A NOTE FROM DOC WHITE

[Buck Conner1]

“Muzzleloading will become so popular that eventually everyone who owns more than one gun will also own a muzzleloader. And he will shoot it, use it and hunt with it rather than just admire it.” Need I say more?

“Even though the major muzzle-loading market will be hunter driven, there will be more opportunities for the traditionalists among us than ever before. As always, there will soon be a resurgence of interest in things traditional as hunters attracted into muzzleloading because of another hunting season get caught up in the Rendezvous game and learn traditional ways. Shooting contests for modern in-line muzzleloaders won’t be far behind.” 

Admittedly, there are fewer small traditional shoots and rendezvous than there used to be, but a substantial number of big ones remain and they are bigger than ever. However, traditionalists are aging. One can see it by attending a few rendezvous. There are lots of gray heads and few young ones present. The  membership of the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association has fallen to 17000, from a top of 25000 in 1990.  It appears that traditionalism is slowly dying out, a sad affair. Shooting contests for more modern muzzleloaders haven’t happened yet, although I still expect it to come about.

Times are changing, both for the traditionalists and the muzzleloading hunter. I’m still tickled to be a part of it. Having seen muzzleloading develop like it has is like a dream come true. It’s great to be a part of history. 


Let’s all be sure that the mark we leave is a good one.


Good Hunting   :ttups:
‘Doc’ White

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

That was interesting to read.

 

[CoHiCntry]

 Shooting contests for more modern muzzleloaders haven’t happened yet, although I still expect it to come about.

When was this written?  I assumed recently but the comment above has me wondering???

 

[Buck Conner1]

You have to remember the gunsmith's of the old GRRW and GRRW.CA look at the past as being yesterday. What Doc says is correct with the in-lines as they are starting to appear regularly  on the firing line with associations and organizations having to change some of their guidelines where they use to be traditional only. CSMLA has adjusted a few years ago to this, and this year they had a young lady kick butt with an in-line shooting off a bench.  Doc was asked about in-lines as he was one of the manufacture in this type of weapon in at the start.

Doc gave this reporter a little history about in-lines who thought they were a new invention.

"Traditional fans seem to think in-lines are something new not realizing that percussion in-lines were invented by Jean Samuel Pauley within four years of the invention of the percussion cap, in 1808, nor does it seem to matter that in-lines use the same barrels and bullets as the sidelocks.

This has stimulated another group of inventors, to invent new products better adapted to the huge gang of hunters who were switching into muzzleloading. Alex Hamilton’s 10-X , Kurkowski’s Wolverine , Knight’s MK-95 and my Super-91 were all developed and marketed in the 1970-90 timeframe. Knight wasn’t the first as claimed, but he was the most successful. He came along at just the right time. We enjoyed the business against Knight with my White mfg and other in-lines like them as they came along. I sold the White In-Line business (which is now located in Provo UT). I still build and hunt with custom in-lines as well as my traditional lines of weapons, will probably to continue building and hunting for a few more years (maybe stop at 90 would make the wife happy)."  


By the way Doc is 82 years old, still works at the hospital 25 hours a week then goes home and builds guns working at total of 75-80 hours each week. Finds time to go on extended hunts to different parts of the world every other year bringing home some neat trophies.