Couple of Questions to ask

[Hawk54]

Nothing wrong with suggesting to the OP to pick them all up. Keep the one he likes and sell the others. The profit from them would make the one he keeps free.

 

[morehops52]

50 cal gives you more options in available projectiles and "other" as a catch all. 54 gives you whompability. I have several of each caliber but I love my 54's.

 

[Snooterpup]

What is a better choice the .45, .50 or the .54 ? The Renegade or the Hawken ? They all are similar in price so I wouldnt mind spending the extra $100-$150.

If you like brass, go with the Hawken. The .45 and .50 15/16” barrels on the Hawken are usually a bit lighter the the 1” barrels on the Renegade. If you prefer the steel furniture, go with the Renegade.
Check barrel condition first. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with either.

 

[Snooterpup]

First off I would like to thank everyone who has shed a bit of their knowledge and their well worded opinions on my posts as it has helped a lot. My first question is about getting a starter rifle. I found another gun shop about 30 minutes away that is very cheap compared to the usual local shops. There are four rifles all Thompson Center two are Renegade Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber and two are Hawken Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber. The Renegade .50 is $200 and the Renegade .54 is $275. The Hawken .50 is $300 and the .54 Hakwen is $350. All sale come with a box of Hornady round balls .490 or .530 and a 100ct of pre lubed patches .010". This gun shop also had some Goex 2F and 3F powder limit of 2lbs of powder per purchase and he had 2lbs of each to I bought it up. I figured this seems like a good deal and would help me learn around a Flintlock before I upgraded to a nice proper Longrifle. Really I would like to have a cheap starter to see if I will stick with the Flintlock and one I can learn on before I spend big money on a proper rifle. So out of these four rifles which is best ? All are in pretty decent condition no rust at all or damage. All were built in the early 80's with the Hawken .50 being built in 1990 as the newest.
My next question is about a Kibler Longrifle. I got a couple PM's from Forum members all agreeing that the Kibler is the way to go for a nice proper flintlock. I want a Kibler Colonial with a Cherry stock havent decided on caliber yet. Are they easy to put together ? I havent done any woodworking since woodshop in highschool and that really wasnt anything to write home about. Do I need to buy a lot of tools too ? I see the price tag and I really dont want to mess the rifle up but I want to put it together myself. Anyone got any input for that question ? Thanks to all who reply and thanks to all who have replied on previous posts.

EDIT: Got a text message that the shop just got cleared to sell a .45 caliber Thompson Center Flintlock Hawken Rifle that will come with a box of .440 balls and 100 .010" pre lubed patches. Sell price is $300.

Kiblers are great. My understanding is the Kibler ‘Woodsrunner’ is the easiest. The Colonial requires more work and care but easily doable. My Colonial turned out vey well. If and when you decide to get a Kibler be certain to watch all of his videos. Very informative and a great resource. If you get stuck on some aspect of assembly ask this forum. It is a wealth of knowledge.
Best of luck with the T/C whichever you choose. You won’t go wrong.

 

[Billy Boy]

First off I would like to thank everyone who has shed a bit of their knowledge and their well worded opinions on my posts as it has helped a lot. My first question is about getting a starter rifle. I found another gun shop about 30 minutes away that is very cheap compared to the usual local shops. There are four rifles all Thompson Center two are Renegade Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber and two are Hawken Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber. The Renegade .50 is $200 and the Renegade .54 is $275. The Hawken .50 is $300 and the .54 Hakwen is $350. All sale come with a box of Hornady round balls .490 or .530 and a 100ct of pre lubed patches .010". This gun shop also had some Goex 2F and 3F powder limit of 2lbs of powder per purchase and he had 2lbs of each to I bought it up. I figured this seems like a good deal and would help me learn around a Flintlock before I upgraded to a nice proper Longrifle. Really I would like to have a cheap starter to see if I will stick with the Flintlock and one I can learn on before I spend big money on a proper rifle. So out of these four rifles which is best ? All are in pretty decent condition no rust at all or damage. All were built in the early 80's with the Hawken .50 being built in 1990 as the newest.
My next question is about a Kibler Longrifle. I got a couple PM's from Forum members all agreeing that the Kibler is the way to go for a nice proper flintlock. I want a Kibler Colonial with a Cherry stock havent decided on caliber yet. Are they easy to put together ? I havent done any woodworking since woodshop in highschool and that really wasnt anything to write home about. Do I need to buy a lot of tools too ? I see the price tag and I really dont want to mess the rifle up but I want to put it together myself. Anyone got any input for that question ? Thanks to all who reply and thanks to all who have replied on previous posts.

EDIT: Got a text message that the shop just got cleared to sell a .45 caliber Thompson Center Flintlock Hawken Rifle that will come with a box of .440 balls and 100 .010" pre lubed patches. Sell price is $300.

I found a shop like that once but the things I had to do, I still feel cheap and used….

 

[ZUG]

Buy the one with the best barrel and a lock that sparks well. Any of these calibers will not matter for your first rifle. Shoot it and then you will know what your next gun will be. Kimber makes a FINE rifle that is easy to assemble and looks / functions great. - GOOD LUCK ---

 

[smokepolehall]

If the Renegade .54 has a good/great bore n the lock is nice. That would be my choice. You can load it light or heavy n have a deer slobber knocker.

 

[Daveboone]

Are you going to be hunting (and what?) or target shooting? If I was only target shooting, I would be more inclined to a .50 or .45....less drop, less cost for powder/balls. For a new flint shooter, a smaller caliber will be more forgiving. It would be tough to compare sparking....different rocks in different actions, with different flint wear. . A real good shower of sparks is a good thing, but if you arent familiar with flints, a poor sparker may just be a poorly fitted/worn flint. To get started one way or the other, you will not go too far wrong with any of them for the money.

 

[nhmoose]

4 for the price of 1 Kibler kit? Easy answer.

All 4 would have come home if I had that opportunity. I would select the one I liked best then sold the other 3 kept one free and made some money for flints and powder.

 

[MSW]

if all you want to do is launch some lead and make some smoke, i would recommend that you go with the .50. having said that, you may want to get the .54 as well, but that's just one guy's opinion ... free and doubtless well worth the cost.

as regards the Kibler question: i have put several "kits" together, and Mr Kibler's is by far the most straightforward, BUT don't translate that as a tab-a-into-slot-B proposition ... for better details, check out his U-tube videos, and you will see what sort of woodworking and metal finishing skills you'll need. The Kibler kit is a great product, but go into it with eyes open.
welcome to the addiction, and best of luck

 

[R Ellis]

Get the 45 it is rare and the price is right .I have all three calibers and shoot the 45 the most and all are T/C Hawken's You will like it.

 

[PotomacRanger]

Are you going to be hunting (and what?) or target shooting? If I was only target shooting, I would be more inclined to a .50 or .45....less drop, less cost for powder/balls. For a new flint shooter, a smaller caliber will be more forgiving. It would be tough to compare sparking....different rocks in different actions, with different flint wear. . A real good shower of sparks is a good thing, but if you arent familiar with flints, a poor sparker may just be a poorly fitted/worn flint. To get started one way or the other, you will not go too far wrong with any of them for the money.

I would like to use whatever Flintlock I buy for White Tail Deer hunting in Maryland's neck of Appalachia. Nothing bigger than deer. What caliber is best suited .45, .50 or .54 ?

 

[64Springer]

.50 is all you need for medium sized whitetails and supplies for a .50 can be found anywhere.

 

[deerstalkert]

none of the advice here is wrong. that said, that .45 flintlock made me sit up straight. well kinda. in my mind anyhow.
i have a TC Hawken .45 flint with both the original and a rice barrel. the .45 gets shot more than any of the other rifles i have. i have one or two (or more, but don't tell the wife) rifles in everything from a .30 to a 60.
just have more fun shooting the .45.

 

[Hawk54]

I would like to use whatever Flintlock I buy for White Tail Deer hunting in Maryland's neck of Appalachia. Nothing bigger than deer. What caliber is best suited .45, .50 or .54 ?

.50 caliber is all you need. That is what I have hunted with for years. If a .50 won't bring it down you are hunting on another planet.

 

[SDSmlf]

.50 caliber is all you need. That is what I have hunted with for years. If a .50 won't bring it down you are hunting on another planet.

Well I have only hunted with a 58 caliber for years. If a 58 caliber won’t bring it down you are hunting on another planet, so 58 caliber is all you need….

@PotomacRanger, everything being equal, get the gun and caliber you like. Any of the ones you are looking at will work. We all have our favorites. Personally, prefer a larger caliber when hunting in the mountains with plenty of ledges and steep drop offs within a few feet. The ability to bust up front shoulders is important where I am hunting. If a critter takes even a few steps it may not be easily recovered. But that’s me in a particular hunting situation. I also hunt with 45 caliber guns in other situations….. and own and hunt with 50 and 62 caliber guns. There is no single perfect answer. Doesn’t impact what you chose for a ‘starter rifle’. By your own words, it sounds like there will be more rifles and calibers in your future. No wrong choice.

My first question is about getting a starter rifle.

Get the gun and caliber you prefer that you will use and shoot.

 

[brushblind]

First off I would like to thank everyone who has shed a bit of their knowledge and their well worded opinions on my posts as it has helped a lot. My first question is about getting a starter rifle. I found another gun shop about 30 minutes away that is very cheap compared to the usual local shops. There are four rifles all Thompson Center two are Renegade Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber and two are Hawken Flintlocks .50 and .54 caliber. The Renegade .50 is $200 and the Renegade .54 is $275. The Hawken .50 is $300 and the .54 Hakwen is $350. All sale come with a box of Hornady round balls .490 or .530 and a 100ct of pre lubed patches .010". This gun shop also had some Goex 2F and 3F powder limit of 2lbs of powder per purchase and he had 2lbs of each to I bought it up. I figured this seems like a good deal and would help me learn around a Flintlock before I upgraded to a nice proper Longrifle. Really I would like to have a cheap starter to see if I will stick with the Flintlock and one I can learn on before I spend big money on a proper rifle. So out of these four rifles which is best ? All are in pretty decent condition no rust at all or damage. All were built in the early 80's with the Hawken .50 being built in 1990 as the newest.
My next question is about a Kibler Longrifle. I got a couple PM's from Forum members all agreeing that the Kibler is the way to go for a nice proper flintlock. I want a Kibler Colonial with a Cherry stock havent decided on caliber yet. Are they easy to put together ? I havent done any woodworking since woodshop in highschool and that really wasnt anything to write home about. Do I need to buy a lot of tools too ? I see the price tag and I really dont want to mess the rifle up but I want to put it together myself. Anyone got any input for that question ? Thanks to all who reply and thanks to all who have replied on previous posts.

EDIT: Got a text message that the shop just got cleared to sell a .45 caliber Thompson Center Flintlock Hawken Rifle that will come with a box of .440 balls and 100 .010" pre lubed patches. Sell price is $300.

Where did you say that gun shop is? LOL, That does sound like good prices but you should bring a bore light to check the bores.

 

[Daveboone]

I would like to use whatever Flintlock I buy for White Tail Deer hunting in Maryland's neck of Appalachia. Nothing bigger than deer. What caliber is best suited .45, .50 or .54 ?

I dont think Maryland deer run all that big (say, in comparison with heavy north woods bucks..) ...likely any of the three would do fine, but you wouldnt need the .54. Either the .50 or .45....I would go by the rifles condition, barrel, etc.

 

[Eric Krewson]

As to the Kibler question; I had built several scratch build flintlocks, bought an early SMR kit and found it fairly easy to put together although the early kit wasn't as refined as the ones that Kibler makes now. I bought my kit second hand for a guy who couldn't put it together.

I have a friend that had my gunsmith friend build him a Kibler colonial and then decided to try his hand at a SMR. He was an intelligent, crafty guy but had no gun building experience, I mentored his building via Facebook messenger. I had taken pictures along the way of my SMR build and shared advice and pictures with him when he got stumped, which was often. The bottom line was my instructions as well as the Kibler videos were Greek to him, he couldn't follow along. He finally finished his build but it took a long time, a month or more.

If you have an experienced builder around to steer you, go for it. You can build a colonial if you are a crafty guy, if you are inexperienced and carefully follow the Kibler videos and don't get in a hurry you can be successful. If you have "0" experience in making anything, no tools and no place to work buy a Woodsrunner instead. not much building to them as the video suggests.



I am a bow maker and have tried to teach a bunch of guys the craft, the majority of them throw up their hands and quit, they just don't enjoy the work that goes into making a bow or any other thing for that matter.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I dont think Maryland deer run all that big (say, in comparison with heavy north woods bucks..) ...likely any of the three would do fine, but you wouldnt need the .54. Either the .50 or .45....I would go by the rifles condition, barrel, etc.

I wouldn't bet on that, hunted Maryland deer a lot and killed some bruisers.