Raymond Johnson

James River Black Powder Club

The Longhunter - Legend & Fact

Black powder brings the smell of smoke and history

Sarah Hearney

Journal Reporter

Prince George- The fringes of Raymond Johnson's frontiersman coat danced like tiny people as he walked toward the wooded area behind his settlement. The knife on his belt rocked from side to side, and his moccasins flowed smoothly across the moist green grass.

His face partially masked in shadow from the brim of his hat, Johnson held fast to his black powder muzzle loading rifle.

Johnson is not actually a longhunter, he just plays one on the weekends. He is one of over 40 members of the James River Black Powder Club, an alliance of people interested in black powder and traditional American activities.

"The club began in March of 1975 to provide a common ground for the exchange of ideas and for social and fraternal activities." Johnson said.

Shooting black powder rifles and donning primitive garb are part of the club's attempt to preserve an exciting, and sometimes forgotten time in American History.

Johnson, club member since 1980, said he was always interested in history. "I was fascinated by American History even when I was a kid," Johnson said. "I grew up in Ohio, the home of Miami, Iroquois and Shoshone Indians."

Focusing on the 1750 to 1840 time period, which saw such events as the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War and the height of fur trading, club members choose what type of person they want to portray. "We want to keep American traditions and American heritage alive," Johnson said.

Johnson, who was president of James River for 10 years, portrays a longhunter, who left a settlement on the East to venture into Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky to hunt for fur.

"They were hunters, trappers and explorers all in one." Hunting would be much more difficult without a rifle. Brought over from Britain by the colonists for hunting and protection, the black powder muzzle loading rifle was used for hundreds of years as a way of survival. "Black Powder has been here since the inception of this country," Johnson said.

Only in 1860, with the invention of cartridge guns with smokeless powder, did black powder use decrease. Johnson noted that black powder never did die out completely.

For James River members, muzzle loading rifles are still a big part of their lives. On the third Saturday of each month, members meet at the range, which is located off of Centennial Road in Prince George. "We draw people from North Carolina, Portsmouth, Mechanicsville and other places," Johnson said.

At a recent black powder competition at the range, The State Offhand Championship, many members dressed as their forefathers did and played like them too. They shot at paper targets and bull's-eyes with their black powder rifles. "Some people just like to shoot," Johnson said. "You don't have to be dressed primitively."

Each year, the club holds a family rendezvous, where participants compete in trail walks and scribes matches. On a trail walk, riflemen walk through the woods and shoot at targets such as silhouettes, gongs and clay pigeons. The contest is also termed a "Blanket Shoot", because the winner gets first pick from a blanket on which are various historical relics.

When it's time for the Scribe's Match things get a little more difficult. This test of skills involves throwing a spear through a hoop, archery, cutting a playing card in half with a tomahawk, and throwing knives at targets. Another portion of the competition involves using flint and steel to build a fire. "When you get into that atmosphere you can relax and put away all the telephones, televisions and computers." Johnson said. "It's good fellowship and you can talk to people about history." All those skills may come in handy for the unique brand of hunters in the coming week. Black powder hunting season, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15, is currently in effect. "We hunt with black powder just like our forefathers did," Johnson said.

Hunting with muzzle loading rifles though, is no easy task. "All shooting requires the same discipline," he said. "You have to have a good sight picture, breathing pattern and have your rifle sighted in." Johnson admits, though, that hunting with black powder takes even more skill. "When you shoot you only have one shot, so you have to make sure have a clear shot." The fastest load of a rifle should take 10 to 15 seconds, according to Johnson, because one has to measure out a given amount of powder, lubricate the barrel with grease or oil, and load the lead ball. "If you don't put it down with the first shot, the deer will be miles away," Johnson said. "There is no such thing as a quick second shot with a muzzle loader."

For those interested in black powder shooting, but have no experience with the sport, club members said they will help in the learning process. "We teach people one on one," Johnson said. "Even if they have never shot before we will provide a rifle, instruction, and help them find what type of equipment they need and what caliber they prefer."

The James River Black Powder Club meets regularly, the second Thursday of each month, on the second floor of the Human Resources Building in Prince George.