First Shoot with My Flintlock

[Halfhitch]

Range Report
1st Venture into Flintlock Shooting

Gun - Pedersolli Kentucky 50 cal.
Initial Load - .490 ball with .005 lubed patch, 50 grns fff

Degreased gun
Flashed the pan twice
Fired blank powder charge
Fired first round - 6 in. low @ 25 yds.

Let a friend fire 2nd round - wide left (He wasn't prepared for set trigger and how light it was; hadn't even aligned sights before it touched off)

Troubles began - flint wouldn't stay lined up with frizzen, managed to get two more shots off with about 6 tries.

Took a break in the air conditioning (100 degrees today)and thought about what I'd read here on the forum.
Ditched the lead liner from Pedersolli and cut a strip of elk hide for the jaws; Flint stayed tight but very little spark.
Thought some more about advice from this spot.
Took screwdriver and lightly tapped along leading top edge of flint (it seemed sharp before, but now it seemed really sharp)
Moved up from 50 grns to 60 grains behind the ball.
NOW WE'RE TALKING - Five in a row now touched off perfectly.
Fired all the rounds off-hand, standing
2 in. group, 5 in. low.

More shooting next week; a lot more shooting.
60 grns seemed like a good charge for the RB; but I want to settle on a load before I start filing the front sight. Do you most of you boys go higher than this?

If I hadn't been reading this forum for the last week, the first shoot would have been a disappointment. So thanks to all of you for your wisdom that helped equip me. :thumbsup:

Regards,

Halfhitch

 

[roundball]

Range Report
1st Venture into Flintlock Shooting

Gun - Pedersolli Kentucky 50 cal.
Initial Load - .490 ball with .005 lubed patch, 50 grns fff

Degreased gun
Flashed the pan twice
Fired blank powder charge
Fired first round - 6 in. low @ 25 yds.

Let a friend fire 2nd round - wide left (He wasn't prepared for set trigger and how light it was; hadn't even aligned sights before it touched off)

Troubles began - flint wouldn't stay lined up with frizzen, managed to get two more shots off with about 6 tries.

Took a break in the air conditioning (100 degrees today)and thought about what I'd read here on the forum.
Ditched the lead liner from Pedersolli and cut a strip of elk hide for the jaws; Flint stayed tight but very little spark.
Thought some more about advice from this spot.
Took screwdriver and lightly tapped along leading top edge of flint (it seemed sharp before, but now it seemed really sharp)
Moved up from 50 grns to 60 grains behind the ball.
NOW WE'RE TALKING - Five in a row now touched off perfectly.
Fired all the rounds off-hand, standing
2 in. group, 5 in. low.

More shooting next week; a lot more shooting.
60 grns seemed like a good charge for the RB; but I want to settle on a load before I start filing the front sight. Do you most of you boys go higher than this?

If I hadn't been reading this forum for the last week, the first shoot would have been a disappointment. So thanks to all of you for your wisdom that helped equip me. :thumbsup:
Regards,
Halfhitch

Sounds like you're on your way...my concern would be a caution about permanantly filing the front sight to soon because:

1) The rifle might settle in after a few trips to the range and POI might change some;
2) You might settle in to a shooting style with your new rifle after a few trips that slightly changes the POI;
3) You might not yet have settled in to the final powder charge you'll decide to use and the POI might change;
4) If you're going to use it for hunting, you'll want it sighted in for a hunting load out of a fresh, clean barrel so the POI would be different than the target loads you're using now;
:front:

 

[Rebel]

If you only plan on target shooting and small game hunting, then the 60 gr charge will be fine. If you plan to hunt deer with it i would try to find a load in the 70-90 gr range that shoots good. :m2c:

 

[Runner]

Shoot at 100 yards off a rest carefully before adjusting anything. Sometimes a load that works well up close doesn't look so good at 100 yards. It isn't fun to find that out after you adjust the sight. I shoot 70 grains of 3f under a 495 roundball out of all three of my guns for deer hunting.

 

[Halfhitch]

Thanks for the advice.

I will keep the file in the drawer. I'm anxious to shoot out further but I've got to get used to the long barrel and that set trigger - boy, is it light. Can't believe I managed to knap that flint on the first try.

I do want to take a deer with a FL, but will probably wait a year til my muzzle loading skills are better; not enough time for this season.

Thanks again,

Halfhitch-x-

 

[Bob J]

Shoot at 100 yards off a rest carefully before adjusting anything.

Been shooting mine at 50 yards (75 yards would be a looonngg shot in the woods I'm hunting).

 

[Runner]

I hunt the same distances. I test the load work at 100 off the bench to see group sizes. Once I find the right load for groups, I sight in off hand at 30 yards moving sight to center of group over time and lots of groups. Actually, in the deer woods, I would prefer to stay under 50 yards with the flintlock.

 

[riarcher]

"Initial Load - .490 ball with .005 lubed patch, 50 grns fff"


Seems like an awfully light patch to me,,, but if it works,,,, :shocking:

 

[sfruhwirth]

Yes..
You may want to start watching your patches... what do they look like... At 60 grain you may be getting away with thin patch but as you jack up your powder charge i'm afraid you may not have much left.
A buddy of mine has a .45 just like your .50 and he uses the same patching as i do .. .018

:results:

 

[Halfhitch]

Well, I guess I should read the Pedersoli instructions closer; :: they call for the .018 patch - like you mentioned. Guess I'll pick some up! Thanks for the heads up.

Halfhitch-x-