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Sounds cool, and a great way to spend a day. I think you're right on the money with the mechanical assessment. I would add that decent hand-eye coordination (a must for a musician) aids in basic shooting skills.

When I shot black powder, I always used spit patches with LOTS of spit. That kept the bore reasonable clean and easy to load. For clean up, I boiled up a kettle of water, pored it down the bore, and swabbed with a cleaning rod. Do that a few times. Then open up the trigger/hammer area and clean the salt from the sodium nitrate out of there.

If you did that well with a straight .500 bore, you should use a .562-.578 bass muzzle loader next time.

bloke wrote: The MAIN issue that I'm having with this is the whole "hobby" concept. Up until this last week (for the last thirty years of my life) I've pretty much viewed people with "hobbies" as the idle, the immature, and the salaried...

And now you are beginning to see that's just not so, yes?

There's needs to be more to life than just working if you're going to have any quality to your life. Work to live, don't live to work.

True enough. Extremes in either work or hobbies can be bad.

Of course, once the firearms bug bites you can no more have just one firearm than you can have one musical instrument

bloke wrote: Many of the members of this long rifle club also do "Rendezvous" a couple of times a year (period [$$$$] clothes / camping in period [$$$$] canvas tents / eating period food / using period sanitation services / several days [away from work - $$$$] / etc.) At least at this point in my thinking, I believe I can also point out the fallacy of "living to hobby" vs. "hobby-ing to live".

My father grew up in rustic accommodations. Not cryin' or anything. That's just how it was in the 30's. Anyhow, he never wanted to go camping and 'rough it' with the neighbor families when I was growing up. (We had a nice house and an inside terlet and all...) He always said, "I went to college and studied hard so I wouldn't have to live like that any more. Why would I want to do that on my day's off? And pay money to do it, too?"

Can't imagine paying money to live like the Civil War but, again, my family has always been in the NW USA/Pacific Coast Canada so we were doing some else in the years 1861-1865.

Jeff "TIMMMMMBBBBERRRRRRR!!!!!" Benedict

<img src="http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii31 ... t2_230.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

Let's go, Bloke-ianeers!

I love black powder. Before my eyes got to where I had trouble focusing with the blood thinners I'm taking, I had a great incident with my son a couple of years ago. A local state conservation agency sponsored complex, including a fishing pond, range, small cave to explore, conservation exhibits, etc., had their annual open to cub scouts day. All sorts of manufacturers were there at the various locations to demonstrate their products. My son was curious, so we set him up with a black powder charge on a demo rifle. He was hardly big enough to hold the thing steady on a front barrel support. But he did. Ka--BLOOM! He was so shocked he could hardly move. But he hit the target with good form, and held his composure until the smoked cleared and the factory rep could help him disengage from the rifle. Then a tear started to form as (from an 9-year old perspective) the enormity of the situation sunk in. But it was great. He did well, and acquired a respect for firearms that no amount of "book-learnin'" could ever do. I was quite proud of him. He may or may not ever desire to shoot a firearm again. But at least he knows what they do and how to respect them for what they are.

bloke wrote:Many of the members of this long rifle club also do "Rendezvous" a couple of times a year (period [$$$$] clothes / camping in period [$$$$] canvas tents / eating period food / using period sanitation services / several days [away from work - $$$$] / etc.)

Some of these gatherings, mostly period 1860's, also have period bands where you can play your over the shoulder insturments as well as shoot your black powder rifle. Flintlocks, although not the latest and greatest, were certainly used in the War of Northern Aggression. You could get two for the price of one!

bloke,
Congratulations on winning a fine tool (toy?). A hard working man never needs to justify a hobby. You more than deserve it. I hope you can take time to enjoy it.
It took me many years to work my way up to a decent sail boat. At age 66, I use it every chance I get. If I die on it as some relatives predict, I will croak with a smile on my face.

They may threaten to exile you for using Pyrodex, but it's a lot easier to clean than the old-fashioned stuff, and it doesn't corrode your barrel or draw moisture.