I was cleaning up my office the other day and ran across this reflection of the SHOT show of 2006. I have not been back there since then, so I have no idea how it has progressed (or regressed for that matter). For your consideration, here are my thoughts.
Thoughts On Muzzleloading
The SHOT Show and the Shooting Industry
Once again, the black powder shooters appear to be the red-headed step children of the shooting industry. Several years ago, a separate area for muzzleloaders was requested. Show management said, "NO, it would be impossible to separate them out and provide a unique area. If we did that, everyone would want their own area."
Well, here it is 2006 and the tactical guys have their own area, and even the paintball guys had their own room! Whoopie!!!
So, what's the pulse of the muzzleloading manufacturers at the SHOT Show? I'd say still pumping, but missing a few beats here and there. Kind of like a-fib, I think. One of the bothersome things about this show is the disappearance of several of the smaller companies. Who's gone from the show? Well, let's see. There is Buffalo Bullet Company; Ox-Yoke Originals; Thompson Bullet Lube Company; Warren Muzzleloading; Mountain State; October Country and no doubt a few others I cannot recall right now. Some are gone completely and out of business, other just cannot justify the expense of a booth there. Besides travel expenses, motels, food, etc., a 10x9' booth will cost an exhibitor about $2,300 for the 4 day weekend plus furnishings. Basically furnishings means they charge you about what the items cost new, and you get to use them for the duration of the show. What a deal that is, eh? And that, boys and girls, translates into a lot of round balls, patches, containers of lube or whatever, just to break even.
Rumors confirmed and disapproved. CVA admits they are in fact not going to offer side lock rifles anymore. The market demand is just not there, they claim. I had heard that T/C was also going to discontinue their side lock rifles. But, the venerable Hawken is still available but only as a .50 caliber percussion. Also in the line is the .50 cal. Fire Storm. That's it.
We had an opportunity to talk with Mr. Pedersoli and what fun that was. He showed us his Hawken Rifle and it is sweet. Available in either walnut or curly maple stock, and .50 or .54 caliber. One of the best Hawken rifles on the market today, I would think. I believe the $900 price tag is justified. I also looked at the 20 ga Trade Gun. Admittedly, I am not much of a Trade Gun aficionado, but to me it looked pretty good. They are continuing all their other side lock rifles, muskets, etc. and don't seem to be getting very excited about the in-line firearms.
I don't want to get too involved with in-line rifles here, but one thing I find interesting is that many of the manufacturers got so excited about putting the 209 primer ignition into their rifles and then they all of a sudden realized they excluded a big geographic portion of the country from their marketing scheme. Yep, how are they going to sell 209 primed guns in the Northwest? CVA said it best when they opined, "they were going to have to progress backwards and offer #11 or musket cap ignition or something." Sure, or something.
I looked at Austin and Halleck's display and they are continuing to offer their nice Mtn. Rifle in both flint and percussion. They have also "progressed?" to some whang-bang lever action muzzleloader. Oh well...
One of the things that bothers me is the lack of pazazz in the industry. One of the major manufacturers said they felt the market had reached a plateau and that at best things are about even. In other words, he felt that for now, we have about as many people involved in the sport as we are going to have. If they are to gain customers, they are going to have to mine them from other manufacturers' customers.
About all you are going to find is .50 calibers. Pardon me while I yawn Ho-Hum... October Country, where is your Great American Sporting Rifle to wake us up. Pacific Rifle Company, where is your African Zephyr? I recall Jeff Johns remarked that shooting the Zephyr was like being slapped by the fist of God. Well, I think the whole damn muzzleloading gun business needs to be slapped by the fist of God, just to wake them up.
Accessory wise, have we made everything that's going to be made for our black powder guns? I would hate to think that T/C's solvent specially formulated for Hodgdon 777 is the most exciting new product on the market this year. Especially when Hodgdon advertises H2O is the most advanced formulation you need to clean up with. Hmmmmmmm...
I had an opportunity to chat briefly with Jim Shokey. As others have mentioned before, he does seem to be a really nice, if misguided, fellow. He is a devout in-line aficionado. Item of interest, for 2006, he has left Knight Rifles and is now associated with T/C. What's going on there? He sure is riding the American Pioneer Powder horse for all it's worth.
I talked to the fellows at the GOEX booth. They're pretty excited about their new Express Black Powder for B/P Cartridges.
Well, this has run on long enough. I will leave you with this thought. There is no reason why progress in muzzleloading guns should have stopped with the death of the Hawken Brothers. But there is no reason why I should embrace the direction the changes have gone. I gotta tell you, some of these new guns are just plain tedious and quite boring.
Well, there it is, my thoughts after I returned from the 2006 SHOT Show. I have not been back since then and honestly I have not paid much attention to what else is happening in the business since then. In a way, I am kind of scared to even think what has been happening. I know some of the main companies have locked up and shuttered their shops, and others have sold and the new owners have done nothing with the businesses. Too bad, I miss the old guys.
John (Bigsmoke)
Topic: Thoughts about Muzzleloading (Read 412 times)