Ajbennettsocialsstudies.files.wordpress.com



Austin BennettProf. Dusty RossENG 1000-1394 April 2014Traditional Muzzleloaders: Why to Use and Enjoy ThemThere are few experiences that can top or even match the thrill of shooting an antiquated muzzleloading rifle, musket, shotgun, pistol, or revolver. Showers of sparks, bursts of flame, a thunderous boom, and clouds of white smoke fill the surrounding air with excitement and charm whenever a muzzleloader is fired. A projectile, be it a round ball, a “Minié” ball, or a cluster of shot, flies accurately into the desired target, and a shooter lowers his piece with satisfaction. Such is a common occurrence in the sport of shooting muzzleloading firearms, especially traditionally styled ones. Traditional muzzleloading firearms should be considered and used by sportsmen and gun enthusiasts because there are many positive attributes that make them viable tools, even in the modern age. In today’s world, modern cartridge firearms are a necessity for the defense of life, home, and property. However, more often than not, one finds that the guns owned and used for pleasure and sport are nearly as modern as guns meant for defense. There is certainly reason to this, since modern guns offer shooters better accuracy, safety, and ease of use. However, there is also an unfortunate consequence. Due to the high demand for and use of breechloading firearms, the nearly lost art of shooting muzzleloaders is increasingly forgotten by shooting enthusiasts across the country. The old-timey “smoke-poles” similar to the likes of which could be found in use everywhere just a little over a century ago are now as foreign to most of the shooting world as some sort of futuristic ray gun might be to 16th century musketeer. As many even in the shooting world do not know much about muzzleloaders, it is necessary to define what they are. According to Nonte, a muzzleloader is defined as a firearm designed to be loaded from the muzzle, or front end, of the barrel by means of a ramrod (207.) Of this type of firearm, today one can find two major categories, side-locks and inlines, and within those categories are even more types that diverge from one another. Differences between the two groups are great, such as distinctions of propellants, projectiles, mechanisms, cleaning, and shooting procedures in general. The side-locks are of the traditional types as opposed to the more modern inline muzzleloaders, which are more closely related to modern centerfire rifles than they are muzzleloaders from the “golden age” of muzzleloading CITATION Cha14 \l 1033 (Chastain). Inline guns were first introduced into the market during the 1990s and have now reached such a height of popularity that the majority of the time when a store carries blackpowder arms and accessories, the entire section is devoted only to inline guns. Side-locks on the other hand are rare to find, and rare to outfit, due mainly to their rapid replacement by inline guns in the hunting community as inlines became more widely available in the sporting goods section of “Wally Worlds” across America. The question often asked by non-frontstuffer shooters when it comes to muzzleloaders is: why? As muzzleloader inventor and builder Gary “Doc” White puts it, “why would any intelligent man stoop to using a gun that is slow to load, has a trajectory like a rainbow, requires constant management, is dirty, smelly and otherwise loathsome to use?” CITATION Whi14 \l 1033 (White). Muzzleloading guns, especially the “old-timey” styled ones, have an infamous reputation amongst many in the shooting world for being slow to load, risky to shoot, and a pain to care for and use in general. The reason for this comes from misunderstandings; folks simply do not know anything about muzzleloaders anymore, due to the rapid and widespread adoption of more efficient breechloading arms in the late 19th century. Even those who hunt with inline muzzleloaders know little to nothing about traditional guns, especially flintlocks and other older styles. Lack of knowledge of and interest in traditional muzzleloaders has made getting into the hobby more difficult, as gun shops continue to cease carrying the necessities for shooting old-timey guns.However, despite their obsoleteness, dirtiness, and fickleness, there are still valid reasons to use traditional muzzleloaders. One such reason is to recreate the role which they have played in our world’s history, especially American history. When speaking of the history of firearms themselves, nearly all guns were muzzleloaders for the majority of that history. Most of the guns carried by the early European settlers of the Americas, the soldiers of the Revolution and the War Between the States, and numerous characters of the Old West, were blackpowder muzzleloaders. The daily use of such guns in the US did not cease to be as long ago as often thought. For example, in many parts of the Appalachian Mountains muzzleloaders remained in use well into the early twentieth century due to isolation from the more industrialized regions of the country and the need to thus be as self-sufficient as possible (Irwin 8). Shooting traditional guns can be a way to harken back to the days of old. George Nonte makes the point that just as many Americans take great interest in doing various activities the old-fashioned way, so do muzzleloader shooters (9). Considering that some of the tasks of yesteryear are menial and quite unappealing, muzzleloading offers a great means of reaching back in time to do things the way our predecessors did. The sense of self-sufficiency that was utilized by folks back during the era of the muzzleloader is not gone. Still extant is a certain sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that can be drawn from the shooting of muzzleloaders, due perhaps to the additional work involved in their application. A muzzleloader shooter is more so involved in the shooting process than one who shoots a modern gun, and this can lead to that feeling of self-sufficiency CITATION Whi14 \l 1033 (White). The muzzleloader enthusiast takes so much more stock in every step required to send the projectile on its merry way; from how many grains of propellant are used, to how the projectile is seated in the bore, to how reliable the ignition system will be in setting off the charge. When all the steps necessary are completed correctly, the fruit of the shooter’s labor can be especially sweet, and all of the hassle and chore of loading is forgotten and dissipated in a puffy cloud of powder smoke.Part of the reason to hunt with or shoot a muzzleloader is the challenge which it provides to be overcame, a concept no different than that of bowhunting. There are numerous factors in why muzzleloader hunting poses a challenge, including trajectory, loading, sights, and vulnerability to the weather (White). Black powder is a notorious water absorber, and as such can keep a muzzleloader from being as reliable in certain damp or wet conditions as it would be in the dry. However, contrary to popular belief, weather does not always have to render a muzzleloader incapable of firing. When certain actions are taken, such as using various purchased or improvised apparatuses that keep moisture out of the gun, a muzzleloader can still go off as desired CITATION Geo74 \p 164-165 \l 1033 (Nonte 164-165). Accuracy with traditional guns is not as rough as commonly purported, for it is simply different. Whereas a centerfire cartridge rifle shoots flat, a muzzleloading rifle shoots with a rainbow like trajectory CITATION Whi14 \l 1033 (White). Practice and know-how can overcome this difference, just as one would need to practice any skill they wish to improve upon. Understanding the muzzleloading gun’s shortcomings and practicing so as to either negate them or turn them into advantages really makes one a superior hunter CITATION Geo74 \p 174 \l 1033 (Nonte 174). By being limited in their capabilities with their firearm, the muzzleloader hunter must work harder to achieve his goal and hit his mark, which can make the result ever so rewarding.In addition to the previously listed benefits of muzzleloaders, there are yet more, one of such being exercise of the mind and body. The task of loading requires memorization of various movements, some of which can give a light workout. Seating a round with a ramrod can certainly make one break a sweat, as after each shot it usually becomes just a bit harder to reload due to fouling in the bore. By this very nature, muzzleloaders require more physical energy to shoot than do their modern counterparts. However, they also can exercise the mind and eye, by forcing the user to learn how and where his gun will shoot. The third US president Thomas Jefferson took note of this during his lifetime. In a letter to his nephew, he wrote “As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprize [sic], and independance [sic] to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks" CITATION Bea14 \l 1033 (Bear). During Jefferson’s day, most firearms were flintlock muzzleloaders, so he surely was speaking of using such guns. The sport of shooting traditional muzzleloading guns has many useful applications. It is not a practice to be left for loss to time. Even in this modern age, traditional muzzleloaders have their place in the shooting world, and for many reasons. They are works of great craftsmanship, practical tools, and overall outlets for recreation and enjoyment of the outdoors. As Doc White puts it, “So there’s a number of reasons for muzzleloading: being a part of history, living up to the traditions of your forefathers, the romance of going it the hard way, dressing up in an adult sort of way, accepting the challenge of an inferior weapon and making it work despite the problems and limitations inherent to it” CITATION Whi14 \l 1033 (White). The benefits and enjoyment that one can have with such firearms far outweigh the limitations and problems that so often are doted on by those who haven’t gotten into the sport yet. The hobby of traditional muzzleloading is exciting, rewarding, satisfying, and overall, great fun. With hope, it will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come. Works Cited BIBLIOGRAPHY Bear, James A. "Firearms." n.d. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Web. 25 February 2014.Bridges, Toby, et al. Black Powder Gun Digest. Northfield: Digest Books, 1972. Print.Chastain, Russ. "Smokepoles?: Modern Vs. Traditional Muzzleloaders." n.d. Hunting/Shooting. Web. 20 March 2014.Hogg, Ian V. The Story of the Gun. Somerset: Bath Press, 1996. Print.Irwin, John Rice. Guns and Gunmaking Tools of Southern Appalachia. Norris: The Museum of Appalachia Press, 1980. Print.Ivey, William W. North Carolina Schools of Longrifles: 1765-1865. Asheboro: William W. Ivey, 2010. Print.Nonte, George C. Home Guide to Muzzle Loaders. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1974. Print.Russell, Carl P. Guns on the Early Frontiers. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1957. Print.White, Gary. "Why Muzzleloading." n.d. White Muzzleloading Web Site. Article. 19 February 2014. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download