PDA

View Full Version : Muzzleloader Syllabus



obssd1958
03-15-2007, 11:58 AM
Mornin' guys!

I have volunteered to help a group of Boy Scouts get their Black Powder or Muzzleloader badges at a day camp in the mountains, at the end of April. While I have a good knowledge of how it all works and have a couple of percussion rifles, a flinter, and 2 Ruger old armies, what I don't have is an outline to teach these young minds. I want this to be an introduction that they will remember and hopefully a spark to follow up on.
With all of the knowledge available through the fine folks on this board, I figured I would ask here first before I went searching elsewhere. Does anyone here have an outline that has worked for them, in a situation such as I have described above???

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas and help!:drinks:

Don

curator
03-15-2007, 12:48 PM
Buy the NRA Muzzle loading rifle basic course handbook form NRA Store $5.00. Better yet, become a certified NRA Muzzle loading rifle Instructor. BSA requires Scouts shooting muzzle loading rifles be supervised by a certified NRA Muzzel loading Rifle Instructor. The course is terrific and will prepare you with a course outline as well ans insight on how to teach this skill effectively. Contact me off site at d.southall@att.net if you need help getting the NRA teaching materials

We have an excellent muzzle loading rifle and shotgun course and range at our Council's two camps in S.W. Florida. We also have about 15 certified Instuctors so any Scout group that wants can come to our ranges and shoot

versifier
03-15-2007, 12:56 PM
Spend a little class time inside first explaining about the different ignitions and how they work as compared to a modern centerfire. Posters and handouts help, too, as people of all ages respond and remember better when there are visual elements in your presentation in addition to the verbal and hands-on parts. Don't forget about sight pictures with each of the different firearms you are using. Some will know already, some won't, but go over it assuming all are beginners to avoid embarassing those who haven't grown up around guns and put them all on an equal footing.

Before you demonstrate, make a production about having them put on their safety glasses (they'll want to crowd around and watch up close, so use that to your advantage to emphasize safety). Then burn a small amount of bp and a small amount of smokeless powder in metal ashtrays to emphasize the greater caution needed with bp. Show them how powder measures work and let them measure and fill plastic tubes, prescription bottles, etc., with the charges for use later at the range. Explain the loading procedure to them so that they will be familiar with what your are doing when you get outside and demonstrate it.

On the range, make sure you have extra pairs of safety glasses and ear plugs just in case. (Kids are kids, and adults forget them, too, quite often.) Then, demonstrate loading each of them. If you are going to let them try loading, do it with each of them one-on-one with the percussion rifle. I would use slugs or pre-cut patches to avoid possible problems with razor sharp patch knives, and the premeasured charges mentioned above to prevent any oop's.

I'm assuming you aren't going to go into modern inlines and pellets, etc.

This works well with my Hunter Ed students of all ages. PM me if you have questions, I'm happy to help out. I sure wish we had had a teacher available when I was a scout and dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

Underclocked
03-15-2007, 02:32 PM
I do believe Rattus58 teaches such a class. He may well have exactly what you need.

MT Gianni
03-15-2007, 07:41 PM
IIRC it is all outline in the rifle shooting merit badge handbook, Start with that and teach what they want taught. Then offer to add more if they pass or want to approach you later. I did this with good results in the late 90's. Gianni

obssd1958
03-16-2007, 11:36 AM
Thanks for the replies and info, gentlemen. I can see that as usual, I was going in half prepared... hopefully I still have enough time between now and the camp to rectify that!

Curator, I sent you an e-mail.

Versifier, Very good info! It helps to hear from others that have been there, done that!

Underclocked, I sent a PM to Rattus58.

Gianni, I have been to several different BSA and merit badge sites, but have not found a handbook for this available. Do you know where I can get one?

Thanks again guys!:-D

Old Ironsights
03-16-2007, 12:32 PM
Also, contact the NMLRA http://nmlra.org/ for help...

Bloodman14
09-20-2009, 08:37 PM
They still teach firearms in Boy Scouts?!! I never was exposed to firearms when I was a kid. My 16th B'day, I got a Daisy Red Rider BB gun (1986). Dad was a cop, but had no interest in guns as an aside. I was in 4H, too, but was never introduced. I didn't get my first rifle until I bought a Marlin Model 60 at a local Wal-Mart in '93, and my first centerfire (my first Enfield) in '95. Why aren't we hearing more about this?