About NMLRA
Since 1933, we have led the effort to preserve the history of the United States through muzzleloading shooting sports & living history events.
Our Mission
The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association exists to promote, support, nurture, and preserve our Nation’s rich historical heritage in the sport of muzzleloading through recreational, educational, historical, and cultural venues such as match competition, hunting, gun making and safety, historical re-enactments, exhibits, museums, libraries, and other related programs.
The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

The Original NMLRA Emblem, designed in 1933.
Education and the Heritage Arts
The NMLRA is devoted to the concept of providing high-quality educational instruction in a great learning environment that inspires both the students and the teachers. The NMLRA Education Building, which opened in 2010, is an ideal facility for historical education and the heritage arts associated with the sport of muzzleloading. The Education Building is air-conditioned, heated, and has classrooms and shops perfect to foster and encourage interactive learning and exploration.

The Walter Cline Range
The NMLRA hosts many events throughout the year and across the country. Each year, thousands flock to our home range in Friendship, Indiana for learning, camaraderie, living history, and shooting sports. While the crafts and firearms we enjoy are several hundred years old, our facility is quite modern:
- Covered Firing Lines: Providing a comfortable environment for all-weather shooting.
- Trap & Skeet: Well-kept ranges for clay target enthusiasts.
- Full Hookup Camping: Modern amenities that make the range a "home away from home" for our members.
“I joined to make sure that the kids and the grandkids of the future can come and enjoy all the NMLRA has to offer.”
— Alliey Nunn
Our Programs
Education
Protect the craft through expert-led workshops. We provide essential training in black powder safety, traditional gunsmithing, and the historical preservation of our shooting culture.
Sporting
Master the art of precision shooting with our competitive matches. We offer diverse events for every skill level, from traditional woodswalks to long-range target challenges.
Hunting
Return to the roots of the chase with black powder hunting. Our programs focus on ethical fieldcraft, conservation, and the unique skill set of the traditional woodsman.
Outreach
Share the legacy of muzzleloading with the public. We partner with local clubs and schools to host demonstrations and programs that bring the history of the American frontier to life for a new generation.
Black Powder Cartridge
Explore the technical transition from muzzle to breech. This program is dedicated to the loading and competitive shooting of historical black powder cartridge firearms.
Reenactments
Keep history alive through authentic living history programs. We support period-accurate encampments and demonstrations that honor the heritage of the American frontier.
The Longhunter Society
As the official big game record-keeping branch of the NMLRA, the Longhunter Society promotes and honors ethical hunting with muzzleloading firearms. By maintaining permanent records of North American big game trophies taken with black powder, the Society preserves the legacy of the historical longhunter for future generations of sportsmen.

