I have been shooting black powder muzzle loaders since 2007 and competing in our South Bay Rod & Gun Club monthly matches since then too. I started with a TC Hawken 50 caliber kit and have moved into making (assembling more like it) my own for a few years now. I had a great mentor in Mr Doug Knoell who passed away a year and a half ago and I learned an awful lot! We have a two part match starting with a 6 inch x 6 inch square target with a 1 inch bull and you shoot 5 shots on paper for best score and high score gets a large gold medalian. So far in every year I have been competing I have won a "medaliam". Second part or the match are 0.5 inch thick steel animal silhouette targets shot at 50 yards and knock them over. The rifles have to be originals or a modern copy of a reproduction such as a Hawken or musket. A couple times I won the medalian and a 2nd or 3rd place but this past Sunday I won BOTH the medalian AND the steel silhouette part of the match. Joanne, who puts on the match told me that Doug (mentor) and one other are the only others to get both gold medals so I feel pretty darn great!
Yesterday though my joints ached so bad it felt like I had done one of the several 2 and 3 day bicycle races I did back when I riding a bunch and competing 16 to 22 times a year either on the velodrome or a road circuit! Man oh man I guess I am getting old but I can relax now for the rest of the year! Since there are those who demand pictures, here is me and "Rosie" the rifle I made from scratch two years ago named after my late wife.
John
