New Here and Need some suggestions

GlockGirl1966 · June 25, 2004, 05:22 PM

Well I see there are many possiabilities to black powder. I will say I don't really know to much about them but I am interested in getting one and learning the BP sport. Can some of you give me suggestions or pros & cons?

Any help grateful

**4V50 Gary** · June 25, 2004, 11:06 PM

Suggest you attend a rendezvous, black powder match or skirmish conducted by the North South Skirmish Association. The black powder crowd is the friendliest in the entire shooting community and folks will be happy to help you out.

There's several types of black powder shooting. Black powder cartridge guns are popular with the Cowboy Action Shooting Society. Rendezvous (fur trade era - post Lewis & Clark) tend to go for percussion cap fired guns. Flintlocks are preferred by those who are heavy into history or are just fascinated by the earlier firing mechanism.

You don't need a lot to start either. You can buy a used muzzle loader for about $150 (one person may be selling their Hawkens for that much at our sister site, The High Road) and all you need are balls, patches and a powder flask or horn and a measure. Don't drop a wad of cash on the hobby when you just start. Go slow, learn to shoot and have fun safely is the first rule.

If you get seriously into it, you'll wind up making your own equipment anyway. Heck, I just learned to knap flint and to sew moccasins (walking around with my tender feet in them is another story). Been making and scrimshawing powder horns for a couple of years now (easy & fun) too.

You may also want to contact the Field Representatives of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. They could hook you up with folks who can act as your mentor/instructor. In AZ, it's

Bob Michael, 928-634-9704;
Dana Dore, [email protected], and;
Dwight Powers, 928-333-4494.

If you have any other questions, please post them and I'll try my best to respond.

GlockGirl1966 · June 26, 2004, 04:36 PM

I would like to thank you for helping me. I do not have the gun yet. I wanted to know all that I would need and what are the good guns out there. Then I can do a search and find the best prices. I have heard through a few other chat boards about The Gun Source but I am not sure. I will have to do the research. So any other tips or hints you could give me would be a help.

**4V50 Gary** · June 26, 2004, 10:23 PM

You don't have to spend a lot of $ to get going. My first rifle was a $45 kit that my uncle assembled (before the days when I learned to inlet, fit and assemble a gun myself) and my brother finished. It shot well enough to get me hooked on black powder.

You may want to find a used percussion cap for $150. Make sure the bore is good (of course) and that the lock falls smartly on the nipple (make sure there is a piece of eraser rubber to help cushion the blow). Make sure there aren't any cracks on the stock or that the ramrod is sound (no cracks or splinters that can break off in your hand). Of the modern repros, I like the Lyman Great Plains. The lines are closer to the original plains rifle than the Thompson Center or CVA or other makes. Mind you, I'm a flintlock person and I prefer pre-Revolutionary War guns.

You can get cheap powder horns for about $12 or you can make your own. It all depends on your skill with tools and you don't need Norm Abrams' shop to make one either. Same thing with powder measure (use the horn tip and drill it out).

Drop into your library and see if you can find any of the The Book of Buckskinning series books. There are eight of them and that's plenty of starting material to read if you want.

June 25, 2004, 05:22 PM	#1
GlockGirl1966 Junior Member Join Date: June 25, 2004 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 3	New Here and Need some suggestions Well I see there are many possiabilities to black powder. I will say I don't really know to much about them but I am interested in getting one and learning the BP sport. Can some of you give me suggestions or pros & cons? Any help grateful

June 25, 2004, 11:06 PM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	Suggest you attend a rendezvous, black powder match or skirmish conducted by the North South Skirmish Association. The black powder crowd is the friendliest in the entire shooting community and folks will be happy to help you out. There's several types of black powder shooting. Black powder cartridge guns are popular with the Cowboy Action Shooting Society. Rendezvous (fur trade era - post Lewis & Clark) tend to go for percussion cap fired guns. Flintlocks are preferred by those who are heavy into history or are just fascinated by the earlier firing mechanism. You don't need a lot to start either. You can buy a used muzzle loader for about $150 (one person may be selling their Hawkens for that much at our sister site, The High Road) and all you need are balls, patches and a powder flask or horn and a measure. Don't drop a wad of cash on the hobby when you just start. Go slow, learn to shoot and have fun safely is the first rule. If you get seriously into it, you'll wind up making your own equipment anyway. Heck, I just learned to knap flint and to sew moccasins (walking around with my tender feet in them is another story). Been making and scrimshawing powder horns for a couple of years now (easy & fun) too. You may also want to contact the Field Representatives of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. They could hook you up with folks who can act as your mentor/instructor. In AZ, it's Bob Michael, 928-634-9704; Dana Dore, [email protected], and; Dwight Powers, 928-333-4494. If you have any other questions, please post them and I'll try my best to respond. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

June 26, 2004, 04:36 PM	#3
GlockGirl1966 Junior Member Join Date: June 25, 2004 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 3	Thanks I would like to thank you for helping me. I do not have the gun yet. I wanted to know all that I would need and what are the good guns out there. Then I can do a search and find the best prices. I have heard through a few other chat boards about The Gun Source but I am not sure. I will have to do the research. So any other tips or hints you could give me would be a help. __________________ All these gun laws are doing is making the criminals job easier.... Sherry Wilson Glock 17 Owner

June 26, 2004, 10:23 PM	#4
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	You don't have to spend a lot of $ to get going. My first rifle was a $45 kit that my uncle assembled (before the days when I learned to inlet, fit and assemble a gun myself) and my brother finished. It shot well enough to get me hooked on black powder. You may want to find a used percussion cap for $150. Make sure the bore is good (of course) and that the lock falls smartly on the nipple (make sure there is a piece of eraser rubber to help cushion the blow). Make sure there aren't any cracks on the stock or that the ramrod is sound (no cracks or splinters that can break off in your hand). Of the modern repros, I like the Lyman Great Plains. The lines are closer to the original plains rifle than the Thompson Center or CVA or other makes. Mind you, I'm a flintlock person and I prefer pre-Revolutionary War guns. You can get cheap powder horns for about $12 or you can make your own. It all depends on your skill with tools and you don't need Norm Abrams' shop to make one either. Same thing with powder measure (use the horn tip and drill it out). Drop into your library and see if you can find any of the The Book of Buckskinning series books. There are eight of them and that's plenty of starting material to read if you want. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*