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using muzzle loaders

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After 60 years of shooting cartridge guns of all kinds from single shots to machine guns, the shooting and loading of muzzle loaders is completely foreign to me. I do like it though, the wiping the barrel, dropping powder and patched ball then capping, then the shot. Though I like the system I still feel odd doing all that. I always feel like I need to do the loading faster, maybe it's just my ocd. It is going to take a while for me to get used to the slower life of muzzle loader shooting. Old habits and experience is hard to break. I'm working on it. Wish me luck.
 
You'll soon get to where you wonder what all the fuss was about with them new fangled cartridge guns.
I too was a fan of the fast shooting guns once. Then I figured out that I can relax, enjoy the process of loading and shooting my sidelock Muzzle loader, AND not spend $200 in ammunition even if I shoot all day long.
 
It is a slow process. You can speed it up by some tricks.A bullet board has a hole for pre patched ball. A sort starter can be drilled as a measure. Then starter and board can be removed, pour charge start ball and ram home, prime. I've done it in 23 seconds. Largely a bfd. You can get capped tubes That you place a charge then a pre patched ball in, pull off the cap on the bottom then short start ball through the tube in to the bore and ram home.
Military guns can be shot with paper cartridge in 15 seconds or less. The fastest I saw was 7 shots in one minute.
Not being chased by grizzly, redskins, red coats or blue bellies these days my loading is more on the order of two to three minute.
Everything that is truly good in the world is a sit back and savor it moment. You will find the loading ritual is as much fun as the shooting.
 
tenngun said:
~Snip~
Everything that is truly good in the world is a sit back and savor it moment. You will find the loading ritual is as much fun as the shooting.

These words have rung very true with me! I get as much enjoyment out of the process as the bang at the end. It's especially enjoyable when I'm loading for someone at the range who thinks these things are neat but never had a try at em.
 
I enjoy the process and as others have said, savor the whole loading thing. It is like the difference between someone smoking a cigarette to get a nicotine fix and a pipe smoker sitting and reading a good book while enjoying a pipe. (I don't smoke any more) Another analogy is wolfing down a burger at a fast food restaurant vs leasurely eating a fine meal at a great place.
 
Being slow natured - born and bred in Georgia - muzzleloading was a perfect fit when I started as a youth. I never got hooked on fast firing even in the Army. A muzzleloader is a one shot affair, too many things change during the interval between loads. It makes one a better hunter and a better shot. I don't care about "fast".
 
Agree with everything said.
Reloading can be faster once you develop your own personal system.
Using a ball board works great especially for hunting where you may only load one or two shots.
I try to just lay out the items I need in order and only those items.
I've never timed myself, but it doesn't seem very slow to me.
 
as a youth in Alabama,(early to mid '70s) muzzle-loading was a way for Dad & I (sometimes w/my favorite Uncle) to get away from the women and into the woods to relax for a day.

It was a social event and the time spent honing the craft was ever more important than the number of shots fired.

Later it became even more of a social event after joining a small BP club in the early 80s.....again, honing the craft and having fun was the all important thing.

Flash forward to 2018

A day at the range slowly loading and firing, to hone the craft and teach new folks.....is as much fun as it was when I was a kid.
 
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As a former pipe smoker , I concur with your analogy , it's all about savouring the moment rather than a quick fix .
The tedious part of muzzleloading is measuring the powder .
Having pre measured vials of powder does speed things up and is very handy in wet'n'windy conditions .
 
For me, some things just cant be rushed, in a world full of rushed things. Washing the new truck for the first time, casting a bamboo rod to rising fish, and loading a BP rifle are things to be savored, relaxed and just not rushed. Time can measure most things, but some, shouldn't.

The exception, unless training for and then doing a Seneca Run.
 
mushka said:
After 60 years of shooting cartridge guns of all kinds from single shots to machine guns, the shooting and loading of muzzle loaders is completely foreign to me.
Yeah,, welcome to the challenge again. :wink:
It's not easy to be accurate with these things,, it brings you back to the basic challenge of "what you can do",, that's the fun part.
 
Each step in the process is a joy unto itself....The more in-depth and involved, the higher the level of individual enjoyment....
For example;
A shooter that cuts at the muzzle or makes his own patches and lube, adds a whole new dimension to the experience than the shooter who buys pre-lubed patches from the store.

The more rounds, or faster one needs to fire their gun, the quicker the pleasure of each shot wears off....

Machine gun shooters need thousands of rounds for seconds of pleasure....

Semi-automatic shooters need hundreds of rounds for minutes of fun....

A muzzleloader shooter can enjoy a whole afternoon with ten rounds....And go home feeling satisfied.
 
I agree with all mentioned above. The slower pace of loading and shooting, the greater involvement with accessories, especially home made, even the careful cleaning required to preserve the function and beauty of wood, steel and brass make for greater satisfaction than most modern guns. But it can take getting used to.

A side benefit is that attitude has bled over to my other shooting activities. Except for training sessions with self defense weapons I prefer a more deliberate pace with cartridge guns these days. And going through ammo slower means I can slow down and enjoy handloading more than before. A win-win situation.

Jeff
 
What is surprising to me is how many folks actually have a muzzle loader or two in the back of their safes and never shoot them!
I'm not sure I could actually tag a reason for loving front stuffers, I just do and have been shooting them since I was a teenager.
 
I can tag a sure-fire main reason for my interest. It's simply that I despise having to hurry with anything! Why do something in 10 minutes when you can do it just fine in an hour or two?
 
I enjoy it because its slow. Relaxing to me, and makes me take my time doing everything right every time ... also helps me slow down and aim right too. It's therapy for me. And ... I never get tired of that BOOM!!
 
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