Muzzleloading Rifle in Battle Rifle Catagory

[Bristow Kid]

Anyone have any interest in shooting this?  I know at the 2007 Grand Muster 1 person showed up and tried to.  If there is interest then what exactly are the rules?

Bristow Kid

[Dusty Tagalon]

I don't think there is a GAF category for this.

If it were to be attempted, maybe only 2 shots total with the rifle, with cap & ball pistol in between.  Give a little bit of time before dumping powder down the barrel.

Maybe suggestions from reenactors used to simulating musket fire should give suggestions.

Dusty

[US Scout]

We thought long and hard about this when we started planning the Musters.  The NSSA has a musket category, but their competitions are quite different than the GAF.

First, as noted by Dusty, it takes a long time to reload and shoot, which doesn't make the category very compatible with the cartridge arms.

Second, there doesn't seem to be a great demand for it.  If we could come up with enough individuals to make it worthwhile, I'm sure we could also come up with some rules as to how those equipped with muzzleloaders could participate in a Muster.  We could always offer it as a side-match, which I  believe was done at least once, but again there was only a small turnout for it.

This is not to say that shooting muzzleloaders (ie, muskets) cannot or will not be done at the Grand Muster or the Department Musters, just that we will have to consider how it can best be accomplished should there be sufficient interest in it.  If anyone has some recommendations on how we might do this, just send me a PM and I'll have our shooting committee take it under consideration.

I was shooting muzzleloaders long before I ever heard of or starting shooting CAS so I am not against including such a category if there is sufficient interest to justify it.

US Scout
GAF, Commanding

[Bow View Haymaker]

I am not sure if this applies hear but I have thought about adding a muzzle loader as a staged / provided addition to a stage or two at one of our monthly matches.  It would be loaded and staged by one or two designated persons and everyone would just have to aim and shoot one shot.  Just an idea. 
But that doesn't let people use their own unique muzzle loaders. 
A side match sounds like a good idea to see what kind of interest there might be.

[US Scout]

I am not sure if this applies hear but I have thought about adding a muzzle loader as a staged / provided addition to a stage or two at one of our monthly matches.  It would be loaded and staged by one or two designated persons and everyone would just have to aim and shoot one shot.  Just an idea. 
But that doesn't let people use their own unique muzzle loaders. 
A side match sounds like a good idea to see what kind of interest there might be.

That is an excellent idea.  As stated, at present the GAF has no problem with using muzzleloaders as part of a side match, or as a staged firearm during a particular stage (we've done that often enough with a variety of other firearms). 

Our only concern at this time, as far as using a muzzleloding musket in the Battle Rifle competition is that it would limit the number of rounds fired, and there has not yet been sufficient interest in creating such as category.   In the event that there were enough members who were willing to enter such a category at the Grand Muster, or a regional muster, then we could conduct a trial run.

US Scout
GAF, Commanding

[Bristow Kid]

Well I was just putting out a feeler to see if there was any interest.  I am not very skilled at loading mine yet anyway was just curious.  But you mentioned side matches.  Could it be used in the long range side matchs we have at Musters?  Its a round count at most of them and is timed also. 

[Pitspitr]

Bristow
If you want to bring the M/L and use it in the long range match I'll try and accomidate you. I would, however; highly discourage the M/L in the main match. When the battle rifle class was set up it was pointed out the M/L's have their own venues. It would be very difficult to get more than 3 shots in a stage for a M/L and the stages aren't written to work with them.