My flinter. What have I done?!

[Muddly]

Took her to the range yesterday. Shot a .495 ball, Ox Yoke .018 lubed patch with their .54 cal lubed wool wad over 70 gr of 3f Swiss.
Ignition, 4f prime, was lightning fast. Didn't even hear the frizzen clack.
3 shot 50 yard groups averaged an inch and three eights. Patches showed uniform abrasions/ fraying on each land. Silly crown...
For a first time out I think these results very fine. Absolutely one of my better days with a flintlock.
Recoil was quite mild. This load gave me 1745 fps from a 26 inch Renegade. I expect more speed from another 10 inches of barrel.
Funny thing though. This rifle gun has become an overnight obsession. Can't say I didn't expect it. I guess once you get hold of a fine rifle, it gets hold of you too.

 

[LawrenceA]

Pictures please.
Or it didn't happen!

 

[tnlonghunter]

Most of us will agree - once you learn to shoot a flinter well, you can shoot anything well. But you might not want to shoot anything else!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Sounds like some good shooting and fun day. Would love to see a pic of your rifle.

 

[Muddly]

She's mighty fine!

 

[Grenadier1758]

When you have a quality flint lock and you do all the correct nearly ritual procedures, there is no end of joy when it fires. @Muddly, as you learned from shooting your your rifle that the flintlock obsession many of us express is real. If you think shooting percussion lock firearms is addictive, then shooting a quality flintlock is even more so.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Sounds like a fun day! One of these days I'll have the extra bucks to get a "fine" flinter. My Lyman GPR gets me in the woods, and it has been pretty reliable, but it's nothing like what I see on this forum...

 

[Muddly]

This one's a soul stealer. Like all redheads. Instead of getting a freckle, rifles get another ( grain) stripe!
My first front stuffer was a kit TC Hawken flint I got in '78. Being 16, clueless and having no support, I wrecked it. My first muzzleloader kill was a 6 pt with my P53 Enfield. At least yankee deer can take a hit...
I enjoy (almost) anything requiring pouring powder and ramming. I don't even own a breechloader anymore. Boring things...
I've had quite a few flintlocks, but none like this one. Certainly none built by a master gun maker.
I did actually take a deer with one. A GM barreled TC Hawken. Broke the piebald no nuts button buck's neck at 115 yards. Wasn't aiming for his neck...
The flintlock has always been trouble for me. I'm hopeful that this one, with her combination of quality and the generosity of my friend the shop owner, who understands that I can be fickle, will be " That rifle".
Thanks for listening

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

My struggle, and not meant to take away from your post, is that for my "fine" rifle purchase, I want to be able to handle a few different styles. As much as I read for knowledge, that does get a little boring for me, and besides that, it's nothing like shouldering one. Unfortunately I don't have easy access to a place where a few are, and I don't happen to have custom builder friends yet either! For the price of a custom build, it's hard to go by mere photos. My "someday" dream is that I'll get to an event where there are a couple of master builders with some samples that I could fondle, and then set up a contract with one of them. There are a few on this forum who, from what I can tell, are complete masters of the craft.

 

[rdlowe]

Nice gun, man. Congrats and welcome to the dark side!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

She's a beauty! I hope to own one like that someday but my Shenandoah will suffice for now.

 

[Mike in FL]

Congrats sir. A nice rifle and a nice load.

 

[Flintlock]

Just to be clear your shooting a .50 cal. rifle with .54 felt wads right.

 

[CyrusP]

It’s beautiful. Poor boy? What are the specs?