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You can take it one step further if you have powder to spare and prime the pan and fire to get used to all the movement and flash going on. This can be done in the back ysrd
When I built guns I liked to polish the lock smooth enough that it surprised you when the gun went off.I mean surprised you in a good way.
One of the best pieces of advice I've picked up here. I started some weeks back with random dryfires (with oak chip) several times a day. Now I can hold steady through the lock fall, focusing strictly on the front sight. Even pretty well off-hand. Thanks, guys!Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire
Put a wooden flint in and practice squeezing the trigger and the sights not moving (or as much as you are capable of holding steady) until well after the hammer has fallen. I usually do this every day in the house with one or the other flintlocks depending on which one is going to the range next.
I have helped many beginners with this simple advice.
I just got into flintlocks last October. I have shot quite a bit since my rifle was built. I am right handed....and cant see the sights with my right eye due to severe astigmatisms. I shoot left handed...and am getting pretty decent with the gun. I don't see an issue....just practice a lot to get over the flinching; which would also be an issue if the lock was on the other side. I shoot scoped rifles right handed. I shotguns with either hand: shots at moving game right handed....and slow aimed shots left handed.
In 1975 and shortly after I had joined THE Marine Corps Rifle Team as the Junior Armorer, we had a team meeting and they asked for suggestions to improve offhand shooting. My best friend in life waited for a bit and when no new suggestions were forthcoming, he suggested we buy some Flintlock rifles and have the Team practice with them. I'm shaking my head hard in agreement.
Now these were some of the absolute best shooters in the Marine Corps and most of them thought we were joking or crazy. Fortunately, the OIC of Marksmanship Training Unit had served with my buddy before, so he asked him to explain to everyone. Here's the things he pointed out.
1. By learning to totally ignore the flintlock working, you get into a sort of mental zone where you block out all distractions.
2. Though these shooters knew the importance of follow through, they had never shot rifles that REALLY required it for the best shooting. (More on this later.)
3. When you get to the point you KNOW where the bullet is going to hit on target with a flintlock (otherwise known as "calling your shot"), because you were still concentrating on perfect sight alignment when the shot broke, it is downright easy to do it with modern rifles.
Yeah, they didn't buy flintlock rifles, BUT we invited every member to come to the monthly Black Powder shoots we held. One MSgt, who was a pretty darn fine rifle shot, took us up on the offer. He didn't want to try a flintlock at first, but instead chose to shoot one of my buddies original percussion rifles. Once he was had his five shots on target, he came up to us and admitted he now understood the points my buddy had made. THEN he was amazed my buddy had outshot him with his flintlock rifle! After that some others on the Big Team Shooters joined us and they all said it taught them even more about the things they had thought they had all but mastered completely.
Gus
If it works for you, what we were taught and proven was a full breath, exhale; then half breath before the Trigger squeeze and follow through.
There was never any mention of Heart beats, its the first I ever heard about, there again maybe I'm just an old cold hearted SOB......but not when it comes to 'Orses, Dawgs; Cattle and Pussycats.
Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire
Put a wooden flint in.
The only thing I gather from Jim Chambers is he doesn't allow lead for holding the flint. This is the first time I've heard "no wood dummy flint".Not sure how a wood flint would hurt anything, I have used one in a Virginia rifle from him many times.
This may explain my thought on how the heart beat can affect shooting accuracy. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I can shoot well, but don't enter matches.Well mate you must have a Heart the size of a Football, because I just tried your test and in my case thumb and then forefinger doesnt move.
Maybe you have a Blood pressure problem, my last BP test was 138/85 last month; I turn 70 in June.
Can you shoot a right handed flintlock gun left handed?
I’m right handed in most life task but left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. I’ve always shot right handed percussion guns on my left shoulder but wondered how different a flintlock would be with the flash.
A Dremel is very difficult to use well in delicate work.
A Dremel is very difficult to use well in delicate work.
I'm a lefty but own righty rifles. I occasionally shoot left handed with no problems, but if, like you say, the stock has cast-off, it will not fit.I am left-handed, left-eye dominant. I own both lefty and righty flintlocks. I've shot lefty guns up to .77 cal and righties up to 1 inch bore. You can shoot a lefty or a righty safely and effectively if you develop good follow through and sight habits.
The lefty gun benefits you where you want to maximize accuracy and to some degree reduce flash in front of your face. The righty is generally fine where you want to just get out, have fun, and punch some holes. The concern with the righty gun is not so much safety, but that the stock has cast to it and won't fit you. But if you're careful not to put your thumb in front of the vent or where the frizzen foot lands, you can shoot the righty safely.
If I had a choice, all else being equal, I'd take the lefty gun. But if someone offered a nice righty to me that fit well at a very good price, I wouldn't turn it down.
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