Excuse Me, I'm Loading

[Urban Coyote]

I think we'd probably agree that one should pay close attention when loading a muzzleloader avoiding distraction.

At a range shooting muzzleloaders, especially traditional ones, usually draws the attention of curious spectators. It's a good thing for the sport and we're all ambassadors. Heck, everyone digs being able to say they brought someone in.

Herein lies the opportunity, how do you politely get across to inquisitive spectators it is not a good thing to interrupt a person loading? It happens more often than you might think. My approach has been to ignore them until I complete my loading effort and then excuse myself while I fired the shot. After that I'll answer whatever questions they might have, and there can be some doozies. Perhaps I should be explaining why I ignored them right upfront.

How do you handle this?

 

[FishDFly]

I will talk with you after I finish this shot.

 

[necchi]

Define "polite".(?)
I never had that problem, I'm too ugly and mean looking. Most folks won't even bother approaching me.
Those that do, generally only get within about 3' and turn away,, I wear the same t-shirt and undergarments for a week and only bathe once a month.
Simple problems have simple solutions.

 

[Eutycus]

Put on a show and act like you know what you're doing? Can't say it's ever happened to me. I take that back, it did happen once. But no questions just alot of eyeballs. I almost got stagefright. Remember we are ambassadors.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Note to self. Don't bathe, brush teeth, change underwear, socks shirt for a few days before heading to a range to load a muzzleloader. That probably will solve the problem. Huh? I wonder if I'm already ugly enough or if I need to work on it? Then I might be a true abASSador.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Whoops, forgot my "m".

 

[tenngun]

‘Hold a sec I did to do this by the steps,’big smile, ‘can’t skip any thing’
As soon as balls down explain why, the questions will follow.

 

[COTNTOP]

Very few people know the importance for the need of concentration when loading muzzleloaders. There is a big diff that people take for granted from modern stuff. I was in the same boat at one time. When a newbie is at my range I make sure to keep a close eye on everything one does. The first mistake is try to dryball. I even have pay close attention to myself.

 

[azmntman]

Two years ago i went to the woods and didnt dryball. Good year

 

[Eutycus]

People do tend to act with more confidence when they don't have an audience, sort of like singing in the shower.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I usually say "Let me get this done first, and keep right on going.. What I do to help is far from foolproof but it has been helpful sometimes. I hold the barrel with my left hand and pour powder. Then I immediately switch to holding the barrel with my right hand as I put the PRB in and short start it. Then I switch hands again to seat the PRB on the powder. If I get momentarily confused, the hand I have on the barrel is a sort of reference. With shot loads, I try to get the wads and shot in with left hand on barrel and the over shot card with right. In other words, the whole "load" with the same hand on barrel but finish that extra step by switching yet again. I have a friend that puts a piece of tape over the loaded barrel on his double gun so he knows what barrel he did. I havent gone that far yet.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Easy, " give me a minute please, then I'll answer any questions". Then after the shot you can explain the need for concentration on loading, dry balls etc.

I had to stop a guy once from coming too close while I was loading. He seemingly wanted to talk. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth. I told him not to come closer due to the potential for explosion. He turned around and left. Sometimes you just have to be blunt.

 

[jdw276]

Or just start describing what you are doing. I just loaded black powder made with three ingredients and invented over 1,000 years ago, it is an x caliber rifle, shooting a round ball like they did 600 years ago, with a patch with x lube and now i am putting rhe roundball on top of the powder. Hi, how are you? Do you have any questions so far? Powder, patch and ball or it will not go off at all is how we do it. If you are talking they cannot talk. Most folks are not that rude to interrupt on a gun range.

 

[ord sgt]

When loading for an on-looker, I explain each step of the load. Show them the measure of powder and pour into the barrel. Take a patch and roundball, and place those on the muzzle. Short start the patch/ball, then use a ramrod to seat the ball on the powder. Cap or prime the pan and fire.
I have done this for women for their special range day, several years now. Also, for curious on-lookers while I am shooting at the range.
If interrupted while pouring powder, I leave the powder measure in the barrel. While ramming the ball, I leave the short starter or ramrod in the barrel. These measures keep things in order. Haven't shot the ramrod downrange, yet.

 

[APG]

When I shot at the range I have it set up so it's very hard to lose my place in loading. I have a plastic lid where I put out 4 round balls or minieballs and 4 percussion caps all in the lid. Helps me keep track of where I'm at in loading. Also have my range rod marked where it would sit when powder and ball are loaded. If you forget if you poured powder yet just put in the range rod and if the end comes back covered in black powder you need a projectile yet. Works for me.

 

[billraby]

If you explain what you are doing as you do it you are a lot less likely to screw it up.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have put into practice a procedure that has a visual sequence for each step of the loading process.

After I shoot, I wipe the bore and lay the dirty patch on the tray next to my place for the ball. I can look at the loading bench and see that the rifle is unloaded and I can look at the target. When I return, I measure the next load of powder and with a funnel in the muzzle, I pour the powder. The funnel remains in the muzzle. I take the soiled patch and it goes into the trash jar at the station. When I lubricate the patch, I pick up the ball and load. If I am called away, I will insert my sort starter in the muzzle. This shows me that there is powder and a patched ball in the barrel. When I am ready, I ram the ball to the breech. With the ball loaded at the bench I can see that I am ready to go to the firing line since there is no dirty patch by the balls and nothing is in the barrel. I will politely allow no further distraction until after the firearm is primed and the shot taken.

These steps also give me the opportunity to demonstrate the complete loading process without losing track of where I am in that process.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I will be right with you in a Minute just let me finish here first. Plain and direct.

 

[morehops52]

Yep a polite "wait a minute and I'll be glad......" Once the powder is down the muzzle all talking ceases with me. After the shot, let's talk.
It's also very annoying when a nimrod tries to tell you what your doing wrong when they couldn't tell a ramrod from a capper

 

[morehops52]

The same goes for a range "Clear". Once powder is down the barrel I refuse to "clear". They have to wait until I finish loading and the shot is down range.
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