Percussion Vs flintlock for hunting?

[Amikee]

Welcome

As I am spending countless hours on this forum I can't stop wondering, which ignition system do you prefer and why? It seems to be a great/greater amoung of flintlocks here than percussion. Just a matter of preference? Nostalgy? Advantages of one over the other? Please mention hunting during winter and rainy weather. Hope to have a enormous discussion on this one. Maybe some pics? :hmm:

 

[tg]

Once I tried flintlocks I never went back to cappers, I find the flintlocks as easy to use and very reliable even in wet weather(NW Oregon in November) if one does their part, and have a certain feel and look to them that gives me a bit more of the feeling of stepping back in time, and a bit more of a sense of accopmplishment when hunting with one, the worst thing one can do though is to start with a low end flinter that does not ave a good quality lock, it can sour a person on them real quick, some get lucky with some of the cheaper flinters but many only get headaches.The percussion system miust be better overall as it pretty much replaced the flintlock, but that may have been a lot to it being more idiot proof so to speak.

 

[chance]

I love my flinter. I guess to e it is just more fun. I really love to hunt with it. Sure I have had some misshaps that just makes it more interesting. To me they take me back in time.

 

[roundball]

Got rid of my last caplock 8-10 years ago...I've found Flintlocks to not only be more enjoyable to shoot and hunt with, and have a greater connection to the past, but they've been more reliable too.
After learning that, I've intentionally left the house to go hunting in drizzle and one time after sitting out in it for 2 hours, killed a good 2-3yr old 8 pointer that came poking along cruising for Does...fired right off as if it was a clear dry summer day, and down he went.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Flintlocks are more fun and interesting, and therefore enjoyable - for me. Can be frustrating at times. I find them to be a way to get more fulfillment out of limited game opportunities. One deer with a flintlock is worth five with a percussion or ten with a centerfire. Just my personal feelings.

 

[nchawkeye]

I've never owned a percussion gun, never had any appeal to me...I've always been a history buff and the flintlock system was the primary system used to ignite guns for over 250 years...

My first muzzleloader was a custom made flintlock that I bought when I was 27...I went through a ten year period or so where that was the only gun I used...I wanted to learn how to hunt and take care of that gun and I did...Not only did I hunt with it, I also shot competition with it...The first competition I went to the check in fellow told me I would be shooting against percussion guns, so they would have an advantage...I told him "Well this is the only muzzleloader I own"...I won the 25 yard off hand event and came in second on the over the log event at 60 yards...

Flintlocks are very reliable, once you learn how to take care of them...After all, isn't that why many of us got into this hobby, to learn the art of shooting with a weapon that was used when our Country was young???

 

[rabjr]

Used caplocks for 20 years. Built a flinter in 2003 and discovered a whole new world to muzzleloading. I've used flinters exclusively since. It's a more hands on approach to hunting than anything else and very dependent on how you do things. Long as you do things right, they are very reliable. :thumbsup:

 

[jethro224]

I own and shoot both kinds but, more and more, my preference is the flinters.
As others have said, there is a learning period where you need to figure out how your gun works best. That is true of both ignition styles. Probably easier to do with the caplocks. In the long run I find there is less fiddling with my flinters.

The flintlocks have a bit more fiddling at the start, but once you get to know the gun and get it set up right all you need to do is check a few small things like flint sharpness, position, tight ness in the jaws, and a clean touch hole. With the caplocks you are forever fiddling around with them little bitty caps.

You will get the occasional klatch, flash-in-the-pan, or hangfire with a flintlock. Those problems will be minimal if you do your part and check the things I mentioned earlier.
You will get the occasional missfire with a caplock too. Bad or weak caps, junk in the fire channel, etc.

If you run out of flints you can probably find a rock that will spark. You'll rarely find a tin of caps lying on the ground. :wink:

Whichever type you use your feet will still get cold in the winter. :haha:
I shoot in temps ranging from 100+ to twenty or so - degrees F. I don't think winter really cares which ignition type you use. Maybe if it ever gets so cold the sparks freeze in mid air... :haha:

Rain can wet the prime in a flinter or the stuff in a cap. I keep my muzzle down and my lock covered when hunting in the rain. A bit of tallow or greasy lube around the very edge of the pan will help keep your prime dry when it really pours. Not that big of a deal really. I have hunted all day in rain and snow, even blizzard conditions.

There is a certain mystique that flinters have that I just don't find in the caplocks. A longrifle just seems to me like it should be a flinter. Plains style half-stock guns just seem more "right" to me with a caplock tho. That is just my personal opinion, both styles of rifles were built with both styles of lock.

Another thing that needs consideration is whether you desire to portray a particular era. Pre-1830's personas need flintlocks. If you plan to join a group there may be restrictions too.

Some folks never do like flint, others never like percussion. You should try both if possible and decide which is best for you.

Here's a few ML hunting pics:

Caplocks; (my best 2 bucks ever, all weapons, were taken with caplocks)

And a few with the flinters;

 

[Rat Trapper]

All 6 of my TC traditional rifles are cap locks. Nothing wrong with cap locks. they shoot very well and I enjoy them.

 

[Vaino]

For just the enjoyment a flintlock provides more fun. For hunting I've used both and the only difference was that the flintlock in rain or high humidity requires more care so that the prime or the powder in or near the TH doesn't get wet. A lock cover {calf's knee} works well in the rain. The perc is nearly impervious to rain.. One yr while elk hunting w/ a perc, it rained for 7 consecutive days { some light and some pouring}and after the 5th day, the load fired w/o a problem. For a flint to equal this would require a lot of precautions and attention. If rain isn't a factor either will do nicely and the flint would be my choice....Fred

 

[roundball]

Flintlocks are more fun and interesting, and therefore enjoyable - for me. Can be frustrating at times. I find them to be a way to get more fulfillment out of limited game opportunities. One deer with a flintlock is worth five with a percussion or ten with a centerfire. Just my personal feelings.

Speaking only for myself, that's very well said.
I'm no longer interested in the "how many"...I'm only interested in the "how".
If I didn't want to manage my Flintlocks while hunting, I could just use a .30-30...but it's actually the extra challenge of hunting with Flintlocks, that when mastered on a hunt, particularly in foul weather, and I drag out a good deer in spite of the weather is where my sense of real satisfaction comes from.

 

[BrownBear]

I had a house full of caplocks before I started playing with and acquiring flintlocks. My experience runs pretty much down the center of the lane with the other posts here.

I'll elaborate on a few points though:

The flinter is a little more fiddly to achieve consistent ignition. Some cappers need fiddling to get things right, but most flinters do. Not a big deal really, and something you can sort out with one or two trips to the range.

The big difference I notice is in shooting. It takes longer to learn to get over the flash in front of your face, and your marksmanship will suffer till you do, compared to what you might be used to. That challenge is a lot of fun and satisfying to me and others, but if it's not for you, you can always go back to a capper. One thing for sure- learning to shoot well with a flinter sure improved my capper shooting.

Lots is made of the ability to make your own flints, but I'm yet to see a single one that anyone has made themselves. I'm doing it, but so far they're not as reliable as the ones I can buy, due in part of my local stone options. It's just another fun aspect to make mine, but come time to hunt I'm still going to switch back to storebought. :grin:

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I've pretty much completely switched to flintlock longguns at this point. I just enjoy shooting them more. Once you learn how to set them up and what details to pay attention to, they are very reliable. Good follow-through is essential for any good shooting and the flintlock forces this habit on you by magnifying the effects of poor follow-through.

As far as inclement weather goes, I live in NW Oklahoma and it sometimes goes for 6 weeks or more with no precipitation. But all the times I have hunted in rain or snow my flintlocks went bang the very first time. I just kept the lock under the tail of my coat as much as possible and refreshed my pan powder every so often and had no problems.

 

[luieb45]

I've went to traditional muzzleloaders completely for deer hunting and hope to always use my caplock shotgun for turkey. For small game I usually use a muzzleloader but on occasion use a modern gun like my .410 or .22. I'd like to maybe do a little wingshooting with my caplock shotgun maybe try to get a dove or two and maybe a few quail or a pheasant but I'm not holding my breath on that. We have few wild birds compared to most and on this little area I have to pheasant hunt it'll be hard getting them into muzzleloader range. I think it'd be hard to get them into range of a suppository 12 gauge with full choke. I might try coyote hunting this year with a muzzleloader but I think I need to take that more seriously because if you miss or they discover you that educates them more making them almost unkillable. :idunno:

 

[vern faulkner]

I ain't got no capsmackers, so it's flinters for me. :v I also don't have a smooth bore muzzle loader so upland bird hunting is done with modern SXS's.

Vern

 

[wattlebuster]

I have 2 percussion. 3 rocklocks an enjoy shooting an hunting with both but Ive noticed the older I get the more I shoot an hunt with the rocklocks :hatsoff:

 

[redwing]

Talk about history. Your flinter fires from a flint that is millions of years old. That is historical. Some folks worry about ammo their dad left them 20 years ago. :rotf:

 

[hanshi]

I've taken my share of deer and other critters with caplocks but several years ago I started using flintlocks exclusively and that's it a far as I'm concerned. I still like caplocks; just don't hunt with them anymore.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I hunt with cappers, since that's how I got started, and haven't had the time to convert my rifles.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Mine are all cap locks and since they are not broke no reason to change.