by James C. Fulmer
Past President, NMLRA
The Pennsylvania Federation of Black Powder Shooters, Inc. (PFBPS) held their Annual Banquet and Trade Fair Saturday, March 22 in Milroy, PA. State muzzleloading associations are the grassroots of our sport and the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) counts on these associations for membership recruitment. The local level is where people are introduced to muzzleloading either through hunting, target shooting or living history. Many states—Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, California, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Wisconsin, and more, have muzzleloading associations to promote the sport. Many also have banquets to celebrate the achievements of their members whether in shooting or for their devotion to the sport.
At the PFBPS banquet this year the highest honor the association offers was given to a well deserving Frank Hoover. It is called the “Pioneer Life Award.” In the early days of the PFBPS a life membership was discussed and it was decided that a life membership could only be earned not bought. To achieve a life membership a member has to go above and beyond in promoting the muzzleloading shooting sport and the PFBPS. Frank has served as the captain of the Pennsylvania Company of Riflemen and also served as director of the PFBPS. Frank is well deserving of this award. The PFBPS has only given out 16 of these awards in the entire history of the organization.
Dave Arnold, then president of NMLRA, was the first guest speaker at the first PFBPS banquet held in Altoona, PA. There was much discussion before the banquet that night about who was to get first medallion for the “Pioneer Life Award.” It was a great idea that the first medallion was to be given to the NMLRA Museum and the new inductee names were to be drawn from the hat. Tiny VanSant, who has long since passed, was to become the second recipient that night. It’s hard to believe that was all 20 years ago. Time delays for no person.
Another award the PFBPS gives out is the “Heritage Award.” This award is for outstanding service and achievement in the muzzleloading sport. This year Mike Lyter received this award for all of his work on the PFBPS website which brings them into the 21st century.
The PFBPS has always been a big supporter of the NMLRA. One of the many programs the NMLRA has, and many of their charter clubs have supported, is the 1 of 1000 Endowment Program. The program works this way: with 1000 donations of $1,000 each, the NMLRA will have a million dollar endowment. Only the interest can be used from the endowment for purchase of assets to promote the sport. The Pennsylvania Company of Riflemen raised enough money to join the NMLRA’s 1 of 1000 Endowment Program. At the banquet, past team Captain Bill Crandle presented one of the winners of the fund raiser, Janice Pollock, with a rifle that had been donated to help raise the $1,000. On behalf of the NMLRA, we thank you for all your efforts to raise the money to become members and to help us reach our goals.
There are many other groups that support the NMLRA’s 1 of 1000 Endowment Program. The Honourable Company of Horners (HCH) is another. The HCH has donated a number of powder horns over the years to be used to promote this program. John DeWald, Jr. made the 2014 horn. I have personally known John from the time he was a child and he has grown into a fine young man anyone would be proud to call friend.
John was not able to attend the HCH banquet in March due to work (so I got a picture of him at the Lewisburg show). At the HCH banquet, Kris Polizzi, Fund Raising Committee Chairwoman for the HCH, presented John’s horn to me (as the representative of the NMLRA). Kris is a horn maker herself making her first one as a surprise birthday present for her husband Jerry. She has also made many of the horn straps for the 1 of 1000 horns. Many thanks to John, Kris, and the HCH for their support to the 1 of 1000 Endowment Program!
Please see the inside back cover of Muzzle Blastsfor photos of John working on the 2014 1 of 1000 horn, the finished horn, and the nice strap Kris made for the horn.
This spring is already flying by; time doesn’t stand still, as Ben mentioned. The shooting season is already here and I still have many preparations to make before I’m ready. It’s May and I still need to cast a bunch of round balls and bullets. I am always low on the .40 caliber round balls. The winter was tough in Pennsylvania and was followed by a late spring. This winter when I should have been working in the shop getting ready for the spring shoots, I was busy shoveling and fighting snow while time slipped away. May is the time when you really notice how far behind you are!
This May there will be NMLRA Territorial Matches in Alabama, California, Iowa, Missouri, Vermont, West Virginia, and Michigan, including at least one with a trap and skeet program. You can get more details on when and where these muzzleloading shoots are taking place by going to NMLRA.org. This website has become a valuable tool full of information.
The NMLRA’s own Walter Cline Range in Friendship, IN, will host the NMLRA Inline Hunter Muzzleloading Matches on May 3. I attended last year and came in almost dead last—shooting in-lines for me is hard once you get past about 100 yards.
If you want to shoot long range black powder cartridge, May 17-18 is for you. The NMLRA will be sponsoring an NRA Regional Black Powder Cartridge Match—40 shots Saturday, 40 shots Sunday, all NRA rules apply. There will be a dinner Saturday night included in the registration.
Also, the same weekend, May 17-18, Russ Combs runs the Weiner World Championship Pistol Match for muzzleloading.
For anyone wishing to learn the art of engraving, May 5-9 there will be a Firearms Engraving Class held in the NMLRA Education Building at Friendship taught by renowned master engraver John Schippers.
For more information on any of these events you can check the pages of Muzzle Blastsor the NMLRA’s website at NMLRA.org.
May is a popular month for shooting. The Pennsylvania Federation of Muzzle Loaders shooting dates booklet show there are 23 shoots listed for May—many are two day and three day events. May is truly the beginning of the muzzleloading shooting season in my area of the country. Get out and shoot and support your local muzzleloading clubs and associations this month. See you at the range.
