Pondering a flintlock. Educate me.

Ok I’m thinking Kibler SMR. This would be a plinking rifle. I don’t hunt. I was thinking 36 , 40 or 45. Again this would be shot at paper and steel plates and fun . Not knock down style. I never put a kit together. But can watch the videos. I’m not a woodworker either. SMR for the smaller calibers. But if I went with the 45 , they make it in the woods runner also. I’m reading and watching like hell. Absorbing all I can. I’m even hung up on what type wood for the stock. I have a investarms in 50 already. There is a North Carolina group not far from me that shoots every month. I don’t know any of them. But I retire in a year. I’m going to contact them and shoot with them in the future. I work 6-7 days a week. 2 straight years now. I got one to go. Thinking this might be a retirement purchase. Project. I like a Kibler Hawken when it happens. That’s why I was thinking a small caliber right now. Get a 45 or 54 in the Hawken. Anyone been in my situation. Don’t know enough to have an informed decision? Sorry for the rambling. Wardawg

at one time or another we have all been in your situation.
I for what its worth would go for the SMR in .45.
i have built a few plank builds and have had everything from .30 to .60
I enjoy everyone of them, but the one that gets the most use is the SMR .45. I am older that dirt and my .45 is so much it has been said that it makes me giggle. but don't listen to the wife.
At this time i only have 2 caplocks. one is an 1838 English shotgun. 11 gauge. grouse see me with it and just lay down.
the other caplock is a 1840 ish over under .36 over 20 gauge. right now i don't even know where my caps are at.
If you have no experience with flint all i can say is it is a learning experience.
first be sure your flint is sharp.
then make sure when it strikes the frizzen it sparks.
then when you prime the pan put half of the amount you are tempted to put there.
3 grains is alot.
lots of folks starting out fill the pan and develop a flinch caused by a huge fire ball inches from their face.
with practice you will get to the point where you don't even see the ignition.
I have stayed on the rear end of the rifle because the muzzle end is mostly the same with any muzzle loader.

I wanted a .40 and pondered long and hard to justify it. I finally made a Tennessee with interchangeable barrels in .40 and .50. one for plinking and one for hunting. The .40 is a delight.

For what you say that you want it for, I personally, would get a .40 I don't have a .40 myself, but from what I have seen and heard others say, a .40 is generally quite accurate. I have watched some competitors at over-the-log shoots use a .40 with very good results. It has a little more range and power than a .36

Tom A Hawk said:

I wanted a .40 and pondered long and hard to justify it. I finally made a Tennessee with interchangeable barrels in .40 and .50. one for plinking and one for hunting. The .40 is a delight.

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I second the choice for a .40cal, no recoil and very accurate.

I'd jump on a 40 or 45 Kibler SMR TODAY
take your next year to put it together. Give yourself lots of time. @6 - 7 days/week you will appreciate it.

A Woodsrunner in 45 would meet your criteria too but as you progress through your retirement years, the longer barrel on the SMR might serve your eyesight better.

Just my POV. I think you will get plenty of food for thought in this topic.

Get a SMR .40...Here is why...In 1977, I bought a Bob Watts flintlock in .45, the stock is similar to the SMR, it had a pretty good kick to it with hunting loads (I know you don't hunt, but that may change)...In 1988, I made a .54 and found it works better for deer...

The SMR has a set trigger, better for target work...I put a .40 caliber barrel on my Bob Watts gun and for that stock design a .40 is ideal..It is a great target caliber and works well for squirrels when you go down to 20-30grs FFF powder...Plus with a .40, a 3/8 ramrod can be used, which is stronger than a 5/16 ramrod that would be used for a .36...Good luck!!

WarDawg said:

Ok I’m thinking Kibler SMR. ....Sorry for the rambling.

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Kibler SMR would be an excellent flintlock kit first project. Go for it!! It's better than just a "plinker", it's a real rifle to be used for whatever you want to use a muzzleloading rifle for. I have an SMR in .45 cal and that's what I'd recommend for that project, if that's the way you go. Last range outing with the SMR got me some appreciate compliments about its 100 yd accuracy from another shooter.

Ok strong lean on the SMR 40 cal. Now the stock. I have a pull towards walnut. Should I be ashamed of that ? I do like medium to slightly dark look. I have seen what people do to that fancy curly maple. What can be done to the walnut ? I seen the product that darkens the grain. Is the walnut about the strongest stock in the group ? I need to get to watching the build videos and some of my questions will get answered. Cheers WarDawg

I agree, you should get a Kibler SMR 40 caliber. Maybe I'm biased but I happen to have one for sale.

FOR SALE 40 caliber Kibler SMR​

WarDawg said:

..... I have a pull towards walnut. Should I be ashamed of that ?.....

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Why, for heaven's sake? Do what you want. Mine is walnut, and I think it's beatiful.



https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/my-stock-finish-secret-weapon.168153/

One thing to think about if you're target shooting, particularly at steel at a distance- you want something heavy enough to either move the target or make an audible report. I've seen issues at woods walks with small calibers where no one can determine if there was a hit without physically checking the target.

The Crisco Kid said:

I agree, you should get a Kibler SMR 40 caliber. Maybe I'm biased but I happen to have one for sale.

FOR SALE 40 caliber Kibler SMR​

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I truly appreciate it. But definitely looking for a retirement project. Firearms is a passion of mine. Nearly all types . Wardawg

wiscoaster said:

Why, for heaven's sake? Do what you want. Mine is walnut, and I think it's beatiful.

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https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/my-stock-finish-secret-weapon.168153/

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Ha ha no offense meant. Typing messages never come out like your thinking them. Meaning with all that fancy maple , I still have a love for walnut. Wardawg

Here is my .40 on a water bottle at 60 yards.

A couple years ago one of my sons said he was interested in getting a flintlock. I told him to do his research and order a kit and I would build it for him. He ordered a Kibler Woods runner 54 cal.. I was so impressed with his I ordered a SMR 36 cal. in walnut for myself as soon as I finished his. The best part with these kits is that almost anyone with a screwdriver can have a functioning flintlock in no time but you have a blank canvas to take your time and do whatever you want from there. I practiced carving and gathered some quality tools while building my sons WR, for mine I did practiced pouring pewter with some scrap walnut and poured a nose cap I also melted down an old silver fork into a disc and cut and carved a moon and star to inlay into the stock. I have done a lot of things but melting silver and pouring pewter was new.

The smaller the caliber in the woodsrunner, the heavier the weight due to the same size barrel. I like shooting my .36, little recoil, and easy on the powder and lead. Here is a rifle I built with a walnut stock ( but it's not a Kibler) so you can see some walnut colors.

wiscoaster said:

Why, for heaven's sake? Do what you want. Mine is walnut, and I think it's beatiful.

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Your gun is a Beauty.

WarDawg said:

Ok strong lean on the SMR 40 cal. Now the stock. I have a pull towards walnut. Should I be ashamed of that ? I do like medium to slightly dark look. I have seen what people do to that fancy curly maple. What can be done to the walnut ? I seen the product that darkens the grain. Is the walnut about the strongest stock in the group ? I need to get to watching the build videos and some of my questions will get answered. Cheers WarDawg

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I would think that hard sugar maple is going to be stronger than walnut. But then, you are making a fine rifle, not a club. Get the stock wood that trips your trigger! Personally, I found Walnut a little harder to work with...at least the piece I had liked to splinter...razor sharp tools are a must with either wood, but I think even more critical with walnut. Fortunately, the gun kit you are considering is almost snap together. Not much chisel work.

Below is a walnut stock where I used no stain at all...just hot rubbed in BLO, then finished with multiple thin hand applied coats of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. It was actually a Pedersoli that I completely rebuilt and converted from cap to flint. Amazing how nice the walnut looked after getting rid of their thick finishes...and about half of the stock wood!

IMHO I like .45 for small caliber ML.
.40,.36, .32 are all accurate, cheap to shoot, handy for small game. But all the stuff is itty bitty. And fat fingers don’t go well with itty bitty
Try playing with a 5/16 or 14 inch rod for cleaning and running ball home
You may be great with it or find it tiny