New to flintlocks

[Rockvillerich]

One of the best things to happen to my shooting was learning to shoot spring powered airguns. And for the same reasons, the fundamentals of the bone foundation, hold and sight picture, follow through, and follow through.

Yes indeed, I shot thousands of rounds through a Walther LGV just to get enough trigger time to hang with the crowd at Friendship, and not embarrass myself too badly.

 

[hinamanra]

I started with a .45 cal T/C Hawken that I got for Christmas in 1979 when I was in 10th grade, it took 3 years worth of "I need a flintlock" to my dad. No one in my family hunt with or shot flintlocks, no body I knew did. Pennsylvania had a flintlock only deer season starting the day after Christmas for 2 weeks and I had to hunt it, It became my favorite time of year. That Hawken would fire maybe 1 in 3 shots, I thought that that's the way it is with a flintlock and I endured it for 20 years. In 1999 with the internet established I stumbled across Jim Chambers web site and I had to have his Early Lancaster Pennsylvania Rifle in .54. It arrived before I even thought about if I could to build it but I got the video tape with it and I watched at least a hundred times and the rifle turned out right and tight and puts a lot of holes in one spot. What a difference in reliability from my old Hawken. Since I've retired i 2011 and came home to my mountain I hunt every day only with bow and flintlock every thing else started to take the thrill out of it. Then four years ago I was shooting my Hawken and I thought something has to be done about this lock and I started looking on the net for a remedy and found this sight and all these people with all this experience and found out about the early T/C lock geometry problem and that L&R made a replacement lock for the T/C's, I got one and installed it (What a difference) and love shooting my Hawken again. I highly recommend that lock and it doesn't take as much skill to install properly as some here have stated. About three years ago I stumbled on a Narragansett Arms Fusil de Chasse, 20 bore on gun broker and bought it. I had a heck of a time trying to hit any thing with it and I thought "what is going on here" but after reading about the Fusil de Chasse here I found out that I just didn't know how to shoot it. Now because of the vast experience of the members on this site, this is my go to for everything, I love this gun, IMO it is the ultimate hunting tool. Last year I took 25 dove, 15 squirrle , 1 grouse, a gobbler, black bear and a buck. So those new to flintlocks, there is no need for trial and error as it was with me, everyone here has already done it and can't wait to share it, this site is the Encyclopedia Britannica of black powder shooting.