Ignition sound of flinters

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany,

I have a .54 smoothie flinter longgun which I want to use for hunting roedeer. But I'm afraid that the ignition sound of the bp in the pan will make the deer shy I aim at so that it will run away and I got a bad shot or even a misshot.

How are the expiriences of the skilled flinter hunters?

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[nchawkeye]

My flinters are very quick, almost instantanious when they go off, never been a problem...

 

[PreglerD]

Mine is also quick, but not so fast as a capgun.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[roundball]

But I'm afraid that the ignition sound of the bp in the pan will make the deer shy I aim at so that it will run away and I got a bad shot or even a misshot.

The whole Flintlock ignition sequence is a fraction of a second...just milliseconds...never been a problem that I could tell.

Also, the typical velocity of a PRB is half again faster than the speed of sound so IMO, by the time the lock noise might reach his ears the ball would be reaching him or would have already reached him...

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you learn to load the flinter right, and prime the pan correctly, the firing should sound like kBOOOM!, not " Klatch-hsssssBoom!" There is NO time for you to "flinch ", much less for the deer down range to hear the firing and flinch or duck. As Roundball says, by the time a deer can hear the gun go off, he already has a ball in him. :hmm:

 

[tg]

I would not be concerned with a deer jumping the flash with a well tuned flinter, I have shot squirels/Grouse, Gophers that are staring right up at the barrel and a lot of other critters and the chance of such a thing is miniscule IMHO.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Mine is also quick, but not so fast as a capgun.

Then you have a crappy built lock

A well timed Flinter will spank a cap every time.

 

[roundball]

Then you have a crappy built lock
A well timed Flinter will spank a cap every time.

JT, in my opinion, I believe yours is your opinion :grin:

And nobody is a bigger fan of Flintlocks than I am...but I think this is a discussion where very specifics have to be identified so we're all on the same page and not speaking of apples & oranges.

I've seen articles which attempt to compare the timing of "pan powder igniton" with the time it takes for a cap to ignite, and in that regard under ideal circumstances, priming powder in a Flintlock might by an eyelash "begin" igniting before the cap compound ignites.

But, if the timing is measured from the sears releasing the tumblers to the balls exiting the muzzles...which to me is really the bottom line meaningful goal of timing...the caplock wins.

IMO, its a case of the tortise and the hare.
:v

 

[Maestro]

If you learn to load the flinter right, and prime the pan correctly, the firing should sound like kBOOOM!, not " Klatch-hsssssBoom!" There is NO time for you to "flinch ", much less for the deer down range to hear the firing and flinch or duck. As Roundball says, by the time a deer can hear the gun go off, he already has a ball in him. :hmm:

Although I would classify myself as a novice flintlock hunter, my experience has been what Paul said (kBOOM!) - (and I've personally never had a flinching "problem" - just keep your eyes on the target).

One of my guns has a Chambers Early Germanic lock that is extremely quick to ignite (the touchhole is also lined with a White Lightning liner - I think that helps). My French musket and my doglock fowler are both a little slower though - both of these locks are cast from originals and have touchholes that are just drilled out.

Another thing to keep in mind is that deer have a curious tendency (unlike turkeys), and most times seem to freeze for a moment and look, before bolting. As the others have said, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

YMH&OS,

Gene

"When you want genuine music - music that will come right home to you like a bad quarter, suffuse your system like strychnine whiskey, go right through you like Brandreth's pills, ramify your whole constitution like the measles, and break out on your hide like the pinfeather pimples on a picked goose - when you want all this, just smash your piano, and invoke the glory-beaming banjo!" - Mark Twain

 

[Roy]

I wouldn't worry about it. :v Besides... your about to get a fast one LOL. :grin:

 

[rabjr]

I know one thing, they die just as dead with a flintlock as with any cap gun. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

I know one thing, they die just as dead with a flintlock as with any cap gun. :thumbsup:

And sometimes right where they're standing...

 

[PreglerD]

I think mine is already fast. I had reconverted the smoothie with a L&R early twigg lock. for me it is pretty fast. I only thought a bit.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Roy]

I was thinking about it and I never shot game with a cap gun, they all (when using a muzzleloader) have been with flinters. :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Unless you've got a damp charge (which can happen after a day in the rain with either percussion or flint) the deer will not have time to react. I made mention of the "possibility" of the dreaded klack-pow of a hung fire as an example of why I do not take head shots. Not to imply it happens often, but if it only happens once a year you don't want it when you're chancing a head shot - which may in hunting circumstances be after eight hours in the rain, outdoors and not under a sheltered rifle range roof with a fresh load.

I made a little video of the loading and firing of a flintlock in the hopes Claude could set it up on the forum. Unfortunately it is 10 meg (had the resoultion pretty high on my camera). There is no discernable hesitation - just a "pow". A well tuned flinter is as fast as a percussion.

Expect the unexpected.

 

[jethro224]

I can only say for whitetails, and whitetails can react VERY quickly, but no whitetail can outrun a flintlock. Assuming you don't get a hangfire.

I've killed only one deer with a flintlock and got a missfire the first time I pulled the trigger. No flash. The doe was about 50 yards away and heard the klatch. She stopped walking and looked at me while I stirred the prime with my finger, re-cocked the hammer and closed the frizzen. Then I shot her. :grin:

In my experience shooting deer with bow and arrow, they usually don't react as much to noise that is farther away as they do to noise very close. I've seen deer dodge an arrow shot from as close as 12 feet, but when they hear a noise at 20 or 30 yards they will freeze and look for it.

 

[PreglerD]

Hi jethro,

I think reaction belongs to the kind of sound. If it is a wooden sound it seems natural to them because in forests are such kind of sounds. But when it sounds more metallic then in most cases they get shy and ran.

Regards

Kirmeister

 

[Little Wattsy]

Mine is also quick, but not so fast as a capgun.

Then you have a crappy built lock

A well timed Flinter will spank a cap every time.

:shocked2: Thems pretty bold words! Maybe "poke at" but "spank"? :bull: :haha: :haha: :haha: