Since I've been gone for more than a week I thought people might like to see what I have been doing and for those who know were I went I figured they would like a little report of how it went.

I left for the National Muzzleloading Rifle Associations(NMLRA) Spring Nationals Shoot on June 10th. It was a 15 hour drive to Dillsboro IN (6 miles from Friendship IN, headquarters of the NMLRA) were I was staying with a Friend and Gunsmith, Mike Lange. The drive probably would have taken less time but I took a southern route through the bottom of Illinois to pick up two, 2 Bore rifles from a Customer. I'm very appreciate of him allowing me to take them for the week and display them in my booth.


The Commercial vendors area is basically made up of sheep sheds divided into single, double, and trip space booths. I was in a single booth on Gunmakers row. I was in very good company, Randy Grunkmeyer was to the left of me and Doc was to the left of me, Homer Dangler was 2 doors down, then Mark Silver and towards the end of the row to the right of me was Mike Miller. Across from me was Rodger Coombs(what a great artist he is, he paints on Turkey Feathers), beside him was Jim and Barbie Chambers. Like I said I was in good company.

I was the only guy there with three, 2 Bore Rifles...come to think of it I was the only guy there with a 2 bore rifle....I also had on display one of my E. Wesson boxlock rifles.

I was asked by Barbie Chambers-Garren to do an Engraving Demonstration at the Gunmakers Hall Sunday Evening. Many thanks to Chambers Flintlocks for donating the locks for me to engrave.


The demonstration went well with about 25 people attending. I stayed fairly busy the rest of the week in between talking with customers, by do small engraving jobs, such as this knife I did that a grandfather bought for his grandson.




I did enough of these little jobs to pay for my booth fees, and I brought home several engraving jobs. If the other customers who where interested follow through and send me their projects I think I will have made enough to cover the cost of the trip. If not is was still worth it to get to meet several people I know from online/phone face to face.
Steve Lindsay sent me some of his fliers, and I passed them along to anybody who wanted one, so maybe he will pick up a few new customers. Seemed like the least I could do since he has been very helpful with my engraving efforts.

I closed my booth for a while on Wednesday when it was slow on commercial row and got some pictures of the firing line.


I had made a promise to Mike that if we could get a little range time he could shoot the 2 Bore Boxlock. So Wednesday afternoon I went over caught a picture of him working hard....

and then we made arrangements to put a couple rounds through the 2 Bore. Got it on video....
http://www.youtube.com/user/cs...#p/a/u/0/91gAE6tac_k

On the way home I stopped by the Lewis & Clark Historic Center just north of St. Louis(on the Illinois side of the river), I arrived kind of late so I only had about 15 minutes to rush through and get some pictures, but it was still worth the stop just to see the Reproduction rifles and the Keel Boat Display. I wish I had a couple hours to really read the displays....maybe next time.


















Other than the weather being fairly miserable the whole week, with regular rain storms at night and in the mornings and then high temps during the day turning Friendship into a sauna in the afternoons, it was a great trip. I really enjoyed meeting everyone.

Colin

Thanks for the great bit of information. I just watched Shooting USA highlighting the BP international long range competitions which included an Australian and British team shooting 800, 900 and 1000 yard ranges. It was very interesting. They all spoke of their desire to shoot in Indiana.

I am currently leaning the idiosincracy of muzzle-loader shotguns. I started with a Great Plains rifle last year and now with a Pedersoli double muzzle loader I am finding a lot more to learn. I recently acquired a 12 bore Damascus ML which a friend has carried and shot for more years than I care to think about. He is helping me learn the how-to of the art and sport. He has 12 gold medal animals from his Africa safari and one of the largest Cape Buffalo I have seen, all shot with his revolving double barrel ML. I hope one day to photograph the rifle and maybe even shoot it. This year he is heading to Alaska for a try at a Billie with the same rifle.

Thanks again for the great report.
Frank

Frank, are you thinking of a swivel breech double?

Rich