Coeur d’Alene Muzzleloaders December Club Shoot

[Second-rate Marksman]

What a weekend at the Coeur d’Alene Muzzleloaders Club Shoot!

The smoke has cleared (mostly), and I’m still buzzing from an incredible event! I managed to take 1st place in the rifle competition—with my .68-caliber sightless smoothbore, no less—and came away with 2nd place in the aggregate!

The camaraderie was as strong as ever, with plenty of good-natured smack talk and hilarious banter flying around. This is what makes these shoots so memorable—not just the competition, but the laughs, the shared stories, and the tradition of it all.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to shoot and keep the spirit of muzzleloading alive. Now, time to clean the gear and start preparing for the next one!

(P.S. If you’re not already part of a club like this, you’re missing out. Find one, join it, and enjoy the ride!)

[Bigsmoke]

You're right, it just don't get much better than that.
I think having the shoot at Benny's place has really upped the whole mystic of it.
Ranges are fine and all and beat staying home, but having the shoot there really ups it for all who attend.
Thanks so much to Benny for putting that together.
It would be great, Eric, if you could put some names with the people pictured.
John (Bigsmoke)

[Second-rate Marksman]

I couldn’t agree with you more, John! We’re relegated to the range a couple/three months out of the year due to fire danger. Though every effort is made to make these shoots fun, they pale in comparison to the excitement of the interactive trail walks. Benny’s been so gracious to allow the club’s use of his property, and he truly goes out his way to ensure everyone has a good time.

Left to right in the group photo:

Benny Owen, Pam Shelton, Terry Sellers (Two Talks), Howard Wright (1 Bear), Eric Carlson, Stan Smith (Blue Moon), Jim Hester, and lastly, the man, the myth, the legend: TMA’s very own Kevin Wade

[KDubs]

Eric you didn't mention the 4-5 hammers with no bang at the start???
 Must have been those extra cleaning patches you keep in the breech. Ha ha ha
 Had a great time , always do.
Kevin

[No Powder]

Congratulations  Eric. Glad you all had a good time and hope you have many more similar experiences.

[Second-rate Marksman]

Eric you didn't mention the 4-5 hammers with no bang at the start???
 Must have been those extra cleaning patches you keep in the breech. Ha ha ha
 Had a great time , always do.
Kevin

Well… my fowler doesn’t have a patch box like most of my other guns— where am I supposed to put those extra cleaning patches?

That’s the nice thing about authoring a post… you can choose to conveniently leave certain details out.

Kevin’s referring to the the two cleaning patches that were found down my barrel, and the reason I had numerous flashes in the pan at the start of the match. I’m totally perplexed, because I’m pretty anal about cleaning my barrel and checking it with a bore light when I’m finished. I don’t have a proper jag for this 15 gauge (they’re not easy to come by!), so I’ve been using my 20 gauge with a couple of thick patches in the interim, until I can turn down a 12 gauge jag. Still… the used patches usually go immediately from my jag to the trash can. I have absolutely no idea how they found their way back down the barrel!