How did you get into the BP Sport and why choose Flintlocks

[Larry Beach]

Just a question to you. How did you get into Black Powder shooting? Also why choose Flintlock?

My story is During High School in the 70's we had
a week period, close to the end of the School year when most work was done and the weather was turning nice, we had a number of 1 week courses offered to us by various Teachers.
Black powder shooting was one course taught by our History Teacher. (Imagine doing that today)!!!
He had 2 rifles a Capper and a Flinter. I don't know why I migrated to the Flintlock? I guess it was because if I ran out of caps I could still shoot them. Another was, I was raised on a Farm and mechanical devices fascinated me!
He warned the 2 of us that chose the Flintlock, we would get no easy credit when shooting for scores happened at the end of the week.
The 60's and 70's were a great time to grow up when we were given freedom to grow and learn from our own mistakes.
Today's kids are so smothered I don't see how they
have much fun, perhaps it is why so many turn 18 go crazy and hurt themselves in stupid ways... Like jumping off Houses and missing the mattress!

 

[Dewey]

I blame Davy Crockett (Fess Parker), my first hero as a kid in the 50's. I grew up in the Smokies of Western NC. My grandfather was the civil engineer for the Qualla Boundary, so I was in and about the Cherokee region a lot of the time. My father was CE for the NC part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and actually met Fess Parker in a restaurant having lunch and taking a break from filming! Of course I had a toy muzzleloader (and a coonskin hat!).

Then there was the USAF, which moved me to the Black Hills of South Dakota, which had a very active BP group (High Plains Free Trappers) that was as interested in history and crafts as shooting. Got my first real muzzleloader (a Lyman GPR "Hawken") at the store of the club president, and learned to shoot it at HPFT events.

Then a year or so later there was this flinter that came in on consignment at my BP store....

All downhill from there !!! :grin:

 

[BrownBear]

I've always preferred close range hunting, even as I'm also equipped and skilled at the long range stuff. It just never was that satisfying to plink an animal I could barely make out with a naked eye. Effective yes, but if it's all about harvest, I'll go back to raising beef.

The move to flinters was simple curiosity. I hear lots of balderdash about flinters in rain and wet climates in general, yet the three top muzzleloader hunters here all use flint. Were these guys supermen or just lucky?

Turns out they were neither. Just experienced and immune to balderdash. If they had a problem, they found a fix.

I've had zackly 1 misfire with a flinter on game. That was on a foggy day when I didn't pay attention when fog turned to mist. Got a klatch while carrying a Bess loaded with shot for snowshoe hare.

Clearly you need more than our 120 inches of rain per year for flinters to become impossible to use.

Sure flinters take a little extra effort. So?

 

[Larry Beach]

WOW I haven't thought about Fess Parker in years!
He played Davey And if I'm not wrong Daniel Boone too? I remember My mom talking about Ed Ames as
MINGO?? I was pretty little so my memory is probably off... Great stories..

 

[bpd303]

Mine started out at 9-10 years old with my Grandfather and his .36 caliber Ohio flintlock. He would take me squirrel hunting.

He always let me take the first shot with my .22 Crack Shot, if I missed he would bring that tree rat out of the tallest trees.

My first owned flintlock was a .45 CVA Kentucky sold by Dixie Gun works. It was traded off for a T/C Hawken .50 caliber which I regretted. I now have at least a half dozen flintlock's.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have and antique cannon I acquired in childhood. Sometime in 1969 we took a weekender from our home in Illinois to South Bend, Indiana to visit Barney's Cannons (later to be known a South Bend Ordinance Works) to get some expert insight into what it was. Coincedentially, we were also in the middle of getting ready to move to Indiana to start a business. I mentioned this to Barney and he told me we would be near Friendship. He said that since I liked both guns and history I should visit. First opportunity we went during the 1969 Fall Shoot. I was hooked. For whatever reason, flintlocks appealed to me and I shot one as my primary rifle until recently.

 

[wattlebuster]

The 2 old hermit Parker brothers that lived down the road a ways from our house felt sorry for a then skinny 13/14 yr old question asking kid. Both had original tenn iron mounted flint guns an they let me shoot them. Both were 36s maybe 38 cal IIRC an they sure could head shoot any squirrel dumb enough to give em a shot. I was instantly hooked an though for a while in my late teens I shot lots of modern guns its always the rock locks that does it for me.
Both those old gentlemen left us in the late 70s an nieces an nephews of theirs got the guns. What I would give to hold one of them now

 

[Coot]

I got my first gun (a 22) when I was about 8 or 9 & was tought to shoot by a retired army instructor in Panama. I was in high school during the Civil War Centennial & became interested in the naval aspects of that war. I also lived close to a gun shop (Ye Olde Hunter) in Alexandria, VA that had a large number of BP guns - a Navy Arms 1851 fought my eye & I have shot BP guns ever since.

 

[mooman76]

I always liked guns and grew up with them. I can remember my cousin showing me his BP kit rifle he made. I imagine he got into it for hunting. IL does not allow center fire cartridge for hunting there.

Anyway later on when I got into hunting in UT I got into it for the extra hunting season and a chance to be out when there weren't a gazillion hunters coming out of the woodworks. I started going to a BP club and found out how much fun it was. My first one though was years earlier. A revolver I bought because I wasn't old enough to buy a regular pistol but I didn't keep it very long.

 

[Larry Beach]

Another thing I love about the sparkers is you don't have to spend a Weekend reloading after an afternoon of Cartridge Shooting.. Did that, don't miss it. Just a careful cleanup, oiling & screw check..
Larry

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Was brought up shooting all types of firearms, as taught to the 4 boys by our Dad. We got into T/C percussion guns for the extra 'primitive' hunting season that offered an extra week or more to be in the woods.

Then I upgraded to a Mowrey perc rifle that was a tack shooter! Started attending the primitive muzzleloading biathlons and a few of the guys we'd rent a cabin with, for the long weekend trips, had their flintlocks. Every trip I picked up and fondled those custom arms and soon I just had to have my own, eventually buying a Caywood Wilson 62 smoothie from Mario, who posts on various MZL forums.

I was hooked - bad - (or GOOD!) - even though I am a Lefty shootin' right handed arms. To say I'm hooked would be an understatement ... all perc guns sold off and now close to a dozen flinters and 2 matchlocks grace the armory, with a custom LH swamped barreled 44" 50-cal rifle on order, with the best piece of tiger striped wood that Dave Keck from Knob Mountain could locate for use on a lefty build (JP Beck school).

Don't shoot my modern arms much now, lol! Like someone else opined, I like 'loading' at the range vs. reloading at home!

 

[don hepler]

I too, started with a TC percussion to get the extended hunting season. As things progressed and the "unmentionables" came along, I fell into that trap, and finally after taking a deer at a ranged yardage of 198 yards, realized it was no longer a black powder sport. I went in search of a flintlock. I figured if you want to appreciate real black powder shooting, might as well go flint. I bought a Tip Curtis flintlock in the white and although I have yet to take a deer with it, I know I will appreciate it more, when it does happen. I've taken several deer with a cap lock, but missed two with the flintlock. I don't know if I flinched on the flash, or the renewed excitement of hunting with a flintlock. More practice needed, I guess.

 

[Alden]

Fun, legal ease, price, love of history, appreciation of the art form. My first was when I was a teenager -- a repro 1861 Colt Navy. First flintlock? Wow... I can't remember. Might have been a repro Bess I borrowed for a couple of years but much more likely it was an original 1795 Springfield musket or 1803 Harper's Ferry rifle...

...wasn't it?

:hmm:

 

[azmntman]

As a paperboy the press room assistant foreman was my idle (and I did end up as foreman). He was into the sport for a bit and as a 10 yr old having also watched ALL Fess Parker Boone (didnt ya love it when he spilt the pine tree with the tomahawk :grin: ) shows I was invited shooting and became addicted. Camera man needed beer money and sold me a .45 CVA KY kit. 1st flinter at about age 22. I need MORE. If the girl was still on the web site I'd likely already have another!

 

[EC121]

My great grandfather's caplock was always around the house. We never shot it, but it was always on my mind. After I got out on my own, I bought a Lyman kit to assemble. Then I built a flinter and later another poplock. Sold the poplock and the Lyman. Still have that flinter and several more. I like the feeling of accomplishment of shooting a flint gun well. Anyone can shoot a caplock.

 

[Dewey]

If the girl was still on the web site I'd likely already have another!

LOL!

Matt is never to be forgiven for taking her away from us !!!

 

[Larry Beach]

Funny Post.....
I do remember how beautifully Daniel Boone was filmed. The colors were so rich and vibrant!
NOTHING on either television or on the Big Screen
looks like that anymore. The last movie I saw that was close was "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
I Loved Royal Dano (the Lightening rod Man)...
Anyway back on topic, I love these stories. Everyone is unique and you probably haven't thought about yours for awhile. I'd love to find a Kentucky/Penn. Long Rifle Flinter, but after getting hurt at work, 8 Surgeries, 2 heart Attacks, A Pulmonary Embolism,
& Staff Infection that nearly killed me I just can't work. On the other hand I am grateful I have what I do have, the 6 Black Powder Rifles I saved. Work comp has such low disability limits 52 weeks wages is all you get... that ran out 2 years ago. Fighting Disability now, seems funny how many people have minor issues that get right on it.. But Oh Well,
I am lucky to have my Fiancee' that has stood by me through more than any guy deserves...I'm LUCKY!
I had to sell all my rifles that were worth anything for Medical. Bills, but a beater to refinish is on the list.....Someday sorry for getting personal but you guys are a great bunch.
It is one reason I signed up in 09' right before I got hurt, but just now are posting..

 

[vacca rabite]

Got hooked reenacting American Revolution in 1996. All started from there.

Zach

 

[ohio ramrod]

I started with a 28 gauge shotgun in the early 60's. I could shoot it for 2&1/2 cents a shot vs 10 cents a shot for 12 gauge shells. It was a no brainer for a poor farm boy. :hmm: I still have it many bunnies later! :hmm:

 

[Larry Beach]

I hate to admit it but I have NEVER shot a BP Shotgun of any type! It's on the Bucket list! Anybody live in NW Iowa, hint, wimper snivel....lol...???

I started with a 28 gauge shotgun in the early 60's. I could shoot it for 2&1/2 cents a shot vs 10 cents a shot for 12 gauge shells. It was a no brainer for a poor farm boy. :hmm: I still have it many bunnies later! :hmm: