Category: NMLRA

Post related to the NMLRA or the events sponsored by the NMLRA will be listed here.

Ashley’s Return

In 2019 a group of men set out on a journey retracing the steps taken by General Ashley traveling from the Rocky Mountains to St. Louis, Missouri. In 1823 Ashley was setting up a trade route for the trappers and mountain men. Along the route there were Rendezvous locations where the beaver furs were traded for supplies needed by the mountain men. Gerry “Lucky” Messmer, the owner of Powder Horns and More, was one of these men that undertook this adventure and he wrote these articles chronicling the trip and what they learned along the way. These articles were published in MuzzleBlast as a five part series discussing the trip. Afterwards Gerry continued to publish articles about Trekking called Lucky’s Trekking Tips. I have pulled all of these published articles into the following two documents so that you can easily read them as a book. Enjoy!

Gerry has attended the Hawken Classic each year and has shared his adventures as one of our seminar presentations. He will be back for the Hawken Classic 2024 on May 17-19, 2024 at the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum in St. Charles, Missouri.

Ashleys-Return-5-PartsDownload
Luckys-Trekking-TipsDownload

NMLRA Spring National Championship – June 10-18, 2023

If you have ever visited Friendship, Indiana during a NMLRA shoot, you will understand how special this place is. I’ve been here about half a dozen times but there are many people that attend twice a year for 30, 40, or even 50 years.

Some of the activities that we did this week were:

  • Shooting on the pistol line
  • Shooting on the offhand rifle line
  • Shopped on Commercial Row – The Log Cabin Shop, The Hawken Shop, TDC Muzzleloader Supplies, Henry and Dianna Bowman Powder Horns and Hand Weaved Straps, Dave Brandenburger’s Muzzleloader Accessories, and many more…
  • Had numerous meals at the NMLRA cafeteria
  • Built a traditional English Long Bow at a NMLRA sponsored class by Navio Occhialini
  • Walked through the Primitive camp and did some shopping
  • Attended the Customer Appreciation Night by the Vendors on Commercial Row. Had an ice cream and great conversations. – Monday evening.
  • Attended the NMLRA dinner and auction event
  • Attended the NMLRA Board Meeting at the Education Center
  • Visited the Rand House (NMLRA Museum)
  • Visited the Friendship Flea Market

You have to stay all week to see and do everything that’s available.