I think I’m gonna make it after all

[Dillon W.]

Well boys, I think I’m gonna make it after all. I’ve had my GPR for a year now. I started out not knowing jack! So fast forward to the present, my rifle has broken in nicely and shooting better every time I go out, it’s totally rust free, still looks new, and groups between 1/2” to 1” at 50 yards consistently depending on all conditions to be considered. I’ve read through this forum for countless hours over the past year and bugged you all with questions. I think this 32 year old new guy is gonna fair just fine. That being said, thank you to each and every one of you!

Now it’s time to save up and order the Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading rifle I want! I’m so excited!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Neat, Dillon!

I went through a couple year phase where I’d get in and out of muzzleloading rifles for one reason or another. Eventually I learned a lot of lessons and tricks and now consider myself a “journeyman” muzzleloader and think I’m hooked for good.

PS: My names is also Dillon (same spelling) and I’m 29. We’re definitely “whippersnappers” according to most here who are pretty old (but cool dudes) lol!

 

[Dillon W.]

Ahh, another Dillon! You HAVE to be a cool guy then lol!

I couldn’t agree more, they’re pretty awesome! So are you like me, no one you know except your dad and one uncle are the only people you know who are into traditional muzzleloaders?? I had a few when I was a young teenager and in my early 20’s but I had no clue what I was doing. They always rusted and never shot good. The first thing I learned on here that blew my mind and couldn’t believe I didn’t realize it was trying different patch thicknesses and different diameter balls. Go figure.

 

[Dillon W.]

And to add to that, my dad and my uncle didn’t know what they were doing either

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I'm not a Dillon, but humbly offer the following observation:
Lots of the folks on this board were like you. I had 2 uncles that hunted with flintlocks but outside of knowing their particular gun, they didn't know much about flintlocks. Trial and error was my teacher for most of my flintlock use. I only found this place last year. It's been a very useful source of info. Unfortunately I've become a bit more addicted to hunting with and shooting flintlocks, much to my wife's and bank account'S chagrin.

 

[Silky921]

Sounds like you'll make it just fine. And we need more young guys to shoot and camp with at rendezvous (I'm 34).

 

[Dillon W.]

Gosh I’d love to do something like that. I don’t think anything like that happens for hundreds of miles from here

 

[Yewbender]

Dillon W, glad to hear everything is going well with the smokepole shooting. Oh and incase you don’t know...your hooked for life now with this black powder stuff. Soon you will be dressing the part, going to shoots and rondezvous, canvas tent will all the goodies and all the other things black powder. Plus adding to your muzzleloader collection.

TVM builds a fine muzzleloader and you will be happy with them. Great people to deal with. They are a representation not a true copy. Now with that said they are nice looking, very well build and shoot great. I have 2 TVM’s and love them. I know many others with TVM’s and they love’m too. You won’t go wrong with having them build you a gun.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I think you are going to make it just fine.

There are some clubs around Dallas, Texas

 

[Yewbender]

Daryl, keep charging brother cause It’s money well spent!

 

[Dillon W.]

I believe you’re right Yewbender, I’m hooked for life lol! I literally can’t wait to go shoot again, and this years muzzleloading season even more so

 

[russellshaffer]

If you happen to drift away from muzzleloading, do not sell anything. Just oil it all up and store it carefully. You will likely be back again. Speaking from experiance.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Ahh, another Dillon! You HAVE to be a cool guy then lol!

I couldn’t agree more, they’re pretty awesome! So are you like me, no one you know except your dad and one uncle are the only people you know who are into traditional muzzleloaders?? I had a few when I was a young teenager and in my early 20’s but I had no clue what I was doing. They always rusted and never shot good. The first thing I learned on here that blew my mind and couldn’t believe I didn’t realize it was trying different patch thicknesses and different diameter balls. Go figure.

Not a single person in my family is in to them actually, nor are any friends. I think I became interested in visiting Fort de Charters in Illinois several times as a kid and just always have thought they were beautiful guns. They certainly have a learning curve and there’s many tricks to them but that’s part of the fun. I love them!

 

[clarksvillejoe]

I recently purchased a flint, I'm hooked. Shot it Saturday with fair success, I'm used to older cartridge guns so it was quite a change. Really glad younger folk are still interested in this type of shooting.

 

[hanshi]

You are now enjoying great success, Dillon. TVM does build fine rifles. A flintlock will necessitate another learning curve; but all the help you'll ever need is right here on this forum. A word of warning: flintlocks are strongly addictive and you'll never stop with just one.
I had this nice TVM built many years ago.

 

[Yewbender]

Here’s my 2 TVM’s.

.62 Fowler & .36 Iron Pennsylvania. Like i said...you cant go wrong with TVM

 

[Dillon W.]

My Lord those are fine rifles gentlemen! That certainly rubs it in lol! Just out of curiosity, how long is the delay between pulling the trigger and the gun going off with a flintlock? I’ve never had any experience with a flinter. And honestly I can’t recall ever even laying my eyes on one. But there’s definitely allure there, something in my gut just tells me that’s what I want

 

[Grenadier1758]

With a well tuned lock, the delay can be measured in milliseconds. Most people can not actually tell the difference between a cap lock and a flint lock. Sometimes you can tell the delay. Usually its not long, but once you get used to keeping the follow through with a flint lock, you will be a much better shooter with all your rifles.

Once you take that step with a well tuned flint lock, then you may be turned to the stone side and it is such a feeling of pride that for most of us who still like cap locks can't wait until the next shooting experience with your flint lock.

 

[Yewbender]

If you do everything right it goes off fast and no delay noticed. Many things can slow down ignition like to much powder in the pan, how the powder sits in the pan, picking the vent before you load and then again before you prime...did you get *** happy and push the powder away from touch hole, clogged touch hole, burnt powder built up on frizzen/flint...worse with high humidity (keep’m clean) crappy lock...and what ever else that will cause a delay. Now don’t let this turn you away from a flinter. It’s not hard to figure out what your gun likes. Just like cleaning...tons of ways to do it there also is many ways different people prime the pan. What works of some might not work for others, again it’s what the gun likes. You can get on youtube and see flintlocks being fired and see how quick they go off. I was going to put up a video of me shooting my Fowler but won’t let me do it, or i can’t figure out how to. Hope this helps, explaining it in person is easier for me then explaining it in text.

 

[Yewbender]

Here’s a couple others i forgoten , is the flint sharp, is flint tight in jaws, right size flint for the lock, is the frizzen of good quality and hardened properly, on a used flinter was the gun shot so many times the frizzen needs to be rehardened....etc. I’m done as my brain is fried from thinking