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What took you so long? Muzzle loading shoots have been around for a long time and are a great place to meet people who think as we do.I admit it took me about twenty years after I started shooting black powder to get to my first one. My brother-in-law and nephews had been going to them for years. But when I heard them talking about shooting "beans" off of straws at 25 yards I knew I would not even be able to see a bean at 25 yards.When the boys got to be about ten and twelve I went to my first rendezvous and have been going ever since. (The boys are in their middle forties now).
 
I remember my first match. It was in 1970. I was using a brand new CVA 'kentucky' flintlock rifle. Not only did it have a two piece stock, it had a two piece barrel. o_O Worse, the rifling was left hand in one section and right hand in the other. Loading was a bear. Accuracy lousy. But, I won an award. I was given a Sid Bell powderhorn pin (which I still have) for the lowest score of any competitor who competed in all 15 matches. I didn't quit and am still sorta proud of that.
 
I've only been shooting black powder for about a year, but when I started I got hooked hard. I now own 5 flintlocks and shoot them a lot, usually 3 times a week or more. I'm a compulsive record keeper so I know for sure I've sent almost 3k balls downrange in that time.

Our club has a large black powder contingent and they hold shoots about twice a month, usually 25 and 50 yd paper, then some steels and occasionally a woods walk. One of the honchos of the group hosting these events is always telling me I should enter one but I'm reluctant to do so.

I've gone to watch some of their shoots and they do have fun, but I'm no where near the level of marksmanship some of those guys are. I've been told it doesn't matter how well you shoot, but I know myself and I'd be upset to be at the bottom of the score sheet. I found out years ago when I was bracket racing regularly that something you start in because you enjoy it can have the fun sucked right out of it once you enter competition. The emphasis gets to be more on how you place than on how much fun you have.

I'm not saying I'll never enter one of their shoots but I'd probably start by just doing the 25 yd paper part where I feel I could hold my own, and maybe the 50 yd paper where I'd at least stand a chance of getting all my shots on the paper. I'd have some difficulty even seeing some of the small steel targets to that's out.

I'm not a real social person. Most of the time when I go to the club I'm the only one shooting and I can spend hours by myself and enjoy every minute of it.
 
I
Rifleman1776 said:
I remember my first match. It was in 1970. I was using a brand new CVA 'kentucky' flintlock rifle. Not only did it have a two piece stock, it had a two piece barrel. o_O Worse, the rifling was left hand in one section and right hand in the other. Loading was a bear. Accuracy lousy. But, I won an award. I was given a Sid Bell powderhorn pin (which I still have) for the lowest score of any competitor who competed in all 15 matches. I didn't quit and am still sorta proud of that.
Click to expand...
I got a very nice trophy of a horses #$% engraved and all for shooting Lasst place.Just gotta roll with the punches.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
I remember my first match. It was in 1970. I was using a brand new CVA 'kentucky' flintlock rifle
Click to expand...
My first match was with a Jukar Kentucky 45 perc.
It was early spring about `96,, I didn't even know these Rendezvous fruitcakes existed.
I just happened to see a flyer at a gas station 40 miles from town and thought I'd check it out.
Long story short,, I had my first canvas an gear set-up at the same camp by August.
Thus began my decline, I was no longer a "closet buckskinner". I had found others that share the madness.
 
I had entered several matches with suppository arms and won a few trophies, plaques & money long before I discovered the existence of muzzleloading matches. I entered a fair number of them and did very well in those too. I haven't shot a match in years but may try another eventually. They are definitely a truckload of fun.
 
mmb617 said:
I've only been shooting black powder for about a year, but when I started I got hooked hard. I now own 5 flintlocks and shoot them a lot, usually 3 times a week or more. I'm a compulsive record keeper so I know for sure I've sent almost 3k balls downrange in that time.

Our club has a large black powder contingent and they hold shoots about twice a month, usually 25 and 50 yd paper, then some steels and occasionally a woods walk. One of the honchos of the group hosting these events is always telling me I should enter one but I'm reluctant to do so.

I've gone to watch some of their shoots and they do have fun, but I'm no where near the level of marksmanship some of those guys are. I've been told it doesn't matter how well you shoot, but I know myself and I'd be upset to be at the bottom of the score sheet. I found out years ago when I was bracket racing regularly that something you start in because you enjoy it can have the fun sucked right out of it once you enter competition. The emphasis gets to be more on how you place than on how much fun you have.

I'm not saying I'll never enter one of their shoots but I'd probably start by just doing the 25 yd paper part where I feel I could hold my own, and maybe the 50 yd paper where I'd at least stand a chance of getting all my shots on the paper. I'd have some difficulty even seeing some of the small steel targets to that's out.

I'm not a real social person. Most of the time when I go to the club I'm the only one shooting and I can spend hours by myself and enjoy every minute of it.
Click to expand...
I started shooting muzzleloaders in the 70's. From the first match I ever entered I was shooting against national champions with the club I had joined. Well it took a couple of years and building a rifle to fit ME before I won my first match. From then on I became a regular in the winners circle. I've always felt that I was shooting against myself I never checked the score board until after I had shot the match. After any match I would ask myself did I shoot the best I could that day? Never felt like I had to win every match.
 
I had a friend who always wanted to shoot in the first group at a rendezvous. They would post our scores(they were four of us in our group) on the board and all day we would watch our scores go from the top four down to the middle of the pack. But we had fun no matter where we placed. About ten years ago I had a friend scratch me a "memory horn" listing national events I had won figuring I would never win any more, but low and behold, I have won four more since then , now if I could just remember the years of them I would have another horn scratched. I suppose I could just take a good guess, who would ever know if I was right , since I don't even remember myself.
 
LG54 said:
Went to my first muzzle loader shoot today. A paper shoot due to weather . I won some bacon and pork loin. Only took 40 years of muzzleloader hunting to get involved. Had a good time and met some good people. I will go back next month.
Click to expand...
That is awesome. Much much better experience than my first ever muzzleloader shoot.
 
I haven't shot a match in some time now.
I've come to prefer informal "matches" between friends just for fun, same as playing cribbage and talking smart.
 
mmb617 said:
I've only been shooting black powder for about a year, but when I started I got hooked hard. I now own 5 flintlocks and shoot them a lot, usually 3 times a week or more. I'm a compulsive record keeper so I know for sure I've sent almost 3k balls downrange in that time.

Our club has a large black powder contingent and they hold shoots about twice a month, usually 25 and 50 yd paper, then some steels and occasionally a woods walk. One of the honchos of the group hosting these events is always telling me I should enter one but I'm reluctant to do so.

I've gone to watch some of their shoots and they do have fun, but I'm no where near the level of marksmanship some of those guys are. I've been told it doesn't matter how well you shoot, but I know myself and I'd be upset to be at the bottom of the score sheet. I found out years ago when I was bracket racing regularly that something you start in because you enjoy it can have the fun sucked right out of it once you enter competition. The emphasis gets to be more on how you place than on how much fun you have.

I'm not saying I'll never enter one of their shoots but I'd probably start by just doing the 25 yd paper part where I feel I could hold my own, and maybe the 50 yd paper where I'd at least stand a chance of getting all my shots on the paper. I'd have some difficulty even seeing some of the small steel targets to that's out.

I'm not a real social person. Most of the time when I go to the club I'm the only one shooting and I can spend hours by myself and enjoy every minute of it.
Click to expand...
Join in the fun. Shoot with the others. Do it for fun. You will learn from each other and possibly make some friends too.
 

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