TRADITION scores high with black powers muzzleloading shooting fans like Sandy Henkel, left, and Jerald Glisson, right, pictured competing in the OSC Muzzleloading Shoot held this past Saturday at the club. The local club competes with a Canadian group for bragging rights and the trophy pictured below. Photos courtesy of Sandy Henkel.

by Nancy Besonen

Twenty-one muzzleloading shooters took to their arms at the Ottawa Sportsmen's Club Saturday, Feb 5, 2010, in defense of title—and country.

The group was engaged in a good-natured competition that pits the Ottawa Sportsmen's Club (OSC) against the Sudbury Voyageurs Muzzle Loading Rifle Club from Sudbury, Canada. The OSC team has risen victorious two years running, and hopes to go for three.

Jon Henkel of Baraga helped mastermind the international event, and is an avid participant.

Henkel learned to love muzzle-loading while stationed with the U.S. Army in Alaska. After retiring from the military and moving to the UP, he joined the UP Muzzle Loading Association.

About 10 years ago, with the OSC's blessings, he brought a branch of the program home.

"I was shooting with other clubs, but they were an hour and a half, two hours away," Henkel said. "I wanted to get something closer. We shoot the first Saturday of the month, from January through June. We have six shoots a year, in the winter months. People have enough going on in the summer."

Shooters can use either traditional or modern in-line muzzleloaders, but all shooting has to be open-sight, with no scopes allowed. Saturday's field of 21 shooters was an average showing, Henkel said, and included men and women from Ishpeming, Crystal Falls, Chassell, Ontonagon and Baraga County.

The monthly shoots run from 11-2 p.m., with each participant firing a total of 18 shots at a range of tempting targets. All the targets are designed to the average person can hit something on them, and ribbons are awarded at the end of each monthly shoot for the top seven shooters in four different categories.

"We shoot at everything that breaks, makes noise or moves, and we shoot at up to 100 yards," Henkel said. "Eggs, potatoes, a metal gong—we want to make it fun. There's a lot of laughing, a lot of harassment, all good natured."

The OSC and Sudbury teams plus a third team, the Menominee (WI) Ridge Runners, have sweetened the deal in creating an inter-club competition. Each team designs a different target every month, then mails copies of the targets to the other two teams. At their monthly shoots, members of the three teams take especially careful aim at the "postal" (mailed-in) targets.

Each participant is allowed six shots at a postal target, and when the smoke has cleared the target is scored. Each club submits its top five postal scores from all shooters that day, then mails off its results. At the end of June the team with the most points overall takes the title, plus an interesting trophy made in Canada: a bobble-head moose.

"It's (moose trophy) just between us and the Canadians, and in January we beat them by 14 points," Henkel said. "The weather on Saturday was great for our purposes, and we shot well."
Henkel's wife, Sandy, is an avid participant of the club that honors muzzleloading's roots in American history. Jon had noted the Muzzleloading Association got its start in the U.S. in 1975, a celebration of the country's heritage organized in anticipation of its upcoming bicentennial.

"Some of the shooters dress in pre-1840's clothing, and men and women all compete together," Sandy said. Asked if the women can hold their own on the firing range, she didn't miss a beat: "I can out shoot the men!"

Sandy and another Sandy, Sandy Hebert, have earned their bragging rights. The club menfolk once honored the ladies with their own Remington pocket knives, inscribed, "Shoot like a girl—if you can!"

"We're getting new women shooters this year," Sandy Henkel said. "I think it's nice that people bring their children and grandchildren too. People shoot at all levels, and just for the fun of it."

Henkel said the objective is to encourage, not discourage participants. The targets are usually drawings of an animal, though lately the Canadians have been bugging the competition.

"They sent us a big bug, with feelers or stingers," Henkel said. "Last month it was a big tick."

The targets drew some good firing by the U.S. (OSC) team on Saturday, and Henkel said he was happy with the team. He said the mail takes a little longer on the Canadian side, and their scores won't be in until the end of this week. Last month the OSC led by 14 points.

"The weather was great for our purposes on Saturday," Henkel said. "We had two new shooters and I was happy with our guys. But you don't know how well those Canadians are going to shoot..."

You don't have to be a member of the OSC to join in the fun at the monthly muzzleloading shoots at the club. Persons interested in trying their hand at the sport are welcome and encouraged to come out, and experienced shooters will walk them through the process, from loading to firing.

A homemade lunch is served up at each shoot, and club members take turns preparing the chili, stew or other dishes that usually feature wild game as a main ingredient. To learn more, contact Jon Henkel at jchenkel@up.net, or at 353-6511.