Muzzleloading is the hobby or sport of shooting black powder muzzle-loading firearms. These firearms are usually reproductions of historic firearms, such as Kentucky rifles, Brown Bess muskets, or muzzle-loading shotguns and pistols.
That raises the question, “What gun should I buy?” we recommend that you first visit a muzzle-loading club, talk with the shooters and take a look at the different types of firearms available (You’ll want to join a club anyway so you can learn the skills of muzzleloading from experienced shooters and have access to a range facility). You may find that you like the graceful styling of a Kentucky or Pennsylvania long rifle. On the other hand, you may prefer the short, stout Hawken rifle. Most muzzleloaders are friendly people and will often invite you to take a test shot or two with their firearms.
Another question you will want to answer is, “What ignition system should I choose?” Basically there are two. First is the Flintlock, which uses a piece of flint held in the jaws of the hammer to produce a spark and ignite priming powder held in a pan on the side of the barrel. The second is the percussion or cap-lock, which uses an explosive cap placed over a nipple to ignite the load in the barrel. The Flintlock is older, dating back to the late 1600’s, while the cap-lock dates from about the early 1800’s.
Besides a firearm, you will need a few accessories. These include a powder horn, a powder measure (never pour powder directly from the horn into the barrel! You might experience an explosion if a hot ember in the barrel ignites the powder in the horn.), round ball, patches, black powder, and percussion caps or flints. Another useful tool is a short starter, which eases the chore of starting balls into the barrel. A shooting bag with a shoulder strap is useful for carrying shooting accessories, especially when attending a walk-through event where shooting does not take place at a fixed station.
Some muzzleloading clubs also hold “Primitive” events in conjunction with their shooting competition. Primitive events include bare-bow Archery, Tomahawk throwing, Knife throwing and primitive fire-making with flint and steel. Often these items are made available for use at the event if you don’t already own them.