Hi MaIIIa ...
I have to completely agree with you that it really is a shame that we go about this backwards sometimes. I really do appreciate that you introduce new shooters to flintlocks and caplocks. Round here, though, no-one knows of Davey Crockett ...
I love old black powder guns, even though I sell the best of the inlines (my opinion anyway). I prefer to take kids shooting with a caplock over an inline for a host of reasons, not the least of which is the visual effect of the sidelock.
An introduction to muzzleloading is fostered sometimes by giving people a taste of the old days. Short stories of hunting or battle with the flintlock or caplock that you can pass out or pictures of period correct dress and caplocks and flintlocks as you talk about muzzleloading goes a long way in conjuring up the "proper" mindset.
Companies like Thompson Center are big in donating rifles to Hunter Education programs. They like to push their current products, but, you can ask for caplocks or flintlocks too.
As for accuracy when competing, this is really moot in the long run, but important in the short run. It takes the proper gun to be accurate. Long barreled guns are very very accurate and show up extremely well against the inline. This is with 40 caliber to 58 caliber (my exposure). The longer the barrel the better the shooter.
Big bullets or small, do extremely well out to maybe even 100 yards, but will out shoot many, if not all, inlines even to 50 yards. This I have seen too often to not give proper credit to the old time ball slingers.
You are to be congratulated for being involved. Heck if each of us on these threads would just get involved, we would do a great service to our sport.
Much Aloha,
Tom