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Priming with 3f?

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jtmattison

70 Cal.
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
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I am going to buy my first flintlock.
I have a good supply of 3f Goex but no 4f.
Can I prime with 3f?


Thanks,
Huntin
 
That's only powder I carry is FFF. Works great everytime. There's no evidence of priming horns being used in the early years 1700-1840 era
 
sure can....i was at the range one day and uesd mine all up and didn't want to go....so i used it for the heck of it....didn't see any speed difference..................bob
 
I prime my squirrel gun w/ 3f and my Brown Bess w/ 2f, works all the time if I have done my part!
 
it's the best way to do it. No extra horn, and 3F doesn't "gunk up" like 4F in high humidity situations.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies.
I just ordered a Lyman Deerstalker .54 flintlock, my first ever.
Found them on closeout for $224. Not a bad price to get started in flinting.
I can't wait until it get's here.

Huntin
 
Quote:
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I prime with FFg. If you have a large enough flint you don't need FFFFg.


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My flint is only 5/8" wide, but 3F works fine with it.


Then it's large enough. :winking:

I like a 7/8" flint. My Bess used a 1-1/8" and I guess I just got used to hiding behind them when the pan lit.

Besides, big locks make the rest of the gun appear slimmer. There must be a human parallel there. :hmm:
 
My Bess seems to like the 1" flint best...I have a 1-1/8", but just carry that to skin the deer with.

Since I use paper powder cartridges, I use a priming horn...it's the only horn I gots! I also use ffg for my main charges, which I'm sure would prime ok, but just seems to be getting kind of big to me to use for priming...and again, I just like to carry that cute little prime-horn, as it's a place to hang some of my other doo-dads, such as pan bursh and nipple pick.

Rat
 
Besides, big locks make the rest of the gun appear slimmer. There must be a human parallel there.:hmm:


and what would that be....some people i've seen with big heads have skinny body's....or was that big body's and skinny heads :hmm:....oh i don't know :crackup:....after my supply of 4f is gone no more 4f for priming....had some trouble in the rain with soup that wasn't even hot when i went to use it....3f from now on.............bob
 
I think I'll try ffg as a prime next time but it would seem awkward to pour it from a big horn spout into the pan. I shoot ffg in my .62 Jaeger and I would like to eliminate the extra priming horn since they apparently weren't used during my period of interest (1740-1760ish, mostly ish). How do you guys do it without spilling too much or over filling? I know, lots of practice.
 
pour it from a big horn spout
Dangggggggggggggg.. How big a horn ya carry? ::
My horn's only 9" long and I shoot a 62 cal. It will hold enough powder to hold off the whole Comanche Nation. :hmm: :redthumb:
 
I think with most locks you can use 3F. About 20 years ago someone told me 3F would be ok in a bind, if you crushed it some--you don't need to. My Pedersoli Kentucky has a 1/2 flint--have only used 4f. I have a small Siler with a 5/8 flint, and a Robbins with a 3/4 flint--used in matches and primed with 4F from a priming horn. But Shemanese, my early Viginia from Narragannsett, has a Chambers lock, with a 7/8 flint--I tried 2F in the pan and it worked wonderfully. When she and I hit the woods, she is primed by 3F form my main horn--a priming horn would not be historically correct in a F&I portrayal, I believe. Keep yer powder dry, yer flint sharp, yer nose to the wind, and an eye on yer backtrail.
 
Since I only carry the priming horn, I could tell people it's a "day horn", which I understand were used for hunting close to home. I think my priming horn is a tad bigger than some of the priming horns too, probably more the size of a "day horn".

Rat
 
I will be interested in how the lock and everything fits to it. Also how well it sparks....

How is your Trade Rifle shooting by the way? I was thinking of getting one of them or a different flintlock. I just have not made up my mind.
 
I prime with FFg. If you have a large enough flint you don't need FFFFg.


It's not the size of you're filnt :nono:
It's how you stroke the frizzen :redthumb:


B.Ford
 
Cayugad,
The Trade Rifle is shooting great. I tried some .535 RB's and ticking patch and the groups are really tight with 90 grains Goex 2f.
I will report on the Deerstalker when I get it.

It's not the size of you're filnt
It's how you stroke the frizzen

:crackup: Well put!

Huntin
 
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