New beginner

[Loxahatchee]

Howdy all. Just joined this awsome site because I have been thinking about (one day) hunting with traditional blackpowder, and this seems like the best place to achieve that goal. My experience with blackpowder is limited to using my dads (Im only 17) modern muzzleloaders during our short ML only season. So I know fairly little concerning traditional blackpowder, with my only knowledge coming from what this site in particular.

Im a history fan, so this type of hunting seems to just fit with me. My history interest has led me to take up braintanning, and Ive done some furs (coon,possum,otter) with more in the freezer I'll get done once I graduate this month. I havent tryed making buckskin though, my dad wont let me keep a deerhide in the freezer, will take up too much space he says

Anyways, I guess my goal is to eventually have a either .50 or .54 cal caplock that shoots roundballs to one day hunt with. Im not sure how a flintlock would do in the humid climate down here. So far it seems like I would need:

Caps

3f blackpowder

Container for powder (horn or flask)

Volumetric measuring device (capable of measuring 30-100 grains)

.490" balls or .530"

Patches, .012"-.020" thickness, depending on the cailber. It seems many of yall prefer cotton flannel or pillow ticking (what exactly is that?)

Lube for patches, unless buying pre-lubed

Rust preventative and general cleaning oil

After-market nipples (and required nipple wrench)

Cleaning jag and cleaning patches

Ball puller (for the inevitable dry ball)

Im sure theres more that Im forgetting...

Oh, and a gun of course. Not exactly sure which one though, seems like the Lyman Great Plains Hunter gets mentioned a lot. However, for somebody that doesnt have a job yet, a new gun doesnt seem possible.

But anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself and have a place where I could ask some questions as they arise. I have searched "beginner" and gone through some old threads. If theres a link to a thread or website that covers a lot of the basics, Id appreciate it so I dont have to waste yalls time with a bunch of beginner questions. Thanks!

 

[daniel collums]

i dont think most folks care what you ask as long as it deals with traditional black powder firearms. you can learn a lot from reading but you can also learn a lot of valuable ideals from people who know the trade. as for your list it sounds good, the powder can be a couple different grades if you use a caplock, as for cleaning patches old tee shirts work as good as anything. as for guns i like t/c but that might be because i have never had a gpr.

 

[daniel collums]

i forgot the ticking is the material that is used to make pillow cases. most of the time it comes in white with blue stripes.

 

[George T.]

Your post shows that you have done some home work. That puts you ahead of the curve. The suggestion that you read and learn here is good advice. Until you decide on the rifle you will be well on your way. By the way you can use issue for a while thus saving the expense of after market and nipples. Good Luck! Geo. T.

 

[blackpowderscout]

Welcome. Flintlocks do fine here. They're all I use anymore. Just check your priming powder every now and then.

If you check out Track of the Wolf, they have a way to see the "supplies" for different calibers. It's basically several pages of the basic stuff to keep your gun shooting all organized by caliber and method of ignition. That might help you out some too.

Link

 

[GaCop]

Welcome to the forum! To get your feet wet, I'd look at used guns in local pawn shops and the internet, ie, Gunbroker and Armsbid. Good used guns can be found that are quite a bit cheaper than brand new. HTH :wink:

Tom

 

[David W.]

Welcome to the forum! Don't be afraid to ask any question. We are here to help preserve "traditional" muzzleloading.

The Lyman you mentioned is a very good choice. Of course, you will need to learn how much powder to use, patch/ball combinations, and above all, how to clean your rifle after shooting it. Don't let it sit over night. Black powder, and the substitutes are corrosive, and will rust your barrel in short time.

I would go with a 54 if you're going to deer hunt. That's by personal choice, .50's are OK too.

 

[Lonegun1894]

The only thing I would change on your list is to go ahead and go flint and .54. We have very high humidity here in Central Texas too and flinters work just fine. One thing that I would mention though, since you mentioned the Lyman Great Plains Hunter, keep in mind that the Hunter has the fast 1:32" twist, as opposed to the Great Plains Rifle having the 1:60" which is better suited to hunting loads which use PRB as you listed. Now if you wanted to use conicals, I wouldn't have questioned you choosing the Hunter model, but just wanted to make sure you realized the difference before putting down the money involved with these rifles. Now someone will come along saying that you should save your pennies and buy a custom, and for historical accuracy, someday, I would agree. But being on a very limited budget myself, I love my GPRs, and they don't shoot any worse than the one semi-custom I have that I had built when I was making more than I do now.

As to .50 vs .54 (and this is just for my GPRs), if you go with something like the GPR, where either way you have the same external dimensions (like barrel diameter), then the larger bore will be lighter. And while I prefer my .54 over my .50, they both shoot great and both are plenty for my local deer and hogs. The .50 is heavier, but mostly more muzzle heavy, which is great for range work, but the .54 seems better balanced overall and slightly lighter so easier to carry for long distances while hunting. The .54 does penetrate more than the .50, but this has never made a difference for me while hunting as most of my big game hunting is limited to deer and hogs and either caliber is plenty for either. But then again, I also hunt hogs with a .22 LR pistol, so am of the belief that placement beats all else as long as you use enough gun and get in close enough.

 

[Rifleman1776]

You are obviously an intelligent young man and have already done a lot of your own homework on the ml subject. :applause: That is a lot more than some who come here can say. The flintlock is more challenging but is, in this old timers opinion, is a lot more funner to shoot. And it will better fit your interest in early tradition. I don't know of any game in Florida the might require a .54 cal. rifle. The .50 is plenty of gun for whitetails and hogs. The .54 takes more lead and powder, both of which are getting expensive and in short supply. Good luck and ask away.

 

[crockett]

If you buy a good used rifle you can probably sell it later on and get most of your money back.
For a first rifle I would go with a percussion and that is what most of the used guns are going to be. You could shoot a conical or patched round ball but the conicals can, in some cases, create lead fouling in the bore whereas the lead ball, surrounded by a cloth patch, doesn't do that. The round ball will kill anything in Florida.
A lot of hunters, at the end of the day, if they haven't shot the gun, will do so at that point to "unload it" but this creates black powder residue. Black powder itself isn't corrosive (for the most part), it is the residue that causes the problems. So... to add to your list of things I would get a CO2 ball discharger. You can unload the weapon and save yourself a lot of clean up.
The other thing I would add is that some oils used as a rust preventitive in the bore will turn to a black/brown tar if left in the bore and the gun is fired. The heat from the explosion turns these oils into tar. THEREFORE, at the beginning of the day use rubbing alcohol or something similar to clean the bore of any oils before loading. You ought to also have a short piece of wire to run through the nipple just to make sure it is clear. Some guys will snap a cap on the nipple BEFORE loading. They'll point the muzzle near some soft sand or grass and see if the cap explosion moves the sand/grass- if it does, they know the nipple path to the bore is clear. I'd also think about a flash cap, a little metal cup you put between the nipple and the drum. On the drum set up the flash of the cap can char surrounding wood so the cap prevents this. It will help with re-sale value later on if you sell the gun.

 

[cynthialee]

sounds like you have a good grasp on a book learning level, now it is time to take that reading and translate it to action



Let me join in the chorus telling you to find a good used rifle. The price will be a lot more agreeable to a typical 17 year olds budget.


As for flint vs. caps...a flintlock will cost more than a cap lock. A cap lock is only good so long as you have a supply of caps. A flintlock functions so long as you have proper rocks of proper hardness. Flintlocks have more of a learning curve, Cap locks are easy to figure out.
Personally I need to get a flintlock. I have never owned one and it just seems like an oversight.

 

[Chris Hayes]

I applaud you on your research. I am the range officer for my club here in Nebraska, and I do everything I can to introduce people your age to this sport. I will do this for you. If you don't mind a .50, and get all the things you need, I have a brand new cva that is a flintlock. It does have the plastic stock, but it would be a good starter rifle. I bought it for $100 at Cabelas just over a year ago. You get your stuff and I will ship it to you to shoot. When you finally find what you want just ship it back to me. I am very serious about this. Show us here a picture that you are ready for a rifle and I will ship it to you. Would that help you get started? If you want to go with a .54, or start with a percussion, I will keep the flinter for another kid to use here. No harm, no foul. But if you want it and shoot it we all here would love to see the pics! We all here will support you and NO question is a dumb question! Ask whatever you need too!

 

[Lonegun1894]

Wow, Reload. What an offer. I'll throw in some .490" RBs if your offer is taken up.

 

[carolina cowboy]

:hatsoff: WOW, that is some offer, I hope some young person takes you up on that offer, anything I can do to help let me know

 

[Rifleman1776]

Hey, Reload..... :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

[cynthialee]

good community, good man

Kid, you take this man up on his offer.
:hatsoff:

 

[S.Kenton]

That's a MIGHTY GENEROUS offer!

 

[Chris Hayes]

Just doing what I can to plant the seed. I would never make an offer like this anywhere else. It's the people like him that is going to keep this alive after I am long since gone. Look at the others that offered up things for him. That's the second reason. People like those on here. My hat's off to you also!

 

[Loxahatchee]

Wow thanks everyone. Especially you Reload for your offer. Unfortunately I cannot accept your offer... My parents would prefer not to recieve packages from strangers over the internet. And since Im still under their roof, I must abide by their rules. Hopefully there is another kid like me that will take you up on your offer.

While some there are recommendations for a flintlock, I think Im still going to go for a caplock. Maybe one day I'll get a flintlock. My job hunt still hasnt payed off, but Im keepin at it. My hope is to get hired by the nearest GanderMountain, since that seems like it would be way more enjoyable than waiting tables or bagging groceries. And I would prefer to go at this endeavor on my own without my parents ($) help. Money has been tight since some things have come up, so if I can do this on my own I would like to. It would make it that much more enjoyable

 

[Spikebuck]

Loxahatchee, while I would say with 100% certainty that anyone on this site offering help is sincere and OK, your parents have a very good rule about the internet and you're right to abide by their rules. Shows what a great job they have done raising you!

I would agree with your initial choice of a caplock. Just start saving your money for the flintlock as with your interest level I have a feeling it's just a matter of time...and probably a short time at that...before you will want a flinter.

I don't know your physical size as 17 yr olds can be 6'8 in today's world...but depending on your stature, you'll probably have better luck finding a bit shorter used rifle in percussion, if that is what fits you better. A 50 should be plenty and you'll have an easy time finding "stuff" for it since it's such a popular, common caliber.

Best of luck in your search for the right rifle...be sure you use a bore light to thoroughly inspect that bore BEFORE plunking down good money on a used one. Also, check to be sure the triggers work properly....at half cock you should be able to pull the trigger as hard as you can and it should NOT fall...that's the "safe" position. If the gun you're looking at has a set trigger, check its function. Net, check for a good barrel and lock!

Have fun and keep us informed of your progress!