My first flintlock bird hunt!

[Maestro]

Been away from the forum for a month or so due to a hard drive crash on my home pc! Just like the cobbler's kids who have no shoes, I work in computer disaster recovery services and had no back up!

I was invited to go bird hunting on a huge private farm in beautiful Bucks County, PA on Thursday so I decided to put my TVM 20 ga. fowler (and myself!) to the test and make it an 18th century gentleman's hunt!

Wow! What a day! Shot my first birds with a flintlock - 2 pheasant hens and 2 chukars! I told my friend (who was shooting an A.H. Fox SxS - nice, but not PC :winking I can't imagine why I'd ever want to go back to a modern shotgun. Blackpowder... awesome! I love it!

 

[Rat]

Nice fowler and nice duds...!!

Hey, I think my most "beloved" hunt was the day, the first time I got game with my Brown Bess. I limited out on Grouse, which is three...it was just too cool. That was also my first kill with a flinter. To make it even more special, I had been training my wife's Yorkshire Terrier to hunt birds, and that was kind of his graduation day, he worked all three birds perfectly.

Yep I can see exactly what you are feeling in the pic.

Rat

 

[BillinOregon]

Maestro: Very nicely done! Just filled with envy out here in Oregon. A lovely fowler, too, and I'll bet the birds are especially good eating -- like that first trout you caught on a fly you tied yourself.
What was your hunting load?

 

Excellent, my Brother. You know, all of these trophy hunteres out looking for a "challenge" should try doing things the "right way" for a change.

Good show, chap.

 

[sniper68]

GREAT shootin!! :applause: :master: I used to hunt them years ago. It was all I could do to limit out with a 12ga 870. In my imbarassing fincial situtation I now have strong urge for a smooth bore :hmm: ::. Question! Did ya get dressed for this picture?? You just look to pretty to have been out huntin at least half a day or more, I say that cause that sure ain't what I look like when I get back. Come to think of it, I don't look that good when I start out :haha:
Agin, great pictures and A sincere congrats :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

An outstanding accomplishment Maestro...well done!!
:redthumb:

 

[jim gray]

:applause: Well done.

 

[sniper68]

Maestro, forgot to ask ya. What did your friend with the sweet little Fox sxs think about your about success? ::

 

[GobblerKnob]

Excellent! Is that one you built yourself? More info on the load you used as well. Nice photo. Thanks for sharing.
Rick

 

Glad you had a blast :: punn intended

But i thought hen birds were only allowed north of interstate 80 in Pa. May be different on Pvt land hunts not sure.

Woody

 

[Flint50]

Congratulations Maestro! :applause: Life should always be this good!

 

[Maestro]

Thanks for all the kudos, guys... to answer some of your questions:
I didn't build the gun - it's from Matt Avance at Tennessee Valley Muzzleloaders - he calls it an "American Fowler". I was using an equal volume load of 70 gr. 2f powder & #6 shot. I used 4f to prime. I'm planning on getting some 3f (at the advice of all that I've read of this board) and try using that for both the main charge & prime - I think that would make loading a tad bit easier. I use a 1/8" over powder card, then a cushion wad, then the shot, and an over-shot (thin) card with a few pinholes punched in it.
My buddy is an avid collector of old American shotguns (old, but from the 20th century!) so he has a little of the "history bug" in him - just not back far enough! He tried using the flintlock and couldn't get used to continuing the swing as you fire. Some of the other folks at the club thought it was pretty cool - they through a clay bird for me which I missed under the pressure!
The farm we were hunting is a private preserve (my friend is a member & I was along as a guest) - they stock their own birds (huns, chukars, pheasant, quail) and the state seasons don't apply. They go from September to the end of March! Blaze orange is required - I removed it for the photo. I also took some extra precautions not to follow the dog in briars to save those expensive "duds"!
I have some Fugawee Hi-Lo's but I left them home and cheated (with gore-tex) because of all of the mud and (with orthotics) because of "bad feet".
Besides the clothes not being hand sewn, can anyone spot a major PC "faux pas" in the photo? (I say "a" - I'm sure there are more than one - go easy!) ::

 

Great photo. This is certainly the way to enjoy the day!!

 

[Maestro]

Oops... forgot to mention "Junior" - my friend's Brittany! Couldn't have done it without him. That's another aspect of bird hunting - just watching a good dog at work! Awesome!

 

[The Baron]

That's a great pic. Very nice shooting, with a very nice looking fowler. Jolly good work!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Congratulations!

May I ask where you purchased the glasses? I'm needing something just like them. :redthumb:

 

[Maestro]

Hey Stump - those glasses are the ones from Jas. Townsend & Son (the 18th century ones) - the frames are only $35 and they're pretty sturdy - my only gripe is that they have a glossy finish (I'm going to try a little steel wool to tone down the shine a little) - I had the prescription filled by my local optometrist and had them use "executive" bifocals which makes the bifocal line go across the entire lens giving the effect of the Ben Franklin invention using two different pieces of glass for the two prescriptions. They're a little "close set" for my wide head, but you kind of "adjust" to them after a very short time. I guess "back then" you'd be happy to just find a pair of specs that helped you see better! No custom fit then - my understanding was that the fella came through town with his cart of spectacles and you tried different ones 'till you found a pair you could see through! (Correct me if I'm wrong about that, O Thou Gurus of Period Correctness!) There's also no "nose piece" - the metal just rests on the bridge of your nose. I looked around online a lot and liked these the best - for the price... you can also find some real antiques (there's someone in Maine that has a good selection of antiques) and get your prescription put in them but you'll spend much more. Another guy makes custom frames on occasion (his bizniz is called Rondezview Eyewear) but he wasn't taking any orders when I was looking for them. They would also be much more $$$. I also looked at the specs sold by G.G. Godwin (they're only a couple of miles from where I work in Valley Forge PA) but I just liked the Townsends better. :results: Post a photo when you get them!

 

[KyFlintlock]

Way to go! That is great stuff.

:thumbsup:

 

[bbassi]

Hey Maestro, CONGRATS! That had to be a hoot!

Not that I have any right, but I'll take a stab at the non-PC question; Is that a school ring on your right hand? If so it may be a faux- pas, but that wold depend on the school, right?

 

[Maestro]

Thanks, bbassi... yes, it certainly was (a hoot)!

...and no... that ring's a wedding band - I don't have much left of a ring finger on my left hand to put it on! :haha: (seriously! - when my wife put it on my finger the first time, the minister whispered, "that's the wrong hand" - he was a little taken back when I showed him the left one!) ::

Actually... you can see the bottom button on the fly of my breeches - how crude! - wearing 1750 style breeches with a 1770 style waistcoat and letting the fly show - disgusting! Anyhow, I didn't want to take a chance on my "Sunday go to meetin'" breeches - come to think of it... maybe they would have done the same thing "back them". :hmm: