I am new to this forum but not new to muzzleloading and have some questions concerning a flintlock.
The winter of 1976-77 I built a Thompson Center .50 cal. percussion Hawken kit. An old timer gave me half a quart jar of browning fluid he had made from chemicals that I used on the iron parts. I finished the stock with tung oil. I feel the rifle turned out very well.
I have hunted deer from the same cabin on forty acres in the middle of the U.P. of Michigan since 1970. There, I use my .45-70 Government Marlin Model 1895 manufactured in 1972. In Ohio, I use the Hawken during deer season.
In September of 1972 I attended the Friendship matches as a visitor for a day. I had been hooked on muzzleloaders for many years before that but no one in my area was shooting one back then. I was watching the start of a flintlock match and saw a man in his early fifties, clean shaven, wearing a farmer straw hat and blue workshirt and denim bib overalls with well worn bullet pouch and large and small powder horns leaning on the muzzle of a Southern Mountain style flintlock. The rifle was plain with browned furniture and barrel. The only fancy spot on it was a silver cresent moon inlaid on the cheek piece. Other shooters were carrying tackle boxes of gear and loading stands to the firing line preparing for the match while he just stood there. When the order to begin firing was given, he stepped to the line and began loading and shooting with a PRB cutting patches with a patch knife on his shoulder strap and using the main and priming horns. During loading he kept his concentration on the target only looking down when measuring out the powder charges and priming. His loading was like a precision machine. Almost as soon as the rifle butt touched his shoulder, he fired. He shot his string before most of the other shooters had fired two shots as they carefully tapped rods with hammers in their loading stands. I did not stay to the end of the match and do not know how well he scored. But, it was the most memorable shooting demonstration I had ever witnessed. It was absolutly beautiful! My deer hunting partner was with me that day and we have talked about that shooter many times. We were both really impressed with the remarkable riflemanship we witnessed that day.
Two years ago I decided to build a Southern Mountain rifle and researched various kits and then backed out because I did not feel I had the spare time as a busy dairy farmer to put into building the rifle of my dreams. Now, I am reconsidering doing it this winter.
I am considering a Southern Mountain kit from Pecatonica River in .50 cal. with next best grade of maple stock stained to a dark brown color with brown furniture and no patchbox or grease hole. I like the Durs Egg lock and Davis trigger offered in the kit. I am confident I can do the finishing work but will have the inletting and all other services done by Pacatonica. I want a simple rifle like I admired of the shooter at Friendship. The rifle will replace my centerfire I use in Michigan. Hunting with a primitive weapon for deer and training to use it with precision is what interests me the most now at age 59. I would love to target shoot but my ageing eyes are not what they used to be. I have a 6 inch by 6 inch steel plate suspended from a tree in a pasture that I enjoy shooting at with my handloaded .45-70 rounds and my .50 cal. TC Hawken. I usually shoot at between 75 and 100 yards with open sights and can make the steel ring 9 out of 10 times which I feel is good enough for deer hunting.
I would value any comments or suggestions you experts have concerning my intentions.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments.
APPLEJACK
The winter of 1976-77 I built a Thompson Center .50 cal. percussion Hawken kit. An old timer gave me half a quart jar of browning fluid he had made from chemicals that I used on the iron parts. I finished the stock with tung oil. I feel the rifle turned out very well.
I have hunted deer from the same cabin on forty acres in the middle of the U.P. of Michigan since 1970. There, I use my .45-70 Government Marlin Model 1895 manufactured in 1972. In Ohio, I use the Hawken during deer season.
In September of 1972 I attended the Friendship matches as a visitor for a day. I had been hooked on muzzleloaders for many years before that but no one in my area was shooting one back then. I was watching the start of a flintlock match and saw a man in his early fifties, clean shaven, wearing a farmer straw hat and blue workshirt and denim bib overalls with well worn bullet pouch and large and small powder horns leaning on the muzzle of a Southern Mountain style flintlock. The rifle was plain with browned furniture and barrel. The only fancy spot on it was a silver cresent moon inlaid on the cheek piece. Other shooters were carrying tackle boxes of gear and loading stands to the firing line preparing for the match while he just stood there. When the order to begin firing was given, he stepped to the line and began loading and shooting with a PRB cutting patches with a patch knife on his shoulder strap and using the main and priming horns. During loading he kept his concentration on the target only looking down when measuring out the powder charges and priming. His loading was like a precision machine. Almost as soon as the rifle butt touched his shoulder, he fired. He shot his string before most of the other shooters had fired two shots as they carefully tapped rods with hammers in their loading stands. I did not stay to the end of the match and do not know how well he scored. But, it was the most memorable shooting demonstration I had ever witnessed. It was absolutly beautiful! My deer hunting partner was with me that day and we have talked about that shooter many times. We were both really impressed with the remarkable riflemanship we witnessed that day.
Two years ago I decided to build a Southern Mountain rifle and researched various kits and then backed out because I did not feel I had the spare time as a busy dairy farmer to put into building the rifle of my dreams. Now, I am reconsidering doing it this winter.
I am considering a Southern Mountain kit from Pecatonica River in .50 cal. with next best grade of maple stock stained to a dark brown color with brown furniture and no patchbox or grease hole. I like the Durs Egg lock and Davis trigger offered in the kit. I am confident I can do the finishing work but will have the inletting and all other services done by Pacatonica. I want a simple rifle like I admired of the shooter at Friendship. The rifle will replace my centerfire I use in Michigan. Hunting with a primitive weapon for deer and training to use it with precision is what interests me the most now at age 59. I would love to target shoot but my ageing eyes are not what they used to be. I have a 6 inch by 6 inch steel plate suspended from a tree in a pasture that I enjoy shooting at with my handloaded .45-70 rounds and my .50 cal. TC Hawken. I usually shoot at between 75 and 100 yards with open sights and can make the steel ring 9 out of 10 times which I feel is good enough for deer hunting.
I would value any comments or suggestions you experts have concerning my intentions.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments.
APPLEJACK
