Why In-Line Muzzleloaders?

[drpatton]

How long do you think that the "inline" design has been around? My brother-in-law built an inline .50 cal with a Douglas 1" hex 1-66 twist round ball barrel 40 years ago. Ken Johnston of Ultimate Firearms was building them in the early 60's. Some of the first truly functional inline rifles were developed just after the civil war. Further development was hindered due to the development of metalic cartridges. Percussion rifles became "old" technology. Now as far as being like a cartridge rife, I don't know how to break this to ya but all muzzleloading rifles load from the MUZZLE. You still have to pour powder, load a projectile, ad an ignition source and cock a hammer. Where you light the powder from really makes no difference. Telescopic sights (scopes) were developed in the mid 1830's.

I think maybe your question should be, why modern ML's over traditional new/old ML's.

To me, the difference between the two are like the difference between a sedan and a sports car. It's a matter of preference. I want to understand the preference. Why sports cars?

 

[GM54-120]

Why sports cars?

Can you think of any large vendor that offers a 45cal 1-20 twist sidelock that weighs under 8lbs?

I cant so i chose the sports car.

 

[Pathfinder60]

Sorry, I don't engage in politics or religion here

Fair enough. My mistake. My apologies to the administrators and the members.

 

[SuperKirby]

I can actually answer this question. The important thing to realize is that there’s a million different answers so I feel like your question isn’t one that can be neatly wrapped up.

For me, an inline muzzleloader is a bond between family and the sole reason I didn’t quit hunting.
When I was 20 I moved from everything I knew and a place I loved in WY to my new bride’s family farm in MN. I didn’t know anyone and had nothing familiar. It was uncomfortable.
I tried hunting shotgun season here and hated it. It was completely foreign, enough that I was going to quit hunting and upset that it was one more thing I didn’t have anymore.

My father in law had a Knight Wolverine and offered to teach me how it worked. Reluctantly I agreed and for whatever reason I was hooked at the first shot. We talked almost daily after that, usually at least some about guns, hunting and usually muzzleloaders. Not a path I ever planned to go down but gave me something to enjoy, something to make my own at a time when I really needed it.

Who knows? Maybe if he would have come out with a percussion or a flintlock I would have gone down that path instead. I doubt it though because I was reluctant enough to try an “Elmer Fudd gun.” Anything different than what he let me try probably would have been rejected.

Now all that said, the more traditional stuff has grown in appeal to me as I’ve perished this hobby. Someday I plan to pursue that avenue. Where I am in life today with kids, work and the farm I don’t have the time to try. I’m content with what I have and what I use and I like knowing there’s still so much more to this hobby for me to learn.

 

[JeffB1961]

i forgot to mention , i'm not comfortable with the idea of exposing my eyes to sparks/fire/smoke openly igniting literally a inch or two from them . or keeping track of multiple powders .

i guess i'm scared , lazy and dumb

 

[lwakefie]

Dr Patton, you must be really old if the Marines taught you to shoot a flintlock. Just kidding Jyrene. In my experience an inline is the better huntng gun over the sidelocks because it is less finicky giving a better chance of no hangfires or misfires. So more ethical for clean kills. Sidelocks are akin to Harley Heritage motorcycles, good for nostalgic folks who appreciate beautiful stylish things. Now for a question to you. What does your icon mean? I am a Marine and they just don't get any better.
PS, my Marine marksmanship was learned with an M14. That makes me old as dirt.

 

[RobRed]

I recently moved to a ML /shotgun only state. I found In-lines to be available and approachable for a brand new black powder shooter like my self. I can go to the store and **mostly** get what i need.

I am a dedicated archer and consider bow hunting to be my primary means of take, however it can be a major challenge and a lot of physical hard work to be a successful bow hunter and sometimes I end up with no deer in the freezer by the end of bow season. Having the ability to increase my chances of getting it done with a far reaching and accurate tool during firearms season, after I have already endured a hard grind through bow season is appealing.

I also have learned to enjoy how easy they are to clean, my break action rifle comes apart in second and I can scrub every inch with soap and water in minutes.

Here's the kicker... Now that I have some black powder experience I have been bitten by the flint lock bug! I never really appreciated these guns in the past and now that I understand them a bit more I'm becoming an enthusiast. Now I will most likely have to build a gun from a kit (if its available when I need it, I'm sure it will be a wait), source actual black powder for the flash pan (still have no idea how to do this), and learn how to use the gun proficiently. So basically between family and running my business... This time next year I may be shooting a flint lock

Not exactly the easy button to go hunting, but sounds like a cool adventure.

 

[Les Harris]

Bottom line is use whatever is legal and you like. Dividing shooters into smaller groups is just what non shooters want. Whatever you prefer to do works for me. I live in PA. and hunt early Inline ,bow ,and gun season and late muzzleloader seasons. Why because they are all in the woods and I enjoy them all.

 

[treepotato]

i forgot to mention , i'm not comfortable with the idea of exposing my eyes to sparks/fire/smoke openly igniting literally a inch or two from them . or keeping track of multiple powders .

i guess i'm scared , lazy and dumb

This was a huge factor in the decision for me. Most people have a spare eye, but I'm functionally blind in my left eye. I'm exceptionally protective of my one usable eye, and I don't want to have to wear eye pro while hunting.

 

[Jbrown69]

Reproduction shooting all started out as fads. From what I read, it was the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" which started it. The in-line fad is more recent. I really wanted to know why people were drawn to in-lines. To me, it's no different than picking a sports car over a van.

Thompson Center was one of the best muzzleloader makes in business. I heard a long time ago, maybe 30 years or more, a stock Renegade was a MOA shooter out of the box. I recently saw a few videos, where one of the initial starters of this forum, consistently shot under MOA with a stock Renegade, with the exception of the sights. He used Peeps.

Smith & Wesson comes along and buys Thompson Center. S&W uses T/C to market a somewhat new fad in In-Line rifles. S&W must have seen huge profit potential with their T/C line; However, what S&W did was ruin T/C or at least placed them in a market where they couldn't compete with the quality T/C had always produced. Now, T/C is no longer in business and S&W can't sell them off.

I wanted to know as much about in-lines and the people who bought them. Why did they buy them? What attracted them to an in-line? What drew S&W to buy T/C and in the end, kill the company. And it's all about In-Lines.

That is what my question was all about.

Ah TC did make inlines before S&W. Does Omega, firehawk, encode not qualify as inlines? And they were well received!

 

[Jbrown69]

Nothing to do with being thin skinned and everything to do with just being a generally irritable question. You wouldn’t go onto a Ford board and ask why people drove Fords when you thought Chevy’s were superior and expect a different answer.

Do you have a house built after 1875? Do you have electricity? Running water? What about heat and air conditioning of some form? Do your windows have glass in them? Where do you want to draw the line? You choose to use what you do in life because it meets a certain need. Sometimes that need is essential to life and sometimes convenience. And sometimes that need is a fulfilling hobby and inline muzzleloaders are what do it for most of us on this board.

The question may have been intended to gather information but unfortunately was phrased in a way that implies you think lesser of those that don’t do things your way. Anytime you approach someone in that way you should expect an equal response.

My guess is that if the old mountain man saw and understood inlines like today's. He would of taken the inline for he needed to survive!

 

[SuperKirby]

The part that I don’t understand, and you see it in bow and muzzleloader, but the traditionalists get real angry if you dare corrupt “their” season with a modern-but -still-legal implement but you never hear it go the other way. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s awesome people still do it the old way but that certainly isn’t the only way.

 

[Omega218r]

I have hunted and taken deer with both an in-line and a side lock and have enjoyed both.
I also ride and enjoy European motorcycles but don’t look down on the folks that ride other brands.

 

[Pathfinder60]

I have hunted and taken deer with both an in-line and a side lock and have enjoyed both.
I also ride and enjoy European motorcycles but don’t look down on the folks that ride other brands.

Unfortunately there are many people of inferior character, driven by their unknown (to them) character defects that aren't as mature as you. As I'm sure you're aware.

 

[Omega218r]

And I just remembered I have shot pistol bullets and sabots out of one side-lock Renegade

 

[GUN NUT]

And I just remembered I have shot pistol bullets and sabots out of one side-lock Renegade

How do you live with yourself LOL

 

[Squeeze]

Flintlock, caplock, inline, rifle, recurve, compound, x-bow... whatever gets you in the game. Whats not to understand?

 

[dbowling]

Why would you come on a forum that's dedicated to MODERN MUZZLELOADING and ask a question under the premise of just discussion/edification on your part then when some or everyone gives you a answer you continue to debate.. this makes me believe the only reason to start said discussion is to create a argument or troll.
How much more education on your part do you need other then what people have given you, anything after that is just wanting to create conflict.

 

[10acres]

I think it is a matter of what you are exposed to. The first muzzleloader I shot was an in-line many years ago. When I wanted to extend my deer season with a muzzleloader my choice was a scoped inline because that is what I knew.

I have since bought and sold numerous side locks. I hunted with them as well as my inlines. I just need a scope these days and won‘t scope a side lock. So all of my side locks are gone now.

My guns are for hunting and putting meat in the freezer, I don’t shoot competitions or reenactments. Thats my reason and to each their own.

 

[10acres]

Not to hijack the thread, but my question would be this.

Why smokeless muzzleloading?