Muzzleloading is the

shooting sport Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...

of firing

muzzleloading Muzzleloading is the shooting sport of firing muzzleloader, muzzleloading guns. Muzzleloading guns, both antique and reproduction, are used for target shooting, hunting, historical re-enactment and historical research. The sport originated in the ...

guns. Muzzleloading guns, both antique and reproduction, are used for target shooting, hunting, historical re-enactment and historical research. The sport originated in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in the 1930s, just as the last original users and makers of muzzleloading arms were dying out. The sport received a tremendous boost in the 1960s and 1970s. The Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (www.MLAIC.org) was formed in 1970 and held its first World Championship in 1971. Since then a flourishing industry manufacturing working reproductions of historic firearms now exists in the

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, particularly in northern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, for example at

Gardone Val Trompia Gardone Val Trompia (Brescian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is bounded by the comunes of Marcheno and Sarezzo. It is located in the Trompia valley. Gardone received the honorary title of ...

, in the

Province of Brescia The province of Brescia (; Brescian: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia.With an area of 4,785 km2, it is the ...

. In the United States muzzleloading guns are, subject to a number of qualifications, generally not considered firearms. Subject to state law they may be possessed by persons who might otherwise not be legally allowed to own a firearm. The American

National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) is the largest membership based association in the sport of muzzleloading in the United States. The Association was founded in 1933 and is known for leading the effort to preserve the history ...

holds two national tournaments a year in

Friendship, Indiana Friendship is an unincorporated community (village) on State Road 62, (Chief White Eye Trail) Brown Township, Ripley County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. History There are multiple stories about how Friendship obtained its name, the followin ...

as well as the Western National Shoot Event held in Phoenix, Ariz.. The

Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee The Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC) is the world governing body for competition with muzzle-loading firearms, both originals (made prior to 1900) and replicas thereof. MLAIC organises World Championships on even-numbe ...

(MLAIC) governs international competition with muzzle-loading arms. The MLAIC holds a Short Range World Championship in even-numbered years and a Long Range World Championship (300 to 1000 yards) on odd numbered years (South Africa has won the last 5 Long Range World Championships).

Modern use

Driven by demand for muzzleloaders for special extended primitive hunting seasons, firearms manufacturers have developed in-line muzzleloading rifles with designs similar to modern breech-loading centerfire designs.

Knight Rifles Knight Rifles is an American manufacturer of modern muzzleloading rifles and shotguns that pioneered the in-line muzzleloader in the mid-1980s. The company was founded in 1985 by Tony Knight, a gunsmith from rural Worthington, Missouri, and is no ...

pioneered the in-line muzzleloader in the mid-1980s, manufacturing and selling them to this day.

Savage Arms Savage Arms is an American gunmaker based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with operations in Canada and China. Savage makes a variety of Rimfire ammunition, rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. The comp ...

has created the 10ML-II, which can be used with

smokeless powder Finnish smokeless powder Smokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to black powder. Because of their similar use, both the original black powder formula ...

, reducing the cleaning required. American Gun Craft have released the ROTO 12 shotgun that uses black powder.https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wheelgun-wednesday-american-gun-craft-roto-12-revolver-shotguns-44820202

References

{{reflist Shooting sports

Modern use

See also

References