Cute Muzzleloading Story

[Ninering62]

So, I am a member of a sportsman's club where as part of my membership, I have to serve as a range officer a couple of times a year. Well today a 73 year old man comes with his Omega and he just can't get it to shoot straight...so I start to help him with it, reboresighted it, and it just would not hold zero. Eventually he tells me that it fell 15 feet out of a tree! So I tell him that I expect that the scope is just plain broken and that the recoil from each shot is throwing everything off. He gets very upset because his daughter was going to hunt with him tonight- coming special from college and it would be their first time hunting together. I'd brough a gun of mine by to the range and I told him- look, let's test my theory...so I mounted my scope on his Omega, boresighted and two shots later we were hitting bullseyes. Problem is that we were far away from any store where he could buy a new scope- so I told him he could just keep mine on his gun and continue with his hunt. He was super appreciative but insisted on buying the scope from me right there...and as he left the range he actually gave me a hug because of how important being able to hunt with his daughter was to him this evening! - The irony that I am "the blackpowder guy" now at my club is amusing considering ya'll know that without the wisdom on this forum, I'd be lost in the woods myself! After seeing me work this guy, two other people came up to ask about muzzleloaders and one went online and bought one right then!

Thanks for sharing a really nice story with us. Good on ya too for your kindness, patience, & generosity. If only we all could treat each other like that........

 

[Ninering62]

BP is a genuine sickness that compels you to acquire a strange collection of materials. The cure does not present itself until you run out of cash. Then along comes some enabler that says "oh it's OK. Just pay me later!

Duuuude, you're in a massive herd of " enabler " enablers. Oh yeah, we're " Real Pros " in here buddy.

 

[Ninering62]

A standard we all need to try to live by. An inspiration.

YesSir

 

[Ninering62]

Agree w/all the ”rabbit hole” and “enabler” comments…

Came here strictly for info on the CVA Optima V2 pistol, as I was interested in buying one. No other interest in growing my accumulation- I already had a T/C Omega dialed in, “good enough” for my hunting uses.

Less than a year later, I’ve added two of the CVA Optima V2s, two T/C Scout carbines, and a T/C Patriot pistol, to my accumulation. Oh… and ball molds, and T/C Maxi molds, and guy should really have a good stash of lead, and… I’ve got a bunch of blocks of mutton tallow, and beeswax, and felt with punches to cut wads, and sabots, and…

Stocked up on various 209s, #10 and #11 caps (domestic AND foreign), Pyrodex, black powder, and BH 209.

Pine Sol, Windex, Ballistol… should really buy a gallon of Ballistol. It’s “cheaper” by the gallon!

Now I need some .45 ramrod accessories, as I’m having a hard time getting the .50 caliber accessories down a .45 bore. Should try those new speed loaders, too. What I’ve been doing for the past 20 years has worked fine, but the new ones might be better!

A fella really ought to have a .32 “squirrel rifle,” too. I wonder how a .36 compares to a .32… and a .54. Really need a .54! Nice .58 for sale in the Classifieds, and the seller called me about about not having a “real man’s“ rifle. Probably should get a .52… .50’s not quite enough for that big deer, but the .54 is a bit TOO much…

Now about that underhammer, and a Tingle pistol, and…

I want a Tingle pistol too. It was difficult to not be able to buy the .40 & .45 I saw on GB a cpl yrs ago.

 

[BP Addict]

That’s a great story! I’d love to know how the hunt turned out. What a fine gesture you made. I’m sure he’ll be forever grateful!

Because I’m the President of the Muzzleloading club whose Matches are sponsored by my local Gun Club, I’m known as “Mr. Muzzleloader” there. But I chose my handle due to the “too many to list” muzzies in my two Cannon 40-count gun safes (BTW, they don’t hold that many!). There are currently a few in a rifle rack near my workbench because the safes are full! I’m not bragging, and my signature line is more accurate now than ever. Black Powder addiction is worse than Crack!

Now, in my defense, at least half a dozen of those are for ML Classes and Boy Scouts. Another six or more need repairs to be sold. AND several belong to family members.

When I started this journey, all I did was look down the barrel of a CVA Kentucky Pistol that was in the Glass Case at the Montgomery Ward where I was working. Within a short time, I acquired a rifle and pistol. Then I found a group to shoot with. This was in the mid-80s when things were still plentiful and there were at least a dozen manufacturers and importers. Heck, even Woolworths sold guns!

Decades later with kids grown, a better income allows me to afford things I WANT and don’t necessarily NEED. Plus, I buy, sell, and trade to help pay for the hobby. I just picked up over $1200 worth of ML stuff for $300! I’ll probably take it to a gun show with a 50% off sign and still double my money. I bought four guns for $80 at our Frontier Heritage Fair. All need some work for resale. Those are the ones in the rack!

I discovered this forum because I had purchased an Inline for classes (we need to have a Percussion, Flintlock, and Inline) and needed info. Now I have two. One for what I call, General Season. They used to call it Center-fire Rifle but now you can use any legal firearm. Another for ML season if I happen to draw a tag unless I decide to use something more Traditional. Unfortunately, it’s either/or here and not an extra hunt. I can’t use the same gun, because my Break-open was an impulse buy and not legal for Oregon. They require flints or caps, loose powder, and solid lead projectiles. No sabots or plastic skirts. No Scopes either, but Fiber-optic Sights are allowed.

I think the thing that intrigues me the most is trying to get Modern Rifle Accuracy out of a Muzzleloader! I know guys at the Range that reload but it requires a Press, Smokeless Powders, and Primers, plus cleaning a depriming brass, etc. I can do all that with my various components and spend more time at the shooting bench versus the reloading one!

I must say, I was surprised to find sidelocks here also. I thought the name referred to Inlines but there are those who shoot Smokeless powder in specially-made guns to handle that, plus the Modern-made side lock. Very Inclusive! This is starting to become my favorite Forum.

 

[rangerod]

You know...if I knew when I signed up for this Forum how much time I'd spend on it, I probably would have come up with a better name! I am following your advice and requested a name change...though AJHS is still there...as you can see in my avatar picture..the original name had a meaning! If you had told me when I first signed up that within a year I'd own 4 muzzleloaders, a grain scale, real black powder and a variety of subs...it's almost funny. I swear I signed up because I wanted a new bullet recommendation because I was disatisfied with the performance on the Hornday XTP 240 grain...that was a year ago because that was right after early ML in Maryland last year and this weekend is early ML in Maryland again! This really is a great community and I feel very lucky to have found it.

Common story. I'll bet when members read your post they thought of themselves. I only intended in the beginning to have one muzzy. Now I have thirteen. Don't know where they all came from. They just seem to show up.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Common story. I'll bet when members read your post they thought of themselves. I only intended in the beginning to have one muzzy. Now I have thirteen. Don't know where they all came from. They just seem to show up.

At some point many of us become ‘the muzzleloader guy”or “the black powder guy”. Then it really takes off people want to give you their passed away grandpas ML stuff and ask you questions about blackpowder and if you dress up like Daniel Boone. I just play along most times, maybe someone will sell me some rare old guns for cheap one day.

 

[snapbang]

Common story. I'll bet when members read your post they thought of themselves. I only intended in the beginning to have one muzzy. Now I have thirteen. Don't know where they all came from. They just seem to show up.

Count me in. I was seduced to the dark side a few years ago. Things were simple enough. Then I found out how much I dont know. Been reloading CF for 35 years and used BP for the same. Have learned a pile here. Didn't know what a Knight was. Now I have five. Lots of good accessories. Had four or five TC side-locks but sold a few lately. Bring your wallet and a smile.

 

[Wilyote1]

Thank you for helping the older guy and making his hunt happen. Your generosity will be repaid.

I signed on to this group almost a year ago. Asked a bunch of questions and then decided to read as many of the comments as I could. The information from this group has proved to be extremely valuable. The people that have helped me offered advice when I was stumped. The $$$ I spent because of this group was well spent. Seeing my sons taking up BP shooting is priceless. Plus I get to spend more time with them in the woods.