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Joined
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My participation in muzzleloading ebbs and flows, but my interest is as constant as the tides. What brings me back again and again is the history in it -- using perhaps the most iconic tool in a free man's or woman's tool chest and trying to use it just as my ancestors might have. Plastic, stainless steel, substitute powders, chrome tanned deer hide -- all have been put aside, or never taken up. I'll never please a stitch counter, and have a hard time staying focused long-term on a single era or persona, but I deeply appreciate the experience of those who have gone before, and hope my efforts express how much I honor their memory, and their struggles to survive and prosper.
 
To biggest reason to me is it's just flat out good fun.

After that comes the appreciation for those who came before us. After you go into sensory deprivation from a couple of weeks by yourself with the biggest worry being taking the head off of something that goes with rice, you drive back out of the boonies and the first car horn you hear induces a nervous shock to your system. Then it can kinda dawn on your head just how different things were "back then". Any way, that was my experience and how I got it.
 
I've had a fascination with muzzle loaders since the middle 1970's and did a lot of hunting and shooting before that. I still favor my muzzleloaders although I play with the others too. I was into the fur trade era history early on but don't actively do rondies etc. any more. I like the challenge of hunting with muzzleloaders and since I don't have to hunt to eat, it adds a level of challenge to the sport. That is why I never understood the popularity of the new plastic front stuffers.

Powder, patch, ball and a spark from flint is almost magic.
 
I'm not sure. I keep mine on the livingroom walls so I am constantly enjoying them. It's definitely the whole retro technology of the flintlock that holds me fascinated.

Being able to use them for hunting makes that much more rewarding as well. The history, the mystery, the mastery. It all fits together well.
 
I like the history behind it also but I think most of all, they are different that the basic modern firearms and take more thought to use but at the same time their simplicity. I know that kind of contradicts itself but that's what I like about them.
 
One of the most prominent things for me is the people.


I love the guns, the history, the building, the art, and the shooting, but it is the people that you are around to enjoy it with you is what really makes it. Nowhere else do you find such a damn good community of folks as in the BP community, in my experience.
 
I want to be as he as I can, not for others but for me. My guns aren't perfect, nor my out fit but each step is an improvement.
I think I'm just a kid playing cowboys and Indians. I love the history,not just my time but Stone Age till now. Just finished a. Ok on ww2 north aferica war,and reading Plutarch right now.
Something grabbed me young and never let me go.my first gun was an auto load .22. I bought a leveraction 22 and the self loader lost my interest. Then I got my first ml and all my breechloaders became wall hangers. Then I suffered flints and flash pans. I was hooked. Cap locks lost my interest. It's been fourth years and more since I smelled black powder smoke. I'm beginning to think it's more then a fad or a phase.
 
Mountain Dewd said:
One of the most prominent things for me is the people.


I love the guns, the history, the building, the art, and the shooting, but it is the people that you are around to enjoy it with you is what really makes it. Nowhere else do you find such a damn good community of folks as in the BP community, in my experience.

:metoo:
 
:thumbsup: love to watch the ones that don't shoot BP as they wonder how we do so great with what we shoot some time we can even out shoot those with there newer guns :rotf:
 
bpd303 said:
For me it's the memory of my grandfather....

That's the root for me, too. My grandpap lost the handful of original family guns in the depression and move out west. He was the first family member to own cartridge guns, and hung onto a 12 gauge and 22 to feed the family.

But he talked about the guns (all cappers) he inherited. Won't go into the details on them, but what I took from him was his spirit of "making do." Getting jobs done and things built while not spending money- build stuff himself from scratch or re-purposed parts, and live with what he had rather than going out to buy more.

To me he represents the "frontier spirit" handed down through the generations.

My take has been studying the technology and materials available in earlier times, then transporting those to Alaska. Not much historic precedent for it, but I guide my efforts by asking a question along the lines of "How would an old timer have gotten by if he was transported to Alaska, bringing his tools and materials with him?"

Most of Alaska's history from the fur trade era predates the US purchase, and that old Russian technology is pretty obscure and hard to come by. The US was well into cartridge guns by the time Alaska was bought.

I've sorted through it all, and my "take" is a Rocky Mountain fur trapper/settler who got to Alaska with his own gear, tools and experience and made do with that.

Too many words, and sorry bout that. But I ain't going Russian, and I'm not necessarily going to build something accurate to the Rocky Mountains that just doesn't work in Alaska. The fun is in the making do, and that keeps me poking on down the road.
 
Folks have already touched on my reasons...

To biggest reason to me is it's just flat out good fun.

I like the history behind it also but I think most of all, they are different that the basic modern firearms and take more thought to use but at the same time their simplicity.

it is the people that you are around to enjoy it with you is what really makes it. Nowhere else do you find such a damn good community of folks as in the BP community, in my experience

The last quote is my primary reason....

Added to that I like mastering a technology and gaining a deeper understanding about a people and a time which few others understand.

I found a great satisfaction in harvesting game with a flinter; much greater than being able to reach out several hundred yards with a scoped, breech loader.

Dare to Be Different is a good saying in my book, which is why not only am I into flinters, and play the part of the villain at AWI events, but even further, I play an American that stayed loyal to The Crown. Very different in the minds of the tourists even though about 1/3 of the population at the time followed that sentiment.

LD
 
There are several things but the main one for me is the knowledge that I could still hunt even if all the stores closed down tomorrow. What I mean is I could make or find everything necessary to keep shooting my muzzleloaders.

1) Cast your own balls? ... piece of cake.
2) Make your own powder? ... definitely not
a piece of cake but doable.
3) Make your own caps? ... Tough but still can
do .. or just use a flintlock.
4) Find and knap your flints ... Can do.

It's the lack of needing anyone besides yourself to get by.
 
What keeps me interested is the schools dont hardly teach all the particulars or the thought process of those men who fought in the ACW. I try to bring to light just a small part of that time by doing first person as a veteran Irish infantryman who would be an old man in the ranks of mere boys just starting to shave. I enjoy talking to both students and teachers and bring a small sample of fryed salt pork and hardtack.
 
BillinOregon said:
What brings me back again and again is the history in it -- using perhaps the most iconic tool in a free man's or woman's tool chest and trying to use it just as my ancestors might have.
Great post and my sentiments exactly!

Brought up in a shooting/hunting family, as well as having machine tools - we (Dad, 3 bros & I) shot literally everthing!

Have shot modern guns in competition (bullseye & highpower), was a gunsmith & built many a successful competitive pistol & rifle, have checkered many a fine Win high wall up to buildkng ARs. But I just LOVE to shoot single shots; like Ruger #1s or Schuetzen BP cartridge rifles, plus, always gravitated towards single shots & offhand shooting! I am now HEAVILY into matchlocks and flintlocks (sold, or am selling off all caplocks. And also now NEVER shoot from a bench, less during load development or when sighting in the arm.

Last weekend I went to a large BP event, 40+ present, over half North-South US Civil War reenactors, plus some Span-Amer war, war 1812, plus some early cowboys w/ Henrys. All HAD TO USE black poweder loads. I was the ONLY one in early gear, dressed as 1740s French milicien (militia) and had my early French arms and an earlier English matchlock on my table.

The shooting events were all offhand and I will say that my 48" 62-cal club butt flint smoothie did better at the 100-yd gongs than most of the guns there, less the BP cartridge rifles. But to me it was simply the 'nut behind the trigger' that surely helped!

I had the occasion where one guy had a dozen rifles from Civil War on a table, w/ a dozen guys admiring them. Here I was in my wool matchcoat & Indian leggings and he asked me what I thought of them. I replied "Yeah, these arms are certainly cool, love the Burnside carbine ... but I'm just not into these modern firearms!"

I thought they all were going to die laughing! But I tell you, ALL of them (of the entire crew there) wanted to try the matchlock and about half tried the flintlocks. The matchlock impressed them the most with how FAST it fires! And I believe I made a few converts, as I have 2 Buyers for some of the flint muskets & rifles I had for show and sale ... no buyers for the 75-cal matchlock (as keeping the cavilier in 62-cal).
 
All you blokes who have already commented, thave stated the multitude of reasons that keep me interested. It is just a passion, and has been since I was old enough to recognise a muzzle loader. We may all be just old souls !

cheers
 
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