Traditional muzzleloading on the wane?

Someone praised this forum a moment ago and it reminded me... Many members talk about the demise of traditional muzzleloading, yet they don't care enough to contribute to the largest and best forum on the internet. Some say they have gotten more good information here than any magazine or anywhere else, but that's the extent of their “gratitude”.

As I've said, I used to run a forum. Can anyone guess what it costs an individual to maintain something like this?

I run a forum as well, mine is roughly $24 a year for the domain + some other costs when i upgrade simple things to make things a little cleaner.

I dont think TML is on the wane, i see it picking up at my place and other new members coming in looking for help.

Things are just slow lately, even on here.

traditional muzzleloading is on the wane. The first muzzleloader match I attended in 1973 had over 300 competitors, a few years ago, that same annual match had dropped to about 20 shooters. Several clubs that had regular shoots and dozens of regulars have folded and gone out of existence.

Many things account for it, not the least is attrition amongst the old timers, computers, the harried nature of modern life, other activities and the anti gun upbringing of todays young people,

Forums like this do indeed make it easier for newbies to get the information they need to be as immersed in the sport as many old timers here. When I started, there were just a few books and one pretty much had to go to a match to find a mentor. I am actually envious of the wealth of information available now over the internet to help folks starting out.

I have to agree, it does seem to being a dying thing. The range I belong to has about 6 or 7 BP shooters & everyone is 60 plus years old. No youngsters at all. Seems like all they are interested in is those new fangled black rifles & the likes of them.

Yeah, I saw ya rip into that guy and I was kinda wondering what business you had spending his money?

While I do support the forum I also understand that it's not mandatory,
And I also understand it's a gain to our sport to help those that are just entering or in the beginning stages of participation no matter there financial situation.

We have folks here that freely speak about the thousands of dollars of equipment they use in support of their hobby, have been members for years and still aren't Premium members.

As far as the sport overall, there's new folks showing up at local Rendezvous every here in these parts.
You might not see them at gun clubs or ranges because that costs money too.

Sorry Jack;
I guess I'm a little more willing to accept folks for their time spent here and their appreciation than to judge them by how much or where they spend their money.

Interest seems to follow cycles, but there is a dedicated push away from any kind of shooting sports, its just a sign of the times.

As far as supporting the forum, yup, I could care less if I'm not winning any popularity contests around here it's about something bigger.

I also think traditional muzzleloading is on the decline and the main reason is that most of us are getting old now and the younger generation is simply not interested in the old ways.

I don't know but I doubt that they want to swab barrels, shoot real black (that is hard to get)and a round ball. If they have interest in muzzleloading at all they want a scoped rifle that drops pellets and shoots something that looks like a bullet. They just don't want the messing around with traditional guns.

I was shooting today at a new range I just joined and there was a fellow about my age there from Colorado and he said that since they have the **line seasons now that it's hard to get tags. He said **line season has grown tremendously but not many traditional shooters anymore. The young men and women there had no interest in my flinters at all but the older fellows were checking them out when I went to get my targets.

When I go to the range it's always the older folks that don't shoot traditional that want to talk, watch and handle my rifles and some want to shoot them; which I am more than happy to let them shoot. I show them the loading and cleaning steps most times as well. The youngsters never show any interest at all. I shoot a recurve bow as well and it's the same thing; no interest from the youngsters; they want compound bows.

I see it with centerfires as well. All the young men want AR style semi-autos legal for deer hunting for cryin out loud. The idea of a single shot rifle would drive these guys nuts.

Me; I like the old ways and I like them more the older I get. I have centerfire rifles still but all I care to shoot much is flinters and patched ball. I will take the time and effort to show anyone who has interest what I can.

Long live the patched ball, flinters, and real black.

I like em all personally! I do spend most of my time though making black powder cartridge rifles.
I agree though the older I get the more I seem to regress in the rifle type preferred.
Since adulthood have always kept several muzzle loaders and cap-n- ball revolvers but when turning about 50 the old buffalo rifles, and long range tang verniers captivated my attention and has not left.
Still though the allure of the flint and percussion rifle and short gun keeps calling. Mike D.

I agree with CowboyCS. I would love to send my money in; but not with PayPal.


TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

I grew up shooting longrifles from 2 old hermit brothers that lived down the road a couple of miles. They have been gone many yrs now but I thank them for taking the time with a skinny kid who asked too many questions. Now I try too pass this on to other kids/teenagers besides my 2 grandsons as they have been watching me do it since they could walk but the truth of the matter is that most are too lazy to clean a flintlock after its been shot. They want boom boom boom and then throw it in the corner with no mess no fuss. The grownups around my neck of the woods are the same so I guess the apple dont fall far from the tree. Lots of folks have seen and have liked shooting my flinters but when you tell them its a simple 10 min water clean up job afterwards then thats the end of that story. That in my opinion is the number one reason that it has already waned around here in my part of the world :idunno:

well said, flinch

Born in 1950, grew up with TV shows like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone and always had an interest in firearms. Joining my first gun club in 1975 after finishing college traditional muzzleloaders were all the rage, they outnumbered any type of firearm on the firing line and most of the fun club shoots were BP orientated. The stimulus for this was a movie " Jerimiah Johnson" had perked everyone's interest in mountain rifles , even previous non shooters. Now the same range is all black tacticool stuff
Flyfishing saw the intense surge in interest too after the movie " A River Runs Through It" There was a massive surge in interest in both cases and many havemoved on to other things after that spike in participation. So to answer the question , The interest in tradional ML's yes it is way down from that spike in the seventies and has been pretty much level for the last 20 years but still it is way higher than the premovie 60's.

edit:The "Jerimiah Johnson " movie was 1972 , just to put the timeline in perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjN8YJt55g

Like many others I don't do pay pal. As to the wane of TML. The sad fact is costs are going up I started shooting black powder shotguns in the late fifties because it was 1/4 the cost of modern, and old black powder shotguns were really cheap. Now the costs have reversed I can reload modern for about 1/4 the cost of black powder shots. Also the use of @#$%^& guns in primitive weapons season has cut way back on new people getting involved. The attendance at rendezvous has dropped to about 1/5 what it used to be due to the fact we are getting older and either dying or in poor health. Plus there are very few younger people getting involved. :idunno:

I read this forum daily and I'm in the 'No Paypal' camp. When the pay by check option becomes available, my check will be in the mail.

I am not posting to anyone just in line.

Yes traditional is going away. That is a fact and some of the guys here on this forum are the hammers that are sinking the nail into the coffin. It seems that some believe that traditional also means Period Correct and Historically correct. Even some moderators here are to blame for making people here feel like that can't contribute because they don't shoot round balls. I have been attacked for years because I don't fit in with "their" ways of being traditional.

So I get personal messages from people on this forum to help them with their guns and loads. The only reason I can figure this is because they don't want to be attacked by the same crew that always attacks.

Ya traditional ML is going away and like I said before, you can thank many here.
Ron

I hear Ron on this one.

Collectively I don't think we do enough in ALL the shooting sports when a "newcommer" has some questions.

Given they will be the continued life blood of the sport, our attitude should be - "step right this way young man/lady and we will help you out",

Not, "you got that all wrong and here's why what you want to try or buy is totally incorrect" and here's the gospel about how things should be..

gifford said:

I read this forum daily and I'm in the 'No Paypal' camp. When the pay by check option becomes available, my check will be in the mail.

Click to expand...

So what's wrong with Pay-Pal??

Kentuckywindage said:

I run a forum as well, mine is roughly $24 a year for the domain + some other costs when i upgrade simple things to make things a little cleaner.

Click to expand...

I assume you're using free forum software, most likely "phpBB", on a shared server, like most forums?

My server space alone costs $150 per month.

armakiller said:

gifford said:

I read this forum daily and I'm in the 'No Paypal' camp. When the pay by check option becomes available, my check will be in the mail.

Click to expand...

So what's wrong with Pay-Pal??

Click to expand...

People don't like Pay Pal's 'no guns' policy, so they take it out on the forum. How convenient. :haha:

Traditional muzzleloading is on the decline because fewer people care about history. They want fast, easy, everything. Heck, they don't even teach history anymore.

Here we go, another Pay-Pal/Ebay bashing thread.
:dead: