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By LARRY A. HOFFMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 20, 2001
The snowflakes were heavy, the size of silver dollars, in late December 1979 near Cedar Creek, Mich. The extended deer-hunting season for black-powder guns was in its second day. The woods were vacant except for some deer and me with my .54-caliber Lyman trade rifle.
Moving through the woods was the biggest whitetail deer I had seen. He was 50 yards away staring at me. A perfect opportunity. I aimed and fired. The cap sounded but did not light the powder charge. My heart sank. The biggest deer of my career was gone.
If the expressions "keep your powder dry," "possibles bag," "bullet-starter" and "patch and ball" don't ring a bell, you probably haven't experienced front-end muzzleloading long-rifle shooting. The heavy snow lets moisture into the powder charge, resulting in a missed opportunity.
Black-powder shooting and hunting is a tradition that dates to our forefathers. The solders in the Revolutionary War, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, the Mountain Men, and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark all used black-powder front-loaders.
The art of shooting front-end loader rifles is alive and well. The modern shooter or hunter has an advantage over our ancestors because of improved gun powder and the excellent modern reproduction of guns used from 1800 to 1840. Modern metals and rifling have made today's long rifle very accurate.
One advantage to hunting with a black-powder rifle is that most states allow for special hunting seasons. The opportunity to hunt with little pressure of other hunters and the need to get within 100 yards for an effective shot allow the individual to match his or her skills against the terrain and game.
The phrase "make the first shot count" comes out of the black-powder single-shot era when the shooter often only got one shot. The shooter was successful or dead trying to get a second shot.
Shooting a black-powder gun is fun. Unlike modern weapons, you learn to appreciate the finer arts of shooting and loading when using black powder.
A myth I often laughed at was Boone shooting a nail head twice at 100 yards. First, if you walk it off you will find you can't see a nail at 100 yards; you can't hit what you can't see. And second, the Kentucky rifle and trade rifles were accurate -- up to about 200 yards. The average black-powder rifle is limited to 100 yards. It takes a very experienced shooter to take shots past 100 yards.
The Wyoming Antelope Shooting Club in Pinellas County is a good place to fire black-powder guns. It costs about $250 to get started with a replica black-powder rifle, powder and gear.
If you look to expand your hunting season and sharpen your skills, try black powder and travel back in time 150 years.
- Col. Larry A. "Huffy" Hoffman USA (retired) is an avid hunter. Call (727) 709-9396.