Just bought my first flintlock. What do I need to take it out shooting, and what do I need to know to have a safe and enjoyable time.

[laagamer]

Take your time. Flintlocks are not like modern rifles that you can pick up once a year and expect to be able to shoot 10X's. Plan on spending some time putting lead down range. A muzzle loading club shooting monthly is a good idea. Bill

That's how I got my start 2 years ago. Kind gentlemen teaching my dumb ass everything I know.

 

[user 63484]

My 2 cents is spend some time watching videos on cleaning your gun.

Not as glamorous or exciting as many of the other topics but you want to make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row on the back end otherwise you can go from 1 muzzleloader back to zero muzzleloaders.

Black powder is wildly corrosive and will eat metal into dust if not dealt with correctly in a reasonable timeframe. Younger me found out the hard way.

You just can’t fudge cleaning like you could get away with on modern powders.

…And seconding go slow and EYE PRO!!!

Add not wearing eye pro on a flintlock to the list of mistakes I only made once, along with not cleaning my first muzzleloader barrel properly.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Black powder is not corrosive. Black powder FOULING is very corrosive. For that matter, the fouling left by substitute powders is also extremely corrosive. Rigorous cleaning and lubricating to protect the metal is necessary to keep you muzzleloader performing at its best.

Black powder has been left loaded for over 150 years and it will still ignite

 

[user 63484]

Black powder is not corrosive. Black powder FOULING is very corrosive. For that matter, the fouling left by substitute powders is also extremely corrosive. Rigorous cleaning and lubricating to protect the metal is necessary to keep you muzzleloader performing at its best.

Black powder has been left loaded for over 150 years and it will still ignite

Thought that was implied with the statement being predicated on cleaning after firing but ok…