• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Shooting all by one’s lonesome

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Aug 21, 2022
Messages
520
Reaction score
780
Location
Tampa FL
I am new to muzzleloading, and enjoying it very much! And like the newbie I am, I walked into an indoor range with my smoke pole. Big mistake! They looked at me like I was nuts, and promptly showed me the door. I located one of only two outdoor ranges, and taught myself how to charge and discharge my weapon. I was the only guy with a muzzleloader. I have been back several times, everybody was and is very cool, but I appear to be the only guy sporting a front stuffer. The club had one morning a month set aside for a bragging rights only muzzleloading match. But not anymore. It would be more fun to shoot with other black powder guys, but I take what I can get.

Question: short of a rendezvous, do most of you guys shoot alone?
Shadowalker
 
I am new to muzzleloading, and enjoying it very much! And like the newbie I am, I walked into an indoor range with my smoke pole. Big mistake! They looked at me like I was nuts, and promptly showed me the door. I located one of only two outdoor ranges, and taught myself how to charge and discharge my weapon. I was the only guy with a muzzleloader. I have been back several times, everybody was and is very cool, but I appear to be the only guy sporting a front stuffer. The club had one morning a month set aside for a bragging rights only muzzleloading match. But not anymore. It would be more fun to shoot with other black powder guys, but I take what I can get.

Question: short of a rendezvous, do most of you guys shoot alone?
Shadowalker
What location are you? Just give a city or town. Maybe someone on the forum can help you find other front stuffers. I have been shooting since the early 70s in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. 90% are muzzleloading club ranges. I do go out occasionally by myself, but for me it is more enjoyable to be with someone who has the same interest.
Larry
 
I am new to muzzleloading, and enjoying it very much! And like the newbie I am, I walked into an indoor range with my smoke pole. Big mistake! They looked at me like I was nuts, and promptly showed me the door. I located one of only two outdoor ranges, and taught myself how to charge and discharge my weapon. I was the only guy with a muzzleloader. I have been back several times, everybody was and is very cool, but I appear to be the only guy sporting a front stuffer. The club had one morning a month set aside for a bragging rights only muzzleloading match. But not anymore. It would be more fun to shoot with other black powder guys, but I take what I can get.

Question: short of a rendezvous, do most of you guys shoot alone?
Shadowalker
Good for you and good luck with your new interest. Yes, we can't use Black Powder in an indoor range! I like to shoot by my lonesome, and as I've stated before on this site, I break out in hives at the mention of "match" or "competition"! I just like using all types of firearms. Shooting with others also may depend on one having shooting buddy friends, etc.
 
I enjoy shooting alone or in groups. I enjoy the company of get togethers but also like to just shoot alone. I belong to two clubs, one a large one with a huge facility that is mostly modern stuff shooters. The other is a ML club with a very nice range setup for ml only. Both facilities are suitable to ml shooting so i might use either one at any given time.

That said, im not at all into re enacting. It seems like fun and I know many fellow shooters who like that scene. Just not for me although I love studying the history aspect.

I agree, find a local ml club and check them out. The local clubs are not usually highly visible so you have to ferret them out. If there is a dedicated traditional ml shop anywhere near you, they will be familiar with the local activities.
 
I like to shoot by my lonesome, and as I've stated before on this site, I break out in hives at the mention of "match" or "competition"! I just like using all types of firearms.
You sound a lot like me. I actually prefer to shoot alone, and since I normally go to the club during weekdays I'm often the only one there.

Our club has a pretty large black powder contingent and they hold shoots once or twice a month on Saturdays. Those shoots often attract 20+ entries and I've gone to watch a couple of them. The guy who runs them is always trying to get me to participate but I just don't have any desire to do that.

I like to go, spread out my stuff and take my good old time shooting. I can spend a couple hours on 30 shots or so if the weather is nice. Maybe I'm just anti-social?
 
Even though I live 30 minutes from a muzzleloader only seller, who is also a vendor for most of the friendship matches.
I still cannot locate anyone myself, but that's okay I have 5 acres and am surrounded by nothing but woods and fields.
So I shoot alone, and enjoy that because it helps me work on my technique and skills without all the pressure of prying eyes.
 
Back
Top