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).