Why are or aren't you an NMLRA member?

good ole boy said:

You gotta a great group of people right here Roob.

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Couldn’t agree more! Why not Support an AWESOME forum like this? My support will be to these Few Forums that i am on Daily, And thoroughly enjoy!

I have nothing against the NMLRA whatsoever, I respect each and every Person that chooses to Support The NMLRA, or any other Organization for that matter, The same as I would hope they would respect my decision to NOT support the NMLRA, instead i choose to Support Forums like this, Where I actually get Daily enjoyment from them

What can the NMLRA do that isnt already being done by the NRA? I too am a life member of the NRA.I could really care less about their range or their benefits. The one big benefit is preserving our gun rights. That one big benefit is being taken care of, I hope.

sonnyboy said:

I was a member for 40 years. When inlines, sabot's, plastic bullet cups, substitute black powders made into compressed donut loads, started being looked into as acceptance into this original historical primitive magazine, I jumped out. I know that I don't mean much getting out to the NMLRA, but if ten thousand did it, they would get the picture.....awwww, everybody knows what I mean!, getting tired repeating this .......sonnyboy

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One of the main problems with "jumping out" is you don't know what the organization or its current magazine is doing now.

Following the "mass exodus" of members like you a few years ago, the magazine dropped most of their ad's and articles dealing with new modern products.
In fact, I've read many recent issues that didn't have over a couple of ad's that weren't about traditional old time guns.

IMO, your choosing not to belong is your loss if you truly are interested in traditional muzzleloading and shooting competition.

Seems like a lot of people confuse and compare the NMLRA with the NRA.

Maybe the NMLRA should change it's name or better define itself, less confusion and comparison might increase their membership.

Zonie said:

One of the main problems with "jumping out" is you don't know what the organization or its current magazine is doing now.

Following the "mass exodus" of members like you a few years ago, the magazine dropped most of their ad's and articles dealing with new modern products.
In fact, I've read many recent issues that didn't have over a couple of ad's that weren't about traditional old time guns.

IMO, your choosing not to belong is your loss if you truly are interested in traditional muzzleloading and shooting competition.

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You cannot cure stupid, but you can numb it with a 2X4.

I can't help but wonder if this topic has been beneficial or detrimental with respect to their membership. It certainly seems divisive.

Carbon 6 said:

I can't help but wonder if this topic has been beneficial or detrimental with respect to their membership. It certainly seems divisive.

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If its one thing gun owners dont need right now is anything divisive. We need to stick together

The NRA is really 2 different groups.
1- ILA which does all the legal 2A work.
2- Competitive Shooting Division.
The latter involves all the NRA matches, one of which is held in June at Friendship during the spring National (it is listed on the NRA National Match Program). The NMLRA actually sets ML policy for the NRA.
If you have a copy of the current NRA ML Handbook it actually has both NRA & NMLRA as sponsors with both logos - the NMLRA put the input and the NRA published. Marty Murphy, past NMLRA President put it together, free to both parties.
Pete Brownell actually recognized the NMLRA while he was NRA President as hosting the largest participated single NRA shooting event.

A lot of reply's to this thread, but to me it doesn't matter what gun organization you belong to, its what you are doing for the organization. Just paying your dues means nothing if are you just getting a news rag and nothing else. In the past I have belong to two or three gun groups but now I figure with my limit money I can do the most good with the NRA. I know they want money, money, but thats what it takes to keep our guns. I send money through out the year and write letters, I live in Ca. so its a waste of time to write letters to my Senators but I do anyway. Its just like belonging to a local gun club, if all you do is pay dues and show up you are not helping the organization. Our gun club has had the same Pres., Sec. , Tres, Range Master etc for years, we are getting tried but no one wants to step up. So to me its more than just belonging to a organization its how can you help. WOW, you guys got me going. Nuff Said--- JJ

Not sure what benefits you are looking for. Benefits for those that enjoy what you deal with or those that enjoy what you feel the rest of the world shouldn't. I would hope that someday you would reconsider your position and perhaps rejoin and become a field rep that fixes what you think is wrong with your area as well as beyond. You could be the voice that makes the organization that you want it to be. Kinda like "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". You are the kind of people any organization needs. You see the good and the bad, and those are the kind of people that fix things. If the will is there.

Being part of any organization calls for some participation on the members part. Just "being" (paying the dues) isnt quite enough.

Eutycus said:

Being part of any organization calls for some participation on the members part. Just "being" (paying the dues) isnt quite enough.

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Why ?

Boombyspark
I offered to be field rep, but when asked what type of programs they had to help increase participation in my area, I was told there is none.
My goal is to get more people involved, but the NMLRA responds with " dues first, talk later" and I have yet to be contacted by local field rep despite many requests. I offered to help, but it's a two way street, NMLRA has shown me they want dues and field rep volunteers but dont have anything but a magazine to offer in return. Anytime you want to show me I'm wrong Johnhalf I'm here, still waiting to get contacted by a local field rep, it's only been 5 years.

Boy, I hope this attitude doesn't start up in the NRA because people with pistols and shotguns want to join.
Seems to me that the organization is trying to keep going. Traditional muzzle Loading shooters, collectors and builders are going the way of Harley Davidson. Older age group that is not being replaced by the younger generation.

Fire-steel: I agree, always the ones who feel it’s sll about them. I feel for their incompetent families- one can imagine the pleasantry of the gatherings with them!
CT- when I called the office a few years ago to ask to be a field rep in my state, they immediately sent me some information to fill out and next camera packet of information, etc. I was a member and can’t blame them for asking you to join.
Johnhalf- your generosity is good to see from you post #274 dated Monday. I suspect you’ll respond in due time, probably hard at work making an honest living! Best of luck - some are just boils on the ass of society, in this case ML.

Eutycus said:

If its one thing gun owners dont need right now is anything divisive. We need to stick together

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No, but we don't need the equivalent of a "Go Fund Me" account where you send in money and get very little in return.

I did belong but no longer. I got almost nothing for my membership: little or no political action to protect muzzle loading, a magazine with bad production values, in-lines. Not my cup of tea.

My chances of going to Friendship are less than zero. Does the NMLRA offer classes or any movement to educate the public? Ever seen the president of NMLRA on a Sunday talk show? Do they have any thing to offer all us here on this board? Not I.

Fire-Steel said:

Older age group that is not being replaced by the younger generation.

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You are dead on. When our generation (60 years to 80 years and a few old farts in their 90's" are gone so is muzzle loading. Its just like the folks that do the classic car shows and blast 50 and 60 music, when they are gone their grandkids will sell those cars 10 cents on the dollar. Been playing this game since the 70's, the same faces, they just got a lot older looking. Oh well, guess times move on.

As a NMLRA Field Rep for North Carolina and a member since 1964, I can understand some of the comments here about what the NMLRA is not doing. However, its unfair to compare the services of the NRA versus the NMLRA.

The membership of the NRA is three million plus. The membership of the NMLRA is about 15,000 (1/2% of the NRA membership), and stabilizing. Our high point was in 1987 at 28,000. We had the same overhead back then. Now, we are supporting it with about half of that membership.

We focus on safety, education, history, and competition, to name a few. Except for about a dozen paid office staff at the headquarters at Friendship, IN, everyone else, including the officers, board members, and field reps are only "paid" by satisfaction and accomplishment in furthering interest in muzzleloading.

I rent a table at one of the largest hunting shows in the South, The Dixie Deer Classic, held in Raleigh for three days. Since 1992, I spend $300 out of my pocket to rent a table there for the weekend, representing the NMLRA and the NC State Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. I try to encourage muzzleloading hunters to visit NMLRA Charter Clubs in their vicinity to meet hunters who have "been there, done that". Out of the 20,000+ that come through the door, most of them using inlines, we sign up only about four or five NMLRA memberships. I sincerely believe inline users are a very small percentage of our membership.

Twenty years ago, we had twelve clubs in NC, today we have six. We are all getting older, and I suspect the average age of the NMLRA member is about 65. In five or ten years, they will be looking at retirement homes, and selling off or handing down their firearms to relatives.

You can badmouth our organization or complain about not having services available, that is your right. You're comparing apples to oranges. The NRA raises billions, the NMLRA raises thousands. Like the NRA, the NMLRA chooses to be an "umbrella" organization. If it loads from the muzzle, its a muzzleloader.

I believe if anyone here would take a look at the new "Muzzle Blasts" magazine, they would be impressed with the metamorphic change in the cover and contents and see the value in what $50.00 annual membership entails. The "Muzzle Blasts" magazine is a monthly magazine. Its on par with "Muzzleloader" magazine, which costs $33.00 for only six issues.

If anything here is violates the rules of the house, feel free to edit.

The only reason for displaying the Muzzle Blasts cover is to show its dramatic change.
I read the rules, but if the photo is a violation, delete it.

Keep 'em in the center, close together,

Buck Buchanan
Field Rep - NC
NMLRA

Juice Jaws said:

You are dead on. When our generation (60 years to 80 years and a few old farts in their 90's" are gone so is muzzle loading. Its just like the folks that do the classic car shows and blast 50 and 60 music, when they are gone their grandkids will sell those cars 10 cents on the dollar. Been playing this game since the 70's, the same faces, they just got a lot older looking. Oh well, guess times move on.

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I'm sorry, but I'm calling BS in this. People have been saying for years that this or that is going to disappear once the old guys die, and yet, these activities still continue. Things naturally have ebbs and flows. If you want this hobby to continue, DO SOMETHING ACTIVE ABOUT IT. Don't just sit around and complain, pining for the olden days....

Black Hand said:

I'm sorry, but I'm calling BS in this. People have been saying for years that this or that is going to disappear once the old guys die, and yet, these activities still continue. Things naturally have ebbs and flows. If you want this hobby to continue, DO SOMETHING ACTIVE ABOUT IT. Don't just sit around and complain, pining for the olden days....

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Black Hand, first I am not complaining or doing nothing for the sport. I am very active in our local shoots and club. As a matter of fact, today drove 156 miles around trip to go to a one day shoot. ( the powder gods were against me, shot bad today) What I am seeing here is the same guys that have been doing this for 40 years, sure we get new people all the time but they don't hang around. And out here our Roov's are getting smaller and smaller because the old timers and getting to sick to shoot or are dead. Just from reading I do think there is still a lot of interested back East, but here in central Ca. it is drying off, and that is a fact. And I have many friends in the old car game and they feel the same way. I hope I am wrong and you are right, I just don't see it here.