What do you think? Just how popular is black powder shooting in the shooting sports world? With a personal view of over 40 years in the shooting sports, I say it's declining and getting worse. What is being done to change it?
My gripe with the black powder community as a whole- many will cheerfully post nice/nice comments about somebody taking the time and effort to reach youth to reverse the decline. But those same people can't take the time out of their day to do anything about it. They'll even go as far as to criticize lobbying for support from corporations who do have a vested interest in future customers. Those same people will not take the time to work with a kid. They can't be bothered to do anything material to change the course. They'll often criticize the choice of starter gun for the newby to the hobby. They can't be bothered to take the time to introduce others in the shooting community to black powder and muzzleloading. They'll selfishly spend all their shooting effort and time on themselves with no thought to the future.
The NMLRA (National Muzzleloading Rifle Association) started in the 1930s. It was very popular up through the 1980s but a decline set in. What was going on? Well, they realized that the tight focus on muzzleloading rifles only of the early 1800s and the "rondy" reenactors by those previously in charge was killing the organization. They realized it was "ground approaching" as the membership got down to under 5k and decided to make a change. They have opened up to all forms of black powder shooting including inlines and as a result, membership has been growing. BUT, integral to that is their work in youth shooting sports. Like it or not, kids are the future of the shooting sports as a whole and if you're not supporting it, you're not going to survive long term as those kids become good little indocrinated voters for the left.
If you can't be bothered to get involved in reversing the decline, then quit complaining. You have what you wished for.
My gripe with the black powder community as a whole- many will cheerfully post nice/nice comments about somebody taking the time and effort to reach youth to reverse the decline. But those same people can't take the time out of their day to do anything about it. They'll even go as far as to criticize lobbying for support from corporations who do have a vested interest in future customers. Those same people will not take the time to work with a kid. They can't be bothered to do anything material to change the course. They'll often criticize the choice of starter gun for the newby to the hobby. They can't be bothered to take the time to introduce others in the shooting community to black powder and muzzleloading. They'll selfishly spend all their shooting effort and time on themselves with no thought to the future.
The NMLRA (National Muzzleloading Rifle Association) started in the 1930s. It was very popular up through the 1980s but a decline set in. What was going on? Well, they realized that the tight focus on muzzleloading rifles only of the early 1800s and the "rondy" reenactors by those previously in charge was killing the organization. They realized it was "ground approaching" as the membership got down to under 5k and decided to make a change. They have opened up to all forms of black powder shooting including inlines and as a result, membership has been growing. BUT, integral to that is their work in youth shooting sports. Like it or not, kids are the future of the shooting sports as a whole and if you're not supporting it, you're not going to survive long term as those kids become good little indocrinated voters for the left.
If you can't be bothered to get involved in reversing the decline, then quit complaining. You have what you wished for.