When, How, and Why did you get into shooting TML's

[akapennypincher]

When, How, and Why did you get into shooting Traditional Muzzleloaders

Blame me growing up in the 1950’s, and that Walt Disney for doing Davey Crockett the T.V. Series, and Davey Crockett the Disney Movie, plus than there was Daniel Boone. So let say I was exposed to shooting SMOKE POLES at a young age.

Than we fast forward to the late 1960’s, and a Sunday at the Public Shooting Range in Saugas California. Think the range was in San Fransquito Canyon.

Well I packed up the shooting stuff, am almost back to the car to head home, and I notice , Big Puffs of BLACK Smoke coming from a club range maybe an 1/8 of a mile away.

As I am curious I walk over, and there is a bunch of guy shooting Muzzleloaders. I watch from behind the fence, and than one of the shooters comes over to me, and ask something like you Interested in Muzzleloaders? I reply that this looks like fun, saw the big puffs of Black Smoke walked over, and heard the Roar of the Loud Muzzleloaders that make my .22 look like a pop gun.

Next thing happens is the guy inviteds me on the other side of the fence, and hand me a Cvivil War Surplus Springfield .58 Caliber Rifle, and ask if I would like to try and shoot this. I get to fire a few round, after he load it for me, the the club shoot is coming to an end, the guy who let me shoot his rifle, says come back Next Shoot, gives me the date & time, and I let you do it again if you wish.

Well the next shoot come, and I return. The same guy hooks me up with Rifle, Mini Balls, Caps, and Clean Gear. The day goes well, and I learn to Load, shoot, and Clean a Muzzleloader.

Am told that Numrich Arm in NYC sell these surplus Springfield's after asking where I can buy one, and am told how to reach them. Plus I know what else I need to buy to go along with the Springfield.

I place my order for my NEW Surplus Springfield from Numrich, and headed to Inglewood on a day off to buy Caps, Black Powder, Lead, Mini Ball Mold, and Cleaning Supplies.

When the Springfield shows up, I clean it, aand a few weeks later I starting shooting with the ML Club regularly. That continued for many years, and next I buy my first Flinter, and fell in love with Flint. FYI Sold the Springfield for what I paid for it back than.

That first club was a very friendly bunch of people, and welcomed any new comers with open arms, and they were a group of people who were into educating NEWBEE in the the safe practices for Muzzleloading Shooting. :thumbsup:

 

[Walks with fire]

I started about 35 years ago when my oldest brother bought one to go deer hunting in the special after Christmas flintlock only season in my home state of PA. I bought a TC Hawken in 50 caliber. Later I traded it for a TC PA Hunter that I still use today.

I like the challenge of hunting with the flinters but it won't be too many more years and my eyes just won't be up to the task of very accurate shooting with open sights. I am into it for hunting deer only but I do quite a bit of shooting target with them over the years. I just like flinters and roundballs for some odd reason.

 

[Ridge]

I remember begging for a muzzleloader when I was 12 years old. Mom bought me a 45 caliber CVA Kentucky rifle and a cheap Mexican powderhorn for 80 bucks. I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world.

What started my interest in it? I really don't know. I've been fascinated with black powder rifles for as long as I can remember.

 

[Rancocas]

I'm another who was greatly influenced by Disney's "Davy Crockett" in the middle 1950's, but I was shooting guns even before that. I was a real little tyke but I remember sitting in the barn loft with my Dad and a .22, and taking shots at woodchucks in the vegetable garden.
In the very early 1960's I saw my first muzzleloader. It was at a trapshoot. Some guy brought a bouble barreled muzzleloading smoothbore and broke a few clay birds with it. It was impressed.
However, I didn't get into muzzleloading myself until the mid 1980's when I borrowed an 1861 Springfield from my Civil War re-inactor boss, and went out and took my first muzzleloader deer with it.

 

[onepaw]

about 15 years ago my brother in law loaded his, handed it to me, and said shoot it....after smelling the burnt powder i was hooked!

 

[roundball]

"...I notice , Big Puffs of BLACK Smoke coming from a club range maybe an 1/8 of a mile away..."

Actually, that would be big puffs of WHITE smoke wouldn't it?
:grin:

 

[omarick1948]

"...I notice , Big Puffs of BLACK Smoke coming from a club range maybe an 1/8 of a mile away..."

Actually, that would be big puffs of WHITE smoke wouldn't it?
:grin:

I think most of us knew what he was talking about!....... :grin:

 

[Keppy]

I use to buy and sell firearms and had many ML rifles and pistols through out the years.( I wished I had some of them now. I had some real nice ones) I always thought they were nice to look at, but I never shot them just bought them and sold them. I had shot other peoples at the range, but at that time I was into metallic silhouette shooting. We moved back to Minnesota and decided to buy one of those inl*/*s. I bought it to extend my hunting season. I have a client that's into tradition BP rifle. He knew that I cast bullet and said I should get a side hammer or flint and shoot PRB. I was at a shop an seen an Kentucky rifle in 45 cal. and bought it. I started shooting it and have not shot the other one since. A matter of fact I sold it to my cousin.
Of course I didn't know much about PRB and etc so I was browsing trying to find anything on ML's. I browsed through a lot of ML's site before I came across this one and I'm still here. Its been a short time that I've been shooting BP. 2001 but having fun with it.

 

[Walks Alone]

Even though I grew up on a working ranch in the late 40's and 50's where firearms were a way of life, I was a late bloomer with muzzleloaders. Didn't get my first until the early 70's after I got back from Nam, two TC Hawken's, mainly to add some challenge to hunting deer/elk. But I soon also got involved with the local RMM doing the Voo's and the Gore Society Pow Wow's. Fell away for years after I moved away from the Rockies and got back into them only 6-7 years ago as a way to add more enjoyment to my predator and varmint hunting. Promptly bought 15 traditional rifles and pistols, and joined the local freetrappers group here.

 

[biliff]

Guess I was one of those that watched D. Boone on TV and got fascinated. Tried building a couple as a teenager and found out I have no talent for that aspect, hunted squirrels and rabbits with 'em. Got away from it for awhile thanks to the Navy (household goods burned up while in storage and lost most of 'em). Started up again when I stopped moving around so much.

 

[roundball]

"...I notice , Big Puffs of BLACK Smoke coming from a club range maybe an 1/8 of a mile away..."

Actually, that would be big puffs of WHITE smoke wouldn't it?
:grin:

I think most of us knew what he was talking about!....... :grin:

Right...meaning your comment was no more necessary than mine was...
:wink:

 

When, How, and Why did you get into shooting Traditional Muzzleloaders

"Take Two": http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/225337/

 

[mazo kid]

I've always had a fascination for guns...new, old, it didn't matter. I had a modest collection and then one year a buddy told me about a muzzleloading class. Seems the machine shop instructor was a black powder shooter and he steered a dozen of us through the process. This was in '73 and I've been hooked ever since. I now have several MLs along with some BPCR guns and antiques.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I started shooting a muzzleloading shotgun in the early sixties down on the farm.My neighbor Who was in his seventies started me. It was a simple matter of economics. Back then 12 gauge shells were about 15 cents each, but I could shoot the muzzle loader for about two and one half cents a shot. That ment six rabbits vs one rabbit.By the early seventies I had two muzzle loading shotguns, and one muzzle loading rifle. (No modern guns ). Now I have several (I won't say how many) and they are all traditional.