Deer Story

[CraigJ]

Time for my flintlock deer story, as this happened last December and I am just about over the embarrassment and disappointment. Day 2 of the Illinois muzzle loader deer season and I am on my stand with my .54 Jaeger and PRB. A doe came crashing through the area from right to left which quickly brought me wide awake. Less than a minute later she came back through left to right. The rifle was up and ready as she saw me and stopped. Now for the embarrassment. As I pulled the trigger, I did exactly as I had seen in the movie "The Patriot". I turned my head away from the gun and the flash just as the gun went off (the gun went off just as it is supposed to). The doe ran off and I did some tracking, hoping for a spot of blood, which was not found. The moral of this story is: Practice makes perfect-Watching good movies doesn't. :cursing:

 

[brubincam]

-----I don't believe ANYONE on here ever said turn your head when you shoot----- :idunno:

 

[smoothy]

I seen Billy Jo Thornton (?) do it on a movie for the Alamo, excessivley. It does take some practice. I wouldn't want to shoot without glasses, which was typically the case back in the day. To do it without blinking will take even more practice.

 

[rabjr]

I am one who believes it's not so much practice makes perfect. Yes that sure don't hurt but it makes me mad because I always wanted to see the flash as I thought and still think it has to be so cool. :youcrazy: :haha: Even when I remind myself ok now ready watch for it, my eye ends up on my target and I miss it, dangit! If you pay attention to your target, right where you want the ball to go, the flash from a flintlock should not be a problem. :v

 

[ebiggs1]

Swampy I am like you. I never see the flash. I never did! And I certainly don’t need the flash to help me retain my title of the world’s worst shot!

 

[Tom Compton]

Again I am reminded of Tom Gillman telling me that "practice DOES NOT make perfect ...PERFECT practice makes perfect".

Sight picture, trigger control and follow through.

 

[JJB22]

Totally agree with perfect practice makes perfect. I do see the flash on the right side of my vision but it does not bother me. It is over before I know the difference. My deal is the follow through at times but I am always getting better know I will never be perfect. :wink:

 

[chance]

Dont feel like you are the only one. I missed a doe at 50 yds because I also flinched. Live and learn.

 

[hanshi]

From my very first flinter in the late 60s, the flash has never bothered me in the least. Like you I tend to want to glance at the flash because it is definitely sooo... cool. I usually concentrate solely on the front sight and miss that wonderful flash. That's why I so enjoy WATCHING others shoot flinters.

 

[Swampman]

I've shot 2 deer through the heart that traveled some distance without bleeding a drop. All the blood was in the chest when I opened it.

 

[smoothy]

Only when I am fully focused do I refrain from blinking. This is typically in a hunting situation. When I was shooting a doe a few years back I remember seeing the spot where the ball hit and also a small spark falling out of my pan, which was unusual. It happened that my priming was somewhat wet as my pan had some "mud" in it. This must have lead to the slow burning piece I saw. Target practice I likely would not have been focused enough to notice.

 

[mr.flintlock]

When I began hunting with flintlocks I missed my share of deer because of flinching. I started with a hatfield 50 cal flintlock that was bad to hangfire. The hangfiring was my flinch problem. The flash never bothered me. Once I started getting quick ignition the flinching soon dissapeared and I began killing deer on a regular basis.

I believe that If flash is a persons problen they are anticipating the flash too much and it just makes them flench. Concentrate on the front sight and follow through after the shot keeping your eye on that sight. Just try not to think about the flash.

 

[texcl]

I'm like you a hang fire fouls me much worse than the flash.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Turning of the head in the Patriot. I read maybe on this forum that the English didn't think it gentmanly to look at the men they were shooting at??

 

[pargent]

It was done because when firing in ranks you would cop the vent blast from the musket on your left side in yourleft eye etc., if you turned away to your right the vent blast hit your hat,collar or neck.

 

[John Hender]

Hi from Australia. I'm pretty new to Flintlocks, I have a Herman Ruppe style long riflemade by our local Green River rifle works , it looks amazing and shoots beautifully tight groups. All I focus on is my sight picture and the flash is there but isn't a factor. I shoot it better than my previous three cap locks. I can only put this down to the fact that a few years ago I had to shoot a five round group into a four inch circle at one hundred yards offhand, with a centrefire to qualify for a feral animal culling job I was doing. I practiced for weeks at twenty five yards with a .22 rimfire until I could consistantly put the five .22 shots into a one inch circle at 25 yards offhand. It seems to me that the focus comes with practice. By the way, all the hints and suggestions are fantastic.

 

[Shine]

I don't take my eyes off the deer even after I shoot it. They have a way of going poof gone. Don't take lessons from a movie on how to do anything. Most actors and directors with the exception of John Milius. Could not find their own butthole with both hands.Find some old greybeard to take lessons from. :hatsoff:

 

[hanshi]

I don't see the deer after I shoot but that's because of the smoke. I always watch, though, until he either falls or disappears in the brush. I'll then take my eyes off long enough to reload.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

I'm with Swampy on this, I NEVER have seen the flash or been hurt by it or distracted by it in ANY way shape or form.

I think some folks.....er, I guess I don't know what to think some folks do.