Interesting and well written...

jbogg said:

............ Including modern inlines to the NMLRA may boost membership, but the club may survive in name only as older members pass on and take their old way with them. On the other hand there may be a lot of folks like me that were never exposed to traditional MLs and might develop an interest if given the opportunity. I can see both sides of the argument.

Click to expand...

I agree with the above. The average member age in the NMLRA is now 70 years young. Its quite evident by the numbers of letters to the editor, membership has dropped dramatically, especially since the 70's.
Here's my take on it, right or wrong...........
Traditionalists are hard headed as a rock, and they want nothing to do with anything "modern", especially modern inline rifles. However its quite the opposite for the new shooters of modern inline rifles. They are very interested in the traditional rifles in general. Expose them to traditional rifles and they may end up purchasing one. Many of the young guys aren't as financially well off as some of us older gents. However, one day hopefully they will.

jbogg said:

Well said hillbilly. I now realize you weren't knocking inlines, but rather speaking specifically about the NMLRA memberships. I get your point now, and for the most part agree. Just because my vehicle has four wheels doesn't mean I qualify to join the classic car club that meets at the ingles parking lot every month. Including modern inlines to the NMLRA may boost membership, but the club may survive in name only as older members pass on and take their old way with them. On the other hand there may be a lot of folks like me that were never exposed to traditional MLs and might develop an interest if given the opportunity. I can see both sides of the argument.

Click to expand...

Yep. Personally, I love shooting and hunting with caplocks and flintlocks. I have no interest in owning or hunting with an inline. I have no resentment for those who do, though. But, I also deer hunt sometimes with an AR-15, and many folks have the same opinion of them that I do about inline muzzleloaders.

There are two classifications:

Modern

Traditional

I'll stick with the Traditional! I know how to use blackpowder!

If the 'Inlines' are let into what hereto before has been TRADITIONAL MUZZLELOADING matches, etc. it will go the same way that what has befallen shooting of the National Match Course which was the mainstay of NRA HP shooting for over 100 years! When the NRA adopted into the rules F Class shooting which allowed scopes, bipods, front/rear rest the competitor force of across the course shooting has dropped off probably over 60% or more! This was done under the premise that it would allow the older shooters a chance to keep shooting! Service Rifle competitors have dropped off at an alarming rate as a result thereof! The younger generation of 'millennials' likes doing things the easy way and since that group of the population doesn't generally know squat about how to use standard barrel sights.....it's their accepted way to go the scope route! And basically the really 'red...' thing about all of this is because of the chase of the almighty dollar to keep $$$$ rolling into whatever organization that has thought of '*******izing' it's former rules! As far as this old boy is concerned the NMLRA is going to cut it's own throat!!

Rant over!!!!!!!!!!

Its interesting that some states are now allowing straight walled cartridges in seasons that used to be for muzzleloaders only.

lampern said:

Its interesting that some states are now allowing straight walled cartridges in seasons that used to be for muzzleloaders only.

Click to expand...

No, it`s stupid and a cheap and lazy way out.


If a weapon has fiberglass, iron, or steel on it, it`s not primitive. Not even my beloved traditional muzzleloaders and bows.

Primitive weapons are made of wood, stone, bone, antler, ivory, horn, shell.

Nicodemus said:

No, it`s stupid and a cheap and lazy way out.


If a weapon has fiberglass, iron, or steel on it, it`s not primitive. Not even my beloved traditional muzzleloaders and bows.

Primitive weapons are made of wood, stone, bone, antler, ivory, horn, shell.

Click to expand...

But, Nic-you know it puts undue hardship on the poor people if they have to pour powder and a bullet down the barrel of a gun, and can't shoot deer at 200 yards. That's just barbaric during muzzleloader season.

I wish I could still hunt with my New Englander I love the way it carries. Unfortunately I can no longer see through open sights well enough to hunt with it. A few years ago I was offered a no-brainer deal on a Traditions Pursuit with several boxes of Hornady sabots, shotgun primers and some Buckhorn 209 powder all for the staggering price of $100! couldnt pass it up. Put a fixed 4 power scope on it. I've killed quite a few deer with it and a bear. The trigger pull is not great even after a trigger job. I'd like to find a peep sight for my New Englander and start using it again. Dad has a Cherokee .45 caliber that is light as a feather maybe I'll trade him out of it and re-sight it. I bet it doesnt weigh 5 lbs. I love measuring out powder I've never used pellets I hear their a little harder to ignite. I've never had a failure to fire with any of my muzzleloaders knock on wood.

I had too many of those things go snap with a good deer standing there! Like the kaboom of a 209 primer and old eyes like a scope! To each his own though

Gbr5pb said:

I had too many of those things go snap with a good deer standing there! Like the kaboom of a 209 primer and old eyes like a scope! To each his own though

Click to expand...

Learning how to operate it solves that problem. An inline is absolutely no more dependable than a sidelock, they just require different strategies. And you have to know your rifle. I have never had mine go snap on a deer after learning how to use it, even hunting in pouring rain; except for once when I had a dud cap with no pop stuff in it.

I have had my sidelock go off in pouring rain more than once when my buddy's inline with 209s wouldn't-it's all about how you handle it.

NCHillbilly said:

Learning how to operate it solves that problem. An inline is absolutely no more dependable than a sidelock, they just require different strategies. And you have to know your rifle. I have never had mine go snap on a deer after learning how to use it, even hunting in pouring rain; except for once when I had a dud cap with no pop stuff in it.

I have had my sidelock go off in pouring rain more than once when my buddy's inline with 209s wouldn't-it's all about how you handle it.

Click to expand...

"You have to know your rifle." Best quote of the year in my opinion.
I consider my flintlocks to be more dependable than my old caplock and it was one of the good ones.
I literally can't remember the last time one of them failed to go off. But I do remember others in the past that did sometimes fail to fire. The difference is the time spent shooting and learning how to really shoot a flintlock and how to make it better.
Both of my rifles were built by me over 10 years ago. This year I did a super slick lock tune on each one and added simple peep sights to help my aging eyes. There are a number of small things that improve the performance of the old flintlock.
Here's a couple of little things you can do, after you oil your bore turn the rifle upside down for a week or so then back rightside up. Make this a process. All the oil eventually runs down and can contaminate both touchhole and flash channel. Sometimes you can see the oil through the touchhole.
Don't over lubricate the lock internals. This oil also migrates and some of it ends up in the pan and between the bolster and barrel. If a lock is properly tuned you don't need oil on the lockplate in the first place. I use a little grease where the mainspring contacts the tumbler. Also a little grease where the sear spring contacts the sear. And a touch more where the frizzen nose contacts the frizzen spring.
I coat the round part of the tumbler where it goes through the lockplate with a thin layer of grease also.
Using a q tip I dip it in oil, I use Delco synthetic for this, and just touch the notches in the tumbler.
And that's all my flinters need.
Before any deer hunt I remove the lock and wipe off any oil from the lockplate and bolster with alcohol and patch. I do the same thing for the pan, the flint (bottom especially), the underside of the frizzen and the face of the frizzen. Point is to remove any oil that might possibly cause a misfire.
Following these simple steps will decrease and maybe eliminate those misfires.

Yep but my muzzleloader started as a broke 18 year old with a cheap cva kit that we never quite got put together right! And my friend sighting his in with truck headlights were we could go on altoona and blue ridge hunts back in the 80s like y'all professional hunters! We didn't hurt much but we had fun!

Gbr5pb said:

Yep but my muzzleloader started as a broke 18 year old with a cheap cva kit that we never quite got put together right! And my friend sighting his in with truck headlights were we could go on altoona and blue ridge hunts back in the 80s like y'all professional hunters! We didn't hurt much but we had fun!

Click to expand...

Sounds like the way I started with blackpowder! Those were the days, weren't they? And I'm about as far from a professional hunter as you can get.

You only learn as much from a rifle.....as the time you're willing to spend with it!

Nicodemus said:

No, it`s stupid and a cheap and lazy way out.


If a weapon has fiberglass, iron, or steel on it, it`s not primitive. Not even my beloved traditional muzzleloaders and bows.

Primitive weapons are made of wood, stone, bone, antler, ivory, horn, shell.

Click to expand...

Actually I see no reason for any kind of primitive or muzzleloading seasons any more.

But thats just me.

Heck in GA kids can use any legal weapon while adults are restricted to bows and muzzleloaders.