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I also get both, and am glad that THE BEVEL BROTHERS CAME BACK. they are just great!!


They provide a lot of good information and dis-spell a lot of untrue information and beliefs. They are what I read first.
 
I get both. Muzzle Blasts is one of the perks that come with being an NMLRA member. Muzzleloader has no affiliation that I know of.

In my opinion, Muzzle Blasts has too much fluff and not enough substance. They could save a lot of money on printing if they would just use black print on white pages. Every page has some kind of colored background. Fine white print on a black page is harder to read, at least for me. I like the Bevel Brothers articles and the column to which people write for identification of old guns, and some of the hunting articles. Editorial quality in general is not the best. I have back issues of this magazine from about 1955 to the mid eighties, then a long gap in the collection, resuming just a couple of years ago. However, I don't keep every issue anymore. The older ones, the "black and white" ones, tend to be more interesting. George Shumway's old "Longrifles of Note" column was head and shoulders above Dr. Whisker's articles in the issues that come now.

I look forward to receiving Muzzleloader near the end of every even-numbered month. Mike Nesbitt's "Shootin' the Bull" column and T.C. Albert's "how to" articles are my favorites, and I like the feature stories about contemporary gunmakers and craftsmen. I miss Rex Norman's "Far West" articles, with his incomparable pen and ink illustrations. These ended several years ago. Ted Belue is back as a staff writer now, and I always like his articles. However, I find the other writers' long, serialized historical articles and the "Keep it Simple" reenactor columns tend to get awfully tedious, and I seldom read them.

Anyway, I would recommend both... a subscription to Muzzleloader, for the best current reading entertainment, and also membership in the NMLRA to support the organization. You'll get Muzzle Blasts with your membership. It is noteworthy that they have now digitized every back issue of Muzzle Blast, and with membership you get access to them online. That way, you can read those great old magazines from the fifties, sixties, and seventies, with articles by such notables as John Baird, George Shumway, John Barsotti, and the inimitable Bull Ramsey, as well as the always entertaining and sometimes hilarious ads placed by barrel maker Bill Large. Read about muzzleloading before T/C, CVA, or Traditions ever existed.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob
 
Muzzle Blasts gives you more NMLRA news and information. Muzzle Loader has more historical articles. It has been many years since I last had a look at Muzzle Loader. MB runs adverts for ML.
That’s a good perspective as one is an organization, the other a magazine.
 
I have been an NMLRA member for a long time. I enjoy MB. I also have subscribed to the other. They both have merits. I enjoy MB because one can keep up with the events. Making the trek to Friendship, Ind., yearly is a plus.
 
Hi Guys
In the UK and being a member of the Muzzle loaders Association of Great Britain - MLAGB we have our own magazine "Black Powder" which not only has club/competition news but we have a good selection of articles both on technical bits and also collecting information. I also subscribe to Muzzle Loaders mag and Guns of the Old West (on line) I find Muzzle Loader a great read and admire all the artisans that make period correct firearms and accessories.
 
Thanks, everyone for sharing your thoughts! If you are interested in checking out Muzzle Blasts or haven't read it in a while, we're running a sale right now until Christmas, you can get the digital magazine for an entire year for FREE, with discounts on the printed version as well.

You'll get full access to the archives featuring every Muzzle Blasts ever published, there's some real gold in there.

We're good friends with Jason Gatliff over at Muzzleloader, he's helped us find better printers in the past and is an all-around nice guy. We interviewed him for the Muzzle Blasts podcast earlier this year. It's a must-listen for any muzzleloading fan.

 
I get both. Muzzle Blasts is one of the perks that come with being an NMLRA member. Muzzleloader has no affiliation that I know of.

In my opinion, Muzzle Blasts has too much fluff and not enough substance. They could save a lot of money on printing if they would just use black print on white pages. Every page has some kind of colored background. Fine white print on a black page is harder to read, at least for me. I like the Bevel Brothers articles and the column to which people write for identification of old guns, and some of the hunting articles. Editorial quality in general is not the best. I have back issues of this magazine from about 1955 to the mid eighties, then a long gap in the collection, resuming just a couple of years ago. However, I don't keep every issue anymore. The older ones, the "black and white" ones, tend to be more interesting. George Shumway's old "Longrifles of Note" column was head and shoulders above Dr. Whisker's articles in the issues that come now.

I look forward to receiving Muzzleloader near the end of every even-numbered month. Mike Nesbitt's "Shootin' the Bull" column and T.C. Albert's "how to" articles are my favorites, and I like the feature stories about contemporary gunmakers and craftsmen. I miss Rex Norman's "Far West" articles, with his incomparable pen and ink illustrations. These ended several years ago. Ted Belue is back as a staff writer now, and I always like his articles. However, I find the other writers' long, serialized historical articles and the "Keep it Simple" reenactor columns tend to get awfully tedious, and I seldom read them.

Anyway, I would recommend both... a subscription to Muzzleloader, for the best current reading entertainment, and also membership in the NMLRA to support the organization. You'll get Muzzle Blasts with your membership. It is noteworthy that they have now digitized every back issue of Muzzle Blast, and with membership you get access to them online. That way, you can read those great old magazines from the fifties, sixties, and seventies, with articles by such notables as John Baird, George Shumway, John Barsotti, and the inimitable Bull Ramsey, as well as the always entertaining and sometimes hilarious ads placed by barrel maker Bill Large. Read about muzzleloading before T/C, CVA, or Traditions ever existed.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob
Nice post NotcheyBob totally agree with you. The glossy pages are an expensive waste. Guess we all should post some how to articles
 
Just subscribed to Muzzle loader magazine yesterday. Hope it doesn't take too long getting here. I hate going into Hastings to buy a magazine.
 
Back Woodsman normally has an article or so about ML. May have to order it also, would rather read than watch TV.
I get BW magazine, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the ML articles; they're OK, but a little shallow on content. I do enjoy the spirit of BW, don't get me wrong.
 
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