Today we're continuing our "State of Muzzle Loading" Series with Jeff Clemens. Jeff is the owner of THOR Bullets, but he's also an avid outdoorsman from Oregon who grew up hunting elk and mule deer with his family. He's used everything from traditional bows to modern centerfire rifles to take his chosen game, but muzzleloaders remain one of his favorite ways to hunt. In this episode we talk about how 2020 impacted THOR Bullets, the shooting sports industry at large, as well as Jeff's personal background in business and hunting in the Western United States.
Jeff shares our positive outlook on the state of muzzle loading, it was a lot of fun to talk with him this week. I hope you enjoy the show!
THOR Bullets was started in 2012 by Terry Ortwig, an inventor and patent holder on a lot of different items in the muzzleloading industry. One of the more notable patents some of you may remember was the electronic ignition of the CVA Electra, which used the power from a 9 volt battery to ignite the powdercharge of a muzzleloading rifle. (I think the ability to shoot without primers or caps looks pretty good right now in the spring of 2021 where we are trading our kits for caps, haha!)
Terry was a muzzleloader by nature and went on to patent the gas seal technology used in THOR bullets to give muzzleloading hunters an alternative to the other bullets on the market. Terry's idea was to make a full bore conical with a copper gas seal, instead of a plastic gas seal as seen on many modern sabots.
As Terry got older, he was looking to retire. That's where Jeff comes in for THOR in mid 2018. Jeff brings a strong passion for muzzleloaders to carry on the mission Terry started.
While muzzleloading bullets are the main focus of Jeff's perspective when it comes to the muzzleloading industry, Jeff is also a lifelong hunter born and raised in Oregon. He's hunted with everything from longbows to high power rifles, but still comes back to muzzleloaders year after year for a special connection to his game and to traditional American culture.
