Shooting muzzle loading guns is surprisingly common, and black powder shooting in general has enjoyed a great renaissance in recent years.

Every bit as fun (or serious!) as shooting 'conventional' guns, muzzle loading is an excellent way of honing your shooting abilities, experiencing the past, or simply creating a big cloud of smoke!

Shooting a Muzzle Loader

WHAT

Muzzle loading is a discipline of shooting where the gun is loaded entirely from the muzzle. Instead of using metallic cartridges, the shooter loads with powder, wad and shot directly into the barrel.

WHY

Black powder shooting is a way for some to experience how shooting was done in the past. It's too easy to simply load a modern gun and shoot with accuracy and precision, without giving much thought to the mechanics behind the shot.

When you load a muzzle loader, you are responsible for every aspect of the shot – the powder charge, weight of shot and your technique. As muzzle loaders take so much longer to reload than metallic cartridge guns, it really makes you think hard and concentrate to make sure you make the best shot of it you can.

HOW

Getting into muzzle loading shooting is easy, most shooting clubs allow for a muzzle loading or black powder day. Guns are simple and pleasant to use, held on a firearms or shotgun certificate, and can easily give the results that might be expected of a modern gun.

THE BASICS

Simply put, muzzle loading isn't that different to modern firearms, only that the charge is loaded from the muzzle, and the ignition source is different. Powder must be loaded from the muzzle, followed by a wad, then the shot. It's not particularly complicated and is an excellent rabbit hole to dive into.

Henry Krank & Co are the number one suppliers of muzzle loading guns and accessories in the UK, click here to view our full range of guns. There is a gun for absolutely every taste!