Category: Marksmanship

A few tips on accessories for long range muzzle loading: powder measures, drop tube, cleaning and loading rods, bore cleaning solutions.

Bullets used are either groove-lubricated or paper patched lead or lead alloy projectiles. They may be cast and directly used, or if paper patched, may be cast as slugs and then put into a hammer or press swage for final shaping. A muzzle-loaded bullet of lesser diameter than the bore is susceptible to gas leakage when fired. To help assure that gas does not pass between the side of the bullet and the bore, a sealing wad is sometimes used.

The beginning long-range muzzle loader shooter will soon learn that the single most important element in obtaining accuracy is consistency. If everything is the same with every shot there is no reason that all rounds should not go through the same hole. Of course this is humanly, mechanically, and meteorologically impossible, but the shooter can try his or her best to achieve the ideal. The most successful marksmen can replicate shot-to-shot conditions very closely, and their scores are proof that consistency works.

The military muzzle loading rifle (MMLR) may not be the first rifle that springs to mind for long range shooting, yet within Great Britain its use goes back to the origins of the National Rifle Association. The Volunteer Movement established in Great Britain in 1859 was the catalyst for a great interest in rifle shooting and marksmanship skills. Significant factors in maintaining this interest were the formation of the National Rifle Association (NRA) late in 1859 and the sponsorship by Queen Victoria of a competition in the NRA Annual Rifle meeting first held in 1860.

Choice of rifle today for LRML will be that of a modern made reproduction, including custom built rifles, or an original rifle. Many competitions make no distinction between reproduction and original rifles, although in international events they are fired in their own classes.

The World Governing body for muzzle loading shooting is the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Confederation (MLAIC), who in 1999 introduced long range World Championships to their competition programme.

Two national associations within the UK cater for the discipline of long range muzzle loading, namely the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain (MLAGB) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The hey-day of the muzzle loading era for rifle marksmen in Great Britain was the first two decades of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) existence; broadly 1860-1880. Target rifle competition was held at distances out to 1,000 yards (sometimes further) in local, national and international events.

The hey-day of the muzzle loading era for rifle marksmen in Great Britain was the first two decades of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) existence; broadly 1860-1880. Today, two national associations within the UK cater for the discipline of long range muzzle loading, namely the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain (MLAGB) and the National Rifle Association (NRA). The World Governing body for muzzle loading shooting is the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC), who in 1999 introduced long range World Championships to their competition programme.