Author Topic: HOW LONG HAVE BEEN SHOOTING-MUZZLE LOADERS? (Read 2000 times)

montanadan · « **on:** November 28, 2004, 01:03:06 PM »

I ask this because I still consider myself a newby. 3 1/2 years now. I must say I wish i had started sooner. I still shoot CAS, but not as much as use to. I kinda find it boring,stages seem to the same. I want thank everyone on this forum for all the information. Being in east central Wyoming, there are only about 6 clubs in the whole state. When weather permits can a least shoot two matches a month. Our state just broke 1/2 million for population.Thanks again Montanadan._

Birddog6 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2004, 01:23:41 PM »

Come January it will be 35 years for me... :-)

Glad you are enjoying yourself. There are allot of people that don't realize how much fun they are missing....

Good time Charlie · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2004, 02:07:18 PM »

A little over a year for me. I now have four rifles and four pistols and an empty bank account!
Old Charlie

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2004, 02:33:54 PM »

Since about 1973, wish I'd a got into it earlier! :wink:

Ramrod · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2004, 02:52:38 PM »

Off and on since 1977. More on than off, especially the last 5 or 6 years. Never joined a club or been to a match. Tree rats, bunnies, and woodchucks were my mentors. Oh and a pile of books and magazines over the years.

lostid · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2004, 06:07:52 PM »

since spring of 84,
p.s. lived in Glenrock/Douglas 80-84,, that was two children and 3 grand childern ago.
if the state has broke 1/2 mill for population,,sorry to hear,,urban sprawl ya know!,,it affects us all

WD45 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 29, 2004, 05:19:23 AM »

since 1976 ... Got one of those CVA kits for a gift. Learned a lot from my grand dad and the rest from books with a lot of trial and error.

Bottom_Slapper · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2004, 07:25:01 AM »

Hello All!

1975

Will Bison · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2004, 01:21:53 PM »

If you count homemade guns, I started in 1958.

Several of us youngsters found some aircraft turnbuckles at the local Army/Navy store. We used the part that the cable end slips into. By simply drilling a small hole in them we had ready made miniature handcannons. They were fired with a piece of Jetex fuse. We could carry them loaded and concealed at school.

My first "Store Bought" piece was a caplock pistol from Dixie about 1960 or 1961.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** November 29, 2004, 01:27:09 PM »

Well now, Will..you opened another door....When I was a kid in the 50's, we tore bike wheel spokes out of a bike or 2 and turned the "nut" around, filled it with match head shavins, crammed a shotgun BB in the end, heated it with a match and shot in like a mini canon at toys. :roll:

Dave K · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2004, 01:36:47 PM »

Since about '79. Didn't get real serious about it though until about '90. Before I just messed around with a T/C 45 Hawken and then a Lyman GPR 50. I just thought about that, soon I will have had the GPR 25yrs.

WD45 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2004, 01:51:00 AM »

Any of you guys shoot carbide when you were younguns.... fun stuff. :grin:
It used to be real common but its hard to find now around here

KING · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2004, 05:47:36 AM »

:-D A little hard to remember but I would say around 1961 or 62. The reason that I think this is the year is that I got a 8 ga, smoothbore bbl,and lock for same. My dad put a stock on it and the proper furniture to make it go boom. The............. .BOOM................for some odd reason.........seemed to leave a remarkable memmory for me. Shortly after that a .32 ,I think ,was purchased. Since that time..well........my safe is rather full of them along with .............yes............some of the really big boomers to play with. Stay safe......King

Singing Bear · « **Reply #13 on:** November 30, 2004, 06:15:56 PM »

Started 18 years ago with c&b for CAS. Within the last 5 years or so, a couple of deals came up that was really, really hard to refuse. One was for a CVA Hawken flintlock and the other for a CVA Mountain Rifle. Been having a blast with these and, a couple of years ago, acquired a Dixie Penn Super Cub flintlock right here on GBO's classifieds. It was for sale for a charity at half the retail price. Gun was better than described and NIB! :grin:

crow_feather · « **Reply #14 on:** December 01, 2004, 12:29:57 PM »

I bought my first kit in 1979, stuck a jag down the bore, was told by a friend to shoot it out, thought I was gonna die. Jag flew out and I was hooked.

C F

Loozinit · « **Reply #15 on:** December 02, 2004, 03:00:17 PM »

Since 1974. Have always liked the traditional style guns. Not too into clubs an' clothing though. No problem with a good GPS unit in the woods.

SINGLETREE 45 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2004, 04:40:35 PM »

I built my first one in 1971 (a CVA long rifle). I didn't have a clue how to load the thing but a friend at the range knew how to load it but didn't know how much powder to use. We started with 25 gn. of 3f. This was a little on the light side. We finally got a good load for it. Over the years i've learned more about shooting & building M/L having built 10 or 15 kits and my old standby scratchbuilt. This hobby is habit forming & leads to many hours of fun. Too bad there wasn't internet & foram's like this when I got started. :oops:

XCOP · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2004, 05:57:08 PM »

I shot my first black powder weapon in 1971. My Dad bought a replica Colt Navy revolver(I don't remember the brand). He had never fired it and one day brought it over for me to try out. We went out and got the proper necessities and took it to the range. I was hooked. I think I was instantly addicted to the sulphur smell, the smoke and the grime. My first rifle was a Navy Arms Zouave. Terrible accuracy, but I sure enjoyed it. Since then I have lost count of all the BP arms I have owned. Two Green River Rifle Works Lehmans, a Mowry Allen&Thurber, a couple of self built. I didn't shoot for a long time, and am just now getting back into it. I love to punch paper, but have always been a hunter at heart. Have taken a lot of deer and elk, and one pronghorn. Prefer flintlocks, just cause.

quigleysharps4570 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 11, 2005, 05:22:57 PM »

A buddy that I worked with had a kentucky longrifle that he'd put together from a kit...I shot it...loved it...bought my kit. That was in 1975, been at it every since.

filmokentucky · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2005, 05:32:34 PM »

Don't know what the year was, but it was when the first Dan'l Boone movie came out--the Disney one. One of the old timers that hung out at the local general store heard a group of us kids talking about the movie and the guns in it and asked us if we'd like to fire a rifle like Dan'l used.
Didn't have to think twice about that and off we went. The rifle actually turned out to be a little half stock percussion and I have no idea as to the caliber. We all (maybe four or five of us) got a chance to fire it and I suppose the hook was set as far I was concerned. I've been interested in frontloaders ever since and that old gentleman never knew what he'd started.

DaveP · « **Reply #20 on:** March 12, 2005, 01:26:20 AM »

It'll be 20 years this fall,with long guns.Last couple years have been havin' a ball-with a cap and ball.Dave

sharps4590 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 12, 2005, 01:43:48 AM »

I shot a friends rifle in '74 or '75. In a matter of weeks I had my own and haven't looked back. Not sure how many I have in the safe now or have owned over the years, bunches! Used to shoot a lot of matches for the fun and commaraderie but I've always been a hunter. Since moving back to Missouri from Wyoming I dug out the small bores and have been thoroughly enjoying myself hunting the game I was weaned on. Good 'ol squirrels!!!

Vic

wormbobskey · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2005, 05:21:28 PM »

My Dad turned me loose with a .45 hawkin when I was 14. I guess he figured I wouldn't burn up to much ammo with the muzzleloader. He was wrong. I pretty much gave up on my .22 and shotgun that year and carried the T/C Hawkin wherever I went. Shot groundhogs in the off season and hunted deer with it in the fall. Great gun, wish I still had it today. Worm

Loozinit · « **Reply #23 on:** March 13, 2005, 04:55:34 AM »

Since 1974 when I turned eighteen and was old enough to buy a rifle. It was a CVA Zouave. I've owned several different types over the years but have settled on a Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle (1976) and a Lyman GPR (1982), both in .50 caliber, caplock. I've taken my share of deer with 'em.

D.E.C · « **Reply #24 on:** March 13, 2005, 02:05:24 PM »

Lets see,
Started with cap and ball revolvers about 1979,
bought my first muzzle loader about 1988, .58 Zouve.
First Sharps , 1874 carbine 1990, bp cartridge.
couple of rolling blocks and Sharps later, ( did I forget to mention 1873 winchesters, 1866 winchesters and several colt and colt clones,) about 1996 I progressed to the 18th century for a year or so. Then my first kid came along and diverted my attention for a couple of years, and a second kid, another Harley, ( somewhere in there I turned 40), about June of last year I started muzzle loading again, have'nt shot anything since. Now own a .50 perc. a .50 flint gpr. built from kit. a .36 cabela blue ridge flint ,a .54 cabela blue ridge flint and a .50 gpr pistol. considering a brown bess.

tryit · « **Reply #25 on:** March 14, 2005, 10:51:37 AM »

Spring of 1958 at Fort Lee Virginia. Shot my $55.00 Trenton musket in the North-South Skirmish Association national match. Been shooting and building ever since. I was 15 at the time. I had shot my fathers musket before but all out full was at that time. Tryit.

Wynn · « **Reply #26 on:** March 14, 2005, 01:13:06 PM »

In 1965, I had begun shooting smallbore rifle competition and one day at the range, a old geezer hauled out a .50 with a barrel about 2" thick and 42" inches long. No forestock on it at all. He showed me how to load it and I fired 5 or 6 rounds with it. Real tack driver at 100yds. Still don't know what kind of rifle it was but he claimed it was 1850s vintage. The next range trip, I carried along a couple of single shot pistols I had inherited from my Grandfather and we fired them with 20 grains of Goex. That fall, the old guy took me dove hunting with a percussion 10 ga double. ( He had a 20 and laughed like hell everytime I shot ) Talk about fun. I was of course hooked. I bought a older .45 cal Pennsylvania repro off the old guy and been at it ever since. (By the way, this old guy wiped between shots using straight moonshine and swore by it for cleaning)

jbtazgrabber · « **Reply #27 on:** March 14, 2005, 05:05:29 PM »

HOW LONG????THATS EASY IT WAS 26 YRS AGO....WHENE BELL BOTTOM JEANS WAS cool I HAD HAIR TO THE MIDDLE OF MY BACK HAD ALL MY TEETH AND KILLED MY FIRST DEER WITH A CVA 45 CAL KIT GUN....NOW I WISH I HAD ALL OF IT BACK.

:-D :grin: JB

Longknife · « **Reply #28 on:** March 17, 2005, 12:44:13 PM »

Got my first cap and ball revolver in "73 and learned first hand what CHAIN FIRE was!!!!!!!! I now own 4 revolvers, 2 flint pistols, one perc pistol,(the first Kit I ever built), 5 sxs shot guns (repro) 4 sxs shotguns(orig), 3 flint smooth bores, 2 flint rifles, 2 perc rifles (orig) I have built numerous kits and scratch built 3 guns. (I have my #4 & #5 in progress). I have been a mountain man, a half breed, in a French Malitia , a Rev. war malitia Captain and am now Pvt. John Shields with the Corps. of Discovery. It's a DISEASE and I hope there's NO CURE!!!!!!

Longknife · « **Reply #29 on:** March 17, 2005, 12:57:12 PM »

Forgot to mention my mortar and cannon WHAT A HOOT!!!!!!!!