Flint vs Cap

[Old Salt]

Here in SE PA I've noticed the guys who really want to win the prizes in competition shoot percussion.

But I've also noticed a good number of flintlock shooters who regularly give them a run for their moeny.

You have to be more particular about how you clean the flint lock to ensure the best reliability.

Leo

 

[tiger955]

Personally I prefer flint, though I shoot both. Flinters take a bit of a learning curve as has been previously mentioned, but are more satisfying to learn to shoot good in my book.
One advantage to percussions is that if you run out of real black powder and none is available locally you can usually get by just fine with subs. I never let my powder supply run low so it is not an issue for me.

 

[Stony]

It's more polite in mixed company to say you needed to spark your frizzen than say you needed to pick your nipple. :rotf:

 

[bob4st]

...JEEPEERS!!... just blew half a mouthful across the room!!... That's funny!!.........

...regarding the question, take the hint wand go with flint..

 

[Browning_68]

Im getting more interested they more I read about flints. What brand would be considered a good lock? What might be considered a good starting rifle? Caliber?



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[Stony]

Siler, I have several and most people seem to like them. I and a friend made my first flintlock and I went with a Siler and it worked out real good. I would suggest a .50 as a good caliber to begin with, lots of stuff you'll be able to find. BUT most people get a craving for more. So don't sweat it. I just ordered a fowler from TVM with a Siler so I'm just sitting on pins and needles waiting.... Boy, it's going to be fun!

 

[jethro224]

I like my Silers too. :thumbsup:
And I agree with David that a .50 is a good choice for an all purpose rifle with eay-to-find stuff. But I prefer a .54 myself. If you ever plan to hunt anything bigger than deer with it, a little bigger never hurts.

 

[roundball]

What brand would be considered a good lock?

IMO, anything from Jim Chambers, and in particular a Chamber's Deluxe Siler

What might be considered a good starting rifle? Caliber?

IMO, if you'll be using it mainly for target shooting and/or small game, a .40cal is an ideal caliber that is a good blend of economy for year round shooting, accuracy, flat trajectory and versatility for a variety of small game.

If you're going after tyical sized whitetails a .45/.50cal will get it done to moderate distances and be a good choice.

If you'll frequently have 100+ yard shots and/or also be going after larger game like Elk, etc, a .54/.58cal would be a better choice still.

 

[ebiggs1]

And now for the correct answer! :thumbsup:
You NEED both. Maybe even 10 or 12, they both are better!!!!!! :bow:

 

[Browning_68]

I completely agree you can't go wrong with either. No matter what black powder is more fun to shoot. I have a .50 GPR percussion now, so I may as well get a matching flint to go with it. I've read the locks can be kind of crap so if I get a dud I know what to go for as a replacement. Thanks for all the info guys!

 

[cowpoke1955]

Cory,
If elk and maybe a bear are your main target, I would get a .54 GPR flinter. The GPR locks are not custom made, but they are not junk either. Just have to learn how to use them. The only thing I did is put the flint in bevel down and drilled the touch hole to 5/64th". She goes off first time, every time. I would hunt small game with the .54 using reduced loads. This way you can get a good feel for the rifle before you take it after bigger game. Sort of like when the Army used those .22 LR conversion kits in the M-16s. Good luck :thumbsup:

 

[Browning_68]

Elk are for sure on the menu, nothing compares to hunting elk. Bears are a certain possibility? Wife may not like that idea very much but hey oh well, got to hunt. I'd really love for a .58 barrel on my GPR but that's looking pretty much impossible.



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[wjgonzalez]

I do not think one has any "benefits" over the other. It is about which one you have more fun shooting. When I first started with "traditional" muzzleloaders, I shot caoplock, and thought, "this is a lot more fun than modern cartidge guns." Then, when I tried a flintlock, I thought, "hey, this is way more fun than a caplock." If you like process and procedure, if you like to tinker, and if, when you were a kid, you liked reading James Fenimore Cooper, if you have romantic notions of an early pristine America, if historical places like Fort Ticonderoga and Hazen's Notch cause your pulse to quicken, then flintlock is your thing.

 

[kbuck]

Same process here. Over the years went from cartridge to percussion, and then on to flint. And, yes, because they are "more fun". I wonder how many forum participants have witnessed this same pattern in their personal shooting histories?

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

I attended my first black powder match today. I was surprised to find that many of the local competitors were shooting silhouettes with Lyman GP percussion rifles. Flint guns were genuine contenders, but even then most of the top shooters were firing production guns. Here were all these custom guns, and the top shooters were firing guns that a beginner can buy for relatively little $$$$'s used, right here on this forum. The shooting was superb, by the way. I was surprised and delighted. I guess today's lesson is for a beginner to get a relatively inexpensive rifle and shoot it lots, and then lots more.

 

[Ray-Vigo]

I've shot both and enjoy shooting either. I'm actually shooting a lot more muzzleloader and .22LR than centerfire these days.

I prefer flint because I'm more interested in the period 1700-1815 than in the later periods. I also find hitting dead center with a flint shot to be one of the most rewarding experiences. It's always good to hit center, but it's an extra experience to know you loaded the gun right, had the right load built up, held steady, didn't flinch and found the mark. It's a test on many levels and getting exactly the result you want is a really nice feeling.

 

[Stony]

It's not the price of the gun that wins matches but the operator. When I was a yonker my father had me learn with a 410 H&R single shotgun. I got pretty good with it. The hunting club we belonged to had a picnic every summer and there was an informal trap shoot with winning a ticket good for a bird during the hunting season. Well I pissed off quite a few guys by busting as many clay birds as them, They had their Charles Daly or Beretta doubles and here was some kid with a $35 single forcing them into a shoot out. Somebody would offer me the use of their double but right away the other guy would start insisting I use my old H&R. I lost. It really didn't bother me. Here I was giving guys with $1,500 guns a hissy fit with a $35 gun. Now that old H&R worked. And I shot it so much, I knew the gun. IF you can find an inexpensive gun that works and practice, practice, practice once you find it's accurate load, You could be one of those guys a youngster looks to one day, and says "Wow, he's good." Inexpensive doesn't mean cheap. But with a flintlock the quality of the lock in important. You stand a better chance of finding a Siler lock that works fine than a CVA lock. It doesn't mean you can't find a good CVA lock, you might have to look longer & harder than with a Siler.

 

[juancho]

Flintlocks will rock your world!!!

 

[Dphar]

True, caps can be a pain. How is flint better?



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

Ever blow out a nipple?
Ever have a drum break off?
Ever had to pick cap fragments from your face?
I have had all three things happen.
I have yet to have a flintlock cause my face to bleed.

Dan

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Actually no, in 50+ years of muzzleloading I've never seen any of those things happen.