Offhand accuracy with flintlock pistols ?

[kyron4]

Just got done with my Traditions Kentucky flintlock pistol and have been putting it through it's paces. With 25 grains of 3F and patched round ball I can get a single ragged one hole group at 15 yards all day , when rested on a sand bag off the bench. Now when I get off the bag and bench things get wonky. Groups run 3" to 4" with the random flyer, from me of coarse. Using a one hand grip in a "dueling" stance is the least accurate , a two handed grip, like on a modern pistol is better but not by much. What should I expect as far as accuracy from an unsupported position ? Any tips or advice ? -Thanks

 

[PathfinderNC]

Just got done with my Traditions Kentucky flintlock pistol and have been putting it through its paces. With 25 grains of 3F and patched round ball I can get a single ragged one hole group at 15 yards all day , when rested on a sand bag off the bench. Now when I get off the bag and bench things get wonky. Groups run 3" to 4" with the random flyer, from me of coarse. Using a one hand grip in a "dueling" stance is the least accurate , a two handed grip, like on a modern pistol is better but not by much. What should I expect as far as accuracy from an unsupported position ? Any tips or advice ? -Thanks

You could achieve offhand what you achieve off the bench rest.
Practice, practice and then practice some more 😉

 

[kyron4]

You could achieve offhand what you achieve off the bench rest.
Practice, practice and then practice some more 😉

That's the plan.

 

[ChrisPer]

This may count as unmetnionable, but I attach a MantisX dryfire trainer to my BP pistols. (Plastic pic rail and velcro tape or leccy tape)
I only get to shoot them every couple of months and dryfire training is my hope for getting better.

 

[wiscoaster]

Just got done with my Traditions Kentucky flintlock pistol and have been putting it through it's paces. With 25 grains of 3F and patched round ball I can get a single ragged one hole group at 15 yards all day , when rested on a sand bag off the bench. Now when I get off the bag and bench things get wonky. Groups run 3" to 4" with the random flyer, from me of coarse. Using a one hand grip in a "dueling" stance is the least accurate , a two handed grip, like on a modern pistol is better but not by much. What should I expect as far as accuracy from an unsupported position ? Any tips or advice ? -Thanks

That's good enough to kill the other guy at that distance, so don't get too shook about it.

But you also might want to make sure you're not pan-flash flinching. It's pretty easy to not notice with all that flash and smoke. If there's somebody else who can watch from different angles to see if you're moving the gun between primer ignition and charge ignition that's the best way to discover if that's why your groups deteriorated when you went offhand.

Also, wrt stance and hold technique, I usually prefer shooting these pistols single-handed from a bladed stance. But if and when I use a two-handed grip, the usual wrap-around thumbs-forward modern grip designed for semi-auto pistol grips doesn't work too well because of the flintlock pistol's grip length and shape (designed for one hand), and I've found that the much-derided "teacup" grip actually works better with these pistols. YMMV. Have fun experimenting.

 

[nick_1]

you are flinching... good luck. whenever I have accuracy problems and start thinking its the gun I bench and find out once again that it is me......

 

[Freedom]

Just got done with my Traditions Kentucky flintlock pistol and have been putting it through it's paces. With 25 grains of 3F and patched round ball I can get a single ragged one hole group at 15 yards all day , when rested on a sand bag off the bench. Now when I get off the bag and bench things get wonky. Groups run 3" to 4" with the random flyer, from me of coarse. Using a one hand grip in a "dueling" stance is the least accurate , a two handed grip, like on a modern pistol is better but not by much. What should I expect as far as accuracy from an unsupported position ? Any tips or advice ? -Thanks

Sounds like with skills like that you had better start competing in our monthly Forum match!

It's fun to watch your targets improve after several months of participating.

A Flintlock pistol seems to be the hardest marksmanship genre to master.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...-national-candy-corn-day.185828/#post-2719984