Conversion of the Curious!

[TXGunNut]

I took my 45-90 to the range for some reliability testing after a repair and got a little help! Was talking to a guy during a cease fire who had been shooting a carbine match on the next range, they'd heard my rifle boom earlier and he had to ask about it. Told him a little about cast boolits and holy black and reloading in general. When the cease fire was over I asked him if he'd like to fire my Sharps. To my surprise he did! I showed him how everything worked and before the smoke cleared I knew we had a convert. He even brought his teenage son over and I talked him into firing a round, even the kid liked it! Most folks who are curious about my BP rifles are too intimidated to shoot when I offer, these two stepped right up and had some fun.
Earlier I'd let my brother fire my Colt SAA and my repro 1858 Remington, my shooting buddy let him shoot a beautiful 1890 vintage 1873 in 38-40 and he took his turn with my Sharps. Shooting these old BP shootin' irons is fun, so much more fun when we share!

[1Shirt]

Good on you! Keepum coming!
1Shirt!

[Wayne Smith]

I have the same experience when shooting BP at the range. Many curious, only a few willing to step up and do it.

[TXGunNut]

I have the same experience when shooting BP at the range. Many curious, only a few willing to step up and do it. -Wayne Smith



There's so much history in these old guns and for me shooting them is like stepping back thru time a hundred years or more. Can't understand why more folks don't want to do that. I suspect that says something about our society but I'll let someone else start that thread.

[Nobade]

Any more most people not only don't want to try but don't even know what they are hearing and looking at. They will ask "Why is your gun so loud?" I show them a paper patched blackpowder round, try to explain what black powder is, and they just shrug and walk off. No clue at all beyond a AR-15 or a Glock, nor any interest to find out.

Thankfully once in a while an old guy will come over to talk about it, but as a rule I have never gotten any interest from anyone under about 60 years old.

Heck, when I was growing up and my neighbors started shooting black powder guns I would go running across the fields to see what they were up to. And I am only 47 years old - my how things have changed.

-Nobade

[CanoeRoller]

I find that a Sharps is noticed at a rifle range. There is a wave of whispers that starts next to you, on either side, someone will whisper, "A Sharps?" They are echoed by the next person away from you, "A Sharps?" Then the first whisperers take a second look, and smiling, they will say, "A Sharps!" and you can hear that chorus roll out along the shooting line.

The first time I fired my Sharps there was a third wave. I had never loaded black powder before, and was afraid I would have no idea where the rounds would hit, so I set up the first target at 25 yards. The plywood back on the 25 yard rifle had been pretty shot up, and with the first round, I split the plywood in two, knocking it off the posts. The whisper wave on the shooting line was an echoing chorus of, "Wow!"

I always offer to let anyone who is interested touch off a few rounds, but only a small number of people take me up on it. Many who do try one of my Sharps end up wanting one of their own.

[country gent]

My exact finding also. I have club members watch and bunch up behind me with My Sharps or Hepburn when Im shooting them Always black powder and Paper Patched bullets. They will fondle the rifles are amazed at the loaded ammo andwhile I wont say scared they are intimidated by the report and recoil. My sharps is 45-70, My Hepburn is 45-90. I even believe the smoke is intimidatiing them. Its just so diffrent from a modern rifle they are fasinated by it. There was a family ( new club members) walking thru learning each range and they stopped to watch. I stopped to chat for a minute with them welcome them and explain the rules etiuqette of the rifle range. Their oldest boy informed me He was doing a report on the Sharps rifles and their roll in history. I mentioned to his Dad that this would be a good time for some first hand experiences for educatons progress. Son wasnt to sure believing someone he just met, was leary of the big rifle and round. So I put Dad down behind it and talked him thru 3 rounds in a group. Dad then explained and described it to the son who was ready to try after seeing Dad do it. Mom was all smiles. Son got down behind the rifle a quick adjustment to the bench sticks a few dry fire rounds and instructions ( he had shot before). Walked him thru 5 rounds on my second target which was in a group around 8" at 200 yds. He was all smiles Dad was all smiles and the son asked some more about the rifle. I told him it was a reprodution of the 74 sharps by pendersoli, but was very accurate to form and function. He was a very polite young gentleman, Thanked me and informmed me he could now add a foot note to his report on the rifles function form and accuracy. It was a great day. I have found that its either the younger beginners ( havent decided what intimidates them yet) or the much older shooters who have decided history is more important.

[TXGunNut]

An old friend drove by last week when I was shooting my C&B revolver, didn't recognize me. When I walked over to say "howdy" he asked what I was shooting and I told him, he just shook his head. He's an instructor and a pretty good shot with his 1911's but he knows I'm a little better. What he doesn't know is that old C&B revolver shoots just as well as that 1911 on my hip out to about 25 yds. He wouldn't believe it anyway. That would have been fun but he had a student.
I walked up to a crowded firing line at a public range last year and uncased a rather attractive SAA replica. Nobody took much notice until I touched off the first BP round. Got kinda quiet. ;-) Lots of lookers but no one wanted to shoot it. Just as well, a 45 Colt is a handful for some folks, including me some days.
I think I'll take the Sharps hunting this year!