Long before Eustis Gun Club called our current range property home, the Skunkskinners were already part of the EGC story.
Established in 1981, the Skunkskinners represent one of Eustis Gun Club's oldest and most treasured Legacy Groups. For more than four decades, generations of EGC members have gathered to preserve the skills, traditions, and fellowship of muzzleloading and black powder marksmanship.
That legacy continues today.
Among the Skunkskinners are two of Eustis Gun Club's original founding members—EGC Life Members #1 and #2—who remain part of a shooting tradition that has followed EGC through its history and continues at our Club today.
The Skunkskinners are more than a monthly match. They are a living connection between where Eustis Gun Club began, the members who built it, and the shooting traditions we are committed to carrying forward.
Experience Traditional Black Powder Shooting
Black powder shooting offers a completely different experience from modern shooting disciplines.
There is no race against the clock and no emphasis on the latest technology. Instead, the challenge comes from understanding the firearm, carefully preparing each shot, reading the conditions, and developing the consistency and marksmanship skills that shooters have relied upon for generations.
The Skunkskinners offer both Muzzleloader and Black Powder Cartridge Rifle competition, providing EGC members an opportunity to experience traditional marksmanship while learning alongside some of the Club's most experienced shooters.
Eustis Gun Club is also a charter member of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA), further connecting our Black Powder program to the longstanding traditions of muzzleloading shooting sports.
Monthly Black Powder Match
The Skunkskinners meet at Eustis Gun Club on the first Sunday of each month, except July.
Registration: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Mandatory Safety Briefing: 8:00 AM
Match Begins: Immediately following the safety briefing
Match Concludes: Typically by Noon
Matches are conducted in 20-minute relays. Shooters who do not complete a target during a relay may continue during the next available relay.
Eye and ear protection are required, and every match begins with a mandatory safety briefing.
New shooters are encouraged to ask questions, request the applicable safety rules, and learn from the experienced Skunkskinners who continue to keep this EGC tradition alive.
Muzzleloader Competition
Muzzleloading competition includes traditional pistols and rifles utilizing percussion or flint ignition.
Rifles and pistols use patched round lead balls, while percussion revolvers may use either conical bullets or round lead balls. Iron sights—open or peep—are used.
Muzzleloading rifles are traditionally fired offhand, while pistols may be fired two-handed under the EGC match format. Bench-rest pistol shooting is also permitted with applicable scoring penalties.
Muzzleloading rifle and pistol matches may include up to 25 shots at distances of 25, 50, and 100 yards.
Black Powder Cartridge Rifle
Black Powder Cartridge Rifle competition gives participants another way to experience traditional long-range marksmanship.
Matches consist of two targets with 10 rounds fired at each target at 100 yards.
Depending upon the firearm and match category, shooters may use crossed sticks, sandbags, or a non-adjustable front rest from the bench. Applicable ammunition and equipment follow the established Black Powder Rifle rules used by the program.
Competition & Annual Awards
While preserving tradition is central to the Skunkskinners, there's still plenty of friendly competition.
Scores are recorded throughout the year, and shooters who participate in at least six matches within the same category may qualify for annual awards. Annual standings are determined using the shooter's top six scores during the year.
It's a tradition that rewards participation, consistency, marksmanship—and coming back month after month to shoot alongside your fellow EGC members.
Become Part of the Tradition
