Wilderness Road Muzzleloaders
Muzzleloading Club- What's that all about?
What we do and a few reasons why we do it.
01
Muzzleloaders are our history.
Shooting muzzleloaders keeps alive a traditional art. It is the root of our modern firearms. Our ancestors used them for subsistance, defense, protection, and the occasional challenge match. We honor them through our efforts to retain the art and remember our history.
03
Camaraderie through mutual challenges.
Good shot, bad shot, or "can't believe I missed that!", a day at the range gives one something to talk about. We're all there trying our best together. The friendships formed and stories shared make this a wonderful hobby.
02
Shooting is a sport.
Shooting is challenging on many levels, which makes it a very worthy sport. From knowledge of how to manage a good firearm, to the participant's eyesight, muscle memory, and mental acuity, all must be in harmony to achieve your goal.
04
Educating the next generation.
Some very useful gifts that we can share with our children are knowledge, trust, self reliance, and confidence. All of these are part of the traditional shooting sports. Safety is paramount to us and education is the key to achieving it.
A little bit about Us...
The Wilderness Road Muzzleloaders (WRM) are the only club in Virginia who actually own the property upon which their range sits. We have a large covered range, which allows our Members to enjoy competing even when the weather is a little less than ideal. We have ample camping areas (primitive/no-hookups) on site and bathroom facilities (latrines), so that our Members can spend the entire weekend enjoying the nice wooded property surrounding the range. We currently do not have access to water on site, so please do plan to bring your own drinking water. When the larger Events occur, concessions are available for sale (food & beverages), with all proceeds benefiting the Club. There are tomahawk & throwing knife blocks for use and shady seating near the concession areas for visiting. During our monthly gatherings trading, as well as competition and the telling of tales, has been known to occur so feel free to bring along a few articles to do so. If you have any questions regarding your visit to our range, please feel free to contact us. We hope to see you there!
WRM Civic Activities
WRM has had many civic involvement activities to brag about throughout the years. Our club has participated in numerous local educational programs, such as teaching "muzzle loading basics" courses for the VDGIF for Hunter Education, demonstration/training at the Gene Ball Memorial Youth Day, and more. We continue to be active in the community as a positive force for education in both safety and the history of firearms.
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Our former WRM President, Jim Hartlage, was on a Town of Wytheville Committee that was planning, and seeking funding, to build a recreated 19th century German gunsmith shop in the Wytheville Historical Area behind the Rock House Museum. Our club donated their time and efforts to contact the NMLRA regarding funding. The NMLRA then offered an original rifling machine, an item that was definitely needed in the proposed gunsmith shop. This antique machine was put on permanent-loaned status to the Town of Wytheville, VA through a contracted agreement. WRM was responsible for the securing and delivery of this historical item, which is now on temporarily display in the Heritage Center. Once the gunsmith shop is completed the rifling machine will be proudly displayed at the new educational facility. WRM is excited to be a part of this fine addition to our area.
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