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Where oh where are the shooting supplies

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I shoot both inline and traditional. Pretty high volume of each, but definitely less in the in-line than the side locks. One trick I have learned to both simplify my life and save money is to shoot loose Pyrodex. Both types of guns do well with it, it’s easy to keep on hand, and during this shortage it’s still available and not outrageously priced. I know it’s not the most popular powder, but it works for me.
 
I just don't understand the fascination with substitute powders. They cost more than basic black powder does. They are more corrosive, and in a way that eats deep pits into the steel of a barrel due to the perchlorates created during combustion. Except for BH209. Which costs way more than Swiss black powder. So you can kill animals at 200-300 meters with a scoped muzzleloading inline rifle. Which just mimics a modern bolt-action rifle.

But, then my first muzzleloading rifle was a .45 caliber flintlock longrifle that I bought when I was 17 years old for $330.00 in 1971. And, I never felt lacking in the hunting field with it compared to a modern rifle. Essentially, because I was self-taught, there was no internet with thousands of "EXPERTS" telling me what to be afraid of, and most of the published info in those days was positive. So, my .45 caliber killed everything I wanted it to, small game, & large. And, I blew down the barrel, never got hurt, made most of my own gear, figured it all out on my own with no mentors. Because, nobody else in my area was interested in shooting a longrifle like I was. I was alone.
 
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I do not doubt they shoot a lot of deer.
But generally, they do not shoot actual black powder, and they do not shoot their muzzleloaders for fun.
They shoot just enough to get zeroed in, or to check their zero just before the season, and little more.
At a dollar or two per shot for the components they typically use, who could blame them?
Enough components on hand to shoot, for example, 75 rounds, would last an in-line shooter a very long time, typically. I know or have known probably 25 to 30 in-line shooters over the years, and have never heard even one say they enjoyed shooting them.
Totally different story with almost all the very few shooters of traditional BP guns I have known, though.
That's a pretty broad brush you paint with.
 
I just posted on this subject over at Modern Muzzleloader. Before the pandemic, and the new shooters added because of the political situation, there were 50 million hunters/shooters. Approximately, 5-7 million new hunters/shooters have been added to the total in less than a year. That's a 10%-14% increase, which is significant.

Between the panic buying, and those 5-7 million new shooters getting outfitted, and most of them enthusiasticaly purchasing ammo to shoot, center-fire ammo shortages started early in the pandemic. And since 209 shotshell primers are almost exclusively used as a source of ignition in modern inline muzzleloading rifles, those ran out quickly as well.

When center-fire ammunition and components started drying up, a HUGE proportion of the now 55-57 million shooters/hunters that previously had ignored muzzleloading, now turned their attention to a sport that they had never before paid any attention to.

It doesn't take very many new people added to a very small population of traditional, and inline muzzleloading shooters to overwhelm the supply system.

I am just spitballing here, but I think I am pretty close to the real numbers.

Active m-l shooters prior to Covid-19 : 43,000
Max number of new m-l shooters: 10,000
Percentage of increase: 23.26%

Even if I have vastly over estimated the numbers, say it is only 2000 new shooters. That is still a significant addition to approximately 43,000 active shooters in a long-term stable population (4.652%). Because, all of the new shooters are going to want to shoot enthusiasticaly for at least the first couple of months that they own their weapons. Therefore, they will be purchasing a lot of powder, patches, percussion caps, flints, lubes, etc. Same thing for the inline folks.

That's why EVERYTHING IS IN SHORT SUPPLY!!!!!! A boatload of new shooters with all kinds of time on their hands to shoot. And all of the old shooters that panic purchased, stocked up, hoarded, call it what you want.

Muzzleloading is near the bottom of the firearms industry as far as sales goes. So, any company that makes center-fire components, and also makes muzzleloading components, is NOT going to put a priority on the muzzleloading components until they start catching up on their orders for the center-fire components. That's just how the bean counters think, and unfortunately as muzzleloading enthusiasts, we are at their mercy.
I've noticed that shortages are cyclical and mostly shirt lived. Production companies only have so much stock to fill panic buying orders but they work very hard to replace their stock in a timely manner. Sometimes I go to the store and they have no double Fg. Next time it's triple Fg. I just keep in touch with my supplier and he's happy to let me know when he's restocked. It's never more than a couple weeks. If I can't get powder for the traditional guns, I'll pickup pellets for the inline, etc, etc. I don't panic, I don't glut, it's not like anybody could hold off an army with them anyway. They're strictly target guns but in a pinch, I could hunt with them (and I haven't been hunting in years) so where does the panic come from?
 
The way I see things, I am not feeding my family with a muzzleloader. Neither, am I defending myself with one. So, I don't need 500 pounds of black powder, 1000 flints, an entire hide to cut flint leathers from, 5 bolts of fabric for patches, two 5-gallon buckets of rendered bear grease, 50 pounds of tow, & two 2,000 pound pallets of lead ingots to feed my flintlock longrifle.

I can purchase what I need to shoot, as I find it available to purchase. On sale, or not. At raised prices, or not. The times are what they are, and I have no time in my life for lamenting what once was. Live in the present I say, and deal with today's reality.
 
I just don't understand the fascination with substitute powders. They cost more than basic black powder does. They are more corrosive, and in a way that eats deep pits into the steel of a barrel due to the perchlorates created during combustion. Except for BH209. Which costs way more than Swiss black powder. So you can kill animals at 200-300 meters with a scoped muzzleloading inline rifle. Which just mimics a modern bolt-action rifle.

But, then my first muzzleloading rifle was a .45 caliber flintlock longrifle that I bought when I was 17 years old for $330.00 in 1971. And, I never felt lacking in the hunting field with it compared to a modern rifle. Essentially, because I was self-taught, there was no internet with thousands of "EXPERTS" telling me what to be afraid of, and most of the published info in those days was positive. So, my .45 caliber killed everything I wanted it to, small game, & large. And, I blew down the barrel, never got hurt, made most of my own gear, figured it all out on my own with no mentors. Because, nobody else in my area was interested in shooting a longrifle like I was. I was alone.
I've noticed that shortages are cyclical and mostly shirt lived. Production companies only have so much stock to fill panic buying orders but they work very hard to replace their stock in a timely manner. Sometimes I go to the store and they have no double Fg. Next time it's triple Fg. I just keep in touch with my supplier and he's happy to let me know when he's restocked. It's never more than a couple weeks. If I can't get powder for the traditional guns, I'll pickup pellets for the inline, etc, etc. I don't panic, I don't glut, it's not like anybody could hold off an army with them anyway. They're strictly target guns but in a pinch, I could hunt with them (and I haven't been hunting in years) so where does the panic come from?

The new political climate, ( New Normal ), which is pretty scary indeed.
Things will never be like they were before.
 
I just don't understand the fascination with substitute powders. They cost more than basic black powder does. They are more corrosive, and in a way that eats deep pits into the steel of a barrel due to the perchlorates created during combustion. Except for BH209. Which costs way more than Swiss black powder. So you can kill animals at 200-300 meters with a scoped muzzleloading inline rifle. Which just mimics a modern bolt-action rifle.

But, then my first muzzleloading rifle was a .45 caliber flintlock longrifle that I bought when I was 17 years old for $330.00 in 1971. And, I never felt lacking in the hunting field with it compared to a modern rifle. Essentially, because I was self-taught, there was no internet with thousands of "EXPERTS" telling me what to be afraid of, and most of the published info in those days was positive. So, my .45 caliber killed everything I wanted it to, small game, & large. And, I blew down the barrel, never got hurt, made most of my own gear, figured it all out on my own with no mentors. Because, nobody else in my area was interested in shooting a longrifle like I was. I was alone.

Substitute powders are much more available for those who shoot less than a pound a year, and won’t spend money on a multi-year supply. There are parts of the country where one would have to drive over 2 hours one-way to get real BP. 4 hours for others.
 
For those who forgot forum rule 7


"7: We do not discuss modern (in-line) muzzleloading firearms.
Early historic breech loading guns that do not use primed metallic or semi-metallic cartridges and meet the requirements of rule #1 are permitted for discussion.
See special rules at the bottom for posts about breech loading firearms."


For those who never bothered to read the forum rules

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/forum-rules.108881/
 
I try to prepare for 'possibilities' and have a very ample supply of powder, and a lot of other things for that matter. I don't trust that the fools running the show have anyone's best interest in mind, but their own.
Robby
 
I've noticed that shortages are cyclical and mostly shirt lived. Production companies only have so much stock to fill panic buying orders but they work very hard to replace their stock in a timely manner. Sometimes I go to the store and they have no double Fg. Next time it's triple Fg. I just keep in touch with my supplier and he's happy to let me know when he's restocked. It's never more than a couple weeks. If I can't get powder for the traditional guns, I'll pickup pellets for the inline, etc, etc. I don't panic, I don't glut, it's not like anybody could hold off an army with them anyway. They're strictly target guns but in a pinch, I could hunt with them (and I haven't been hunting in years) so where does the panic come from?

This is not like before.
 
The only thing I am lacking in is #11 caps. I was lucky to find 3 tins so I am good for awhile. But I do have a cannon
that I shoot 6 to 8 oz bp loads, That eats up the bp quick. I use either friction primers or quills for ignition. I better count the friction primers and see if I have a backlog on ordering them.
 
I just don't understand the fascination with substitute powders. They cost more than basic black powder does. They are more corrosive, and in a way that eats deep pits into the steel of a barrel due to the perchlorates created during combustion. Except for BH209. Which costs way more than Swiss black powder. So you can kill animals at 200-300 meters with a scoped muzzleloading inline rifle. Which just mimics a modern bolt-action rifle.

But, then my first muzzleloading rifle was a .45 caliber flintlock longrifle that I bought when I was 17 years old for $330.00 in 1971. And, I never felt lacking in the hunting field with it compared to a modern rifle. Essentially, because I was self-taught, there was no internet with thousands of "EXPERTS" telling me what to be afraid of, and most of the published info in those days was positive. So, my .45 caliber killed everything I wanted it to, small game, & large. And, I blew down the barrel, never got hurt, made most of my own gear, figured it all out on my own with no mentors. Because, nobody else in my area was interested in shooting a longrifle like I was. I was alone.
In my part of the country, substitute powder is the only type the stores will stock. So, that's what most people will buy. Me, I travel to areas where black powder can be found in large quantities. I will buy several pounds for myself and some for associates at my R/P club. They only shoot bp, as I do.
 
From what I'm reading here , all are on the same page. I grew up around black powder from my grandfather. I
never owned one till around 1971. All my shooting was with modern. but once I got the taste of black powder
I very rarely shoot modern now and that is with Hunter Education classes. I like to feel that I trying to get younger
kids interested in black powder I've always taken 4 or 5 black powder for them to try out. and shoot. In a sense
I'm not a hoarder , I buy ahead for the classes I teach. The SGT MAJ [wife} says that if there is a shortage then
it is because of my collecting. I too was brought up with the habits formed during the years of want.
I am proud of my country . family and all that I take a liking to.
Richard , the SGT MAJ 's gunny
 
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