In Episode Two with the Pole Cat Porter Exhibit by Mark Barnhill and William E. Jones, we follow Joseph Barnes as he relives some of his own personal histories while viewing the exhibit. Mark and Joe discuss early muzzleloading in the 30s and 40s as well as the impact World War II had on the sport and the people inside it.

We're back with NMLRA member Joseph Barnes as he shares his memories from the 1940s and how it impacted Muzzleloading. Joe’s first NMLRA event was in 1937 when the shoots were held in Dillsboro, Indiana. Joe returned the following year, 1938, to help organize and then win the first-ever NMLRA junior match with a score of 44 out of 50.

He is the only surviving member from our historic panoramic photograph from the range in 1938. You can hear Joe tell more stories of the early muzzleloading days here.

It was wonderful to get Joe into the Rand House Museum at NMLRA headquarters during the “Pole Cat Porter” Exhibit at the 2019 National Championships. While Joe didn’t know Pole Cat personally, he was able to share some stories he heard at the time and share some first-hand accounts of early muzzleloading in the 1900s.

This video is the second of two shot in the Pole Cat Porter Exhibit at the 2019 NMLRA National Championships. Catch the first one

We're joined by Mark Barnhill and William E. Jones at their exhibit on "Pole Cat Porter", an instrumental member of the muzzleloading community during its rebirth in the early 1900s. In the video, you'll be walked through the exhibit by William and Mark as they discuss the story of early 1900's muzzleloading as well as the culture of the time.