National Championship Shoot Shirt Pre-Order

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOOT SHIRT PRE-ORDER

DON'T MISS OUT! The store is open for pre-orders for the National Championship Shoot Shirts. Visit https://www.nmlra.org/2024-national-championships to place your order today.

2024 Gunmakers Hall Giveaway

Have you been thinking about a new gun for this year? Or possibly a new pouch, horn, or knife? That can add up to a lot of money, especially for a custom muzzle loader or other handmade gear. Here’s an idea, instead of spending all that hard earned money on a new gun, or gear, why not enter for a chance to win it? This year we are once again having our Gunmaker’s Hall Giveaway. This is a great opportunity to win a custom muzzle loader and many other handcrafted items. It’s also a great way to support the NMLRA. All prizes are handmade by some of this country’s premier contemporary muzzle loading artists.

Here's a bit of how it works. The Gunmaker’s Hall Committee comes together, a year or more in advance, during the NMLRA spring shoot, and starts work on the following year’s prizes. We work on the giveaway guns and prizes at Gunmaker’s Hall, during the shoots held at the Walter Cline Range. We’ve been known to bore barrels, rifle barrels, inlet barrels into stocks, hand forge hardware, make knives, craft horn work, engrave metalwork, carve gunstocks, and even build entire guns, at the Hall during the shoot. Other artists and craftspeople stop by the Hall and share their knowledge. Presentations are given and discussions are held, often over the very projects that will be in the Gunmaker’s Hall Giveaway.  By the way, these presentations are free, and open to the public. All this work comes together in September at the Walter Cline Range during the NMLRA Fall Shoot at the annual Gunmaker’s Hall Giveaway, when we giveaway the muzzle loaders and the other handmade prizes.

We have two custom made rifles in the Gunmaker’s Hall Giveaway this year. Bart Copenhaver, a top notch gunmaker from Pennsylvania, made a Christian Oerter style flintlock. This is a beautiful piece and you will be seeing more of it in upcoming Muzzle Blasts articles. Warren Whitley, of Tennessee, made a really nice iron mounted Southern rifle for the Incentive Gun. Warren’s is another fine piece and really needs to be seen; it is beautiful. Warren’s gun will be featured in an upcoming article and both guns will be on display at Gunmaker’s Hall during the spring and fall shoots at the Walter Cline range in Friendship, Indiana.

Christian Oerter flintlock muzzleloader by Bart Copenheaver of Pennsylvania.

Southern Mountain flintlock muzzleloader by Warren Whitley of Tennessee.

Shooting pouch by Jeff Luke of Ohio.

We’ve got more fantastic prizes for the giveaway this year. Jeff Luke has presented his leather working skills at the Hall, has a booth on commercial row, and is a very fine craftsman. Jeff has made a really cool shooting bag for the giveaway. He makes something every year for us and this one is outstanding. We can’t thank him enough for everything he has done. Here’s what Jeff had to say about this year’s bag;

 “For my donation to this year's Gunmakers Hall Giveaway I wanted to create a hunting pouch that might have been seen in the southern mountain region of the country in the early to mid-19th century. The pouch is heart shaped, a common southern Appalachian style of the era, with turned construction and a "bearded" flap with six layers of hand cut fringe sewn to the flap face. The pouch is constructed of 3-4oz veg tanned cowhide and the 1" strap has a nice forged buckle by John Rader. Everything is handstitched with linen thread at six stitches per inch.” 

Wow, is that cool or what? Look at the pictures with this article and you will see what I mean. That pouch will make someone very happy (that someone could be you). It’ll probably make you shoot better too. Thank you, Jeff Luke!  

Wooden shooting box made by Russel Combs.

Russel Combs donated a hand made shooting box to the giveaway.  Gunmaker’s Hall has helped to support the pistol line over the years and Russ wanted to return the favor by supporting Gunmaker’s Hall and the NMLRA. His has offered the choice of one, of his three handcrafted wooden shooting boxes. Made in Cherry, Walnut and Red Cedar, they are all works of the highest art. Which one would you choose? We’re taking a poll and will decide during the June Shoot at the Walter Cline Range in Friendship Indiana.

What do you have to do to win the pouch Jeff Luke made, one of Russel’s shooting boxes, or one of those fine muzzle loading rifles? Simply buy some tickets for the 2024 Gunmaker’s Hall Giveaway. The tickets are available for sale at Gunmaker’s Hall during the spring and fall shoots, in Muzzle Blasts, and on the NMLRA website (nmlra.org). You could be a prize winner!

The schedule of ticket prices for the drawing will remain the same as last year: one ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, eight tickets for $20, and 25 tickets for $50. Those who subscribe to the $50 option will have their tickets held separate and entered first into the drawing for the Incentive Gun made by Warren Whitley. After this drawing, all tickets will be brought together for the main drawing featuring Bart Copenheaver’s longrifle, the pouch, box, and other prizes. You can purchase tickets at Gunmaker’s Hall during the national shoots, in the magazine, and on the NMLRA website nmlra.org. You may copy tickets printed from the magazine and the web, but please make sure the size stays the same. When you cut out the tickets, please trim them to size. When you put your contact information on the ticket, please put your NMLRA member number on there too. Send your tickets and money to the NMLRA, PO Box 67, Friendship, IN 47021. You could win one of two custom long rifles or any of the other handmade items provided to our drawing. We would appreciate your support! This drawing is not valid where prohibited by law.

If you, your company, or someone you know would like to contribute an appropriate prize item for our drawing, or simply make a donation to Gunmaker’s Hall, please contact me at gunmakershall@gmail.com Donations are greatly appreciated by myself, the Gunmaker’s Hall Committee and the NMLRA.

I’ll see you at the Hall.

Benjaman Quearry, gunmakershall@gmail.com

See the NMLRA website for printable
tickets by clicking here.

POWDER HORN & HUNTING POUCH CLASS FOR YOUTH (AGES 12 – 15)

ENTER TO WIN A FREE

POWDER HORN & HUNTING POUCH CLASS

FOR YOUTH (AGES 12 – 15)

with Henry Bowman & Jeff Luke

8:00 a.m. Saturday, June 15, 2023

LIMIT: 8 STUDENTS DRAWN FROM LOTTERY.

PIZZA LUNCH INCLUDED! 

NMLRA Education Building on Maxine Moss Dr. (Dewberry Rd.), Friendship, IN

 Contact: Amber May

LAST ENTRY ACCEPTED: MAY 31, 2024

DRAWING: JUNE 03, 2024

To apply for the drawing fill in the information below or call the NMLRA office at 812-432-2670.

Muzzle Blasts Notice

We hope this notice finds you well. We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation for your continued support and readership of Muzzle Blasts. It is our commitment to provide you with punctual and quality content; we also understand the importance of receiving your magazine in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, we must inform you of unexpected delays in the shipping of our magazine, which are beyond our control.  There was a mercury spill in the St. Louis distribution location that has caused a delay in our October issue of Muzzle Blasts. Despite our best efforts to ensure timely deliveries, these beyond-our-control circumstances have led to unavoidable disruptions in the distribution process. 

We want to assure you that we are actively working to mitigate these delays and explore alternative shipping options. Your satisfaction is of utmost importance to us and we are committed to resolving this issue as swiftly as possible. In the meantime, we kindly request your patience and understanding as we navigate through this situation. 

We are grateful for your loyalty and understanding during these challenging times. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to get your magazine to you as soon as possible and are closely monitoring the situation. 

Thank you for being a part of the Muzzle Blasts community. We look forward to better days ahead and continued enjoyable reading experiences. Your support means the world to us. 

Dave Ehrig, Editor

Public Notice

For public notice

Due to the negligence of individual members of the Board of Directors, the meeting resulted in no quorum for June 14th, 2023, causing the board to be unable to conduct the necessary business of the NMLRA. 

Members Present:

Mike Yazel-President

Rich Crabtree-1st Vice president

Michele Meanley, 2nd Vice president

Mike Eder-Treasurer

Karen Latta-Secretary

Robin Bonaventura

Dave DeLong

Buddy Townsend

Marty Murphy

Neil Eddington

Mark Donaldson

Mike Luma

Tippy Curtis

Excused:

Alan Hoeweler

Art Fleener

Rick Repovsch

Bill Foy

Unexcused:

Joe Hill

Jeff Cunningham

Lora Parks

Rick Weber

Also present:

Neil Fairweather - Attorney

Colton Fleetwood-Parliamentarian

Cal Merritt - Non-seated board member 

Robert Marshall - Non-seated board member 

Sincerely,

Karen Latta - NMLRA Secretary

July Volunteer Opportunities

July 8-9, 2023

NMLRA National Youth Shoot

Join us July 8-9 for the NMLRA National Youth Shoot!

Matches will include muzzleloading pistol, shotgun, archery, tomahawk, woods walk, paintball, and MORE.

Again, this year we’ll have a special prize for the overall top shooter! Register today for the best weekend in youth shooting sports! Registration is available on the NMLRA website https://www.nmlra.org/store/2023-nmlra-national-youth-shoot-registration. To volunteer please contact Lindsey lbrown@nmlra.org or call the office at 812-667-5131.

July 30-August 3, 2023

Eastern Regional YHEC

The NMLRA will be hosting the Eastern Regional YHEC which is NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) provides a fun environment for kids 18 and under to improve their hunting, marksmanship and safety skills. Through its simulated hunting situations, live fire exercises, educational and responsibility events, YHEC helps build upon skills learned in basic hunter education courses and encourages safer, lifelong hunting habits. https://easternregionalyhec.com/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/711773303754769.

They will be using most of our range to hold their events. This will take many volunteers to make this a successful event. Below is the map of where their events are going to be on the Walter Cline Range.

To volunteer you must register through their website at https://easternregionalyhec.com/volunteers/

Board of Directors Vote for 2023

The votes in the election of the Board of Directors for the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, Inc. for 2023 were collected, counted and certified by Turpin & Deckard LLC. Certified Public Accountants. Below are the results.

The New Board Members for 2023

1. Marty Murphy - 1,890 votes

2. Michele Meanley - 1,842 votes

3. Karen Latta - 1,830 votes

4. Robin Bonaventura - 1,812 votes

5. Andy Larson - 1,811 votes

6. Cal Merritt - 1,745 votes

7. Bob Marshall - 1,634 votes

The candidate that was not elected to the Board was Becky Henderson with 1,363 votes.

Thank you to all of the candidates, Your support and dedication to the NMLRA is truly appreciated.

To the newly elected board members, we understand that running for a board position can be a significant commitment of time and effort. Your willingness to take on this responsibility demonstrates your passion for our organization and your desire to make a positive impact.

As you know, the board of directors plays a critical role in shaping the direction of the association and ensuring that we remain focused on our mission. Your experience and expertise will be invaluable as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Free Youth Powder Horn and Hunting Pouch Class

ENTER TO WIN A FREE POWDER HORN &
HUNTING POUCH CLASS
FOR YOUTH (Ages 12 – 15)

with Henry Bowman & Jeff Luke
8:00 a.m. Saturday, June 17, 2023

 LIMIT: 8 STUDENTS DRAWN FROM LOTTERY.
PIZZA LUNCH INCLUDED! 

 NMLRA Education Building on Maxine Moss Dr. (Dewberry Rd.), Friendship, IN

 Contact the NMLRA Office for more information 812-667-5131 or amay@nmlra.org.

LAST ENTRY ACCEPTED: JUNE 11, 2023 

DRAWING: JUNE 14, 2023

For more information or to sign up for the drawing click here. 

NMLRA 2023 Territitorials

The NMLRA is now accepting applications for clubs to host an NMLRA Territorial. The Territorials are the NMLRA’s outreach program to bring competitive shooting to its members locally.

Let’s face it: not everyone can make it to Friendship. This doesn’t mean you have to be shooting the center out of all your targets to participate. Even the best shooter has been known to pull a shot out into the white on a target.

Territorial match directors and competitors alike welcome new shooters to participate in the territorial program.

Nowhere else does the statement the more the merrier ring true. Don’t be intimidated by the word competitive or competition; really, we’re all a bunch of blackpowder enthusiasts looking to have a good time and shoot a respectable score – a score that can withstand the good-natured ribbing that is bound to happen around the campfire at the end of the day. 

2023 Territorial Application

2023 NMLRA TERRITORIAL INFORMATION

 Greetings from your NMLRA Territorial Committee!

 We are so thankful for all of you and the jobs you do as territorial match directors. We also want your clubs to be successful while providing this vital outreach program.  We have been working to streamline the current program and looking to make this more profitable to your clubs. In doing so we have made several changes to the 2023 territorial program.

 The first change we have instituted is building a committee to help each of you with hosting each territorial event.  The committee is Lonnie Vermillion, Bob Shepherd and Branch Meanley.  Lonnie will be chairing this committee and will be your direct contact person for any questions you may have. 

 The second change will be in the pricing structure.  The current prices were established over 20 years ago.  We all know that the association and each of your individual clubs are losing money by hosting these events.  We have taken into careful consideration the total number of shooters and the average number of aggregates shot by each individual.  The prices will increase to $20 per registration and $20 for each aggregate purchased.   Juniors will remain at the same $1 for registration. 

 Thirdly, we are also streamlining the territorial program.  In past matches the rifle program offered 25 different aggregates.  This number will be reduced to 20.  In addition to reducing this number there will be 10 aggregates that are uniform to all territorial events.  In addition to those 10, each of you will choose UP TO six more aggregates allowing you to customize your event for your shooters.  Moving from 25 to 16 aggregates will save costs on the number of medals and prizes to be awarded.  Clubs will have larger numbers of shooters within each aggregate, rather than in some cases, only  one or two shooters. Shotgun aggregates will remain the same.

 Fourth, due to popular demand from several competitors from around the country, the following aggregates will be allowed to use ANY Metallic Sights (AMS) for any of the matches within those aggregates. 

Aggregate C (Heavy Bench,) Aggregate F (Cross Sticks,) and Aggregate W (Light Bench.) These changes are ONLY for the Territorial Program and do not affect the matches that are available at the spring and Fall National shoots at Friendship.

 We would also encourage each of you to sponsor your own “club” match! This could build a unique fun match into each of your clubs! You decide what target to shoot, what price to charge for entry into the match and what rules for the match.  i.e. re-entry offhand, re-entry bench, split monies 50/50 with winner etc. The monies earned for these matches will remain 100% within your club and to use to your discretion.  Have fun with this one!

 In addition to medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each aggregate we will be awarding other prizes for the individual matches.  We want to see a little friendly competition between host clubs! So we will be offering bonuses for the club with the most paid aggregates, club with the most women shooters, club with the most junior & sub – juniors and the club that shoots the most shotgun aggregates.  See attached flyer for details!

Something New! The NMLRA will also be hosting the “National Open Territorial” in Friendship during the spring Nationals!  Details to follow!

 Please have your applications into the NMLRA at your earliest convenience.  Deadline is December 31, 2022.  We are aware that this application process is later than normal, but we as a committee feel that these changes were necessary and will ultimately make your jobs less complicated and profitable. We Sincerely Appreciate All Of  You and what you do for this outreach program, and we want to thank each of you for hosting a Territorial in your area!

The Territorial Committee can be contacted at:

Lonnie Dale Vermillion
150 Co Rd 2477, Barnsdall, Oklahoma 74002
Phone: 918.408.0465
Email: possumridge@yahoo.com

NEW FOR 2023!!!

Day of Giving - November 4th, 2022

Today is the Ripley County Community Foundation “Day of Giving”. All gifts made to a endowed fund on this day will be eligible to receive a 50% match. You can honor the memory of a family member or a friend, leave a legacy or pay-it-forward.

The NMLRA (National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association) is lucky to have a fund through which we can get a distribution each year from if needed. The most recent use of this was the new scoring room on the Walter Cline Range.

To donate you can go to https://rccfonline.org/giving-opportunities/rccf-family-of-funds/. Our fund is National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Fund #292 – To provide support to the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.

When on the page click on Donate. Choose second option Give a Gift to an Established Fund. Click Donate Now. Put in your amount and then fill in the options it asks. Where can we designate your gift? In this box scroll all the way to the bottom and it is the NMLRA fund. Continue. And fill in the information asked - here is where you can Dedicate this Donation and you can put in honor of someone.

The NMLRA is very appreciative of all donations and this is a way to add even more to what you can give.

Gunmaker's Hall Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Gunmakers Hall Giveway. These were drawn Saturday, September 17th on the porch of Gunmaker’s Hall . Live video of drawing can be seen here https://fb.watch/fY9ulSwJyP/.

Incentive Rifle - Mark Wolfe

Quilt - Rasmus K. Saile

Place Mats - Claudia Bahorik

4 Wood Bowls - Walter Fett

Pouch - Wayne Braxton

Horn - Cal Merritt

Knife in Sheth - Dale Reeley

Antler Handle Knife - Jim Jerkins

5 piece Horn Set - Joe Solomon

French Fowler - Mayo Jones

And thank you to all the donors who help to make this drawing possible.

Winners chosen for the Free Powderhorn and Hunting Pouch Class

Winners chosen for the free Powderhorn and Hunting Pouch Class

And the winners are:
Samuel Keys
David Sargent
Brantley Bond
Barrett Crumbaugh
Savannah Dowers
Jonah Cain
Brody Snyder
Jeremiah Jury
Lucas Fulmer
Makayla Baxter

Alternates are:
Isabelle Manns
Kenleigh Kuzo

All winners will be notified by email. If you are unable to attend for some reason please let the NMLRA office know as soon as possible so an alternate may be contacted.

Thanks for your interest in this event and we hope to host more of them in the future.

Thanks to the NMLRA, Gunmaker’s Hall, and Crazy Crow for donations.
Also thanks to Henry Bowman and Jeff Luke for instructing the class.

https://www.crazycrow.com/site/

FREE FOR AGES 12-15 - POWDERHORN & HUNTING POUCH CLASS (Copy)

Final days to get signed up for the chance to take this class!
Thanks to Crazy Crow Trading Post for donating the horns for the kids!

FREE FOR AGES 12-15
POWDERHORN & HUNTING POUCH CLASS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022, FROM 8:00- 5:00

Free to 10 students (ages 12-15) selected from a lottery of applicants. Pizza lunch will be provided. Each student will make a powderhorn and hunting pouch like the set below.

To apply for the drawing fill in the information at the following page link https://www.nmlra.org/classes-1 or call the NMLRA office at 812-667-5131. For more information or questions contact Amber at the NMLRA office at 812-667-5131 or amay@nmlra.org.

Drawing will be held on June 1, 2022 and 10 lucky students will be notified.

https://www.crazycrow.com/site/