New-looking for suggestions

[SuperKirby]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for a long time and have learned a lot. I've been shooting muzzleloaders for a long time, just not traditionals but the farther I get into my muzzleloader obsession, the more I find myself looking to the older ones.
Here's my questions. I plan to build one next spring, so I'm working on research now. I'm looking for suggestions of both books to read over the winter and also a gun to build in the spring. I know that I want a percussion, and also would prefer a hooked-breech for ease of cleaning. After that I'm open to anything. Initially I was planning to just do a cheap traditions kit, but the more I look the more I would prefer to do something a little more correct.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also I live about 20 minutes from Track of the Wolf, so using parts from them would be very convenient.
Thanks for the help.
Vince

 

[necchi]

Where about you live Kirby?
I'm in St.Cloud,,

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

Vince,

Two books are, in my opinion, essential to read if you are going to build your own, The Gunsmith of Grenville County and Recreating the American Longrifle. That being said I have all of the parts for one rifle and most of the parts for one fowler to build but I am getting started by building a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. I recommend you do the same. You can get the kit from Midsouth Shooters Supply for less than $400. I was given my kit. Good luck and Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Spikebuck]

I would highly recommend reading "Longrifle Construction Manual" by Susanne Warren Bicio. Starts out with information/history of all the schools and then very clear step-by-step instructions with many tips and tricks. Do an internet search on her name and you'll find her website....take a look at the guns she builds and you'll trust she knows what she's doing (a Master-level).

 

[SuperKirby]

Thank you for all the responses. I had looked at the Gunsmith of Grenville County and Recreating the American Longrifle, but hadn't heard of the Long Rifle Construction Manual. It sounds like a good book and I'll look into it tomorrow.

Necchi, I live a little north of Becker, so probably 15-20 miles from you. Perhaps we could shoot sometime if you want to.

I look forward to getting to know all of you. I hope to learn a lot.
Thanks,
Vince

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Kirby, don't rule out a long gun with a pinned barrel if cleaning is the issue. What I do is take a spare nipple and drill it out from the bottom with a large hole different sizes nothing specific. I change out my usual nipple for shooting with this one and fill the sink with hot soapy water and attach a clear hose I bought at an aquarium shop to the replaced drilled out nipple. set the gun on a towel over the sink and place the hose in the water and clean the gun like normal. Cool thing is you can see how clean the gun is getting by looking at the hose. Just throwing an idea out there. With a good set up for cleaning anything is possible.

 

[SuperKirby]

That's a pretty good idea. I love muzzleloaders -I've shot them almost exclusively ever since shooting my first one 8 years ago, and I don't forsee myself hunting with anything else ever. My biggest issue with them is cleaning. I like cleaning them, but am fairly meticulous with them and found that with my inlines I spend as much time cleaning as I did shooting by the time I was done with breakdown and all the different parts. I helped a buddy clean a TC Hawken and couldn't believe how fast it was to pull the barrel and flush it out, then he was done. I think that's what got me started looking at traditionals in the first place. And the more I look at traditionals, the more I can't help but be drawn to the history and lifestyle that goes with them.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Welcome to the addiction that traditionals provide. I personally started with a CVA kit, then moved on to a GPR kit, and now have a few others along with those. I would recommend starting with either a GPR kit or a TC hawken kit, depending on which feels better to you, but both are great, and you will learn a lot before tackling a more involved build. I'm not to the level of building a proper and more historically correct build yet, but hope to get there someday when I grow up.

 

[LeMat1856]

SuperKirby,

just a quick thought: if it is a first build, you might want to 'walk before you run' so to speak.. there are lots of level 1, 2, and some 3 kits available from dixie gunworks and others that are both PC and HC (iirc).

be advised that since i've never built any of these, take my suggestion with a large grain of salt.

:thumbsup:
~dg~