new to ML, flintlocks

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings Murph182,

One of the best books on the subject is MUZZLE LOADING SHOOTING AND WINNING WITH THE CHAMPIONS available from the National Muzzle Loading Association, Friendship, IND.

The individual chapters are written by the men who are proven
national champions in shoulder-to-shoulder competition, and also hunt bird and game with these black powder arms.

They are not arm chair experts. What they write about, the techniques and methods, are just as valid today and tommorrow as they were when originally written. You cannot go wrong with this book.

Before buying that first rifle, you will have to decide if you want to shoot patched round ball or a slug-like projectile.
contrary to belief, there is no barrel that will shoot both with equal accuracy. Yes, I recognize ther are exceptions, but do you want to purchase, hoping for that one in a thousand (or ten thousand).

The LYMAN Great Plains Rifle has a barrel that is properly rifled for the patched round ball and do shoot very well.

Another possibility is the Pedersoli Hawken, although I think it may be available in percussion only.

Both of the rifles, while not perfect, do make a reasonable attempt to follow the profile and lines of the old Jake and Sam Hawken St. Louis Mountain Rifle, a popular rifle of the mid 1830' s to the 1860's or so.

Two other good choices in used models are the Santa Fe Arms Hawken and the Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle. The JBMR is of especially fine quality.

Both are correctly rifled for the patched round ball.

One more possibility is to find a used Thompson-Center Hawken or Renegade at a steal and replace the factory barrel with a Green Mountain IBS barrel. They are drop-in replacements, reasonably priced.

Hope this information will help you.

Best regards and good shooting,

John l. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA member, I am carrying your load.

 

[roundball]

One more possibility is to find a used Thompson-Center Hawken or Renegade at a steal and replace the factory barrel with a Green Mountain IBS barrel.
John l. Hinnant

John suggestion was indeed a good one, and just as an update from first hand experience, TC's standard 1:48" barrels actually shoot full power PRB's perfectly.

And if you still want a 1:66" round ball barrel, TC themselves make them for the TC Hawken (and Renegade)...just call TC's Fox Ridge store at 1-800-243-4570, select option #3.

I have both 1:48" and 1:66" percussion & flint rifles in various calibers and they're outstanding...a lot of quality for the money and a real lifetime warranty regardless if you're the original owner or not...

 

[Rebel]

Welcome Murph. Check the classifieds here on the Forum. there are quite a few guns for sale there, both cap and flint locks.

 

[jdixon]

Looked around the computer here, found the July 2005 issue of Muzzleblasts laying on the desk (publication of the National Muzzleoading Rifle Association), they list muzzleloading clubs and shoot dates in each issue. Try giving one of these clubs a call;

Bull Run Muzzleloaders
Shoot 3rd Sunday monthly
Tony Sucher, 5415 Dublin Av., Springfield, VA 22151
703-354-2226

Virginia Muzzle Loading Rifle Assoc.
Various Shoots
Dennis Hodges, P.O. Box 353, Prince Georges, VA 23875
804-458-6223

Witte Fort L.R. Club
Shoot 2nd Sat. monthly Apr - Nov.
Wayne Craig, Box 113, Richlands, VA 24641
276-964-5627

There were others listed but, I thought these would be the closest to your neck of the woods.

As for me, where do I shoot? I am lucky - got a 150 yrd. range behind the house here, and Friendship, IN is only a two hour drive .

 

[Mulebrain]

Welcome!

As you probably already know, hobbies can get out of hand but god is it fun!

Since coming on board here, I have accumulated 6 rifles, 2 pistols, and one cannon.

Myself coming from the center fire world, was looking for something else, something that was more interesting.

Well, I have nearly ridded myself of centerfires, and replaced with muzzleloaders.

My GPR rifle kit arrived yesterday, and it will be my first build. One thing i will say about the Great Plains Rifle. It sure is well made, and looks are super!

I would reccomend the book Black Powder Hobby Gunsmithing. If you buy a GPR, it even comes with a very nice well written manual to get you started.

Mule

 

[flashpanner]

Instructions included? REAL men don't need no stinkin' instructions! :crackup:

 

[Mulebrain]

Instructions included? REAL men don't need no stinkin' instructions! :crackup:

Trying to help the guy out, you smart azz :crackup:

 

[dougeee]

Greetings Murph,I'm pretty much in the same boat as you.I just got my first kit and have a bunch of questions.Fortunately I do know a lot of people to get help from,this forum being a big help.As far as shooters in NOVA you're in luck.There's a club in Strasburg called Shenandoah Longrifles.They have shoots off and on year round.I camp with them all the time and they're a good bunch.Punch in their name and I'm sure You'll find them.Strasburg should only be about an hour drive for ya.Welcome

 

[playfarmers]

I too am new to the flinters. My new Autin & Halleck came last week, but I still am waiting for my flint and pan charger spout to come. I plan on getting a small horn ready today for the pan charger spout. This forum has a lot of knowledge to sort through, but I have already picked up a few things. I have a Lyman Deerstalker percussion that I was perfectly happy with until I went to a Rondy this past summer. The flint bug bit hard, It had been nibbling before, but its got a big bite now.

 

[ssamac]

GPR = Lyman Great Plains Rifle? Yes??
How do they compare with a Traditions rifle?
Anyone hear of a Hopkins and Allen "minuteman"??

Thanks
SAm

 

[Rebel]

Yes
Much Better
Yes

 

[Sham66]

Hi! I'm getting closer and closer to trying flint. Not abandoning percussion, but there's just something about flint.

2 questions: 1)I am a lefty, not an issue for percussion, but will I require a left handed flintlock rifle? 2)I am looking at the Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle (lefty). What is the purpose of the double phase triggers as opposed to a single trigger?

Thanks!

 

[Stumpkiller]

How do?

2 questions: 1)I am a lefty, not an issue for percussion, but will I require a left handed flintlock rifle? 2)I am looking at the Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle (lefty). What is the purpose of the double phase triggers as opposed to a single trigger?

1.) You'll be happier if you do. The "poof" is bad enough starting out. The additional smoke-in-the-face may make for an unpleasant sensation.

2.) The double-phase allow you to either set the front for a very light release, or just pull as normal. (single-phase set triggers must be set for every shot).

Personally, I prefer a light single trigger that does not "set" at all. I hunt in the cold, and gloved, mittened and or numb fingers do not play well with diddly set triggers and fly-breath releases.

 

[jmo1808]

Hi all, this is my first post. I don't get many chances to hunt due to school (sophomore at the Naval Academy) but my new flint lock is going to be finished in a few weeks and I hope to join in on more discussions in the near future. I am an avid bowhunter, but now the only time in Ohio I can hunt is the muzzleloader season. I have been reading posts from this forum for about a year. Thanks for all the useful info and good luck to everyone out in the woods this season.

 

[Rebel]

Welcome to the camp. Glad to have ya. Nice looking rifle ya got there. Hope to hear more from you soon. Take care.

 

[susie s]

One thing I would add to your list, especially for a beginner, is a CO2 discharger for when you forget the powder-most do at one time or another and it's a lot safer than trying to pull the ball. When I changed from my nail-driver percussion to flint, I never went back. A lot of people are have an idea that flint is so hard to shoot. If you've got a good lock, I think it's just as good and fast. Sometimes the percussions have more misfires than I do. When everything is going right, I have very few "clacks". Takes a little more work, but is worth the effort. I used to be the only one on the line of our local club shooting a flint, now most of the rifles are flint. (Guess they got tired of a woman beating them with a flint rifle!) Both of my kids grew up shooting flint and both do very well at the nationals with them. There's just something about flint that grabs you and keeps you shooting. The percussion is retireed now. Susie

 

[Bountyhunter]

What I'd recommend is that you go with someone who has rifles, go to a shoot, rendezvous, or range and shoot a few different ones. Anybody on the forum here, live in his neck of the woods? Go pick him up and take him out and show him some different rifles and let him shoot some.

When I was a pup, one of the old ones did that for me and I'll be forever thanking him. It sure set my wandering straight. That was 30 years ago. On top of it all, he recommended that I get a kit rifle, and then he helped me get the first one put together. That was my bag, it might not be yours, but if someone would take this guy out and show him some things, it'd be better than all the reading.

Bill

 

[susie s]

You're right on there! One tends to forget after a while all the people that helped them get where they are today. We have so many shooters around here, it's hard to picture no one else around! It's a lot easier to learn with someone right there to watch and correct errors and give advice! Susie

 

[kenneth strickland]

Some things I learned from trial and error was a clean dry barrel,flint and frizzen helps ignition a lot. Real black powder is the only way to go with a flintlock rifle. I bought an Austin Halleck mountain rifle in flint and like the convenience of removing the barrel to clean so the maple stock doesn't get wet. A flint Hawken with short stock is not perfectly correct but it is easier than a long rifle to clean completely. I have seen the AH mountain flint for $350 recently on Auctionarms and gunbroker. They are built in Utah using Spanish barrels. Very nice rifle for about the same price as a Lyman plus it has a maple stock, excellent lock and trigger and heavy barrel.

 

[Poor Boy]

Too bad you don't live in SW Missouri or NW Arkansas,cause you would be invited to our range to "LEARN TO SHOOT". We even give newbees free plunder, It;s what we make ourselves,like range rods,cast balls,short starters(if your that kind of person).One instructor in our group does not use a PERSUCTION gun only a flinter...Look us up in Muzzle Blasts Field Reps...........Olson