In 1960, Al Osterman of Lake Creek, and a group of muzzleloading rifle enthusiasts, decided to start a club. On October 28, The Little Butte Mountain Men held their first meeting. At that time, muzzleloading equipment, of recent manufacture, could not be readily obtained. Most of their rifles were old originals. The accuracy of these vintage rifles was questionable at best. At the first turkey shoot, 16 people blazed away all day to win 3 turkeys. Black powder was a dollar a pound. The serious shooters in most clubs frowned upon those wearing leathers and feathers. It seemed strange to them, and not to the point. The point, of course, was shooting. In 1964, the club started having formal shoots and used the rules of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.
The 1970s brought with them a rise in the availability of newly manufactured parts and equipment. This availability allowed more people to participate in the sport. As the new club grew, so did the popularity of wearing leather. Many of those who had been frowning, could now be found wearing leathers and feathers at club events. "Buckskinning" was born in Southern Oregon. Members began making much of their own equipment and clothing. They studied and practiced the skills of the Mountain Men. Skills like flint and steel fire making, and tomahawk and knife throwing, became contests at shooting events.
On Father’s Day weekend, in 1980, the club held their first rendezvous on Huckleberry Mt. The annual rendezvous has been on that weekend ever since. In 1981, the club reorganized, affiliated with the NRA, updated their bylaws, adopted a code of ethics for its members and incorporated. The official name is The Little Butte Mountain Men, Ltd. The members felt that "limited" was less formal than the more common "incorporated".
Currently, the Club meets on the third Monday of each month. Meetings are held at the Labor Temple, 4480 Rogue Valley Hwy, Central Point, Oregon. The club shotgun shoots are held on the first Sunday of each month and the rifle shoots are on the second Sunday. The club range is at 40 Lake Creek Loop, Eagle Point, OR (this is private land owned by Dick and Darlene McCulloch; the original owner was Al Osterman). The Little Butte Mountain Men continues to be an organization dedicated to promoting the safe use and ownership of firearms, with a special focus on the muzzle loading firearms of yesteryear.
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