Club History

Sierra Muzzleloaders was established in 1988 by two buckskinners, Burt Hakkinson and Pete Lehr. Along with a few of their buckskinner friends, they formed the club in Nevada City, California.  Word spread that they wanted more than a black powder shooting club.  They wanted to celebrate the history of the early ninteenth century and the mountain men who made their lives in the western wilderness.  The club has grown steadily over the years and now numbers more than 180 individuals and families.

In the beginning, the club had no holdings of any kind and just wanted a place to practice their sport and primitive skills with friends and family.  It wasn’t long before they grew out of the ability to do this in members’ backyards.  The club’s first real range was at the Ball Ranch site on the backside of Collins Lake.  Though a beautiful site, legal disputes among the property owners forced the club to relocate to Yuba County Water Agency property on New York Flat Road.  The club did well there, but outgrew the land as membership increased.  The Soper-Wheeler Timber Company offered the club a lease on 700 acres of land just up New York Flat Road from the previous site.  This is a beautiful area in every way and the club feels they have finally come home.  The site is perfect for all of the events and programs the club does and hosts.  It is still a working tree farm on which Soper-Wheeler practices sustainable forestry.  Club members work hard to be good stewards of the area and recognize how fortunate we are to have found such a beautiful home.

© SML 2020