I've been an avid shooter (mostly rifles, but some handgun and skeet & trap shotgun-reload for all three) for the past 50+ years and have just recently gotten into black powder rifles.
I've had my Traditions Shenandoah FLINTLOCK for several months now... and have shot about 200 patched balls (1½ boxes of Hornady .50 caliber swagged balls & about 50 cast balls-both .490" with a .015" denim patches) using fairly light loads (aka "target loads") of both Goex FFFg and Swiss FFFg black powder.
I started out using black English flints (bevel up) and recently bought a dozen white flints from Rich Pierce. The first Rich Pierce flint only lasted about 30 shots and fractured badly.
I installed a 2nd Rich Piece flint with the bevel down and just yesterday, I shot about 20 shots with very little visible wear on the flint's leading edge. Rich's flints throw a good shower of sparks... as much or perhaps slightly more sparks than the black English flints I was using.
There may have been an unseen fracture in the first flint 'cause the 2nd one is showing very little wear so far whereas the first flint fractured & began breaking up after only a few shots and went downhill from there.
Rich Pierce seems like a very earnest, honest guy... and surprised me by sending an extra (free) flint with my first order of a dozen 5/8ths inch flints... his policy is to do that if you order "small flints" (5/8ths inch)... a happy surprise... and his price for a dozen flints was only $10 plus $1.50 postage. Service is fast & he sends the flints and an invoice. He's a very trusting soul.
Butttt... back to the Shenandoah...
It's a beauiful looking rifle. The wood on my rifle was very nice... well figured walnut with a very "hard" finish that really resists nicks and scratches.
As far as "negatives" go, I feel they don't put enough "drop" in the butt-stock which makes sighting the rifle a task in that one must slide their head further back on the stock (towards the butt) than one would normally put their cheek in order to be able to align the front and rear sights on the target.
But with a bit of "contortion", I was finally able to get a reasonably "comfortable" position on the stock. However, I'd much prefer more "drop" on the stock.
The sights are "ok", but I'd prefer sights that are more "squared-off" (notchy)... i.e., squared off rather than the tall, thin front sight and the very narrow opening in the rear sight and a very small "flat" notch inside the rear sight with which one must align the top edge of the front sight. While it might not be "traditional" for this type of flint-lock rifle, the sights would be easier to align... and aligned more quickly if they was "squared-off" more.
The adjustment for the set trigger is excellent... yielding as "light" a set trigger for which one could wish with a smooth, crisp "let-off" and no creep.
I've had a bit of unreliable ignition due to burnt powder "clinkers" building up in the flash-channel & blocking it, but I cured that problem by "unbending" and running a paperclip all the way into the flash-channel AFTER EACH SHOT which breaks the "clinkers" up into fine dust so they won't block or interfere with the next shot's ignition from the frizzen pan. This use of the paper clip (so far) seems to have eliminated the fairly numerous "hang-fires" or lack-of-ignition I was getting. Thus, accuracy improved once this problem was over-come.
The "flash-hole pick" I bought is too "fat" to reach all the way into the flash-channel... or I'd use it.
I feel that, for the money, the Tradition's Shenandoah is a reasonably good value, but I really don't care for their sights or the lack of enough "drop" in the stock... i.e., it's a good "starter's rifle", but I can now more fully understand why so many (here and at other black powder forums) suggest a custom or semi-custom-made Long Rifle rather than a factory-made Long Rifle.
I'm still trying to find a consistent "accuracy load", but I've begun to get some pretty good, inter-locking 3-shot groups using 38-45 grains of FFFg Goex and, since I've switched to Swiss, 30-32 grains of FFFg Swiss.
I still haven't done anything about a "hunting load" yet, but am guessing it will be in the 80-90 grain area using FFFg Swiss... and November is still a few months away.
I've moved from Goex to Swiss black powder because of my relatively short barrel (33½ inches) vs. 40-42 inch barrels found on most Pennsylvania Long Rifles which will burn the FFg better... as well as burn greater quanities of either FFg or FFFg black powder more completely and I understand the Swiss powder produces slightly greater velocity for a given amount of powder as opposed to the Goex using the same amount of powder.
However, I haven't chronographed loads with either powder yet, so that may be one of the many "old wives tales" that seem so common in many posts in the muzzle-loader/black powder forums.
Anway, that's my "2¢" concerning the Tradition's Shenandoah... and my experience with my Shenandoah so far in the few months I've been shooting it.
Eventually, I will probably end up with a custom-made or semi-custom made Pennsylvania Long Rifle if I can find one at a price I can afford and light enough (under 8 pounds and prefer one closer to 7 pounds) for my use, needs & preferences.
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
