An interesting thread; however, I find it a bit odd that the OP,  Merkava, did not post his "demographics".

I'm am 66. Darn, I had to do the math. I remembered 62 or 63, couldn't believe 66. Old math don't lie. 2021 -1955= 66. Where I live, I know 1 young guy (early 40's). After him, I'm the one wearing peach fuzz on my cheeks. Started shooting muzzleloaders just after High School,(73) Civil war stuff. While stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga.( early 80's) I graduated to flint locks. Most of the cartridge stuff you guys were shooting in the early 80's seemed to be happening out west. ML were hot where I was. There was a match with in driving distance every weekend. No BPCR matches that I knew of. I tinkered with an 1884 TD that I still have. But no one else to shoot with. Wasn't until I retired that I got into BPCR. From what I can tell, you can't possibly work, tend a family, and shoot these rifles.My God, cast bullets, weigh and sort bullets, recast rejects, repeat. Make lube. Test lube. Remake lube.Test again, repeat. Compress powder, test, retest. I read threads where some of you weigh primers, and make patch presses to squeeze the water out consistently! One MUST have time on his hands to do all this.
I shot ML until our club literally died out. I have no one here to compete with BPCR, so I only entertain myself. 
There is hope though. I have a young friend (under 30, that is young!) who once introduced to a real wood and steel gun fell in love. He is now collecting S&W revolvers, and shooting a Hawken. Problem is, gotta work, gotta woman, got competing priorities. My Son has the same issues. "Gotta work Dad" I call it doing the responsible adult thing. Sure gets in the way.
Another issue with getting new members is most guys can't shoot for s..t. They would show up to a ML match, despite all the help we could give them, they couldn't consistently hit a 12" gong at 50 yards offhand. We'd be shooting clay pigeons. They'd show up all hot to trot, embarrass themselves and never come back. What to do?

Merkava wrote on Nov 13^th, 2021 at 12:06pm:

Would like to jump in on a few of these questions. Background, I was a Game Warden for the State of Iowa from 1/71- 7/02. Saw lots of changes in this time, some good , some not so good. Unfortunately we tend to remember the negative. Part of the problem is that folks getting into hunting or shooting don't have a good mentor to help them get started off on the right foot. I could go on for ever of "unsafe" gun handling I saw over the years. Part of my job was having to investigate hunting accidents. I'm not sure that is the proper term to use, as every accident I worked could have been prevented. 
bob
Iowa

Wow we are getting to be older group by far and I know there are allot more out there who have yet not shared their own information and I would encourage them to do so.

Tim Mahony 64 and residing in sunny Carpinteria, Ca. and having a lifetime of all weather hunting (mostly).

My first post, so as a bit of an intro, my first personal rifle was at age 8 and a SS .22....smile.  Between Daniel Boone (60's TV) and a cast off Dixie Gun Works catalog I was destined to love and collect antique firearms and it has been a wonderful journey.  Avid shooter, re-loader and bullet caster and thru the years a local level competitor in a handful of disciplines. Antique and vintage firearms are never far from my mind.

Forgot to mention that my wife is an engraver of some note but I have no figured out how to post photos.  Help?

Your wife does great work ! I remember Steven Hughes showing her work on a rifle he was building and I think this may be one of them. He was highly complimentary of her work!

JLouis wrote on Nov 13^th, 2021 at 3:26pm:


I have 2 years less on him, I am 47, posted on page 4.  I can't get out though so my shooting is pretty much non-existant.  I end up fondling my rifles more than anything.
Eric