Muzzleloading

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Men, women & junior black powder percussion or flint rifle, trade gun, and pistol matches using patched round balls are held monthly. These are competitive matches with pins & ribbons awarded monthly and medallions quarterly.

Equipment Rules

General Rules applicable at all club functions:

  1. Black powder only

  2. Caplock, number 10/11 or musket cap

  3. Flintlock

  4. Wheelock

  5. Snaphaunce

  6. Can use single or double set triggers

  7. All firelocks must have a “half cock” position or equivalent to render the gun safe and the trigger ineffective

  8. Open sights, buckhorn sights and peep sights all fixed without assistance of optics – No open fiber optic sights

  9. The peep sight itself has existed longer than the firearm. Crossbows dating from the dark ages and middle ages had peep sights on them. Therefore, peep sights predate firearms. Old Germanic, English and some American arms can be found with peep sights on them, but they were always rare. There is no readily available peep sight made today that are copies of those found on the old flintlocks. They do have to be handmade. As a result, the Florida Frontiersmen does not allow peep sights for any final shoot off of the Alafia River Rendezvous or any object match because the gun would not be correct for the period (pre-1840). We do, however, have a more permissible policy for general monthly shooting on our paper ranges. 

  10. To be used on the Trade gun range, a smooth bore, flintlock with a front beaded sight or blade only

  11. Round ball with patch – no sabots and/or formed conical projectiles – all loading must be done from the muzzle not the breach. See exceptions for cartridge matches at State events. Buckshot must be used on the shotgun range.

  12. No brass or paper cartridges can be used to load firelocks on any range

  13. No inline black powder rifles and/or pistols can be used on any range

  14. Navy, Colt and other revolvers of the mid-1800’s, can be used provided that only one cylinder is loaded at a time.

  15. Spotting scopes and tripods are permitted when set up behind the loading tables on the paper range. No modern spotting scopes are permitted on primitive and woods walks.

  16. Wooden loading and supply boxes are preferred but modern boxes are accepted.

  17. Only black powder or its equivalent such as Pyrodex is permitted.  NO SMOKELESS POWDER will be permitted during a Florida Frontiersmen event.  Powder charges must never exceed the maximum safe volumes as published by the arms manufacturer or the Range Safety Officer in charge.  Heavy charges are not necessary for punching holes in paper targets.

Range Rules

  1. Only black powder or its equivalent such as Pyrodex is permitted.  NO SMOKELESS POWDER will be permitted during a Florida Frontiersmen event.  Powder charges must never exceed the maximum safe volumes as published by the arms manufacturer or the Range Safety Officer in charge.  Heavy charges are not necessary for punching holes in paper targets.

  2. Only muzzle loading or cylinder loading firearms (flint or percussion) are permitted during Florida Frontiersmen events.  For special events, the Chief Range Officer may extend competition matches to include cartridge long arms that use black powder. The Chief Range Officer shall set rules for these matches.  Any black powder cartridge matches shall not be eligible for club quarterly or annual prizes.

  3. The Range Safety Officer in charge must approve guns being fired for the first time at any Florida Frontiersmen event, regardless of the experience of the shooter, for use.

  4. Rifles, handguns and/or smooth bore long arms (flint or percussion) must conform to the following:

    1. Rifles may only be loaded with patched round balls.

    2. Revolvers must be loaded with round balls and not more than one chamber at a time.

    3. Smooth bore long arms, when used as a shotgun, shall be loaded with patched round shot and not exceed the recommended field load.

    4. Modern inline black powder rifles are prohibited from use in any Florida Frontiersmen Event.

  5. Before loading, it is the shooters responsibility to check to determine that the firearm is clean, functional and safe to fire.

  6. Each shooter, prior to entering the range for the first time and on an annual basis thereafter, shall read, sign and adhere to the “Florida Frontiersmen Range Rules.”

Florida Frontiersmen Shoot Regulations and Official Scorers Manual

VIDEOS

Instructor: Dave Sipes

Videographer: Scott Hoffmeister

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