Flintlock accuracy, is it me ?

[Harmonica Bob]

Yes, it's you. Fortunately, it can be overcome by practice and learning about your rifle. What is the state of the crown at the muzzle? Is it too sharp? Have you tried the over-the-powder wads? Are you wiping between shots? Are you using a wet patch lube or a dry lube? Is the front sight reflecting glare by being in the sun? Try some sight shaders. A tube from a roll of toilet paper can be cut along the cylinder and placed over the sights to eliminate glare from the sun. Is it windy? Concentrate on the front sight. Fill the rear sight with JB Weld (you can apply heat to remove it later) and make a narrow rear sight notch. Verify that the sights are tight in their dovetails.

Heed all the above instructions on practice and follow through. Always rest the rifle at the same place on the sandbags. Try some shots at the entry thimble. Try some shots with the rifle resting on the bags at the muzzle. Make sure the butt rests at the same spot on your shoulder.

That's great advice for everyone! Thanks!

 

[kyron4]

Did some more shooting and once I started concentrating on the front sight my groups got better. My mind is always pegged at 11 and runs 100 mph so it tends to focus on the ignition. I just have to train myself to block it out and concentrate on the front sight.

 

[SamTex1949]

You are/were anticipating the pan flash, unconsciously focusing on it (mostly due to "stories" you heard etc).
Once you "focus" on sights and target you will not ever see the pan flash.

 

[nchawkeye]

It starts with the patch and lube, what do they look like? You guys focused on delay must have either the touch hole in the wrong location, a sorry lock or a dull flint…Either fix that or you will never have tight groups…

 

[bldtrailer]

stick with it took 2 yrs of trying to get these groups (load workup) and stop flinching

sight in at 100yrds 2 high then adjusted rear sight shot next 3

 

[bldtrailer]

you have a patent breech you need to tap the barrel every time to settle the powder in the smaller area and be careful not to push fouling into this area

 

[Redlemer]

Front sight front sight front sight!

 

[smo]

Follow thru, follow thru, follow thru !!!

 

[SwanShot]

Go and shoot it all day. Shoot it so much that the lock gets filthy and your flints get so dull that you don't know whether or not you will get a flash in the pan or a click or a whosh boom. You'll get frustrated, but you'll also get used to all that in your determination to get a shot on target that your brain will learn to ignore it. Then when you have a clean rifle with a sharp flint you will be able to do something.

Good advice. I got myself a Kentucky pistol in .54 and straight off the bat I couldn,t hit the card at all. It was me. I'm starting to get a handle on it now. Takes time and practice.

 

[TDM]

I’m still working on it.

 

[nkbj]

Follow through...
One of the flinters in the rack is a .52 bore x 28" twist TC Renegade.
Would have to put a scope on it to ever fig'r out just accurate it can be.

 

[kyron4]

Did some more shooting to day, made some changes and did much better. A new flint made ignition almost instant and I went with prelube patches for consistency . Really focused on that front sight and lighting was much better today. First two shots made one hole , third shot was about an inch to right. I feel much more confident in bagging a deer this season. I will continue to practice as much as I can.

 

[TDM]

That’s great.

 

[deerstalkert]

i reduced my group size by 50% by reducing the prime in my pans by 50%.
most people fill that pan to the point the frizzen cant close. at least i did. the excess priming did nothing but make the fire ball in front of my face huge, and spray my face with burnt powder. and some still burning.
now i put what looks right into the pan then dump half of it. faster ignition and half the distraction.

 

[kyron4]

i reduced my group size by 50% by reducing the prime in my pans by 50%.
most people fill that pan to the point the frizzen cant close. at least i did. the excess priming did nothing but make the fire ball in front of my face huge, and spray my face with burnt powder. and some still burning.
now i put what looks right into the pan then dump half of it. faster ignition and half the distraction.

I played with this also, reducing the prime to the point of a flash in pan and then going back up slightly.

 

[Sun City]

The only way you will ever obtain accuracy with your flintlock is by SHOOTING it!!

And the only way to test a rifle for accuracy is off a bench! The free hand stuff is for the young whipper-snappers with hair on their chest!

 

[Sun City]

And the only way to test a rifle for accuracy is off a bench! The free hand stuff is for the young whipper-snappers with hair on their chest!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/61286670@N08/Fz5Vbu5p4s

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Both my percussion guns and my flintlocks will shoot into one ragged hole. Until I fire a second time...

 

[Sun City]

Both my percussion guns and my flintlocks will shoot into one ragged hole. Until I fire a second time...

https://www.flickr.com/gp/61286670@N08/2929zN03Vt
5 shots

 

[Rifleman1776]

Are you shooting free standing or over a bench with sandbags?

Good question. And, one that must be answered before any conclusions can be reached. Do some shooting from a bench rest. Bad grouping can then be attributed to the rifle and/or your ball/patch/lube combo. If the groups tighten up, then your being new to flinters is most likely the problem. Either way, keep at it. Flinting is addictive.