A little backround

Generally, my M.O is to keep a low profile. On the other hand, I often have thought it would be good to know who is out there on our forum and what they have done to become experienced in this pastime of loading and shooting Black Powders Cartridge Rifles accurately.
BPCR is one of a few sub-categories of shooting/loading/cast bullets that comes with it's own unique complexity.

I'll give a small slice of mine and would like to see and read about yours. Mine is not a bio., just a slice.
The following link was put out by the NRA last winter in a section called "Looking Back" in Shooting Sports USA.
You can read the short section on Michael Rix (me) with my spotter Woody about half way down the link.
BTW- Woody is the person who makes the wood shooting boxes carried by Shiloh and SPG products.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2021/...championships/

Hi Chill,

My competition interest right now is Precision Pistol (Bullseye). I'm also a Master in High Power Rifle. My activity with muzzle loaders is primarily hunting. I like and use traditional English rifles, both percussion and flintlock. But I also like modern guns, and sometimes hunt with a Swinglock smokeless powder gun. In general, I like guns.

Take care, Tom

I’ve been involved in competitive shooting all of my adult life. Actually it started when I was about twelve and my dad took me to a local turkey shoot. I won a turkey for Thanksgiving in a offhand match with a 22 rifle.
During the 70’s there was a lot going on with the muzzle loading scene. I shot matches every where I could get to.
In 1988 I was introduced to high power rifle. I was in my prime and advanced quickly, earning high master classifications in the three high power disciplines.
After twenty plus years of high power an injury to my left shoulder forced me out. I could no longer extend my arm in the sling to support the rifle in the prone position.
I said goodbye to high power and entered bullseye pistol which I found to be the most difficult of all the competitive shooting I had experienced. I progressed quickly to an expert classification where I hit the wall! While shooting BE, I was introduced to air and free pistol, which I actually prefer. Unfortunately there are very few matches in my area.
During the Covid lull in competition, I started thinking about the Shiloh rifle that I’d owned for ten years. I joined this forum and soon after introduced myself to Jim Kluskens (Distant Thunder) who lives just across the state from me. Jim’s enthusiasm for paper patching and long range BPTR was more contagious than Covid. In four short months he had me ready for my first BPTR long range match, which happened to be the State Championship at Lodi WI. With the help of two great spotters, Jim and Kevin Alexander, I was able to place second in some very tough wind conditions.
I’m finding that BPTR is the perfect fit for me at this point is in my life.
The shooting sports have been good to me. I’ve met so many great people and owe so much to those who have helped me along the way.
JKR

I started 40 years ago with the purchase of a Martini Henry 577/450. Back then we had a local club called "Victoria Rifles" shooting all types of vintage rifles adorned with the Queen Victoria crest. That lead to dress-ups with uniforms etc.

https://i.imgur.com/PXYiLoM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/X53xURLm.jpg

Later I progressed to shooting 1874 Sharps models and still have a number of rifles that I get to shoot every week. Competed in the 2006 World Creedmore shoot which was held in Australia.

https://i.imgur.com/y9yRRvB.jpg

Of course, I have played with black powder muzzleloaders for over 50 years.

https://i.imgur.com/SY6JH8G.jpg

I started out in pistol matches ISPC, bowling pins, some fun matches and team matches at local club last 2, Then moved on to NRA High Power and long range. Shot an M1A and model 70 match rifle to High master service rifle and match rifle both course ans Long range. Was switching over to the AR when the MS made it to much to do with humping gear and the long full day. From there I started with an old interest in the single shot or buffalo rifles. Small local matches on swinging targets. We could drive and keep most gear in truck,making it easier for me.

I started shooting "steel combat" matches (precursor to Steel Challenge) in the early 1970s. When IPSC came along I helped it get started at a local club. At the same time I shot PPC with other local peace officers for 2 years. Around 1985 I got interested in Cowboy Action and shot that for the next 10 years. Early on I tried Pyrodex, then finally the real thing. In no time I was hooked on black powder fired in period cartridge guns. I even restored an original Remington No 1 Sporting Rifle and shot it in a couple BPCMS matches.

I started my own business in '94 and by '95 I'd given up on my old time guns and shooting to concentrate on my start up. Got back into practical pistol shooting on the weekends but the black powder stuff was eventually sold off (my bad). After moving to a different city and getting old and to busted up to play the practical pistol games, I rekindled my interest in Old West history and in black powder cartridge guns. Started with a USFA single action in 45 Colt. A few more of them came along, then a Winchester 1873 in 44 WCF. Recently I fulfilled a dream that started back in '85 by buying a Shiloh Sharps 50 2.5" Business Rifle. I even found a very nice double barreled 12 ga hammer gun a month ago. Now I need brass shells to load with BP (smiley face goes here).

I can't compete anymore but that doesn't mean I'm not shooting and enjoying my black powder cartridge guns when ever I can drag my busted self to the range or the desert.

Dave

Been casting 11 years now, rolling my own for pretty close to 15. Only started loading BPC's about this time last year, after an abysmal failure trying my hand at it when I first started loading ammo. I've had some good mentors since going down the journey and at this point between my Trapdoor, 577 Sniders, and my CPA 44-1/2 I shoot in silhouette, I've loaded and shot thousands of rounds of BPC's since last year. Now I've been bit by the silhouette bug and really enjoy that. Nothing like dinging rams at 500 meters.

Having good mentors, and being fortunate enough to have a lot of time has significantly shortened my learning curve and I'm forever grateful for it.

I've never shot black powder cartridges and sadly I haven't been competitive as an adult but I cherish the memories of shooting spit patch and round ball with a group in Western Washington.

Recently I've been more about a 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 Swedish but a Rolling Block piqued my interest so while I'm looking for a way to come up with .43 Spanish ammo I'm kind of looking for one in .45-70 that I could reload for because I have some bits for that.

It's funny the circles life moves in sometimes-from no cartridges in my youth to one of the newer cartridges (of course in the interim there were the .357's, .41's and .45 ACP's to cast for and reload to say nothing of some of the .30 rifle cartridges) and now back to a cartridge that not so long ago there were cases and dies for and would still be but for the lack of all other things regarding reloading!

I've learned a bit about Rolling Blocks in the mean time and having discovered that at one point more than half of the armies in the world had some variant of the rifle in their inventory it isn't an exaggeration to say that it was the Kalashnikov of 1900 and having one apart in just a few minutes it is not difficult to understand-that level of simplicity is inherently reliable and durable!

So I'm looking forward to another different cartridge to reload and experiment with and will be lurking around for hints about reloading these original generation rifle cartridges...