Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain

The MLAGB was formed in 1952
and is the Governing Body for muzzle loading within the UK.
Its objectives are to encourage an interest in muzzle loading firearms;
to promote, regulate and safeguard their use;
and to preserve their freedom of collection.

Shooting

Muzzle Loading Firearms

Today many shooters enjoy the great diversity of muzzle loading be it as a sporting or DTL clay pigeon shoot, informal target practice on the local range or precision target competition. The sport has grown out of all proportion to its humble beginnings to one of enormous participation worldwide.

One of the great attractions of muzzle loading is that it is fun - people genuinely enjoy it. Given opportunity to shoot a muzzle loader at an open/guest day event those that have 'had a go' will be easily identified by the grin on their face. There's something about handling on old firearm, whether original or a modern made reproduction, which is fascinating. With today's heightened sense of history new insights can be gained; how did a soldier fire his Brown Bess musket during the Battle of Waterloo, what is a Minié bullet and why were the Enfield and Springfield rifles so devastatingly effective at Gettysburg, how does the English percussion revolver compare to its American counterpart, or can I bag something for the pot with my muzzle loading shotgun as my ancestor did?

Precision Shooting

Looking beyond the smoke however and for those unfamiliar with muzzle loading, precision shooting may not be the first image conjured up. Make no mistake though, these firearms are capable of remarkable accuracy. The full-bore rifleman looking for a new challenge would do well to look at the muzzle loading match rifle. Developed in the 1860s these rifles were used at the National Rifle Association annual rifle meetings at ranges out to 1000 yards. In 1876 J.K. Millner using a Rigby percussion match rifle and competing in the Centennial Trophy match (forerunner of today's Palma Trophy competition) at Creedmoor, USA, and representing Ireland fired 15 consecutive bulls-eyes at 1000 yards without the benefit of sighting shots. Today's target rifleman can still compete at long range and aspire to match the impressive record left by our 19th century forebears.

For the modern positional rifle shooter the final form of 19th century off-hand rifle will not be unfamiliar. With its aperture sights, palm rest, hook butt plate and set trigger it has all the elements of today's free rifle. Fired at 50m these rifles are capable of maximum scores - achieving this though will depend on the rifleman's skill. The pistol enthusiast will find the single shot target pistol to be a very accurate firearm. This is an extremely popular discipline and it is keenly contested.

Wedgnock & Bisley

The MLAGB is registered as a Full Bore Rifle and Muzzle Loading Pistol Club and is an active member of the British Shooting Sports Council. It has comprehensive insurance cover for its members, which includes rough shooting for the sportsman. It has its own ranges in the heart of England at Wedgnock, Warwick.

The Association has a presence at Bisley, the distinctive Exhibition Hut being the Club House, and holds a number of competitions there for the rifle or pistol enthusiast. In addition monthly rifle and pistol practice sessions are held at Bisley for members looking to shoot in relaxed company and a friendly atmosphere.

Shotgun

Whilst Wedgnock caters for musket, rifle and pistol shooters, the MLAGB also has a strong section of down the line (DTL) shotgunners, with a reputation for success at international competition. Regular training sessions are held at the Sywell Range complex near Northampton and newcomers are welcomed. Anyone wishing to develop their skills with a muzzle loading shotgun is well advised to attend where they can be coached by world championship medal winners. For more information initial contact should be made with the Shotgun DTL Secretary.

The MLAGB holds two National Championships competitions for DTL shotgun, one for flintlock shotgun and a second for percussion shotgun. Regional sporting competitions for shotgunners are also held and hosted by local Branches of the MLAGB or clubs in different parts of the country, where sporting clay shoots thrive.

International

The MLAGB is the sports National Governing Body and is recognised as such by the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC), World Governing Body for muzzle loading shooting. The MLAIC holds World Championship matches at short range for musket, rifle, pistol and shotgun every two years with a European Championship held in the intervening years. In addition a World Long Range Championship is held every two years and includes events out to 1000 yards. The MLAGB selects teams to represent Great Britain in international competition. Also there are a number of open matches held on the Continent that members attend.

Muzzle loading today is an exciting sport, the variety of which is unmatched. From the casual target shooters through to the keenest marksman with international aspirations there is something to offer.