Hello everyone, im new to the flintlock game

[AlexFolino]

First and foremost id like to say hello to everyone. My name is alex and im from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. This will be my first year muzzleloader hunting. I recently got a 50cal CVA silver trophy hunter from somebody. Since im new i have many questions. I bought a starter kit and i have an understanding on how to use it however im still curious about some stuff like how much blackpowder im supposed to use/ brand(model fffg ffff, ff?)etc. Anybody recommend powerbelts and those pre made pellet charges? I appreciate all help!

thanks
alex!

 

[rancher]

The pre made pellet charges won't go off as well as loose powder in a flint lock. FFg or FFFg is used for the main charge and FFFFg is used for priming.

 

[roundball]

Welcome...Flintlocks are an excellent challenge to learn about and bring a lot of satisfaction as you grow through the learning curve. Thinking back to when I get started, and meaning no disrespect to you whatsoever, there is a lot to learn and right now as a beginner its hard for you to know what you don't know.

The question about powder are good ones...there are a variety of powders and ways to approach that...for one reference I use Goex 4f priming powder to prime, and Goex 3F for the main charge in various ca;libers...and I use patched round lead balls for targets/plinking and deer hunting.

At the top of the Flintlock category, there is a permanent thread that lists lots and lots of tips about everything under the sun regarding Flintkocks...it would be well worth your time to sit back and read through all of that...you'll come away with a better understanding of all the fundamentals, and be able to come up with some additional specific questions you might have...

 

[AlexFolino]

Thanks for the help so far. A little about myself. Im 21 years old and have been doing archery and rifle since i was 12. I hunt usually all Pennsylvania game. Well 2 years ago i bought this flintlock because i wanted to try muzzleloading but i always got deer before it and just didnt feel a reason to go out. Well not that im really in to hunting i want to make the best of my license. Muzzloading always drew a great interest in me. Some really minor questions i have before i read on on this site is i got a little 50cal kit from TC that they cal the basic flintlock accessory kit. It has flints, pan chager, and a touchhole pick. Well the touchhole pick does not fit my gun for somereason so could i use a safety pin? Secondly
Do i fill the charger to the top with the powder and if so i assume that goes in the muzzle followed by the ammunition. How much to a fill the flashpan? Thirdly Can i use powerbelts? Or are musketballs just a better choice?

THANKS!

ALEX

 

[Trench]

You always want to measure your main charge in the your charger/measure before dropping it down the muzzle. Never straight from your flask or horn in to the muzzle. Real black powder will serve you best with your flinter. Substitutes are said to be hit and miss due to their higher ignition temps. 4F is for priming only. You'll need to figure out if your rifle like 2f or 3F better for your main charge.
As for priming. Start by filling only half the pan and then bank it away from the touchhole. Use as little primer as will ignite the main charge reliably.
Now, I can't tell you what bullets to use. I can say that the plain ole' patched round ball is the cheapest thing to shoot by far and it's plenty deadly on game. Also, they're easier on the shoulder. Try them all and see what you think. If you like tradition (the reason for this site) then give the PRB a spin.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Help us out a bit, Alex. What is the Rate of Twist of the rifling in that gun, and how long is the barrel? That is going to determine what the gun will shoot, but the type of projectile, and the amount of powder you can use.

BUY BLACK POWDER ONLY for any flintlock. The substitute powders, including those pyrodex "pellets' All have a higher flash point than black powder, and are unsuitable to use in a flintlock.

The vent hole is located in the side of the barrel, above the floor of your flash pan. Where is it located. The pan has a floor-- the bottom--- and the top edge. IF YOU DRAW a line across the top of the flashpan, is the vent hole above or below that line, or is it partly in each? If above or below, how much meaured in thousandths of an inch?

Basically, to get quick ignition, you want to keep the flashpan powder( priming powder, using ither FFFFg or FFFg powder) away from and UNDER the vent hole, if possible. How much powder you put in the pan depends on where in the pan your sparks are hitting, and the size of the pan. Small pans can hold less than large pans. I have a rifle with the vent split by that line across the top of the pan. I load the pan about 2/3 full, and then bank it away from the barrel. I close the frizzen and give the outside of the lock a sharp whack with my hand to move the powder away from the barrel. If I have not checked the priming charge for several minutes before firing, I smack the lock again just before I lift the gun to my shoulder to fire.

If you cover the vent with powder, your powder has to burn down and through that blockage, before it can ignite the main charge. The vent pick you have can be filed down to fit your vent. You want a pick long enough to go through the vent hole, and to the other side of the barrel. You want to pick a hole in the main charge to let the heat from the burning priming powder hit lots of granules in the main charge, rather than just one or two next to the hole.

I am not a fan of any of the conical bullets made for that gun. A PRB is all that is needed to kill any deer within 100 yards.

There is too much garbage written out there by people who should know better, telling folks like you that a RB can't kill a deer quickly, where their wonder bullet can. B.S.-- and I am not meaning, " Be Specific". :bull:

If you will read through several of the topics and posts under HUnting, on this forum, you will find that the PRB is quite the efficient deer killer, and we can tell you why that is. Even in a fast twist barrel, you can shoot PRBs. You may be restricted as to the amount of powder you can burn and still get good groups, and that short barrel may limit the velocity you can achieve, but since you are an archer, you know that most shots at deer are taken well within 50 yards. Your gun will kill any deer you hit in the chest inside 50 yards. Accuracy is far more important-- as it is in archery-- than the weight of the projectile.

The big advantage is that RB cost so much less, and the felt recoil is so much nicer to your shoulder. With RB shooting, you are likely to actually spend time practicing with that gun before each season, so you learn its trigger, and balance and sights, as you do shooting arrows all summer long with your bow. With the big conicals, a few shot rattling your brain, and beating your shoulder numb will have you hoping you don't see a deer when you are carrying that MLer in the woods! :redface: :shocked2:

Good hunting. :thumbsup:

There are articles posted on this forum of value to you. Go to the top of the index page to this forum, and scroll down to MEMBER RESOURCES. Then scroll down to " Articles, Charts, and Links". Click on articles, and read them. You will learn alot about flintlocks, and about shooting.

 

[AlexFolino]

Thanks so much. I have some beers waiting for you guys but i doubt any of you live near me

As for the gun the twist is 1:48 twist and unfortunately no tape measure on hand however the barrel goes to my knee witht he butt end of the gun on the floor and im 5'11. Im going to shoot some belts and some balls tomorrow at the range and get used to it. Ive heard many stories of guys using the balls and knocking the game down with no problems and thats more than likely what im going to use.

 

[musketman]

How much to a fill the flashpan?

The flash pan doesn't take a lot of powder to fire the flintlock, it the pan is over filled (to the top) then you have a fuse effect and the ignition is delayed slightly.

Optimal performance can be obtained (and ever has their own opinion on this) by filling the pan to just below the flash hole. Some guys use just a few grains of prime whereas other's use a substantial amount.

I like to use the same powder in my prime that is in the barrel, in my case that is FFg in both, still others use FFFg or FFFFg to prime with.

 

[AlexFolino]

Im going to shoot this weekend and see what feels comfortable. Thanks for the help. I noticed your from Andover. Ive been up there many many times. On a side note im trying to find a used muzzleloader for sale decent priced. My dad wants to try now.

 

[longrifle78]

Another thing I would do is call track of the wolf and get some english flints,i think you will find they work much better than those cut tc flints.

 

[akhawkeye]

i got a little 50cal kit from TC that they cal the basic flintlock accessory kit. It has flints, pan chager, and a touchhole pick. Well the touchhole pick does not fit my gun for somereason so could i use a safety pin? Secondly
Do i fill the charger to the top with the powder and if so i assume that goes in the muzzle followed by the ammunition

.

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:shocked2: Hold on! If it's the kit I'm looking at on TC's web site, that charger you got is a pan charger - NOT a powder measure. You would fill it up with whatever powder you are using in your pan (usually ffffg (4f)) and dispense a little into your pan using the plunger tip. DO NOT use this to pour powder into the muzzle, as you don't know how many grains of powder it holds. Also, please don't use 4f powder as a main charge.

*******************************************************

To load the rifle, you will need a powder measure that "throws" a specific measurement of powder (measured in grains, by volume). They make adjustable powder measures that you can use to develop a load that works for you. I would start off at around 60 grains (by volume, not by weight) and work up from there. Please don't go over the maximum load for that barrel.

Dang it! - now I'm sounding like an alarmist.

Have fun, and welcome.

 

[roundball]

Some really minor questions i have before i read on on this site is i got a little 50cal kit from TC that they cal the basic flintlock accessory kit. It has flints, pan chager, and a touchhole pick. Well the touchhole pick does not fit my gun for somereason so could i use a safety pin?

T/C sometimes does things like that but in fact no pick is required with T/C muzzleloaders...their breechplugs have an internal patent breech design which is self cleaning...I've been using a number of Hawkens for years now and have never used / no longer own a vent pick.

Secondly
Do i fill the charger to the top with the powder and if so i assume that goes in the muzzle followed by the ammunition.

From a safety perspective, you really need to invest a little time and do some reading / studying on the this subject to get the whole big picture in focus.
You're entering into a hobby where some things are not intuitively obvious, and there is too much material to cover in a simple Q&A format...you can easily have some serious safety accidents with black powder.
At a minimum, go to T/Cs website and download the Owner's manual, read it from cover to cover...the use of the powder measure and pan primer are covered, and there is a set of load data charts in the back.

How much to a fill the flashpan?

T/'C locks do best with 3 grains of 4F and T/C sells a "pan charger" that has a 3grn plunger/dispenser tip on it for that purpose.

Thirdly
Can i use powerbelts?

I don't know...never used them in a traditionally styled muzzleloader...I would not want plastic in my bore...the patched round ball is typiclly used in traditionally designed sidelock muzzleloaders.

Or are musketballs just a better choice?

I'm guessing when you use the term musketballs you referring to what are usually called round balls, lead balls, patched round balls, etc...and yes, they are a better choice from the perspective of tradition, less expense, less recoil, flatter trajectory, etc.
[/quote]

NOTE:
Before you go to the expense of driving to a range and trying to shoot for the sake of shooting, there are still a number of things you should know about ahead of time to avoid serious problems:

About "seating" a projectile so you don't create a pipe bomb;
About making a "witness mark" on your ramrod;
About having a ball puller & T-handle to get the ball out when you forget to pour in powder charge first (and you will forget);
About the need for immediate, 100% thorough cleaning when you get back from the range to avoid bore damage from BP residue;
Etc, etc, etc...
This hobby is not like going to the range with a .22 rifle and a box of of ammo...%$#@& can happen in this hobby and sometimes with negative results.

 

[Many Klatch]

Alex, for enjoyable shooting try to limit the amount of powder that you use. I think you said that you have a 50 caliber. I don't think that there is any reason in the world to use more than 65 to 75 grains of powder in your gun. I have seen lots of beginners use 110 to 150 grain of powder in a .50 and the recoil is terrible. It isn't long before they have the flinches so bad that they can't hit the side of a barn.

Keep the powder and recoil down. I shoot a Brown Bess that is .75 caliber with only 90 grains of powder. My .60's and my .54 shoot just fine with 75 grains.

Many Klatch

 

[Keppy]

Alex
As roundball and others have said, there is a lot to learn before you shoot or hunt with this rifle. I don't have a flint lock and I only shoot cap rifles. But saying that I have read a lot on flints and some day will buy a flintlock. But before I buy one or shoot it I will know more than the basic things about it. So take your time you will enyjoy it more. I'm sure that there have been many that have tried tradional shooting and had bad experience with it. The main reason was they didn't know enough about it before they started shooting. I was one of those fellows over twenty years ago. So read and learn first. You'll be ready to hunt next year for sure. I'm a bow hunter too as you are. Now you wouldn't buy the bow and hunt the next day with it. This is no diffrent. Good luck to you.

 

[AlexFolino]

I stayed up until 3am last night reading my muzzleloaders basics book and my cva manual from front to back back to front. I was able to get my friends dad to come (who muzzleloads) to show me the ropes and a carefull eye. I must say i was a bit nervous taking the first shot with the balls. What a blast however. I usually put in 65g charge and filled the flash pan with a little bit of powder and worked my way up or down to see what works best and i kept it below the vent hole. Everything worked well and after about 12 shots and a thorough cleaning i wasnt to bad of a shot.

thanks!

 

[Trench]

Fantastic! I'm glad you had a good first experience! Hope to see you around the forum.

 

[Keppy]

:thumbsup: You sound pretty excited and just hate to see you rush into this. It's a lot of fun but not if you don't do it right. Good luck to ya.

 

[Zonie]

My thoughts on the vent pick:

As roundball mentioned, many people don't use one at all but I think that after learning what they do you may decide to use one.

One of the most important things with a flintlock is to have the main powder charge close to the priming flash but not compacted right at the vent.

Pouring the powder down the barrel will compact it a little. Ramming the patched roundball (or bullet) down the barrel so it is sitting right on top of the powder charge will blow some of the powder to the vent hole and this is good.
Sometimes it will blow a lot of powder to the vent hole causing it to compact there. This is not so good.

By inserting the vent pick into the vent hole after the ball is rammed it will loosen up this compacted mass of powder giving the heat from the priming flash more little surfaces to heat. This often speeds up the ignition noticeably.

If the vent pick you got with the TC kit doesn't fit into the vent, by all means, use a safety pin that does. remembering that you don't want to push the powder away from the vent. You only want to loosen it a bit.

One of the things you will find with muzzleloading is that some of the fun is making some of the needed "tools" like a vent pick or a short starter :grin:.