Don't know how y'all do it....

[MSW]

the frantic musician rushes up to the NY policeman... I have a concert in twenty minutes, he cries... how to i get to Carnegie hall?

"Practice, man. Ya gotta practice."

 

[Grenadier1758]

Tell me all-out your powder. I want to know brand and granulation of your charge and your pan powder. I want to know that your flash channel is clear from touch hole to powder chamber. I want to know that your pan is reliably igniting.

You should be getting pretty fast. ignition. I have sswornthat I can clearly hear the klack, fizz and boom. When I let someone else shoot my rifle the firing is nearly instantaneous. Go figure.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

If I had to rely on this contraption to put groceries in the house, my whole family would be on a starvation diet!
..., Accuracy is good off a bench rest but I cannot follow through good enough when the sights are lost in the smoke from the pan flashing to be any sort of a half decent off hand shot. I can't hit a milk jug very consistently at 25 yards, that alone at 50 or 100.

I cannot speak for others on the forum, but I don't shoot offhand or standing unsupported when I hunt deer or other big game, or rabbit (with a rifle). Well OK YES I shot one once at 18 feet offhand, but that's the only one ever. I ALWAYS use some sort of tight shooting position normally involving some sort of rest like a tree branch or tree trunk.

LD

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I was told by several different people at different times and places that if I wanted to shoot my flintlock well to shoot only the flintlock for a year. Nothing else. I would get better with it. Sadly I am unable to do that as I have too many other ML guns. I still like the flinters but I'll probably never get really good with one of them.

I’ve heard the exact same thing…I love my guns, lots of fond memories shooting each and everyone of them. But I must say that for BlackPowder…I’ve put away my beloved Caplocks, I’m strictly a Flintlock Shooter, and have been for nearly 30 years now.

There is a skill in shooting RockLocks.

 

[smo]

Looks like a Great Plains rifle in the original photo..
Enlarge the touch hole as recommended above and use safety glasses and ear protection.

Concentrate on the front sight, you’ll never see the pan flash again!
Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire…

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Well, as a lefty who started on righty flintlocks … I have NEVER, ever seen the pan flash!

Why?

… wait for it …

… … wait …

… because ALL my focus is on that front sight! Where your’s should be.

 

[Ben Meyer]

The flintlock longrifle is harder for me to shoot offhand. It's longer and heavier than say, my percussion Hawkwn. I do shoot the Hawken better offhand. It has, for me at least, nothing to do with the ignition system and everything to do with weight and length. From a bench or even from a rest, my flintlock is just as if not more accurate.

But the "you gotta shoot alot" advice is sound. The flinch WILL go away eventually. Stance matters too. Shooting right-handed, my left shoulder and the rifle are fairly parallel with each other pointing at the target. The buttplate is in the crook of my arm/armpit, not right up against my shoulder like if I was shooting an AR15, etc. Mines a Southern Mtn rifle with that exaggerated curve in the buttstock.

 

[hanshi]

Some of us were saddled with having to learn all over again when switching to flintlocks. But some of us had no problem from the very first shot; I was lucky to be in the second group. I never actually see the pan flash, only the front sight - and smoke of course - and I've never been recoil sensitive like many shooters. I can't see or shoot as well as I could even 10 years ago. I've been shooting flintlocks almost exclusively for nearly 20 years, but I got my first flinter in the 1960s and had no issues with the flash.

Flinch and/or failure to follow-through are nearly always the culprits. The advice given so far is so complete that I can't think of anything to add. So read and re-read what the others have said as they are right on target. I will suggest this; get a brass "springy-thingy" that throws 3 grains of powder. In my rifles that amounts to about 1/3 to 1/4 panfull, all you need.

 

[jonathan hawkin]

Shoot nothing else for a year and a day, and you will have mastered it, got used to all its little ways and foibles, and wont look back

 

[babstooge]

I recently bought a Hawken flintlock. I don't know much about firing it, but with what everyone says I will learn. I recently went to Graf and bought both 2f and 4f ,so I will try to work up some loads. thanks to all for the tips

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Just-a-hunter, I would also like to know the diameter of the touch hole. If you are having ignition problems, you will find that a touch hole of 1/16" diameter is a significant improvement. The largest touch hole should be no greater than 5/64". Number drills can be your friend here as there are 5 numbered drill diameters between 1/16 and 5/64.

52​	0.0635​	​
51​	0.067​	​
50​	0.070​	​
49​	0.073​	​
48​	0.076​	​

Some find success with the #51 or #50 drill.

Could there be a little bit of metal flakes left over from drilling the touch hole?

 

[maillemaker]

I'm having a hard time holding on target through the ignition. I don't see the flash of the pan, I'm not bothered by it. But I am aware of the delay in ignition vs. my caplocks. I think I just have to learn to hold still longer.

 

[French Colonial]

I'm having a hard time holding on target through the ignition. I don't see the flash of the pan, I'm not bothered by it. But I am aware of the delay in ignition vs. my caplocks. I think I just have to learn to hold still longer.

Here is the good news, when you become proficient shooting a flintlock off hand you will find your scores with other rifles will improve as well..

Good follow through translates across all platforms.

 

[nchawkeye]

Never had a problem from shot #1, but I started with a well made, custom flintlock made by Bob Watts in the '70s...With a well made flintlock and the touch hole in the proper location and counter bored you do not have a noticeable time delay...The touch hole should be hidden behind the heel of the frizzen when it is closed, that way you don't have to worry about how much powder to put in the pan....With the cheap locks on production guns plus the touch hole being out of place and not properly made you will have those delays....

 

[flconch53]

Another thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is when I am shooting at any game I try to steady my gun on a tree or log or something. This will help with the thrill of the moment shakes. I do this regardless of the gun I am shooting

 

[Ben Meyer]

There's some good tips and info here. One more: in addition to using less priming powder(I use 1/2 a pan at most) before priming I always run a pick thru the flash hole. This is basically poking a hole in the powder charge in addition to ensuring the hole is clear. Is this necessary? Honestly, I don't know! What I DO know is that when I was first getting into flintlocks(really not too long ago), I was having ignition issues and some old timers on the range at Friendship showed me this. Ive been doing it ever since, I have near instantaneous ignition and it always goes boom, so it's part of the routine for me now.

I recently bought a Hawken flintlock. I don't know much about firing it, but with what everyone says I will learn. I recently went to Graf and bought both 2f and 4f ,so I will try to work up some loads. thanks to all for the tips

 

[Bushfire]

When I started to shootinf flintlocks I was absolutely fine, flash didn't bother me at all. I then bought another flint gun and it had a terrible lock which caused me to develop a flinch. Just the anticipation of whether the damn thing was going to fire each time or not. Then it developed into flinching because I was aware I was flinching. I'm still working on remedying it now.

The flash itself I still don't really see and I'm certain doesn't bother me. I just keep flinching because I know I'm flinching. Frustrating stuff! Repetition is slowly fixing it. Determination helps, I love flintlocks and am determined to stick with them for life.

 

[Just-a-hunter]

Thank you all again. I’m getting better but it’s going to be a process.

Todd

 

[Fly Navy]

I think everyone has problems with flinching at one time or another. I love shooting my 44 mags, but the real heavy loads give me a little trouble now and because of that I occasionally flinch.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I think everyone has problems with flinching at one time or another. I love shooting my 44 mags, but the real heavy loads give me a little trouble now and because of that I occasionally flinch.

When I start having serious flinching issues….I go back and shoot my air rifle for a couple days, couple hundred shots….or how ever many it takes me to put 20 shots into the same hole at 50 yrds…then I shoot my .40 calibre, or my .32 calibre for a bit. These guns are so fun to shoot….then I’m ready to sit behind my .54 calibre again and try a few more of those brutal hunting loads.

It‘s just been the last couple years that flinching has started happening.

I‘ve never felt the recoil when I’m hunting…but now, from the bench….yup, every ounce of energy.