Aside from being doggone fun to shoot I enjoy going out the way my ancesters did and using the same type of guns they used to put food on my table. It kind of gives me a connection to them and the kind of challanges they faced. I also enjoy building my own guns.

I began building and shooting muzzeloaders in 1970. I started with precussion rifles and as time went on I regressed to the flintlock. In 1989 I took my first buck with a 50 cal hatfield flintlock. I was hooked. There was a lot of trial and error and I had a lot of problems in the beginning but it was a learning experience for me. I could not find a lot of written material on flintlocks in those days so I am mostly self taught.

The rifles that I use today are well built, well designed and very reliable. I cannot tell the difference in ignition time than with a percussion rifle.

I think I probably watched one too many Davey Crockett movies.