A flintlock hunting question

[azmntman]

That's a good point Fyrstyk.

If the gun is actually a .44 caliber rifle that typically shoots a .433" (11mm) diameter roundball it won't meet the states requirement for the gun to be a .45 caliber.
These .44 caliber guns were somewhat common back in the 1970's. I really don't know why.
My first Kentuckian rifle was a .44 caliber flintlock.

If the gun is marked .45 caliber and it is shooting a .440 diameter lead roundball, it will meet the states requirement.

All the G&F rangers know is what they see marked on the barrel. They usually don't measure the size of the .440 balls we use in them.

Having hunted here in AZ for the past 45 years I have yet to have a warden measure my balls, or even ask to see or handle one :hmm:

:slap:

In fact, even in muzzle loader season, I have never had one check the stamped cal size on my barrel.....course this state has no min caliber requirement for any game animal.
So one may hunt a 1200lb bull elk with a crocket .32 cal but one cannot shoot any big game animal with a colt walker (except Javalina in a HAM hunt):youcrazy:

 

[apachesx2]

If it's a custom barrel 44 rounds to 45. It's like a 38 special or a 380 is not a 38 bore but rather its bore measurement is .357 it is one of the few rounds that measured at the chamber instead of bore. But industry constantly rounds up and down at their convenience and .433 rounds to 45. I have never had a game warden mic me. I personally like 50 or 54 caliber PRB for deer but known the quite a few deer have taken with a 45. It boils down to mass 45 130 grains, 50 180 grains, 54 230 grains of round ball. All 3 can kill a deer. I believe the person who started this thread is from GA and here is GA requirements for deer and bear... Muzzleloaders: .44-cal. or larger, or muzzleloading shotguns 20 gauge or larger. Scopes are legal.

 

[Bugman]

apachesx2
You are right, .44 and up over here. I normally hunt with a 30-06; my land is heavily wooded with a few open areas. I just acquired a flintlock and wanted to hunt with it this upcoming season and questioned the effective range for a clean kill. Looking forward to doing my Davey Crockett on some whitetail :wink:

 

[Pete G]

Your effective range is as far as you can place all shots of a paper plate form the offhand position.

 

[nhmoose]

+1000 :hatsoff:

 

[azmntman]

+1 :hatsoff:

 

[54ball]

Your effective range is as far as you can place all shots of a paper plate form the offhand position.

The following photos are the end result of about 2 weeks worth of work. These are off hand.....25 yards.
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

Not shown are the previos paper plates where there was even more of a pattern sometimes dead misses.
If you notice the the trend......high and to the right.....with stringing. I'm not happy with that for hunting even at 25 yards. Smooth bore maybe but not a longrifle!
Other things were happening too....inconsistent ignition. This improved as well as my shooting. I had to learn the quirks of this individual rifle.
The only way to do this is shooting.
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr
5 shots.... standing off hand 25 yards.....one shot being a called goof or flyer.
There was Zero sight adjustment just shooting.
The cross target was better and that may have helped some. What I have done is shrink my group by shooting consistent. Right now I'm happy with this, so I'm going to go out further.

Notice that most of these hits now seem slightly to the left of center. When my rifle was inconstant....I was stringing to the right. My called flinch....was too the right.
The first shot in this group centered the cross. 2nd was the flinch flyer....3-4-5 made the group close to #1 center shot.
Now I'm going to go to 50 in realistic field conditions and see what I have.
If I had adjusted the sights......I would be chasing my tail. Get the group small wherever it is, then adjust if need be..

 

[nhmoose]

Practice , Practice, Practice.

When group gets better fix aim problem.

1 plate don't count IMHO

 

[tenngun]

That’s not as good as the gun can shoot, although there is nothing to be ashamed of with that shooting its pretty fine, I would say how ever you might be better served to use some sort of rest, brace against a tree, or off a knee or some such. Nothing beats resting if you can get it, and I haven’t shot a deer off hand since the 1970s.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Nothing beats resting if you can get it, and I haven’t shot a deer off hand since the 1970s.

I will go with a big AGREE on this. I will shoot offhand at the range, but when hunting I will always look for something to steady the aim. I figure I owe it to the animal that is giving up it's life to feed me the most ethical and fastest kill I can muster. It has been WAY over 30 years since I have had to take a second shot. If I can't get a perfect broadside, I let them walk or just wait around until I can.

 

[Bugman]

I use a rest whenever possible. For paper I will shoot offhand for practice. For hunting, I use a rest whenever possible. Like above stated, if I don't have a good clean shot - I don't take it. That is one of the reasons why I initiated this discussion.
On another note, I bought at Academy today a bottle of Thompson Center Number 13 Bore Cleaner. I ran out of Hoppe's and thought I would try it for swabbing between shots. Any experience of anyone with this?

 

[azmntman]

After reading what Zonie (a moderator on this site) went through with that TC bore cleaner I would go get the bottle and pour it in the toilet and flush twice (toilets are expensive).....

Amazon has Hoppes. Getcha some, you already know it's about the best you can use (Other than Dutch Shultz system).

 

[azmntman]

+1 & +2 on Tenngun and Grizz. I practice mostly out the window of the corolla but when hunting I have cross sticks in the blind or use a tree. I once sat and shot 60 yds off the knees at a Cow elk. Most the time the grass is too high for this though. I have also went home w/o bagging a deer/elk that would NOT turn sideways. Tracking sucks, especially at nite.

 

[Griz44Mag]

On another note, I bought at Academy today a bottle of Thompson Center Number 13 Bore Cleaner. I ran out of Hoppe's and thought I would try it for swabbing between shots. Any experience of anyone with this?

Dump the commercial junk.
Swab between shots with a water/alcohol mix. I personally use windex. 50-60 shots in a long range session, no issues and great consistency.
For cleaning - hot water and a bit of liquid dish soap. Rinse with hot water when done, finish with dry swabs and coat with a rust preventing oil inside and outside, I use WD40 Rust Release but any decent grade of gun oil will work fine.

 

[Rifleman1776]

he knew what he could do and for long shots, he always had some type of rest to shoot from. (Tree, stump, fence post, etc.)

Several very good lessons in that comment. Know your rifle. Know it's capabilities. Know your capabilities. Take advantage of steady rests, whatever is handy. I have used what is mentioned above. But, at times I have used kneeling position or sitting with elbows locked into knees, etc.
My experience, and rifle, a .45 flinter, is a good killer on deer out to 100 yards. But, at the 100 yard point it just seems to say "too far" and the ball drops like the proverbial brick.

 

[Davemuzz]

..My experience, and rifle, a .45 flinter, is a good killer on deer out to 100 yards. But, at the 100 yard point it just seems to say "too far" and the ball drops like the proverbial brick.

Agree 100%

 

[Dr5x]

There is Bench rest, Offhand and a third aiming system and I don't recall a name for it.
It is shooting from the support of a handy tree branch, or supporting your rifle with a tall walking stick, often referred to30 or40 years ago as a "Jude" stick, Pleasecorrect me on that name as I am not certain of it.
This past month while searching the internet for one of those folding seats supported by a single metal stick I came across a whole heck of a lot of portable rifle supports for shooting in the field.
Do a Google search for "Shooting Stick" and you will see what I mean.
Then on a recent Sundy Mountain Men series on the Hstory channel, one of the people being portrayed brings down an enormous Bull Bison using just such a device to support his rifle while waiting for the target animal to approach within 40 yards
Ot's all interesting and off hand shooting is an art learned slowly.

Dutch

 

[Dr5x]

The season is chugging as the thoughts of hunters begin to think of sport, the venison and even to the deer hide of the upcoming activities.
The ranges began to get a bit crowded as folks "see In" the rifles thavent really thought about since the end of Last year's deer season.
It's a time or recall how we solved last years problems,or a renewed attempt to produce the accuracy we felt was adequate for a clean kill this season.

if we solved some problems last Fall but neglected to wrte down the solutions you discovered and now after all this time have forgotten just what those solutions were.

Iy's an exiting time. Friends you haven;t seen for over six months or so will bring you up to date on their lives while you explain how your life has changed or not.

It's my favorite time of the year for the sport and for much of the broth hood

May you all have this season and many more in the future.

To me it's probably the mot American periods of the year.

Dutch

 

[azmntman]

Yep, fathers n sons been looking forward to this time of year for centuries. I need a grandson :haha:

 

[Don Steele]

Isn't that the truth Dutch..!!
My club has a dedicated BP range where I find myself 2-3 times a week year-round. Heading into September...I'll start seeing all kinds of BP shooters seemingly "come out of the woodwork", getting ready for the special muzzleloader seasons here in Florida, or up in Georgia where a LOT of Florida folks go to hunt.
(MUCH to the chagrin of the Georgia Boys)
They show up either with a box of gear they dug out of storage as you mentioned, or in some cases with a brand spanking new rifle, and a shopping bag full of goodies the "experts" at BassPro told them they needed.
We do our best to assist when they have the usual problems. Passing on what someone passed on to us. Every once in a while...you can see "the light go on", a genuine interest will develop and one of them will start showing up at our regular twice monthly BP fun shoots/matches.
It's all good. :thumbsup: