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April showers bring May flowers, but what does the month bring to the National Range at Friendship?  In a word, it is “fun!” On April 24th through the 26th, the NMLRA is hosting the “Women’s Weekend” at Friendship, Indiana.

Why is this important?  Think about this: the statistics guys at the NRA state that 23% of the women in the United States own their own guns.  73% of women gun owners have taken at least one firearms training class. This is a huge increase over the 13% that women claimed to own their own gun in 2013.  And 5.4 million women have participated in target shooting. Moreover, women comprise 3.35 million gun owners in the United States! At least 43% of women gun owners go target shooting once a month or more.  And now, 30% of the gear found in outdoor stores and hunting catalogs is now made by women . . . and for women!

So here at Muzzle Blasts magazine, we are featuring some

of the women of NMLRA and their contributions to our muzzleloading culture in this month’s magazine.  So watch out guys, the word is out: women are having fun with muzzleloaders and may be outshooting you on the range and in the field!

In our recent addition to the NMLRA Hall of Fame, Sharon Smith writes about the Muzzleloading Women.  Over the past 58 years I have often been asked, “Why are you so involved in muzzle loading?” I usually respond, “Because I LOVE it.”  In reflection, I will try to explain why I am so in love with this sport.

First of all, my husband enjoyed collecting muzzle loading guns and “stuff”.  He got involved in shooting because our club needed shooters to travel to other clubs and participate in their activities.  Then, I discovered how much fun trying to hit the center of the target could be. I fell in love with the challenge and the competition.  Our two kids found out that shooting was fun, and they fell in love with our travels and the friends they made. We had kids from our town travel to shoots with us and our camp always was filled with kids.  The memories of the laughter, the games, the camp food, and campfires linger with all of us today whenever we are together.

Another lady, Shannon Lewis writes in her “Opportunities and Experiences that Muzzleloading Has Given Me,” Shooting and hunting is something that we did as a family. My mom and dad have 3 girls. We all hunt and we all shoot. I have been hunting as long as I can remember and have been eating deer meat since I was old enough to remember. Deer jerky in our home was

a big thing and it often didn’t last long after getting it off the stove. I killed my first deer with a muzzleloader when I was 11. I still to this day hunt with my muzzleloader, both my .54 and my offhand gun. I really enjoy using my muzzleloader for competitive shooting and hunting.

Mary Amelia Taylor shares with us in "Lessons from Home," When I was five or six, my parents bought me a child-sized Daisy BB gun, which we employed in backyard "shooting matches". I quickly discovered a sense of satisfaction in the act of target shooting--in aiming, firing, adjusting, and trying again, and feeling exultant when our aluminum-can targets would "tink" with my shot. Soon I graduated to my dad's .32 caliber squirrel rifle, a muzzleloader called “Trouble”, and I practiced more skills, like being still, staying focused, and squeezing the trigger. The reward was exciting: a gentle boom, a puff of smoke, a glance at one or both of my parents for confirmation of a good shot.

In the article, “The Women’s Weekend at Friendship, by Joe-D and Kyra Baster, we find that no disability from physical deficitor gender identity.  My wife Kyra and I both willingly organized the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association’s Women’s Weekend, April 24-26, 2020. This muzzleloading shooting event is exclusively for women.  It is for the young and young at heart. There will be rifle, pistol, and shotgun events for all of the ladies to try out. If you have been waiting to try something that will be a great time, come and learn about the safety and fun.

Our own NMLRA Membership, Charter Clubs, Education, Field Representatives and Territorials staff member Lora Parks had the opportunity to explore her own journey into “Women in Muzzle Loading:  Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Matches.” Parks writes, “That here are many women involved in the culture of Muzzle Loading.” She sees them wearing primitive dress, enhancing their primitive lodges with food over a woodfire; decorating the poles with homespun weavings and nurturing the next generation.  And not to go unnoticed, they have their own black powder guns!

Parks has been fortunate to work for the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association’s Office of Administration.  Each day my phone rings off the hook with questions about membership; trade shows, exhibitions; recruitment and retention; Charter Clubs; Education Programs; records for Range Officer Certification and training courses; shoot registration; and inventories for black powder sales.  But rarely do I get the opportunity to have fun and shoot with people that visit the National Range. Three years ago as I was waiting for the sun to burn off the morning fog, just to see the last bank of steel rams or turkeys come into view. As strange as it sounds, this is one of my favorite parts of black powder cartridge silhouette shooting.  It is the anticipation of the day to come. It is full of laughter, food, and friendly competition and it is what drives my love for this hobby.

In “Natalie Drescher Overcame Barriers” by Rick Weber, we find that Natalie Drescher from Minnesota has a wonderful story on how she developed the love for shooting, especially with her Hawken Muzzleloader.   As a teen diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Emphasized Arthritis (JIA,) one could imagine her difficulties with any sport, no less Muzzle loading.  

She was introduced to Muzzle loading through her local 4H group.  For some reason she found a love for shooting a Muzzleloader, but her disability, recoil and the weight of the rifle were making her efforts difficult.  Her local 4-H shooting coach kept working with her and found her a .45 caliber Hawken that is now here favorite muzzleloader.   

Natalie continued to work through her difficulties as she and her coach came up with an apparatus that supports the muzzle of the rifle while allowing her to do everything else.

And finally, if you are a foodie like me (and most males,) you are familiar with Linda Fulmer’s column, “Cooking up a Taste of Rendezvous.  This month’s offering is a sumptuous cast iron/Dutch Oven, fried chicken. Come back from the canvas lodge or a long day in the wilds and you won’t be disappointed with a yummy dose of Linda’s recipes!

Yes, this April issue of Muzzle Blasts has something for everyone, particularly the ladies.  If you don’t find something to light your outdoor wanderings here, then you haven’t read it all!

Dave Ehrig