Get him with.....

[Hawken]

the ramrod!  My son pulled up by me in his truck this past Sunday as I was out shooting the caplock and observed me loading. During the process of loading he grinned at me and said..."Dad...what do you do if the Injuns were charging?" I grinned at him right back and told him "Son...if it's only one and you aren't quite done...you could get 'em with the ramrod maybe and if two or more...you use the rifle as a club and then you pull your hatchet and use that and if you have to....pull your knife and go with that!" My son is 50 years age (can't believe it) and has only on occasion hunted with a modern inline but I suspect with two fine rifles that I have which he and my grandsons will inherit, this Caplock and a Flinter by Tom Watson over in Georgia...that in his old age era he'll find out what REAL muzzleloading is all about!

You folks have a good day!

[Uncle Russ]

Yep, Hawken.....sage advise, that's about the best us dads can do.

My kids have never bought a Muzzleloader, because stealing / commandeering one of mine over the years is not only much cheaper, but was very easy and often convenient for them...until old Dad moved away from 'em.

My oldest son who is 54, maybe 55 now or will be, heck I'm not sure, has blueprinted in his mind that after he tries one for four or five years, then get's tired of it or would like a different style, different caliber, whatever he simply brings it back and gets himself another one....he "trades"  'em out before he can ever get 'em tuned-in just right for himself. 

The youngest son, who is now 48, has had the same gun he's had since he was  about 15 years old, and that is an old .56 cal Renegade smoothbore that he has shot patch & ball in for the past 30 years.
I'm not sure he has ever run any "shot" through that smoothbore, as the majority of his shot-gunning is done with a modern gun...still yet, he can sure make that old Renegade talk!   

Uncle Russ...