaction is riding my motorcycle.
 
Favorite? All aspects, but enjoy this the most:

When I consistently hit the bullseye of the 50-yard target, whilst standing up shooting offhand, all the while the young-uns with unmentionable modern 'black rifles' and the like are shooting buckshot pattern sized groups, shooting scoped rifles from the bench, at closer distances ... !
 

whats your favorite part of muzzleloading, what keeps you hooked?​

Hunting. It is simple as that, just hunting. I began hunting in 1958 was I was 10 years old. Since then, I have only missed one hunting season, and that was because I was in Vietnam. However, by the 1980's I needed a change. Modern firearms made it too easy for long range shots. Sniping is not hunting. I wanted more challenge. I wanted to be as close to the game as possible before I took a shot.
For 2 or 3 seasons I tried a conventional recurve bow and arrows. I didn't take to it. Then, in 1986, my new boss was a War Between the States re-enactor. I borrowed his replica 1861 Springfield that hunting season and took a small buck with it. I was hooked.
I don't care a wiz about competition shooting, although I did some in the past. Target shooting is necessary when sighting in and practicing, but it is boring for me. Ballistics -Bah! I don't care just so long as the job gets done.
KISS - Keep it simple, stupid. I make as much of my own gear as I possibly can. Powder horns, shot pouches, powder measures, vent picks, bullet boards, I've even made 4 of my own rifles. My favorite rifle is the 2nd one that I made for myself. Making the foofaraw has been fun.
I've used nothing but muzzleloaders for big game hunting since the early 1990's, but I still prefer my classic side by side double barrel shotguns for small game and waterfowl.
 
Hunting is my thing for deer & hogs. I don't care about hunting anything with a modern firearm. I only hunt with some ML's. I shoot targets to get mine sighted in properly. I like them close up to see their eyelashes when i kill them. It's a them & me thing, which one of us is the best today ! I eat them, i don't shoot deer or hogs for their antlers or Tusks. Those are a bonus & i usually take 1st come 1st served. I won't pass up killing a yote over either of my game animals. Can't stand Yotes !
 

whats your favorite part of muzzleloading, what keeps you hooked?​

Hunting. It is simple as that, just hunting. I began hunting in 1958 was I was 10 years old. Since then, I have only missed one hunting season, and that was because I was in Vietnam. However, by the 1980's I needed a change. Modern firearms made it too easy for long range shots. Sniping is not hunting. I wanted more challenge. I wanted to be as close to the game as possible before I took a shot.
For 2 or 3 seasons I tried a conventional recurve bow and arrows. I didn't take to it. Then, in 1986, my new boss was a War Between the States re-enactor. I borrowed his replica 1861 Springfield that hunting season and took a small buck with it. I was hooked.
I don't care a wiz about competition shooting, although I did some in the past. Target shooting is necessary when sighting in and practicing, but it is boring for me. Ballistics -Bah! I don't care just so long as the job gets done.
KISS - Keep it simple, stupid. I make as much of my own gear as I possibly can. Powder horns, shot pouches, powder measures, vent picks, bullet boards, I've even made 4 of my own rifles. My favorite rifle is the 2nd one that I made for myself. Making the foofaraw has been fun.
I've used nothing but muzzleloaders for big game hunting since the early 1990's, but I still prefer my classic side by side double barrel shotguns for small game and waterfowl.
I went hunting for the first time last year and it was a blast started later than most as I was 25 but it is something i think I will do every year now
 
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