About your hunting rifles

labrat said:

Now that's a short Jaeger. Easy to carry but has to be a real bruiser.

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Surprisingly enough it fits me so well with 70 gr of Goex ffg and a 560 minie, it is very comfortable to shoot. I haven't tried fffg or a larger charge though, no need as I don't hunt any longer.

Deleted, just realized this was under “rifles”

Freedom.......That's a huge elk and a powerful load. I assembled a 54 Colonial for myself and it's a solid rifle for sure. I'm glade it can handle those large loads.

labrat said:

I'm no hunter. So curious about what your flintlock hunting rifle really looks like. There are a lot of beautiful rifles shown but very little on the working rifle. I don't know but do you have a working rifle for hunting? Hoping to see some photo's especially those working rifles and their makes & models. Maybe give us a brief as to what's most important to you in a hunting rifle and why you chose it. What's the best place for squirrel hunting? ................labrat

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I have four muzzleloaders; I know , looks of derision, they are all percussion - two Parker Hale .58s (1853 and 1858) and two Pedersoli .54s (Tryon and Rocky Mountain Hawken). Why percussion and not flintlock, well, I restarted a little later in life with ye olde black magic and my safe is full - my state firearms registry may have a fit if I apply to acquire anymore beauties! I have hunted regularly with three of them - I am yet to blood the 1853, though she has done a lot of target work with fine results. I'll get around to taking her out later on in the year. And no, not fancy, but not beaters, like others here I look after my kit.

And the best place for squirrels? Heck, if I ever see a squirrel in the wild over here in Australia, I'll suspect I'm very drunk!

Cheers, Pete

aussie pete said:

Heck, if I ever see a squirrel in the wild over here in Australia, I'll suspect I'm very drunk!

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Whoa, when they hauled all those invasive species to Australia they overlooked squirrels?🐿

We need to gather up some that are only mildly wounded and send them your way.

longcruise said:

Whoa, when they hauled all those invasive species to Australia they overlooked squirrels?🐿

We need to gather up some that are only mildly wounded and send them your way.

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Yup. No squirrels. Never mind. I'll just have to be content with Samba, Fallow, Chital, Red Deer, Hog Deer, Rusa, Donkeys, Brumbies, Buffalo, Banteng, Bullocks, Boar, Foxes, Rabbits, Cats, Goats, Camels ...

Thanks for the offer, @longcruise, but given our current border restrictions you'd best keep those squirrels at home!

Cheers, Pete

Very nice collection of hunting rifles and good looking ones. It's always nice to have a large selection of wild game to choose from........labrat

ronaldrothb49 said:

Look in Rifles of Colonial America Shumway shows several Southern rifles with Germanic locks.

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That's what I figured. I've seen lots of them on here. Thanks.

That one.

Any muzzleloader I acquire is subject to being used in the field, plain or fancy.

For small game I currently have a .62 smooth rifle and a .36 Kibler SMR. The .62 smoothie was built by a George Raasch of Indiana and has been on many of my small game hunts.



My Kibler SMR .36 has also taken squirrels and rabbits:





For deer, my Pedersoli RMH in .54 has been on hunts with me for 20 years. It's one rifle that will be with me to the grave. It carries the marks of lots of time in the fall and winter woods.



For flint rifles I currently have several. My favorite is a .54 colonial attributed to G.L. Jones. This is a sleek well balanced rifle. This one likes more powder than I prefer @ 105 gr 2F (I usually use 90 in .54) but that was the most accurate load, so it's what I use.




My Brooks colonial in .54 has been on hunts, but I haven't taken game with it.



I also have an Isaac Haines in .54 built by our own Dave Person that shoots very well and has been on hunts but I haven't taken game with it.

Spikebuck said:

Any muzzleloader I acquire is subject to being used in the field, plain or fancy.

For small game I currently have a .62 smooth rifle and a .36 Kibler SMR. The .62 smoothie was built by a George Raasch of Indiana and has been on many of my small game hunts.

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My Kibler SMR .36 has also taken squirrels and rabbits:



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For deer, my Pedersoli RMH in .54 has been on hunts with me for 20 years. It's one rifle that will be with me to the grave. It carries the marks of lots of time in the fall and winter woods.

View attachment 357374View attachment 357375View attachment 357376

For flint rifles I currently have several. My favorite is a .54 colonial attributed to G.L. Jones. This is a sleek well balanced rifle. This one likes more powder than I prefer @ 105 gr 2F (I usually use 90 in .54) but that was the most accurate load, so it's what I use.

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My Brooks colonial in .54 has been on hunts, but I haven't taken game with it.

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I also have an Isaac Haines in .54 built by our own Dave Person that shoots very well and has been on hunts but I haven't taken game with it.

View attachment 357386

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Beautiful guns, really nice deer and love the orange capote. My guns are 'fence posts' compared to your guns. Pretty cool you have a Brooks gun, also.

Really beautiful collection of rifles you both have.

Hopefully this is not a thread derailer and somewhat pertinent. Posted in a pm in response to a question about the top three guns (especially the dark one) from another member. I thought others might like to see more about these.
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"Tried to get better picture, but lightning is not cooperating.


So, there's a story. Probably way more than you wanted to know. Top to bottom.
1. T/C White Mountain Carbine, with a replacement T/C Hawkin .50 cal barrel. Original barrel was a 1:20 twist that just never shot well, and was further trashed in a house fire. So I replaced it with the Hawkin barrel I bought from a fellow member here.
2. Is an early Pedersoli. .45 cal drum and nipple percussion gun with a 32" barrel. Bought it cheap to teach grandkids and others to shoot black powder arms. Once cleaned up from the smoke and nicotine staining I found it had a really pretty figured walnut stock, so I have been reluctant to sell it. It hardly ever gets shot, but you never know - that could change.
3. Is a parts gun I put together out of parts I had laying around. Tried to make it look like originals I've seen of the late flintlock / transitional percussion Leman Lancaster Trade Rifles. I modified the stock from a 1970s Jukar long rifle, trigger guard is from a Lyman Trade Rifle, barrel is a .54 cal Lyman Great Plains Hunter fast twist, home made nose cap and ram rod, lock is some cheap Spanish number I got a deal on - but it works.
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The weather in Northern Maine in November is pretty nasty and I wanted a beater to take out in the snow, sleet, fog, and freezing rain. So that's what I put together. Inletting isn't great, but it was my 1st try. I'm on the look out for a better stock design to try my hand again. I shoot 425gr Hornady Great Plains and 390gr REAL conicals in it with 75 - 90 grains of 2f. It's a hammer on both ends! But there's also a 500lb male black bear out on the back side of our farm. The last deer I shot was 300lb and my moose was 465lb. Sometimes a bigger hammer is handy .



Looking forward to opening day!

labrat said:

I'm no hunter. So curious about what your flintlock hunting rifle really looks like. There are a lot of beautiful rifles shown but very little on the working rifle. I don't know but do you have a working rifle for hunting? Hoping to see some photo's especially those working rifles and their makes & models. Maybe give us a brief as to what's most important to you in a hunting rifle and why you chose it. What's the best place for squirrel hunting? ................labrat

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Mine is very plain. Single trigger, no patchbox, no butt plate, no nose cap, no carving.

LD

I got started in muzzle loading at the young age of 72 so I only have 2 rifles so far, 50 cal. Lyman trade rifle and 45 caliber T/C Cherokee. Both of these are /will be used for hunting. Contrary to what the better half say's, I will have a flintlock for the Pa. late flintlock deer season. (I hope)

Freedom said:

My companion in the mountains and forests is a 58cal Colonial.

She shoots Great! 280gr roundball and 45gr of any powder for paper shooting.
60gr for Woods-walks.
View attachment 357060And 110gr of 3fff yields 1850fps for Elk hunting.
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Found this set of big elk sheds this spring, laying just as they are pictured.

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How many elk have you taken with the 58? What was the shot distance and how much penetration and ball expansion did you get?

I have a 58 I built for hunting, primarily elk, and I'm a bit conflicted with a higher charge for flat shooting and ball expansion or getting more penetration on close shots with a lower charge.

I'm working on turning this into a beater. I built it for hunting as well as fondling. No game has been taken with it yet. I still need to learn to engrave so I can complete that part and then "age" it a bit.

HighUintas said:

I'm working on turning this into a beater. I built it for hunting as well as fondling. No game has been taken with it yet. I still need to learn to engrave so I can complete that part and then "age" it a bit.

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Is it trimmed in nickle silver or is that steel hardware?

Nor'Easter said:

Is it trimmed in nickle silver or is that steel hardware?

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Steel. The patchbox sure was hard to get bent just right. The plan is to either slightly patina everything after engraving, or just let it patina naturally, but it will all stay in the white. No blueing.

Frankenstein rifle looks like a real work horse beater. I like the brass mussel cap. Great job and is a fine rifle to me.

My initial thoughts were that I would see more beaters like this for hunting. Big surprise to me that all these rifles shown are truly works of art and worthy to be displayed. Thanks to all the muzzle loaders for keeping these rifles alive..........labrat