1st time shooting a flintlock

[CTShooter]

I won't be headed to the range with a flintlock soon,

We can fix that

 

[Brokennock]

We can fix that

Mostly a time issue right now.
Maybe sometime next week.

 

[Grenadier1758]

...

As to shooting live fire until the gun doesn't reliably function to try to cure a flinch,,,,,,,,, this is just stupid. Every live fire repetition with flash and flinch reinforces the flinch. Why burn up powder and use up lead when you can get the desired result more reliably with dry fire? Why keep practicing the wring thing? We have a lot of cliche saying in the shooting sports but kne of the better ones from the training world, that I don't think gets used enough, is, "be careful what you practice, you might get good at the wrong thing." To just keep shooting, burning resources, hoping the next time the gun fails that you won't flinch seems a waste of ammo and practice time. Dry fire has been used for quite some time in the modern training world and recently has been seeing a large increase in trainers advocating it and teaching how to do it properly, go with a known beneficial training and practice method.

Brokennock is absolutely correct that dry fire is the best practice. Make wooden flint out of a hardwood so that when the gun is dry fired the lock is making all the movement and trigger pull is the same as when firing. What really seemed to improve my ability to hold through is reenacting and firing blank cartridges. There is all the smoke and fire along with a little bit of recoil. There are few flint lock firearms that throw the blast of smoke and fire than 120 grains of Reenactor grade powder at the breech and 6 grains that slow burning powder in the pan. Dry fire practice can be done any where. Once the dry fire procedure is set to muscle memory, a few blank rounds to accustom the shooter to the events that happen during firing can make that steady hold and follow through happen.

 

[Kilo Charlie]

I haven't tried a Traditions rifle, but I did have two 1:48 twist TC .50 cal Hawken rifles; one flint, one percussion. Both shot very well with 60 grains fffG under a .490" roundball and .015" or .017" patch. One plunge of ffffG in the pan.

 

[Red Eye]

I haven't tried a Traditions rifle, but I did have two 1:48 twist TC .50 cal Hawken rifles; one flint, one percussion. Both shot very well with 60 grains fffG under a .490" roundball and .015" or .017" patch. One plunge of ffffG in the pan.

that will be one of the combinations I'll be trying. Like I've said, I have a lot more experimenting with powder charge, ball or conical to do. I've just started but I'm liking the journey so far.

 

[mmb617]

So, as with most things muzzleloading, personal experimentation is required.

This is one thought mentioned in this thread that I agree with completely.

I'm pretty new at this myself having shot my first black power gun 2 years ago. Since I'm retired and have access to excellent ranges I shoot my flintlocks a lot. I've gone through over 3,700 round balls since I started. I've done a lot of experimentation in just about every aspect of shooting these guns

I researched and attempted to absorb as much information as possible before I started, but at the end of the day you have to find what works best for you. Some of the things I do run contrary to popular opinion on what I should do, but as long as I'm happy with the results that's all that matters.

And by the way, one of my flintlocks is exactly what the OP is shooting, a Traditions .50 caliber Hawken rifle. It's been very accurate and reliable for me with .490 balls .015 patch and 50 grains of 3f powder.

 

[waksupi]

No need for that much powder with those heavy bullets. Deer are like shooting through a card board box, they ain't bullet proof. Round balls will do all you need if you do your part of putting them where they need to be.

Will be trying that also.
Years ago when I shot my T/C Renegade caplock, it really liked the T/C maxi and hit deer hard; that's why I thought I'd start with these and see if I got the same results. Gonna try them again with a stiffer charge, maybe 80- 85 gr. to help push that big slug.

Yup the point of where it needs to be is worth mentioning , also if you screw up that part a conical saves your bacon ! Not to argue but that is fact and with critters that matters , glad your blessed with perfect eyesight and you shoot bullseyes every time but mere mortals screw up and I shoot whatever is legal and the gun likes and it ain't always a round ball aside from that yardage thing that pops up on occasion/Ed

A bad shot is a bad shot. The bullet won't make up for that.

 

[Celt5494]

Just a word of caution to you sir. Flintlocks are an addiction that make you open your wallet fortnightly. Welcome to the addiction.

 

[Red Eye]

A bad shot is a bad shot. The bullet won't make up for that.

I agree, but I never said I wanted to use a bigger slug to make up for a bad shot.
I just believe, that given 2 shots on a deer, 1 with a RB, 1 with a 320-385 gr slug both in the same "kill zone", the heavier slug will anchor a deer quicker.
I'm sure some shooters will disagree, and that's ok, we all have our own opinion. I'm not saying a RB won't do the job, I just believe that a heavier slug does it better, harder impact/ shock.

 

[stikshooter]

No need for that much powder with those heavy bullets. Deer are like shooting through a card board box, they ain't bullet proof. Round balls will do all you need if you do your part of putting them where they need to be.



A bad shot is a bad shot. The bullet won't make up for that.

No but weight makes for more penetration thru what ever it hits ! Thats why you see states make min weight specs for RB !!! And not for nothing that RB does not have the same result on a marginal shot ( we all do have one) so no, the conical plows thru stuff further at longer yardage and keeps on keepin on and so do gut piles (not blood trails)

 

[Coolhand]

Just from looking at your pictures I noticed your ramrod is out of the gun. Are you sighting it in with it out? Or putting it back in its channel for each shot? I made the mistake and didn’t put the RR back in its channel for each shot one time sighting in. When I took it out to shoot the next time I shot it with the RR in its place and the point of impact was off from what I sighted it in at.

 

[Red Eye]

Just from looking at your pictures I noticed your ramrod is out of the gun. Are you sighting it in with it out? Or putting it back in its channel for each shot? I made the mistake and didn’t put the RR back in its channel for each shot one time sighting in. When I took it out to shoot the next time I shot it with the RR in its place and the point of impact was off from what I sighted it in at.

I left the ramrod out while shooting it, guns forearm wood was resting in the sandbag, not the barrel. I can see if I was resting the rifle on the ramrod/barrel but don't see where it would make a difference resting on the forearm wood.
Anyone else have an opinion on this ??

 

[stikshooter]

I left the ramrod out while shooting it, guns forearm wood was resting in the sandbag, not the barrel. I can see if I was resting the rifle on the ramrod/barrel but don't see where it would make a difference resting on the forearm wood.
Anyone else have an opinion on this ??

non issue/Ed

 

[Coolhand]

You may not have that problem with yours. I was just sharing an experience that I had with my Great Plains Rifle.

 

[Rob M.]

Some good suggestions . Another .... When shooting round ball while practicing , try some really low powder charges , 50 cal, 50 gr. of powder ... Less boom and recoil while concentrating on that front sight and squeezing the trigger ... It helps . Saves a bit of powder too . You'll get er !

 

[rgrlong]

The round ball with a nice wet patch adds so much to the enjoyment of shooting a Flintlock, ditch those big heavy conicals.

Black powder ignites with heat. So the closer you can get to a thermal nuclear explosion in the pan, the faster it'll fire. Been proven time and time again with computerized equipment. Even though it sounds slower to our ear,... extra prime does not make it slower.

 

[Brokennock]

Maybe a few of you could post a picture of your pans primed?

Id be curious to see the differences or similarities and im sure it would help the OP, and a few others of us.

Sorry, I got a but busy and couldn't get any new pics of powder in the pan. Here is an old one from a similar topic,

This is all the prime this gun/lock needs for fast and reliable ignition,,,, with 3f powder. I can use a bit more, but if I use much more things get funny. If I use the full piled up pan some speak of, with 3f, some shots are noticeably slower, and I do mean noticeable not trick of the mind, some seem normal. Using 4f, on the very rare occasion that I do, I can get away with quite a bit more, but really of I can coat the bottom of the pan with it, it's enough. Gun is a TVM Early Virginia with a Siler lock and a flash hole liner.
My Fusil des Chase with its much larger lock would be fine with this much prime, but will work well with double that amount.

 

[Sun City]

Round ball Round ball Round ball!!!

 

[stephenprops1]

Maybe a few of you could post a picture of your pans primed?

Id be curious to see the differences or similarities and im sure it would help the OP, and a few others of us.

I have learned that a flash in the pan and/or a delay in the charge firing is usually caused by overcharging the flash pan. If the priming powder is covering all of part of the flash hole it is like a wick burning down. If people would only use less priming powder it should resolve many of their hang fires.

 

[olskool]

on the prime in the pan, some guns like more and some like less. most like less. i have one SMR than likes a pan full, then i have another SMR that likes less. try putting in less and put the powder to the far right in the pan. you want the hot gas across to go across the pan to the touch hole, therefore you will not have a fuse effect. on the projectile, use a RB, you have to stop thinking like a modern-day shooter. the idea is to keep it simple. most modern shooters strive and struggle with projectiles to accomplish what the RB already has! they try to get a rifle bullet to get the perfect mushroom, a RB already has that before it is fired! they are very deadly, and accurate. here is one of my 54 SMR, this 3 shot group was shot off hand at 50yds. the doe was killed with the same gun at 93yds. what more do you need,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

and you need nothing else.