What/where is Friendship

[Beekeeper]

Pardon the dumbness of the question.
Have heard it talked about here and other forums but never where.


beekeeper

[fishhawk]

Friendship is in Indiana about 2 miles from the eastern time zone in the SE part of the state. It's home to the NMLRA. steve k

[Shooter]

It is the navel of the muzzle loading world.

[Crawdaddy]

It is the navel of the muzzle loading world.

Is that good? :)

[451 Pete]

Beekeeper,
The small town of Friendship Indiana has , since the late 1930's, been the home of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. Friendship is located in a small valley in the south eastern part of the state. Here, twice a year, in June and in September, the large muzzle loading shoots are held. Shooters come from all over the world to compete in the different events, to buy and sell on the Commercial Row and to visit with friends of similar interests. It is quite a place.
Pete

[Hickory]

Is that good? :)

Yea, you find a lot of fuzzy characters there.:drinks:

[Big Rack]

It's on Rt. 62 south of Rt. 50 about 20-30 west of Cincinnati. It has a flea market just east of it that has the fairest parking then the NMLRA ranges and camping on each side of the road then more flea markets on into the town of Friendship. Used to take about a full day to really take in all the NMLRA stuff, but it has become smaller. However if it's muzzleloader related they have it.

[DIRT Farmer]

I found Frindship the weekend after I graduated high school in 1967, came in and looked around.
I have been a member ever since. I started shooting rifle, found out how good a good rifle shot shoots then went to pistol. I can now say I have shot with some fine rifle and pistol shooters. I now compete with flint shotgun and can say that at least a ew notice my score.
451 pete has croupted me with an investment in a Gibbs rifle (others are guilty to Pete)
I have competed in other firearms events and can say that the competers of the NMLRA are the friendlyest and most helpfull that I have ever met.

[Beekeeper]

Thank you all for the information.
Have heard the Name Friendship here on the forum and could not understand what or where it was.
With age and health I doubt I will ever be going there but it is nice to know it exists.
Dirt Farmer,
Thanks for the offer but it would only make me want to have one andWith 2 safes full I think I have enough, especally since the kids express zero intrest in them.



Jim
aka:beekeeper

[Dorf]

I was perusing the August 1945 issue of "The American Rifleman" a few minutes ago and came across an ad for the NMLRA announcing the 1945 Matches at Friendship, to be held on Sept 1,2 and 3. The location was given as the Walter Cline Range in Friendship. BTW the cost of a subscription to "The Muzzleloader" was $1.50 per year and included membership in the NMLRA. My, how times have changed! My 4.02 worth. Stan :-)

[wgr]

i never miss it. have a great time

[Boz330]

I found Frindship the weekend after I graduated high school in 1967, came in and looked around.
I have been a member ever since. I started shooting rifle, found out how good a good rifle shot shoots then went to pistol. I can now say I have shot with some fine rifle and pistol shooters. I now compete with flint shotgun and can say that at least a ew notice my score.
451 pete has croupted me with an investment in a Gibbs rifle (others are guilty to Pete)
I have competed in other firearms events and can say that the competers of the NMLRA are the friendlyest and most helpfull that I have ever met.

DF, I have been assuming that 451 Pete is Pete T. and I think that you have confirmed it. The Cartridge guys over there are first rate as well, as a matter of fact I don't think that I have ever met anyone in either discipline that wasn't overly generous to a fault.
I think that the height of Friendship was the late 70s and early 80s but it is still worth seeing. I sure miss those times though.
Just a thought here but it would seem to me that the NMLRA picking up BPCR would be a natural, especially with the decline from the boom years. I know they have a few matches but I think they are missing out to a certain extent.

Bob

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Mar 5 . . .

[white eagle]

Its in Adams Co.Wisconsin

[DIRT Farmer]

Boz 330, you have him pegged. Contact him on the project he is working on. Now I need to get off my but and get going with my project.

123DB, there is a plan in the works, the good Lord willing and the creeks dont rise, of making my first trip out in 2013. I have never been that far west and am looking forward to it happining. From what I understand, it is a great shoot.

[Fly]

I have never been & always wanted to.This year I will make my first, come hell or high water.

Fly

[Boz330]

I have never been & always wanted to.This year I will make my first, come hell or high water.

Fly

Which one Fly, east or west? I'm only about 2 hours from Friendship and usually make both the spring and fall shoots just to window shop if nothing else.

Bob

[Fly]

You tell me Bob which I should attend?I would love meeting you my friend.

Fly

[DIRT Farmer]

FLY, if nothing fails, I will be a Frindship June and September, and try real hard to make the Turkey shoot in October.

[Boz330]

You tell me Bob which I should attend?I would love meeting you my friend.

Fly

Where you live it is probably about equal distance. As much fun as it would be to go to the western shoot and get warm for a couple days that is one of my busiest times of the year. The eastern shoots at Friendship are close and much easier to get to for me.

Bob

[kenjuudo]

I have never been & always wanted to.This year I will make my first, come hell or high water.

Fly

You can get both, the hell of your old lady dinking along the flea markets for hours and the high water cooperates real well some years!

jim

[fishhawk]

Yea the creek can rise a bit http://www.nmlra.org/press.asp?Media=Photos&gallery=13

[Fly]

You can get both, the hell of your old lady dinking along the flea markets for hours and the high water cooperates real well some years!

jim

Well you bring up a good point.If I take her to the spring one, she loves to
shop at stuff like that.Maybe she will let me come back in fall.;)

Fly

[Boz330]

Well you bring up a good point.If I take her to the spring one, she loves to
shop at stuff like that.Maybe she will let me come back in fall.;)

Fly

Any time that NMLRA is going the flea market is open. Typically the fall shoot is much more stable as far as weather. The June shoot can be a **** shoot sometimes, pun intended.

Bob

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

I've been wanting to get down there myself.

I only have a TC New Englander at the moment, adjustable sights and all. I gave my Kentucky to my brother and his new wife as a wedding present. It's the first firearm his wife ever shot, so it seemed appropriate.

However, I'm left with a non-PC rifle that will earn me dirty looks :D

Not really that bad, but some folks take this pretty seriously. I personally don't believe in shooting anything non-period from sidelocks -- for example, I only shoot round lead balls, but might see about getting ahold of a Minie ball mould as I figure some had to have been made in .50, but definitely nothing jacketed!

As well, there was a type of bullet that somewhat resembled a Foster shotgun slug that was used to extend the life of smoothbore muskets after rifling in military arms became popular. The Period Correct people will tell you that it was used by the military only and isn't correct in civilian-style firearms, but I figure that a few folks probably did use them back in the day. Just no real documented accounts.

Regards,

Josh

[451 Pete]

Wether you make to the Spring Shoot ( starts this year on June 9th ) or the fall National Championship Match ( starts Sept. 8th ) in my opinion the best time to show up is on the opening weekend of the shoot. This is when the most is going on down there. All of the canvas is up in the Primitive Camp and the vendors are all in the Commercial Row booths. If it is your first trip to Friendship you should probably plan on one day to just walk around to see all of the different things and to take in everything that is going on. Wear some comfortable shoes. Just to walk the length of the covered shooting line is a 1/4 mile hike, and that is not counting the Trap Range or crossing the creek to go back to Skeet or the Quail Walk. ( I forgot to mention the Primitive Ranges, Woods Walk and Running Boar on the other side of State Rd. 62 and across from the main ranges. ) Check out the class's and exhibits in the new Education Building and try to make a point of going into the Gunmakers Hall to see some fine examples of the gun makers art.
On the opening weekend you will find me either helping out on the Youth Range or on the main range in the area where they shoot Long Range Muzzle Loading Rifle. I hope to see you there.
......Pete:coffee:

[DIRT Farmer]

And I will make the offer to make the tour of the Quail walk (the first sporting clay range in the US) skeet and sporting clays.
As to the water coming up, the big flood of '94 found the QW, skeet and sporting clays cut off by road. On the second day a volenteer walked over the hill. His report was that the campers had enough supplies to last another week except for tolit paper which he took a load of back. Jousha, bring the New Englander. It will shoot good with a ball and we will find a match for you. I would venture that just standing around watching closely will get an offer to shoot some ones rifle or you could join the civalised side and shoot shotgun.
Alan

[451 Pete]

I would venture that just standing around watching closely will get an offer to shoot some ones rifle or you could join the civalised side and shoot shotgun.
Alan[/QUOTE]

Shotgun ??? Civilized?? Last time I checked the Skeet Range had some pretty good party's going on in the evenings after the guns are put up and , just for your information, if you are any good with a shotgun you don't want to wear your good hat to shoot at the Trap Range. ( The tradition is if you run all 25 clay birds your hat gets thrown out into the field and becomes the next target! )

It is a lot of fun.

Pete :grin:

[DIRT Farmer]

It's more fun to shoot their good hat. :bigsmyl2:

Hat shooting is a tradition on all shotgun fields. The old shot up hat hangs in a place of honor.

[Fly]

Stop it,Stop it, you guys are getting me Sooooooooo pumped.I can't wait, it's
a place I have read about for years.
Fly

[DIRT Farmer]

Well fly how about an offer of a cold drink, a good fire, and lots of lies, opps stories of past shooting ability. You might even find Pete and me at the same fire.
Alan

[451 Pete]

Fly, just warning you, this could be dangerous. I'll second that offer, and raise you a bit. I'll give Fly the chance to try his hand hitting something just a wee bit further than a quarter mile away with a muzzle loader. Now that's somethin you just don't get the opportunity to do every day. ( If he enjoys it as much as you did Alan, we'll have to go shopping for another rifle and we will have another shooter on the firing line. Ha! )

Pete:drinks:

[Fly]

Fly, just warning you, this could be dangerous. I'll second that offer, and raise you a bit. I'll give Fly the chance to try his hand hitting something just a wee bit further than a quarter mile away with a muzzle loader. Now that's somethin you just don't get the opportunity to do every day. ( If he enjoys it as much as you did Alan, we'll have to go shopping for another rifle and we will have another shooter on the firing line. Ha! )

Pete:drinks:

Well I do have a Gibb's that shoots alot better than me.[smilie=f:

Fly[smilie=f:

[DIRT Farmer]

This could get expensive. As a point to this site the rifle and pistol shooters cast or swadge their projectiles, and some of the shotgunners make their own shot.

OK you got two invites to camps, If you go to Petes, take your note pad. You will get so muck info on long range shooting and history it will be impossible to remember it

[Boz330]

Fly, the mini Creedmore match there is 500yrds and it is a hoot even if you just practice and you can do that. After just a little coaching you will be surprised the regularity of hits on those distant gongs and the self satisfaction of ringing them.:shock:

My 2 shooting buds have been trying to get me to take the plunge for a Gibbs but the economy hasn't been all that good to me the last couple years. Both of them were on the US Team that went to Bisley, unfortunately one of them had to drop off due t a bout with the Big C.:violin: He had been kicking butt up to that point and had big hopes of doing very well.

The long range line at friendship is populated with some of the best guys you could meet anywhere. If you just stand around and look interested or just ask some questions you will get an offer to shoot someones gun. Here is a shot of the gongs from the firing line, the square one all of the way out.

Bob

[451 Pete]

Bob, let me know if and when you decide you want to get into the game. I usually get one or two good leads for buy's on nice used long range ML rifle's that come up for sale each year. The other possibility is we can always make one or get you one made. You may be suprised at how reasonable this could be. You probably already have a sight set you could use ( half the battle ) that would work and I may know of a GM barrel ( .45 in 1-18 twist ) you could get into pretty cheap. I just need to make a few phone calls.

Take care ..... Pete

[Boz330]

Thanks Pete. If you run up on a really good deal just drop me a PM.
Dave M. lent me a C-Sharps 74 in 45-100 to try and get me started in the long range cartridge. I have to admit that all of that jumping up and down is less appealing as I get older. Maybe the bug will get to me with that. I'm going to try and make a few of the Atterbury matches with it. A little less heat than last year would be nice though.

Bob

[Big Rack]

A post in the handgun section about blackpowder in a 1911 on Youtube led me to some videos about Friendship, the one by Hickok45 is pretty good.

[DIRT Farmer]

In 1983 MTU Benning sent two shooters up with pistols built on 1911s. A 1911 makes a great M/L pistol with a barrel machined to fit on the frame rails.